Tag Archives: German Cars

Car Shows

Favorites from Vipers and Exotics for Victoria in Edison, NJ

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Dodge Viper Whiparound Shot

My weekend of car shows in Middlesex County, NJ did not stop with the Elks Lodge show. I had been invited to attend the Vipers and Exotics for Victoria show at the local Quaker Steak and Lube down in Edison, NJ by my friend Schen–who was helping to run the event. Schen’s a huge Viper and Mopar fan and I was more than happy to attend and take some pictures. This was a charity event for the daughter of the restaurant’s regional manager, who has a brain disease that needs immediate treatment. All of the entry fees at the show went towards treatment for Victoria.

The people who I met on Sunday were incredible–the show was run tightly and felt very organized. A great contingency of Mopar faithful showed up in late-model Chargers and Challengers, while the Viper club sent along a few people too. Two particularly loud representatives of muscle past and present showed up too–a Shelby Cobra continuation car turned up, shortly after a McLaren-Mercedes SLR roared into the parking lot and set of every car alarm on the way out. All in all, it was a very enjoyable Sunday morning. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Favorites from Vipers and Exotics for Victoria in Edison, NJ →

Obscure Autos, Opinions

Hypercar History (1950s-1980s)

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Early Hypercar History

What is a hypercar? A hypercar is a supercar among supercars.

What is a supercar? A supercar is a faster, more extreme sports car.

What is a sports car? A sports car is a driving-focused machine in purpose with transportation being a secondary concern.

That is a very simplified rundown of the status that hypercars have in the world of automobiles. Supercars are what most people dream about, hypercars are what supercar owners dream about. They are the automobile fully turned up to eleven!

But where did it all begin, and how has this ultimate class of cars developed over time? Let’s go back to the 1950s.

Continue reading Hypercar History (1950s-1980s) →

Auto Idolatry

Petrolicious: Sir Stirling Moss and the Mercedes 300 SLR 722

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In another serious gem of a video by Petrolicious, we are taken back to the 1955 Mille Miglia with non other than Sir Stirling Moss himself, who won the race with his Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR #722.

This was really the golden era of racing when everything was still allowed to be excessively dangerous. The Mille Miglia, a one thousand mile race on the public streets of Italy, was probably the most notorious race of the age. Moss finished the race in just 10 hours and 7 minutes setting the all time record for the race, which has never been beaten.

You have to understand the context to appreciate the enormity of his achievement, and to appreciate just how awesome a car the Mercedes 300 SLR is, even by modern standards. Officially, the roads were all closed, but Italy being Italy, that meant absolutely nothing. So it was basically a 1000 mile sanctioned street race, dodging trucks and much slower pedestrian traffic. The speeds were also no joke either, 150-160mph was routinely reached by Moss in his SLR, and he even talks about getting airborne at those speeds. Also keep in mind that this was all back in the mid 1950s with tire and braking technology from the era. Most modern cars, with modern technology, cannot stop or maneuver well at 160mph, but the 300 SLR could do it back then… at least well enough that it is still in one piece.

Enjoy this video. Moss is one of the most legendary drivers of all time, and the 300 SLR is probably the most epic car Mercedes-Benz has ever made.

-Nick

Car Shows

Awesome Burnouts and Accelerations at the CF Charities Supercar Show!

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Here is some fun stuff from the CF Charities Supercar Show last year. Naturally, when you hold a car meet on an open airstrip, some shenanigans are going to take place… in fact, the more, the better!

It was a motley crew of cars at the show, everything from everyday tuner cars to a mighty Bugatti Veyron and a straight-piped Porsche Carrera GT.

If you love hearing some engines being thrashed, and you love some tire smoke, then you’ll be glad you gave this video a watch!

-Nick Walker

Cars We've Seen

Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG spotted in Boca Raton, FL

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Mercedes Benz G63 Mizner Front

While traipsing around Boca Raton, checking out Mizner Park, the high-end shopping district near the ocean, is always worth it. Whether you’re looking for a place to eat, a place to smoke a cigar and sip some whiskey, or just to chase down expensive cars (I was sort of doing all three), it’s got what you’re looking for.  It definitely had what the owner of this eggshell-white G63 was looking for too.  Enjoy the photos of this insane 4×4. Continue reading Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG spotted in Boca Raton, FL →

Car Shows, Opinions

The BMW i8 is Proof of Progress, and I Love It!

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BMW i8 Amelia Island 1I saw my first BMW i8 out in the wild the other day, but only for just long enough to be awestruck, and then it was gone. While I didn’t manage to get a photo of that silver one on the road, I do have the photos from the i8’s first viewing at Amelia Island last year.

I must admit that I have love for everything that the BMW i8 represents, and I don’t think BMW could have executed this plug-in hybrid sports car any better. I remember in Monterey this year, we saw one parked in front of a restaurant, right next to a green McLaren P1. Which car drew the crowd?… The i8.

In fact, the most memorable part of that night was when I spent 10 minutes trying to convince a group of people that the i8 wasn’t a concept car, but was, in fact, on sale. They kept saying BMW would never make a car that looked so radical and actually expect to sell them. I had to pull out my phone and show them the i8 on BMW’s website, complete with its $136,000 base price. At that point, they finally believed me, and were wowed.

The BMW i8 is in the same price range as the higher-end Porsche 911 Carrera models, but BMW has given it the head-turning exotic appeal of a Pagani or a McLaren P1. The i8 looks like nothing else on the road. It even has show-y gullwing doors so you can make a grandiose entrance, or so you can’t get back into your car if people park on either side of you. Yes, that wonderful supercar idiocy is present and accounted for in the i8.

Performance wise, the i8 isn’t really a supercar by modern standards, but it’s plenty fast to have a lot of fun with. 0-60 takes 3.8 seconds, the 1/4 mile goes in 12.4 sec, and it tops out at 155mph. The kicker is the fuel economy. Where a Porsche 911 Carrera S can manage a respectable 29mpg, Motor Trend saw an Average of 45mpg in the BMW i8.

Put in 2004 terms, the i8 has the performance of a Ferrari 360 with the fuel economy of a Toyota Prius. This is progress people.

Enjoy the pics!

-Nick Walker

BMW i8 Amelia Island 3BMW i8 Amelia Island 5BMW i8 Amelia Island 6BMW i8 Amelia Island 2BMW i8 Amelia Island 7BMW i8 Amelia Island 4

Car Shows

Our Highlights From the 2015 New York International Auto Show

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NYIAS 2015 Empire State Building

We went to the 2015 New York International Auto Show this past weekend to get up close with all of the cars we’ve been hearing so much about and commenting on in the last few months.  NYIAS is always a fantastic time, but this year was the best it has been in 10 years. The show is a bit of a tradition for us to do with our friends, and this year we chose to forgo the press days so we could go with the group. I’ll admit up front that we didn’t get to everything that was at the show, but we had a blast with everyone. Here are our highlights and opinions on the cars we saw.

Continue reading Our Highlights From the 2015 New York International Auto Show →

Opinions

Screw Every Porsche 911, I Want The Boxster Spyder Instead!

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2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder

A few weeks ago, Porsche dropped the awesome Cayman GT4. Well, now there’s one without a roof, the Boxster Spyder that weighs just 2900lbs. With a “detuned” (probably not really) version of the same 3.8L flat six, Porsche says the Boxster Spyder has at least 375hp. It also only comes with three pedals, and a little stick between the seats that is used to shift gears. Thank God!

So really this is the ultimate Porsche driving experience currently on sale, in my opinion. It does what the Cayman GT4 does, but it also let’s you enjoy the wind in your hair. I’m completely sold. Forget the 911 GT3 and GT3 RS, I’d rather have this any day.

-Nick

2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder Interior 2016 Porsche Boxster Spyder Rear

Cars We've Seen

Mercedes 300 SL Roadster Spotted in Greenwich, CT

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Mercedes 300 SL Roadster in Greenwich, CT

Out walking around in Greenwich, CT we found this beautiful classic Mercedes 300SL Roadster parked outside of a luxury car dealership in town. Gotta love that hip line!

-Nick

Car Games

Configurator Fun: Mercedes GLA45 AMG

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Mercedes GLA45 AMG Configured

The Mercedes GLA45 AMG is basically the luxury rally-ish car of your dreams. That is to say it’s a small all wheel drive car with nimble handling that has a  turbocharged 4-banger which puts out entirely too much power. Yea, I know all about the CLA45 AMG, but I’d rather have this thing with the added suspension travel.

The base price of the GLA45 AMG is $48,300

Mine cost $63,350 spec’d out how I’d want it.

I saw a GLA45 in brown with the brown interior at Pebble Beach this summer, so I had to go with that. I love that you don’t usually see such a combo on an AMG.

As far as options, I got the carbon fiber aero package, but without the ricey spoiler that I hate. I also forwent the Driver Assistance Package, where the car basically drives for you, because I can drive myself, thank you very much.

I did spring for the Premium Package and the AMG Driver’s Package for the nice features they include, as well as the Panorama Sunroof.

So that’s the GLA45 AMG that I’d have. Feel free to configure your own here, and share in the comments. I’d love to see what you all come up with!

-Nick

Car Shows

Slammed VW Karmann Ghia at Festivals Of Speed, Amelia Island

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Slammed VW Karmann Ghia Festivals of Speed

This slammed Volkswagen Karmann Ghia managed to draw people’s attention away from all of the exotics at Festivals of Speed, Amelia Island. When it comes to slammed cars, I am only a fan of some, but this is surely one of them. This Karmann Ghia was extremely well done, and it really popped with its sparkling brown-orange paint job.

Karmann Ghias are such high-style items these days, and I do think being slammed adds to that appeal. I wish Volkswagen could find a way to bring this sort of style back into their modern cars, but I know that is unlikely.

Enjoy the photos of this lowered beauty!

-Nick Walker

Karmann Ghia VW Badge Slammed VW Ghia Festivals of Speed 3

Slammed VW Ghia at Festivals of Speed Amelia Island Slammed VW Ghia Interior Slammed VW Ghia Wheel

Car Shows

Audi LMP Cars At The Radnor Hunt Concours

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Audi R10 TDI LMP Race Car

Audi brought two of their diesel LMP racing cars to the Radnor Hunt Concours this year. With all the emphasis on making supercars into “racing cars for the road”, why haven’t we seen a diesel supercar yet? I mean over the last decade Audi has dominated the 24hrs of Le Mans with these TDI prototype cars.

We’d sure love a diesel Audi R8?

-Nick