Frankfurt Auto Show Wrap Up
13 September 2007 at 12:36
3 years or so ago when Andrew and I crashed Press
Days at the Paris auto show to see the new F430, it was
exciting. Not because it was a super special show, but because
information from those events rarely made it to US car fans in a
timely manner. We'd read about foreign shows in car magazines and
occasionally get info from other web forums... but even "back then"
real time coverage from foreign auto shows was scarce.
Today, thanks in large part to folks like Weblogs, Inc. and Gawker Media we've got almost-real-time coverage (if you can keep up -- which is VERY hard) from folks like Jalopnik. They did a great job of covering the show, so check them out at:
http://jalopnik.com/cars/frankfurt-auto-show/
Of course, if you want everything digested for you in a short video, you know for those of us that like cars but aren't huge nerds, you have Fast Lane Daily:
http://www.fastlanedaily.com
However you experienced the Frankfurt show, here's some more indepth commentary that I thought you all would like to hear...
First off, the F430 Scuderia. The car is spectacular. I want one. Badly. It's not much of a surprise, since all of it's trickery in weight savings has been seen before in the Stradale, and most of the carbon fiber bits have been available as options in the 2007 cars... but when you see it all together, it's a flawless package. The redesigned front fascia and rear diffuser & bumper gives it a wonderfully purposeful look. The interior is ALL business even eliminating the glove box. Radio delete is killer and the center console with it's added button for suspension firmness is no joke. Lack of 'normal' mode on the Mannetino further indicates the purpose of this car, and the surprisingly comfortable sport seats seats -- that I'm hearing will make it to the US market -- further communicate the need for speed. The flared intakes, side skirt and deck lid subtly accentuate the added grunt of the 500+ horsepower engine. Oh, and the stripes are painted, not clear-coated vinyl. At least they were on these cars -- which were clearly unlabeled preproduction cars. We'll see what the final models have. All in all, it's a wonderful evolution of the F430 and given the special tuning by Schumacher himself... It's sure to perform as good as it looks.
Next, on the cavalcade of Italian goodness is the Fiat 500. I saw a few of these on the road south of Rome last week and they are cute as hell. With 100 horsepower, I won't be picking one up for highway driving, but as a kick around car in Venice... I'm in! Fiat, as well as Alfa Romeo, were in high gear showing a lot of very cool hardware including a slightly updated Spider, Brera and the return of the Abarth Scorpion.
I cannot wait for these folks to get back to the US market.
Maserati was out in force, garnering a ton of attention with it's beautifully designed GranTurismo. I'm a huge fan of this car. I think it brings some of the raw-strength of the MC12 design to model production while creating its own beauty from the gorgeous lines of the coupe body shape. Lots of Quattroporte's were on hand, too, showcasing how far this range has come. For anyone who has NOT had an opportunity to drive the Quattroporte automatic, I'd highly suggest taking the time to do so... You'll never buy another Mercedes again.
While BMW and Mercedes were boring the crap out of me with their environmentally friendly bullshit (I don't commute in a car. I take a train in NY and ride a bike in LA, so I'm greener than most of you so I can be a punk about this.) Audi was happy to stick it to Mother Earth with a suite of fossil-fuel burning A4s. No S4 or RS4 yet... but the new A4 is really, truly, beautiful. It seems to address every minor complaint I have with my RS4 from a design point of view... and I can only hope it drives as good as it looks. More on that soon.
Of course, eventhough BMW was touting their Hybrid X6 masturbatory exercise, they did have the new M3 on hand. In the back. It's really a gorgeous car. They definately did this one right. The hood bulge, aggressive stance, and revised front fascia let you know that this M3 is ALL business. Rumour has it that the CSL version of the M3 is headed to the US... But my German is bad, she could have been telling me to take my hand off her ass. I'm not sure.
(I'll still wait for the RS4... or RS5...)
I spent a LOT of time staring at the GT2. You know what? I'm not feeling it. I'm sure it's a spectacular car with stunning performance numbers, but something about it... just didn't seem to fit right. The rear bumper looks fine. It was actually a tad invisible on the silver car, and looked nice on the red car. I don't know what my problem was with that car, but... I just was not in to it. Oh, and not to be outdone by BMW's green and Mercedes-Benz blue, Porsche was parading around a photo of a young Ferdinand Porsche driving the worlds first hybrid. That he invented and built. In Germany. When he was 25. Cool, but who cares? Go racing and then we can talk about whatever you want... Including the Panamera (Which was NOT present at the show).
Of course, there were lots of goodies from other manufacturers that will never see the light of day on these shores. Skoda, Nissan, Lancia, Citroen, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Renault, and even Ford have some pretty cool ROW cars. For example, the Ford Focus in Europe is a hell of a car. Like, seriously. So much more stylish and comfortable than the US Focus. It's got a much more sporty look, too, taking some design direction from Opel and Holden... Go figure. Of course, not all the ROW cars are cool. Daihatsu, Lada, Chery, Brilliance, and Ssang Yang, to name a few, had a lot of pieces of crap littering their booths. Actually, that's not entirely fair. The Brilliance BC3 looks like it might be the first fun to drive car from China, and the Ssang Yang "New Chairman"... It's called the "New Chairman". What else do you need to know?
Speaking of Asian craziness, the Evo X concept is shockingly cool looking. It's got some gorgeous lines, a really well designed interior, and a very mean look. The LED lights and the show paint help draw your attention to the cutting edge future that this car represents. If it drives half as good as it looks... I may no longer have anything to make fun of Shivam for. But make no mistake about it: This car is an EXTREME departure from the existing Lancer/Evo combination. Of course, not to be outdone, Subaru was there with their WRC Concept. While it looked bad ass, I'd rather drive a "New Chairman". I love the back-and-forth battle with these guys and hope that the war continues for many years to come!
Not much to report on the SUV front, but TONs of wagons. Mazda 6 Wagon, Accord Wagon, M5 Wagon, RS6 Avant (Wagon), Lancer Wagon... Lots and lots of wagons. With lots and lots of 2 and 3 litre diesel powerplant options. I drove from Rome up to Frankfurt in an A4 Avant with a 2.0 Litre Diesel. It took about 10 minutes (Seriously), but that car could hit 140mph.
I spent some time in the DBS. THAT is gonna change the game at Aston. If ProDrive can keep the build quality up, that car will be spectacular. It's the most luxurious, well built, and gorgeous car Aston has built in a LONG time. It's also huge. Like big. I cannot wait to get some seat time in this beauty. Aston had a VERY metallic black DBS on display in the back of their crap-tacular booth. (Seriously, their booth is about as pretty as the parking garage on 62nd Street.) The black hides much of the subtle design of the car, but it did look great in black. I cannot wait to see how these things hold up to use... and market value.
Finally, I come to the Reventon. Keep in mind that everything you are about to read comes from a Lamborghini fan. I've owned 2 Gallardos that I give very high praise to. Some of the best cars I've ever owned, and most fun. I'd love to some day own an LP640 Roadster. I think that Luc Donckerwolke, former head of design for Lamborghini who penned the Murcielago and Gallardo, is a genius. But he's at Seat now, obviously, because the Reventon is an abortion. Seriously, this thing is the ugliest, biggest scam in the automotive industry. There's no redeeming value in it's presence. It was clearly created as a stop-gap for any real evolution in the product line, and a device to extract money from the ignorant. It's literally a Murcielago with a body kit. An ugly body kit. That looks like it was designed by HR Giger's blind, retarted, third cousin who puked in to a fountain pen and mailed it to the monkey house at the Bronx zoo. (I like HR Giger's work, by the way - http://www.hrgiger.com ) There's nothing special about the car. In any way, shape, or form. Anyone who buys one is a pawn of Volkswagen. And, it is my belief that Stephan Winkelmann will some day be tried in Italy for crimes against humanity. For the cost of a Reventon, you could get so many better and more special cars including:
- Ferrari Enzo (in black)
- Maserati MC12 (With NHTSA/Federalization from Classic Coach)
- Pagani Zonda LM
- 2 Koenisegg CCX's
- 40 Evos covered in gold leaf...
You get the idea.
So that's all from Germany. I'll post a few pics below, but thanks to the evolution of media, you can find pics of most anything I mentioned in Fast Lane Daily. Or Jalopnik. Or Google.
Today, thanks in large part to folks like Weblogs, Inc. and Gawker Media we've got almost-real-time coverage (if you can keep up -- which is VERY hard) from folks like Jalopnik. They did a great job of covering the show, so check them out at:
http://jalopnik.com/cars/frankfurt-auto-show/
Of course, if you want everything digested for you in a short video, you know for those of us that like cars but aren't huge nerds, you have Fast Lane Daily:
http://www.fastlanedaily.com
However you experienced the Frankfurt show, here's some more indepth commentary that I thought you all would like to hear...
First off, the F430 Scuderia. The car is spectacular. I want one. Badly. It's not much of a surprise, since all of it's trickery in weight savings has been seen before in the Stradale, and most of the carbon fiber bits have been available as options in the 2007 cars... but when you see it all together, it's a flawless package. The redesigned front fascia and rear diffuser & bumper gives it a wonderfully purposeful look. The interior is ALL business even eliminating the glove box. Radio delete is killer and the center console with it's added button for suspension firmness is no joke. Lack of 'normal' mode on the Mannetino further indicates the purpose of this car, and the surprisingly comfortable sport seats seats -- that I'm hearing will make it to the US market -- further communicate the need for speed. The flared intakes, side skirt and deck lid subtly accentuate the added grunt of the 500+ horsepower engine. Oh, and the stripes are painted, not clear-coated vinyl. At least they were on these cars -- which were clearly unlabeled preproduction cars. We'll see what the final models have. All in all, it's a wonderful evolution of the F430 and given the special tuning by Schumacher himself... It's sure to perform as good as it looks.
Next, on the cavalcade of Italian goodness is the Fiat 500. I saw a few of these on the road south of Rome last week and they are cute as hell. With 100 horsepower, I won't be picking one up for highway driving, but as a kick around car in Venice... I'm in! Fiat, as well as Alfa Romeo, were in high gear showing a lot of very cool hardware including a slightly updated Spider, Brera and the return of the Abarth Scorpion.
I cannot wait for these folks to get back to the US market.
Maserati was out in force, garnering a ton of attention with it's beautifully designed GranTurismo. I'm a huge fan of this car. I think it brings some of the raw-strength of the MC12 design to model production while creating its own beauty from the gorgeous lines of the coupe body shape. Lots of Quattroporte's were on hand, too, showcasing how far this range has come. For anyone who has NOT had an opportunity to drive the Quattroporte automatic, I'd highly suggest taking the time to do so... You'll never buy another Mercedes again.
While BMW and Mercedes were boring the crap out of me with their environmentally friendly bullshit (I don't commute in a car. I take a train in NY and ride a bike in LA, so I'm greener than most of you so I can be a punk about this.) Audi was happy to stick it to Mother Earth with a suite of fossil-fuel burning A4s. No S4 or RS4 yet... but the new A4 is really, truly, beautiful. It seems to address every minor complaint I have with my RS4 from a design point of view... and I can only hope it drives as good as it looks. More on that soon.
Of course, eventhough BMW was touting their Hybrid X6 masturbatory exercise, they did have the new M3 on hand. In the back. It's really a gorgeous car. They definately did this one right. The hood bulge, aggressive stance, and revised front fascia let you know that this M3 is ALL business. Rumour has it that the CSL version of the M3 is headed to the US... But my German is bad, she could have been telling me to take my hand off her ass. I'm not sure.
(I'll still wait for the RS4... or RS5...)
I spent a LOT of time staring at the GT2. You know what? I'm not feeling it. I'm sure it's a spectacular car with stunning performance numbers, but something about it... just didn't seem to fit right. The rear bumper looks fine. It was actually a tad invisible on the silver car, and looked nice on the red car. I don't know what my problem was with that car, but... I just was not in to it. Oh, and not to be outdone by BMW's green and Mercedes-Benz blue, Porsche was parading around a photo of a young Ferdinand Porsche driving the worlds first hybrid. That he invented and built. In Germany. When he was 25. Cool, but who cares? Go racing and then we can talk about whatever you want... Including the Panamera (Which was NOT present at the show).
Of course, there were lots of goodies from other manufacturers that will never see the light of day on these shores. Skoda, Nissan, Lancia, Citroen, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Renault, and even Ford have some pretty cool ROW cars. For example, the Ford Focus in Europe is a hell of a car. Like, seriously. So much more stylish and comfortable than the US Focus. It's got a much more sporty look, too, taking some design direction from Opel and Holden... Go figure. Of course, not all the ROW cars are cool. Daihatsu, Lada, Chery, Brilliance, and Ssang Yang, to name a few, had a lot of pieces of crap littering their booths. Actually, that's not entirely fair. The Brilliance BC3 looks like it might be the first fun to drive car from China, and the Ssang Yang "New Chairman"... It's called the "New Chairman". What else do you need to know?
Speaking of Asian craziness, the Evo X concept is shockingly cool looking. It's got some gorgeous lines, a really well designed interior, and a very mean look. The LED lights and the show paint help draw your attention to the cutting edge future that this car represents. If it drives half as good as it looks... I may no longer have anything to make fun of Shivam for. But make no mistake about it: This car is an EXTREME departure from the existing Lancer/Evo combination. Of course, not to be outdone, Subaru was there with their WRC Concept. While it looked bad ass, I'd rather drive a "New Chairman". I love the back-and-forth battle with these guys and hope that the war continues for many years to come!
Not much to report on the SUV front, but TONs of wagons. Mazda 6 Wagon, Accord Wagon, M5 Wagon, RS6 Avant (Wagon), Lancer Wagon... Lots and lots of wagons. With lots and lots of 2 and 3 litre diesel powerplant options. I drove from Rome up to Frankfurt in an A4 Avant with a 2.0 Litre Diesel. It took about 10 minutes (Seriously), but that car could hit 140mph.
I spent some time in the DBS. THAT is gonna change the game at Aston. If ProDrive can keep the build quality up, that car will be spectacular. It's the most luxurious, well built, and gorgeous car Aston has built in a LONG time. It's also huge. Like big. I cannot wait to get some seat time in this beauty. Aston had a VERY metallic black DBS on display in the back of their crap-tacular booth. (Seriously, their booth is about as pretty as the parking garage on 62nd Street.) The black hides much of the subtle design of the car, but it did look great in black. I cannot wait to see how these things hold up to use... and market value.
Finally, I come to the Reventon. Keep in mind that everything you are about to read comes from a Lamborghini fan. I've owned 2 Gallardos that I give very high praise to. Some of the best cars I've ever owned, and most fun. I'd love to some day own an LP640 Roadster. I think that Luc Donckerwolke, former head of design for Lamborghini who penned the Murcielago and Gallardo, is a genius. But he's at Seat now, obviously, because the Reventon is an abortion. Seriously, this thing is the ugliest, biggest scam in the automotive industry. There's no redeeming value in it's presence. It was clearly created as a stop-gap for any real evolution in the product line, and a device to extract money from the ignorant. It's literally a Murcielago with a body kit. An ugly body kit. That looks like it was designed by HR Giger's blind, retarted, third cousin who puked in to a fountain pen and mailed it to the monkey house at the Bronx zoo. (I like HR Giger's work, by the way - http://www.hrgiger.com ) There's nothing special about the car. In any way, shape, or form. Anyone who buys one is a pawn of Volkswagen. And, it is my belief that Stephan Winkelmann will some day be tried in Italy for crimes against humanity. For the cost of a Reventon, you could get so many better and more special cars including:
- Ferrari Enzo (in black)
- Maserati MC12 (With NHTSA/Federalization from Classic Coach)
- Pagani Zonda LM
- 2 Koenisegg CCX's
- 40 Evos covered in gold leaf...
You get the idea.
So that's all from Germany. I'll post a few pics below, but thanks to the evolution of media, you can find pics of most anything I mentioned in Fast Lane Daily. Or Jalopnik. Or Google.
CLK DTM
Black Aston Martin DBS
Ferrari 599 in Heritage Colors
The World's First Hybrid
Trying not to vomit on the Reventon
1, please!
Revised Mannetino
"Do you come with the car?"
F430 Scuderia
Ferrari's 60th Anniversary Recap
23 June 2007 at 23:08
Due to the sensitive nature of some of
the pre-production products I saw in Maranello, there will be no
commentary on the trip to Italy.
Please come back after the Frankfurt Auto Show Press Days for some "color".
That is all…
Please come back after the Frankfurt Auto Show Press Days for some "color".
That is all…
Next stop: MARANELLO!
20 June 2007 at 18:00
Some of you may recall, several weeks
ago a few of us participated in the NY to DC "Ferrari Relay" The
event was run from Tavern on the Green in New York City to the
Italian Embassy in Washington DC. The drive and reception at the
embassy were part of Ferrari's global celebration celebrating their
60th Anniversary.
Pics from the Relay are on my Flickr.
...as well as the Ferrari Owner and Ferrari World sites.
That night at the embassy, they announced that the 60th Anniversary Celebration will come to a close the weekend of June 22nd. At the factory. In Maranello.
When they made the announcement, I really wanted to go. Badly. Unfortunately, I was not on the guest list.
Until...
I got a call from Chris Miele at Ferrari of Central New Jersey. "Hey, you gonna go to the 60th Finale in Maranello?"
16-Digits later, I'm clearing calendars and packing bags.
Next stop... Bologna.
Pics from the Relay are on my Flickr.
...as well as the Ferrari Owner and Ferrari World sites.
That night at the embassy, they announced that the 60th Anniversary Celebration will come to a close the weekend of June 22nd. At the factory. In Maranello.
When they made the announcement, I really wanted to go. Badly. Unfortunately, I was not on the guest list.
Until...
I got a call from Chris Miele at Ferrari of Central New Jersey. "Hey, you gonna go to the 60th Finale in Maranello?"
16-Digits later, I'm clearing calendars and packing bags.
Next stop... Bologna.
Ouch
14 March 2007 at 22:13
I'm a big fan of the Bullrun. As if you couldn't
tell. But when I say the Bullrun, I mean the road rallye of
epic proportions. Not the television show of the same name. In my
opinion, it cheapens the Bullrun brand and completely undermines
the experience of the Rallye.
I'm proud of David and Andy. I think they are great event organizers. I think they are excellent TV producers. They developed Bullrun into a brand that I was proud to be a part of. But maybe I'm too narrow minded to see how the Bullrun show and the Bullrun 1000 plays in to their vision of the ultimate high-end automotive lifestyle brand. As for me, I'll be running the Unlimited Class in 2007.
ANYWAY, enjoy this review from the New York Times. Reposted by permission. (Thanks, Whit!)
Petrosexuals, Start Your Engines (and Your Foul Mouths)
March 13, 2007
By Susan Stewart
There is a lot to be said about the profound and intimate relationship between men and their cars. Don't expect "Bullrun" to say any of it. This new reality series, which has its premiere tonight on the Spike channel, follows a 4,000-mile Montana-to-Mexico road race with 12 teams of drivers competing for a $200,000 purse. Imagine that "The Amazing Race" was hijacked and taken to a chop shop, where class, human interest and wit were stripped from its chassis for resale to, say, "Hell's Kitchen 3," so that all that was left were outtakes, unenlightening car talk and lots of swearing. Then you would have "Bullrun."
With the former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg as its host, "Bullrun" is the television spinoff of the real-life road rally of the same name, in which entry fees run more than $17,000. Participants, who sometimes refer to themselves as petrosexuals, take their socializing almost as seriously as their racing. (In 2004 Paris Hilton dropped the flag for Bullrun.) In 2007 rally girls in Whitefish, Mont., wearing red mini-dresses and black fishnets, wield the flags for the staggered start of "Bullrun." One is knocked over, which is only the start of the insults for the few women bold or stupid enough to venture into this decidedly male domain.
Two are a team: the sisters Dimi and Drea, driving a Scion and burbling about bonding as they amble along behind faster cars. Some drivers call the sisters names behind their backs that might prompt talk of litigation if this were a reality show about, say, a corporate law firm. But Dimi and Drea are great sports. One lends a male driver a tampon to plug his leaking radiator, proving that women are good for something after all. The other woman in the race is Morgan Alsop, 23, driving a Trans Am with her father, Mike. These two are attractive, cheerful and delightful to behold, until she accuses him of noxious flatulence, he tells her to grow up, and she runs over an animal.
Sometimes watching "Bullrun" is as tedious as being on a road trip with your own family.
And sometimes it's worse.
The first leg of the journey, from Whitefish to Athol, Idaho, is a series of missed turns, dangerous moves and witless dialogue. When the hottest car in the group passes an opponent, the driver of the fast car chortles: "They've never seen a Lamborghini. We thought we'd show them what the taillights looked like." Some automobile aficionados will understand and love all of this. For those who see a car speeding down the road and think only, "There's a car speeding down the road," "Bullrun" works the way all reality shows do: by appealing to basic urges. In this case, our primal competitiveness and our deep-seated propensity for cathartic violence: there's always the possibility of a flameout, either emotional or literal.
As Mr. Goldberg says on his Web site (billgoldberg.com), "One winner, but a whole lot of roadkill along the way."
I'm proud of David and Andy. I think they are great event organizers. I think they are excellent TV producers. They developed Bullrun into a brand that I was proud to be a part of. But maybe I'm too narrow minded to see how the Bullrun show and the Bullrun 1000 plays in to their vision of the ultimate high-end automotive lifestyle brand. As for me, I'll be running the Unlimited Class in 2007.
ANYWAY, enjoy this review from the New York Times. Reposted by permission. (Thanks, Whit!)
Petrosexuals, Start Your Engines (and Your Foul Mouths)
March 13, 2007
By Susan Stewart
There is a lot to be said about the profound and intimate relationship between men and their cars. Don't expect "Bullrun" to say any of it. This new reality series, which has its premiere tonight on the Spike channel, follows a 4,000-mile Montana-to-Mexico road race with 12 teams of drivers competing for a $200,000 purse. Imagine that "The Amazing Race" was hijacked and taken to a chop shop, where class, human interest and wit were stripped from its chassis for resale to, say, "Hell's Kitchen 3," so that all that was left were outtakes, unenlightening car talk and lots of swearing. Then you would have "Bullrun."
With the former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg as its host, "Bullrun" is the television spinoff of the real-life road rally of the same name, in which entry fees run more than $17,000. Participants, who sometimes refer to themselves as petrosexuals, take their socializing almost as seriously as their racing. (In 2004 Paris Hilton dropped the flag for Bullrun.) In 2007 rally girls in Whitefish, Mont., wearing red mini-dresses and black fishnets, wield the flags for the staggered start of "Bullrun." One is knocked over, which is only the start of the insults for the few women bold or stupid enough to venture into this decidedly male domain.
Two are a team: the sisters Dimi and Drea, driving a Scion and burbling about bonding as they amble along behind faster cars. Some drivers call the sisters names behind their backs that might prompt talk of litigation if this were a reality show about, say, a corporate law firm. But Dimi and Drea are great sports. One lends a male driver a tampon to plug his leaking radiator, proving that women are good for something after all. The other woman in the race is Morgan Alsop, 23, driving a Trans Am with her father, Mike. These two are attractive, cheerful and delightful to behold, until she accuses him of noxious flatulence, he tells her to grow up, and she runs over an animal.
Sometimes watching "Bullrun" is as tedious as being on a road trip with your own family.
And sometimes it's worse.
The first leg of the journey, from Whitefish to Athol, Idaho, is a series of missed turns, dangerous moves and witless dialogue. When the hottest car in the group passes an opponent, the driver of the fast car chortles: "They've never seen a Lamborghini. We thought we'd show them what the taillights looked like." Some automobile aficionados will understand and love all of this. For those who see a car speeding down the road and think only, "There's a car speeding down the road," "Bullrun" works the way all reality shows do: by appealing to basic urges. In this case, our primal competitiveness and our deep-seated propensity for cathartic violence: there's always the possibility of a flameout, either emotional or literal.
As Mr. Goldberg says on his Web site (billgoldberg.com), "One winner, but a whole lot of roadkill along the way."
Track Day: Friday, April 13th
11 February 2007 at 00:55
It begins... Again.
I've picked up a Porsche 911 GT3 from Porsche of Huntington. I'm wasting no time in heading to the track. The New York Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America will be holding a Driver's Education track event at Pocono International Raceway on Friday, April 13th. It's open to all cars and you don't need to be a club member to come. Adam, Demetri, Jordan, Chris, Thom and I are already confirmed to attend. Even Pchop will be there. (I know he'll be there!)
You Know You Want To Come!
This is a great event for first-time track drivers. It's an easy drive to Pocono. We can all caravan together and share garages when we get there. The BMW Club runs a great, safe event. Lots of instructors will be on hand. It'll be very chill and no pressure. You don't need any special equipment. You just need working seat belts and to pass a simple safety inspection before the event and then that day at the track. We can roll home at the end of the day, have a great dinner and then hit Miracle Mile on Saturday with filthy, decal'd cars fresh from the track. C'mon, you know you want to!
How Do I Join In All This Fun?
In order to participate in the event, you need to do 3 things:
· Register Online at MotorsportReg.com (It's $200 for the day for non-BMW Club members)
· Have your car inspected at RPM Racing, Habberstad BMW or Porsche of Huntington (I think this is free and takes about 15 minutes.)
· Bring a long-sleeve shirt, long pants (jeans are fine) and closed shoes (like sneakers)
Optionally, you should think about:
· Getting a helmet that's SNELL 2000 or 2005, SA or M rated. (They have loaners, but you should buy your own anyway)
· Getting a Halotron Fireextinguisher. (Mounted with a metal-to-metal bracket)
More Information
We'll be driving the Pocono North course, pictured above. It's a 1.5 mile long course with 9 turns and a 1,700ft back straight into the NASCAR bowl. If you want to talk more about the specifics, just call Demetri at +1 (631) 418 3260.
F430
10 November 2006 at 08:56
There's a stunning Ferrari F430 at
Ferrari of Central New Jersey. Take a look:
The car needs a few things:
What do you think?
The car needs a few things:
- Carbon Fiber Engine Trim (Air Boxes, Panels, etc.) - Ferrari Part 070001167
- Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel - Ferrari Part 0693950
- Carbon Fiber Sill Plates - Ferrari Part 070001177
- Carbon Fiber Shift Paddles - Power Speed Part T8-10CC
- Carbon Fiber Handbrake Lever - Power Speed Part T8-15C
- Capristo Exhaust System - Level 2
- Nav (Preferably the factory Becker setup.)
What do you think?
150mph in Newport
05 November 2006 at 20:56
Nope, this is not a photoshop... just
a leisurely drive to Crystal Cove...
China, 2006
03 October 2006 at 22:12
As some of you may know, I went to
China for the 2006 Sinopec Shanghai Grand Prix. Pictures can be found here.
A few final thoughts on China
It’s been a year since I last visited Shanghai. I forgot about several nuances of Chinese living that I am happy to share with you today.
There’s always a party at the tollbooth. After you pay your toll, proceed slowly through the plaza. On the right side of the road, often also on the left, and sometimes right in the middle of traffic… there’s a party. I’m not sure what they’re celebrating, but there are people, busses, grills mounted on bicycles, DVD salesmen… everything, right there on the side of the road. Shouting. Drinking. Carrying on. Partying.
China is a land of conversation. There is no such thing as a quick request. This is especially prevalent in restaurants where ordering can take longer than the meal itself. There is no, “Can I have an order of soupy buns, please?” It’s much, much more involved, and it goes something like this:
CUSTOMER
Good morning. It is a glorious day here in China, no?
WAITER
Welcome my friend! Thank you for coming to my restaurant and, yes, it is a most glorious day here in China!
CUSTOMER
I am hoping that you have fresh soupy buns today? For you see, my friends and I have come all the way from America to sample your fare! Your reputation is above reproach!
WAITER
You have excellent sources to recommend my humble restaurant, and yes, we do serve the finest of soupy buns this side of the Yang Tze River!
CUSTOMER
Wondrous! This day becomes more glorious by the minute… Say… I see on your name tag that you are number 159. Are you related to 208? He was our waiter in Suzhou last evening and since you are both prime numbers with non-recipricating denominators I thought you might be related?
WAITER
How respectful of you to ask, and yes. That is my cousin Tony. Is he well? Has he eaten lately?
CUSTOMER
Yes, he looked very well and he provided great, prompt service.
WAITER
Excellent. Thank you for the update on my family. What can I bring you on this glorious day here in China?
CUSTOMER
Can I have an order of soupy buns, please?
You get the point, but it’s a really, really long and sometimes overly humorous process.
You only get one menu. Speaking of restaurants, you only get one menu, no matter how many people are in your party. There are pictures, so ordering can be easy, and many times there are English “subtitles” but getting access to the actual menu can be a bit of a challenge. Party of 2? 1 menu. Party of 8? 1 menu…
Honking means “hello”. If you think that there is excessive horn honking in New York, you are kidding yourself. Every driver, approximately every 10 feet, must honk their horn or face a penalty of some sort. I’m guessing on that “face a penalty” part just because everyone honks all the time. It’s so pervasive that it MUST be the law. In 3 days of driving on China, over 300km our driver honked the horn approximately 2.3 billion times. The odd part of all of this came when a car unexpectedly turned on to the road as we were driving at almost 150kph. The driver slammed on his brakes, our silk from Suzhou came flying to the front of the car as we prepared for the impact that never came. You know what? The horn was silent.
You cannot shit in the park. No shit. That’s what the sign said. No shit.
Chinese people on skateboards look funny. Wandering through the heavy crowds in Suzhou on Chinese Independence Day, we stumbled on a group of skater thugs. I’m guessing they were thugs just because they were NOT smoking or spitting like everyone else. If they carried knives or had shirts that said things like "down with everything", then maybe...
There are 1.5 billion DVD salesmen here. The latest census in China put the population at 1.3 billion people. 1.5 billion of which sell DVDs. Walk down any street in any part of China and people will come to you and say, “DVD? You want DVD?” It’s cute for the first 8 minutes, but after about an hour, you want to kill someone. Street vendors, shoe stores, grocery stores, restaurants, Policemen… they all want to sell you DVDs. The annoying part is not the effective distribution channel. The annoying part is that there have been approximately ZERO films that Hollywood has made in the last year that I want to see…
Chinese people seem to not like cold. Order a nice refreshing watermelon juice at your favourite restaurant (after a 21 minute conversation, of course) and it will arrive warm. It'll be ultra fresh. Ultra organic. Ultra tastiest watermelon you've ever had. But it'll be warm. It’s not that they lack refrigeration technology. Or electricity.
Anyway, we’re off to Japan now. A land where everything has a cover, noone ever honks a horn, there are 50 words for please, toilets with Internet access, and men cover their mouths when they laugh to be polite but don’t think twice about groping a woman on the train.
A few final thoughts on China
It’s been a year since I last visited Shanghai. I forgot about several nuances of Chinese living that I am happy to share with you today.
There’s always a party at the tollbooth. After you pay your toll, proceed slowly through the plaza. On the right side of the road, often also on the left, and sometimes right in the middle of traffic… there’s a party. I’m not sure what they’re celebrating, but there are people, busses, grills mounted on bicycles, DVD salesmen… everything, right there on the side of the road. Shouting. Drinking. Carrying on. Partying.
China is a land of conversation. There is no such thing as a quick request. This is especially prevalent in restaurants where ordering can take longer than the meal itself. There is no, “Can I have an order of soupy buns, please?” It’s much, much more involved, and it goes something like this:
Good morning. It is a glorious day here in China, no?
WAITER
Welcome my friend! Thank you for coming to my restaurant and, yes, it is a most glorious day here in China!
CUSTOMER
I am hoping that you have fresh soupy buns today? For you see, my friends and I have come all the way from America to sample your fare! Your reputation is above reproach!
WAITER
You have excellent sources to recommend my humble restaurant, and yes, we do serve the finest of soupy buns this side of the Yang Tze River!
CUSTOMER
Wondrous! This day becomes more glorious by the minute… Say… I see on your name tag that you are number 159. Are you related to 208? He was our waiter in Suzhou last evening and since you are both prime numbers with non-recipricating denominators I thought you might be related?
WAITER
How respectful of you to ask, and yes. That is my cousin Tony. Is he well? Has he eaten lately?
CUSTOMER
Yes, he looked very well and he provided great, prompt service.
WAITER
Excellent. Thank you for the update on my family. What can I bring you on this glorious day here in China?
CUSTOMER
Can I have an order of soupy buns, please?
You get the point, but it’s a really, really long and sometimes overly humorous process.
You only get one menu. Speaking of restaurants, you only get one menu, no matter how many people are in your party. There are pictures, so ordering can be easy, and many times there are English “subtitles” but getting access to the actual menu can be a bit of a challenge. Party of 2? 1 menu. Party of 8? 1 menu…
Honking means “hello”. If you think that there is excessive horn honking in New York, you are kidding yourself. Every driver, approximately every 10 feet, must honk their horn or face a penalty of some sort. I’m guessing on that “face a penalty” part just because everyone honks all the time. It’s so pervasive that it MUST be the law. In 3 days of driving on China, over 300km our driver honked the horn approximately 2.3 billion times. The odd part of all of this came when a car unexpectedly turned on to the road as we were driving at almost 150kph. The driver slammed on his brakes, our silk from Suzhou came flying to the front of the car as we prepared for the impact that never came. You know what? The horn was silent.
You cannot shit in the park. No shit. That’s what the sign said. No shit.
Chinese people on skateboards look funny. Wandering through the heavy crowds in Suzhou on Chinese Independence Day, we stumbled on a group of skater thugs. I’m guessing they were thugs just because they were NOT smoking or spitting like everyone else. If they carried knives or had shirts that said things like "down with everything", then maybe...
There are 1.5 billion DVD salesmen here. The latest census in China put the population at 1.3 billion people. 1.5 billion of which sell DVDs. Walk down any street in any part of China and people will come to you and say, “DVD? You want DVD?” It’s cute for the first 8 minutes, but after about an hour, you want to kill someone. Street vendors, shoe stores, grocery stores, restaurants, Policemen… they all want to sell you DVDs. The annoying part is not the effective distribution channel. The annoying part is that there have been approximately ZERO films that Hollywood has made in the last year that I want to see…
Chinese people seem to not like cold. Order a nice refreshing watermelon juice at your favourite restaurant (after a 21 minute conversation, of course) and it will arrive warm. It'll be ultra fresh. Ultra organic. Ultra tastiest watermelon you've ever had. But it'll be warm. It’s not that they lack refrigeration technology. Or electricity.
Anyway, we’re off to Japan now. A land where everything has a cover, noone ever honks a horn, there are 50 words for please, toilets with Internet access, and men cover their mouths when they laugh to be polite but don’t think twice about groping a woman on the train.
Lamborghini of Beverly Hills Run
26 March 2006 at 18:07
So, I hopped in the white Lamborghini
with Keri. John took my blue Lamborghini with Jennifer. We met up
with the guys from Lamborghini of Beverly Hills and went on a run.
A good time was had by all.
What? Doesn't everyone have two Lamborghinis?
A good time was had by all.
What? Doesn't everyone have two Lamborghinis?
