Tag Archives: Italian 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

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!

Continue reading Amelia Island 2016 Preview →

Car Shows

1953 Ferrari 340 MM Competition at Amelia Island

March 7, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

We’re gearing up for our trip down to Florida this week for the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. This beautiful two-tone 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Competition is a gem from the last time we were at the event.

The car was commissioned by Bill Spear and Phil Hill to compete in the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as other races. It was painted blue and white to distinguish it as a car driven by Americans. They had a good showing at Le Mans that year, but was forced to retire due to issues with its drum brakes. This Ferrari 340 MM was then imported into the U.S. and raced extensively around the country.

A stunning and storied machine, indeed!

Enjoy the photos.

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Opinions

The New Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spider – Disco Inferno, in a good way.

March 3, 2016 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

Back in the 1970s, disco music ruled America, until “Disco Demoliton Night” at Comiskey Park in Chicago IL put an end to that form of musical impression, in the form of some plastic explosives, a certifably insane radio DJ, and a bunch of drunk, crazed White Sox fans. Alfa Romeo, however, has seen fit to revive the name “Disco” but with a certifiably better product. Last year, the Disco Volante gave us all a good long look at what the company is capable of when Touring gets their hands on the 8C. Continue reading The New Alfa Romeo Disco Volante Spider – Disco Inferno, in a good way. →

Car Shows, Uncategorized

Pagani Huayras at The Quail, A Carbon Fiber Extravaganza!

February 26, 2016 ndubs77 5 Comments

With Pagani dropping the new Huayra BC at the Geneva Auto Show, I thought it’d be a good time to share some the “normal” Pagani Huayras we saw at The Quail.

My favorite was definitely the blue carbon over tan Huayra you see above. It was absolutely stunning. Paganis have such rich detail in every aspect. They’re one of the few seven figure cars that actually seem like they should be worth that much. Their craftsmanship is about as close to perfection as can be, right down to the strands of carbon fiber lining up across panel gaps.

I also love The Quail because you get such access to everyone. Mr. Pagani himself was just walking around talking to people, and I had the distinct honor to speak with him myself for a few minutes. He’s as nice as everyone says, and really appreciates anyone who is enthusiastic about his cars.

Pagani is by far my favorite automotive brand, and I am captivated in my very soul whenever I see a Pagani up close. Even if I just glimpse one for a second, it will surely be the highlight of my day. These cars have a serious power to inspire.

Enjoy the gallery of these magnificent machines!

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Car Shows

New Fiat 124 Spider at the L.A. Auto Show, 2015

February 25, 2016 Albert S. Davis 1 Comment

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When Fiat launched the new 124 in Los Angeles last fall, I was excited. In fact, I can say I was more excited for this launch than the new Miata. Though I own an old NA, when I was a little kid, one of my good friends growing up had a little silver roadster under a tarp at the end of his driveway. Under the tarp was his dad’s little Fiat Spider. I never saw the car run and I never really knew a lot about the car but I always felt a bit of a connection to it. To this day I have a soft spot for old Italian roadsters, and I think it started with Mr. Gunnell’s old Spider sitting behind his old van. Continue reading New Fiat 124 Spider at the L.A. Auto Show, 2015 →

Opinions

The Huayra BC is Pagani’s New Superleggera

February 19, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

At first glance, you might think the Pagani Huayra has gone full racecar. But the Huayra BC is a street legal, leaner and meaner edition, known in Italy as a “superleggera” model. And before we even get into the details, you should know that all 20 Huayra BCs are already sold out, at around $2.6 million a pop.

Naturally the Pagani Huayra BC is spectacular in its execution, as well as in the philosophy behind it. Pagani continues to do things their own way, in a world full of carmakers all jumping on the latest bandwagon. That said, the Huayra BC will surely compete, and likely even win.

Pagani has cranked up the boost on their twin turbo AMG V12, giving the Huayra BC 789 bhp and 811 ft/lbs of torque. That’s nearly a 10% gain over the normal Huayra. Furthermore, Pagani has lightened the car through various painstaking means, and has found a way to take nearly 300 lbs (also around 10%) out of the weight of the standard Huayra, which was already a pretty light car. The Pagani Huayra BC now weighs in around 2,685 lbs. That’s lighter than a Subaru BRZ with four times the horsepower!

Continue reading The Huayra BC is Pagani’s New Superleggera →

Car Shows

Lamborghini Countach at Hopewell Cruise Night

February 17, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

A car named after an expletive used when no other words can describe what you’re seeing. “Countach!” in Italian means something like “Holy Crap!” and that is the precise reaction people had to this car when it first came out.

The Lamborghini Countach’s design was so striking that the model endured for 17 years. It was updated with audacious wings and vents during the wild, cocaine-crazed 1980’s, because its scissor doors weren’t vulgar enough on their own after the first decade.

This Countach belongs to a local dealer, who always puts on a great show at the Hopewell Cruise Nights. It literally stopped everyone in their tracks when it rolled up.

The Countach also sounds incredible, check out this video for some sweet V12 fury:

Enjoy the photos!

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Opinions

Ferrari’s got a new shoe, and they call it the GTC4 Lusso

February 9, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

It’s not a revolution, just an incremental improvement. The 2017 Ferrari GTC4 Lusso may be a face-lifted FF, but it’s a touch-up on a masterpiece.

That ferocious 6.3L V12 is now up to 681hp, from 651hp. It’s not a difference you’ll really notice behind the wheel, but it’s nice that it’s there. The Lusso’s real improvements over the FF come in the form of new four wheel steering and slicker aerodynamics.

The FF’s shooting brake design (which I’ve always loved) remains intact, but the GTC4 Lusso sees the return of twin taillights to a modern Ferrari model.

I think the GTC4 is a welcome update to the FF, and I’m stoked that they’ve brought back the iconic “Lusso” name.

Grand touring cars don’t really get more “grand” than this.

-Nick Walker

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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Car Shows

The Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyder Trio at the Concours of America

January 18, 2016 ndubs77 1 Comment

These are the only three Bizzarrini 5300 S.I. Spyders built, the entire production run by Stile Italia, and they all belong to the same family. Now that’s fun, ain’t it?

They decided to bring them all out together for the Concours of America this year, and my, what a spectacle they were. Stunning, curvaceous Italian metal draped over what is essentially a racing chassis with a built 350ci Chevy V8 that makes 420hp. Yes, back in the mid-late 1960s, these Bizzarrini supercars were about as serious as a road car could be. American muscle powering Italian handling, and beauty, it is a perfect combination!

Giotto Bizzarrini was an ex-Ferrari engineer, one of the heads of the 250 GTO program. One day, Enzo Ferrari pissed him, and a bunch of other engineers off, and they all left the Ferrari in spite. Giotto Bizzarrini went on to design the V12 used by Lamborghini from the 1960s until just recently. He then founded a company under his own name, and started building the gorgeous cars you see here.

Obviously, Bizzarrini’s company didn’t last; they went bankrupt in 1969. But that left their machines a rarity among sports and racing cars, and they are highly treasured today.

I had seen the silver prototype and the blue Spyder before on different occasions, but never the red one. What a treat to see all three 5300 Spyders together! They are a beautiful and impressive nook in the lineage of Italian Sports Cars.

Enjoy the gallery!

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Car Shows, Uncategorized

Various Racing Machines in the Laguna Seca Paddock

January 4, 2016 ndubs77 Leave a comment

Some more shots from the Paddock of Laguna Seca during Monterey Car Week, here is a gallery of awesome racing cars, old and new.

I always love seeing the old pre-war racecars sitting right next to more modern racecars, like Group C, because it really puts in perspective how far the automobile has come in just a few decades. That said, the drivers of those older racing cars were men among men. Those cars were not especially slow at all, reaching over 100mph, but with very primitive technology.

Enjoy the spectacle!

Continue reading Various Racing Machines in the Laguna Seca Paddock →