Tag Archives: German Cars

Auto Idolatry, Car Shows, Cars We've Driven, SHOWCASE

Fun from Mach 5 Cars’ Exotic Rally Tour

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I recently visited Mach 5 Cars to take part in one of their Exotic Rally Tours. Two of my friends work for Mach 5, an exotic car rental company in the Tri-State Area, and this is something I had been meaning to do for a while now. I took a few pictures, and shot some video of the fun we had on the tour. I was partnered up with my friend, Pete, who works for Mach 5, so when he was driving things got a little crazier.

Porsche 997 Turbo S at Mach 5 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder at Mach 5

So check out the video and the photos. Enjoy the sights and sounds of what was surely one of the more exciting days I have had in a while. We look forward to more collaborations with Mach 5 Cars in the future. Check out their website, and give them a call if you want to get yourself behind the wheel… their Exotic Rally Tours are one of the best values in the business. Enjoy.

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance: 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

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Back in 2011, this Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster didn’t start when it was supposed to arrive at the podium to recieve an award.  I’d forgotten about this until Nick reminded me of it upon seeing it in Maryland at the end of September.  Looking clean as ever, this 300SL is even more special than it normally should be.  It is, in fact, one of the last crop of first-generation Mercedes SLs to roll off the line.  According to the official record, this car was made on the very last day of production and is one of the last six 300SLs made.  At this point, Mercedes-Benz was desperate to clear out the lots of this outdated model (at the time) in favor of the new Pagoda series.  Its interior is completely original, as are the mechanical components.  The paint is new after a fender-bender damaged the rear of the car.  Other than that, though, the car’s original.  The white paint looked beautiful against the clear Maryland sky, and the red interior, combined with this car’s optional hardtop, looked very professional.  All of the original paperwork and luggage was on display too–even the toolkit was there.  This is among the most complete of any 300SL I have seen at a show, and I was elated to have seen it at the St. Michael’s Concours this fall.  Enjoy the photos. Continue reading St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance: 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster →

Car Shows, SHOWCASE

Radnor Hunt CDE: 1955 Porsche 356 Continental Cabriolet, owned by Barry Wolk.

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I’ve talked about Barry Wolk here on Mind Over Motor before.  He brought a stunning 1956 Continental Mark II convertible to the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours, and a month later, I ran into him again with this Porsche at Radnor.  He collects exclusively automobiles which carry the Continental name.  The story of the Continental series is quite unusual.  Max Hoffman, Porsche’s USA importer at the time, convinced the top brass in Germany that the 356 would sell better if it used a series name rather than an alphanumeric one.  Porsche obliged and attached the Continental nameplate to the 356 series.  However, Ford intervened and complained that the Continental name was theirs and theirs alone, forcing Porsche to cease using it.  As a result, the Continental name was only used on any Porsche products in 1955.  This pretty little Turkish Red Cabriolet brought Barry the Porsche Radnor Award by the end of the day.  Congratulations to you Barry–it’s a striking and rather rare Porshe 356.  Enjoy the photographs. Continue reading Radnor Hunt CDE: 1955 Porsche 356 Continental Cabriolet, owned by Barry Wolk. →

Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: Porsche Panamera GTS (GRADE: A)

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Porsche is a brand with plenty of varied supporters and detractors. What’s funny is, some of those supporters are also detractors. Whether it was the 911 going to a water-cooled engine, the 911 getting the nose of the Boxster, the 911 going to electric power steering, the Cayenne launching, or the idea (even the idea! For shame!) that Porsche would–GASP!–produce a four door sedan. Any change, and they start screaming.

I’m not one of those people. The Panamera has been a big hit for Porsche financially and I have seen more and more of them on the road since the car’s 2009 launch in America. I hadn’t driven one yet and for some reason, just didn’t think much of it until I was at the Porsche Zentrum at the Quail Lodge in August. When I arrived, I signed up to drive this four-door Porsche, only because the 911s on hand were all booked completely. I thought I’d regret this decision until I turned the key…

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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

EVO’s Car of The Year

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Not much needs to be said. EVO Magazine’s Car of The Year battle is always epic. Just sit back and enjoy the videos.

-Nick

Car Shows, Motorsport

Porsche 911 GT1 and Two 935s at Laguna Seca

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Porsche 911 GT1
Porsche 911 GT1

While out at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion we were treated to a fabulous display of Porsche racing cars, one 911 GT1 and two 935s, including the famous 935 Moby Dick. Just seeing these race cars sitting in the paddock is incredible, but getting to see them in action out on the track was beyond any describable form of excitement. Enjoy the photos and the video.

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Car Shows

The 2013 Scarsdale Concours d’Elegance

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Maserati 300S
Maserati 300S

We attended the Scarsdale Concours d’Elegance last weekend. As always it was a wonderful event with a fantastic turnout, and the Fall leaves beginning to turn just made the pictures that much better. I’ll let the photos from the event do the talking from here. Enjoy.

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Car Shows, SHOWCASE

2013 New Hope Auto Show: Porsche 356 Speedster

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As soon as I arrived for the second day of the New Hope Auto Show, I found myself face-to-face with this little Porsche.  I happen to love the 356 Speedster, and it’s not often that I see one in original condition.  This 1954 or 1955 pre-A model was a sight to see and kept my attention for a solid amount of time among the other early Porsches around it.  Less than 1300 of the pre-A Speedsters were made until 1955 and they tend to sell high at auctions–in fact, don’t be surprised to see one sell for over 200K.  A red 1955 model sold by RM went for more than $250,000 at an auction this past May.  This one, with its light blue exterior and timeless bathtub looks, grabbed everyone’s attention effortlessly.  Enjoy the photos.

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Car Shows

Scarsdale Concours d’Elegance: Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series

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Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series
Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series

Evidently, Darth Vader was at this year’s Scarsdale Concours d’Elegance because his car was parked prominently at the event. This Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Series certainly is evil-looking enough for the Dark Lord of the Sith, and its twin turbo V12 certainly packs enough punch to suit his needs — to the tune of 661hp and a planet-moving 738ft/lbs of torque.  Any challengers beware, go up against this monster and you may share the same fate as the doomed planet of Alderaan.

Ok, Star Wars themes aside, this was the first chance I’ve really had to shoot an SL65 Black Series in a good setting. It was a beautiful day in Scarsdale, New York, and this demonic machine was just sitting there, ripe for the picking. I’ve always said that black is the only appropriate color on any “Black Series” AMG Mercedes, and this car definitely reinforced my opinion on the matter. This is one of just 175 in the USA, and made the SLS AMG, parked in front of it for much of the day, look mundane. Enjoy the photos.

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Cars We've Driven, Exotic Supercars

Test Driven: 2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG (On the Track), Al’s Take (GRADE: B+)

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As everyone who reads this site knows, I drove an Aston Martin in Las Vegas back in early July.  However, the first car I drove that day was this Mercedes SLS.  I didn’t plan on driving it.  I was slated to take the wheel of a Ferrari F430 Scuderia, but its transmission decided it hated the obscenely hot temperatures even more than I did.  It was 115 degrees in the shade, but I felt ice-cold driving this Iridium Silver SLS.  Having driven one already on the street and needing a car that could handle the Vegas summer scorch, I agreed to replace the temporarily broken F430 with this intriguing set of wheels.  The experience was rather eye-opening.

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Auto Idolatry, SHOWCASE

Obligatory Bugatti vs Koenigsegg Race Video

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Bugatti Veyron Super Sport vs Koenigsegg Agera R. Even though we’re sure you have already seen this video, as a car blog, we are obligated to post it. Here, ladies and gentleman, are two of the fastest cars in the world going head-to-head on an open runway. It also happens to be one of the best lessons in Power-To-Weight-Ratio ever caught on camera. Enjoy.

-Nick

Car Shows

Bucks County Exotics Meet 10/5/2013

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Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster

I attended the Bucks County Exotics meet this past weekend with my friend, Rich. It is a “cars and coffee” style event, and often times there is a cruise afterward for those who wish to partake. This time around, the route took us through many of the scenic covered bridges in Bucks County, PA. The turnout at the meet was phenomenal, and the cruise was a great time (and no speeding tickets to boot). Surely this is one of the better ways to spend a Saturday morning. Enjoy the photos.

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