Tag Archives: German Cars

2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Gallery 1

March 18, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Here is our first round of highlights from the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. There were so many incredible cars, of various eras, present that it’ll take a few of these galleries and numerous individual features to cover them all.

Racing legend, Hans-Joachim Stuck (pictured above), was the guest of honor. He rolled up during the award ceremony at the wheel of the Porsche 962 in which he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was epic!

Best in show awards went to a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Town Car with some fancy coachwork (see below), and also to a 1952 Pegaso Z-102 Cupula Coupe, which was my personal favorite car at the show, as well. The Pegaso had a unique color scheme of bright yellow with red-wall tires and a pea green interior, and it’s striking curves and crafted details definitely made it the sight to be seen.

Enjoy this first highlight reel, and stay tuned for much more to come!

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Janis Joplin’s Porsche 356 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance

Gallery March 17, 2016 Albert S. Davis Leave a comment

Of all cars at the Amelia Island Concours, celebrity-owned cars get a good share of attention. However, a hippie-themed old Porsche was grabbing more attention than other cars it sat among. This 1964 356C was custom-painted and themed by Joplin over the years to describe better her artistic style within her own life as well as within her music. After her death due to a heroin overdose in 1970, the car was passed between a few different individuals, before ending up in the posession of her manager. The car spent a period of time at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in recent years, and was sold to a private collection late last year. Out on the show field, this particular 356 had onlookers gaing at its incredible detailing and one-of-a-kind finish. I don’t expect to ever see anything like this car again for some time, and people asked questions about it non-stop. Enjoy the photos of this timeless legend. Continue reading Janis Joplin’s Porsche 356 at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance →

Car Shows

Amelia Island 2016 Preview

March 14, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

We’re currently on our way back from a truly phenomenal weekend at Amelia Island. We attended the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Cars and Coffee, Festivals of Speed, and the unveiling of Lamborghini’s new PoloStorico program. We also got behind the wheel of many different tasty cars for reviews to come. It was a crazy, exhausting, and extremely fun weekend, and there is tons of great material that will come from it, so stay tuned!

Here is a quick preview of the automotive festivities.

Enjoy!

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Car Shows, Uncategorized

Stanced Porsche 996 at First Class Fitment

March 10, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

I must admit, I’ve always liked this style of aftermarket facia on the Porsche 996. This one we saw at First Class Fitment was nice and clean.

-Nick

Opinions

An Honest Take on the Bugatti Chiron

March 4, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

The Bugatti Veyron hit the world of supercars over the head with a hammer. In a world where 600hp was still hypercar territory, the Veyron came in with 1,000hp. It was the first road car to crack the 250mph barrier, it was the most expensive car on sale, it had the most radiators… essentially it was the Guiness Book of World Records on four wheels.

Bugatti just released their next-generation hypercar, the Chiron, at the Geneva Motor Show this week, and it’s the exact same recipie as the Veyron. I mean, sure it has 500 more horsepower than the original Veyron had, and sure it looks a little fancier, but it’s really just more of the same ingredients. It’s the same type of car, but is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

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Opinions

Perfect Purist Porsche, The 911R is a big step in the right direction

March 2, 2016 ndubs77 4 Comments

The new Porsche 911R just dropped at Geneva, and it’s about as perfect as a modern 911 can be. It’s got the biggest motor, the 493hp 4.0L flat six from the GT3 RS. It’s the lightest 911 model by a fair margin, weighing just over 3,000lbs. But most importantly it succeeds where the 991 GT3 and GT3 RS have failed miserably – IT HAS A MANUAL GEARBOX!

Yes, the 911R immediately became my favorite modern Porsche when it was revealed, and you might expect this article to just go on and on singing its praises. But that’s not why I’m writing this piece. No, as good as perfect as the 911R may be, Porsche has not solved their larger problem yet.

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Cars We've Driven, Everyday Normal Cars

BMW i3 Review: Expectations are Everything

February 24, 2016 ndubs77 3 Comments

The BMW i3 is just a car in the same way that an iPhone is just a phone. It does the job, but it’s really about so much more than basic functionality. It is a techy gadget on wheels, and it’s as much a personal brand statement as it is a mode of transportation.

As a new age city car, a Toyota Prius C will do the exact same functional job as the BMW i3 for less than half the price. But you could say the same for any other BMW as well, compared to a normal car. BMWs are pure luxury items, just like an Apple products, so we need to look at the car in that way.

As a car reviewer, I have my experience driving the car for a few minutes, hours or days, and then I give the car back. Owners have to live with the car, day-in and day-out for extended time. Consequently, our two experiences can often wind up pretty different.

The BMW i3 is one such car. I had my experience driving it, and I developed my initial opinion based on that. But then I looked around online to see what actual customers were saying, and I found much more I needed to consider before rendering my verdict. I think a lot comes down to how you approach the BMW i3, and how you intend to use the car.

Here is my take from both my drive in the car as well as from further research I’ve done.

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Car Shows, Uncategorized

Mercedes G63 AMG Monster Truck at First Class Fitment

February 18, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

The Mercedes G63 comes from the factory as a fast, off-road-capable SUV, but for this owner, it clearly wasn’t enough.

-Nick

Car Shows, Cars We've Seen

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse Blue Carbon at the Quail Lodge

February 10, 2016 ndubs77 2 Comments

No matter what you may think of the Bugatti Veyron, there is no denying the hefty presence it has when you see one in person. It’s not a particularly big car, and it doesn’t have the flashiest exotic shape either. The Veyron is very round, some might even say bulbous, but it has an essence of sheer quality that will make almost any car near it seem shamefully cheap.

I recently heard somewhere that these Super Sport model Bugattis cost Volkswagen a whopping $6 million each to produce. That means VW lost $2-4 million on each Veyron they sold. Most cars are a lot cheaper in build than their price tag would suggest, especially in the luxury arena. Not the Bugatti Veryron, though, and it really does show when you see the car up close in the real world.

I know I’ve been one to criticize the Veyron from time to time, but that’s mostly for people reasons, not because of the car itself. Sociologically, the braggadocios Veyron got played out pretty quick, and Bugatti even struggled to move the last few units. But there’s no denying what a significant technological achievement this car is, even despite the existence of the LaFerrari, Koenigsegg and the other, newer hypercars.

Sure, there are quicker cars out there. But the Veyron doesn’t just do 250 or 260 mph, it makes it an easy affair. I often joke that the Bugatti’s real achievement wasn’t in breaking the 250 mph barrier, but in that it would allow Paris Hilton to do it in heels while texting, petting her toy dog and taking a selfie. That is a massive engineering achievement, and if you tried the same in a Hennessey Venom GT…. well, you’d probably wind up losing your phone.

What a fantastic objects these later-production Veyrons are, when Bugatti started getting fancy with the color schemes. This Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, which we found at the Quail Lodge during Monterey Car Week, just looked unreal with it’s two-tone French Racing Blue and blue carbon fiber bodywork. If I were spec’ing up a Bugatti Veyron for myself, this would surely be the epitome of my desire.

Enjoy the photos of this serious stunner!

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Car Shows

Highlights from the 2016 Philadelphia Auto Show

February 3, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Auto Show was lively this year, with many of the newest releases on display.

I must admit that I am completely in love with the blue Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio you see above (it’s stick too). I also got my first look at the new Fiata (124 Spider), Cadillac XT5, Honda Ridgeline, and the oh-so-sleek Volvo S90. I also got a good look at the new Toyota Prius, which was regrettable on the eyes.

There are a lot of great new cars to be excited about!

Enjoy the gallery.

-Nick

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