Car Spotlight / Audi 200 Quattro Trams-AM

August 23, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

Here was one of the more interesting cars we saw at the Monterey Historics, an Audi 200 Quattro used in the Trans-AM series. In the 1988 season which it was entered, the Audi dominated the series winning 9 out of the 13 races on the roster and failed placing podium only twice. After the '88 season had ended, AWD was banned and Audi moved onto IMSA's GTO class with the newer 90 Quattro. You know you've done things right when they change the rules to kick you out.

This car's dominance in Trans-AM would only be a taste of things to come as these were still the early years of Audi's road-racing experience. Even when they would eventually drop their AWD platforms for the sake of abiding series regulations, they knew how to put together a properly running vehicle, an efficient and determined team, and spot some of the best drivers around.

That's not to say that the cars didn't have their own personalities. Coming straight from the Group B monster, this highly boosted 5 cylinder has a very distinct sound and will definitely be remembered as one of motorsport's great engines.

Another distinct quality is the extremely loud chirps of the blow-off valves. Sure nowadays they're associated with obnoxious Subaru & Evo owners looking to race anyone they can agitate. But back in the 80's, turbocharging was a big deal (I mean, look at what Ferrari & Porsche put out that decade) and to hear the wooshing and chirping over the roaring V8's from the rest of the field was something special to experience.

And let's not forget those amazing BBS turbofan wheels that were all the rage. They're still super cool to see, with or without the mesh designs on top.

May not be as legendary as it's successor, the Audi 90 Quattro, but with those wide hips and that ultra-German livery, it's still an icon all of it's own.

Car Spotlight / Classic Ferraris

August 18, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

There's nothing like spotting a vintage Ferrari to really make you realize, you're someplace special. These aren't grocery getters, they're cars that you will only see in certain areas on earth during certain times of the year. Partly it's due to their fragile nature, but mostly it's due to their mind-boggling values. It's at this level in the market where cars are no longer viewed as cars, but as art pieces. So let's take a quick look at what the gallery of Laguna had on show this weekend.

Firstly I'll start with the newest candidate on this post, the 288 GTO. I've posted it yesterday, but it's worth showing again here.

Hard to imagine the original plans for this car was to rally in Group B. What an exciting scene that would have been to see! Sadly, Group B was shut down before it had a chance to show it's potential, but at least we got the first all-out performance Turbocharged Ferrari. (technically the 308 turbo was Ferrari's first turbo, but many don't really consider it to be any more significant than the NA 308's).

Next up is this Dino 308 GT4 which was interestingly converted into a race car. It took a while for me to see the beauty in its Bertone body, but I think it really has earned its stripes as another classic. Unlike the Mondial's... *shudder*

Now it's time to check out the real classics, the 250/275/330's.

Firstly we have the 250 LM, best known as the last Ferrari to win overall at Le Mans. It was also notable as one of the first mid-engined road cars Ferrari ever offered. It's not as pretty as some of Ferrari's other models, but it still has those great curves the 60's were known for.

And lastly, the two heavy hitters, the 250 TR and 250 GTO. Best known in the automotive world as two of Ferraris greatest sports/race cars and best known outside the automotive world as two of the most valuable cars in the world with every example capable of pulling in 7 digits.

Firstly the 250 TR or Testa Rossa. This car was the equivalent of the McLaren F1 in its day, absolutely dominating the racing circuits and giving Ferrari it's racing reputation away from F1.

This car also marks the end of a certain era in Ferrari, when some of the company's top talent left due to conflicts with the often difficult founder, Enzo himself. The team that was responsible for the TR also took many of the designs with them, leave Ferrari in a very tight spot.

Enter then, the hero. The savior. The "Greatest Ferrari of all Time". None other than the 250 GTO. This was the car that not only put Ferrari back on the map, but showed the world that Ferrari was still a force to be reckoned with in the racing world.

Perfect looks and successful racing hardware make it, to many people, the ultimate car. Part art, part racing legend, and part automotive history.

Car Spotlight / Keeping Small Classy

July 27, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

Years of following the BMW scene has gotten me pretty burnt out on the slam-it-on-style-5's trend. Not that I feel it's become a bad look, it still looks "correct" when done right, but it doesn't grab my attention that much. This Roundie on the other hand rekindled that spark for me. Maybe it's because the Style 5's aren't actually BBS's but rather Enkei's that are ever so slightly different.

Brand new factory-correct paint sure doesn't help either. Unless it's a really early 70's color (bright green or orange), I've always preferred 2002's in darker colors just like this burgundy.

Great height too, not un-useably low or super cambered-out. Just right for a car built for looks. The car isn't finished yet so it'll be exciting to see where it goes in the future.

Car Spotlight / More Than You Can Afford Pal

July 27, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

No, really. Unless you have the sort of money that can comfortably purchase at least a dozen houses in SF, you really couldn't. But that's not gonna stop me from drooling over this immaculate blue Ferrari 275 GTB-4 NART Spider.

That mouthful of a name really boils down to 2 important points.

1. 275 GTB - The successor of the 250 GTO, the GOAT Ferrari in terms of racing pedigree, value, and for most people (myself included) looks. The 275's weren't as raw as the 250, giving way to a more graceful and elongated shape. The proportions grew and while it may have lost a little of the athleticism the earlier models had, there's no denying those body curves are still among the best ever sculpted in the automotive world. And with a 3+ liter V12 under that long hood, it wasn't exactly a slouch in the performance department.

2. NART - aka, North American Racing Team. Ferrari had a growing market in the US, which would soon becomes Ferrari's largest market worldwide. As a result, the American dealers wanted to try to offer something unique for their Freedom-loving customers and that often meant turning coupe models into open-tops. As a result, 25 of the 275 GTB models were ordered without a roof, though only 10 were ever made resulting in a car that's even rarer than the 250 GTO or 250 California, both the Long and Short wheelbase models.

Needless to say, this car is kind of a big deal for collectors. Especially given it's non-traditional blue which personally I'm always a big fan of. As weird as it is, blue is often my favorite color for a Ferrari.

It wasn't my favorite car or Ferrari at the show, nor was it even my second favorite (that'd be that wonderful F50 I showcased earlier). But man did it still grab my attention and give the audience a shape that IMO easily out-shined the latest and greatest from the Maranello brand. Speaking of which, keep an eye out for a post on that in the near future!

Car Spotlight / Legends in Rogue

July 24, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

Oh boy, here they are. The Ferrari F50 and Ferrari F40. Yeah there's technically rarer, more hardcore variants of these two, but these are the best known versions. Let's get into the older model first.

The F40 is probably the most favorite car on the internet. It's the E30 M3 of the supercar world, that hardcore, bare-bones, TRUE driver's car that lives on through folklore. But also like the E30 M3, it is a little misunderstood and can be tricky to tell when the tales begin growing taller than they ought to be.

First thing first, I want to go on record stating the F40 absolutely deserve its "legendary supercar" status. It was the successor to the original Ferrari supercar, the 288 GTO. What makes these supercars?

The term supercar has been used on a variety of cars for a variety of reasons. In the case of these Ferraris though, it all comes down to focus. The focus to be the best all-out performing vehicle Ferrari could produce. Creature comforts took a back seat and were then thrown out. Interior quality in general was reduced for the sake of lightweight functionality with the F40's interior being particularly infamous for it's hastily glued together construction.

But what the Ferrari lost in luxury, it gained in performance. The 288 GTO was already the fastest Ferrari of its time and so the F40 needed to step it up a notch. When launched, it too was the fastest and most expensive Ferrari of its era. It's twin turbo power-plant put out about 480 hp. That might not seem like much until you take into account how light the car is, being Ferrari's first product using carbon fiber.

So what was I saying earlier about the E30 M3 and F40 being misunderstood? Well, it all comes down to the motors and false traditions. The original E30 M3 had an inline 4 cylinder engine, but M3's are falsely believed to have an inline 6 tradition. The F40 and it's predecessor the 288 GTO also gain the same faux traditions. Ferraris, by "traditional" mean, should always be natural aspirated. And yet, two of the most admired Ferraris of all time are turbocharged. It has been an especially hot topic as more modern cars, such as the new 488 GTB, are gaining turbocharged engines. Hopefully though we'll reach a point when we realize that many of these "traditions" aren't traditions but rather a coincidental string of similarities.

With that stuff aside though, while it'll always be a stunner, I must confess that I don't really connect with the F40 like the internet would assume all car enthusiasts should. I see it sort of as a political figure. I've read about its accomplishments and where its placed in history, I know it has a massive fanbase, and I've seen that it really is an amazing thing. But all of my experiences with it is purely observational.

Whereas the F50 is completely different. Firstly, let's just say that of all the Ferrari supercars, the F50 is most definitely the forgotten middle child. The ugly middle child by many people's accounts. But I am not one of those people, for the F50 is actually my favorite Ferrari supercar.

Why? Well, whereas I mentioned the F40 is like a political figure, I liken the F50 to a movie celebrity. I grew up watching its movies, I saw all the latest news and stories it was featured in, and memorized every little thing about it. You see, growing up I played many racing games but one of the most loved was Need For Speed II. And guess who was the hero car for that game?

With an interior that is much better assembled than the F40 (though that's not really saying much), Ferrari decided to bring back some of its luxury side with this 3rd pass. Of course, it was still was bare-bones compared to the GT offerings and the interior still wasn't without its rough edges (that dash looks like its seen better days). But hey, at least the seats were now leather!

Of course, it isn't a Ferrari supercar without a supercar engine, and here is where the car really shined. With a V12 that was directly derived from their F1 cars, it was a real singer. Mated with the last gated manual transmission ever to be fitted to a Ferrari supercar, it offered a driving experience that was truly bespoke among the Maranello supercars.

Ferrari also continued on with their usage of carbon fiber, this time utilizing the material for both the body and chassis. If you look very closely, you can see how the thin paint still reveals the weave pattern. Just one of the many things that makes the car really unique to me.

Save for the McLaren F1, this still holds a place in my heart as the ultimate road car from my childhood. I am even still a fan of the looks which still feels like a 90's LeMans racer to me. This is something the later Enzo couldn't really click with me and something I completely lose with the new LaFerrari.

The F40 and F50, legends of their decades and childhood heroes to two generations. Hopefully today's cars can still conjure up the same admiration that these analog cars did for us.

A Red 911

July 02, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

Because why not? Spotted at a recent Slamburglars, more pics of other cars to come later.

Car Spotlight / Cherry Mango

May 26, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

I've seen a few TE27 Mangos around, most of them in the well known orange color, but this red/orange model is easily my favorite. I couldn't spot a single flaw or even find any part of the car I'd do differently. I normally reserve calling a "perfect", but this is one of the few cases where I really wouldn't want it any other way. Even better, at this show in Sonoma, there was yet another car that was even more enticing which I'll post later.

Car Spotlight / Svelte Vette

January 08, 2015 by Jonathan Chow in Car Spotlight

As I've mentioned before, over the last several years I've grown to appreciate the American cars that I used to dismiss while I was younger. One of the hardest cars to get over was the Corvette, especially given its stigma among some car enthusiasts. To put it simply, I do not fit the 'Vette demograph by any stretch of the imagination, so it was easy for me to be "put off" by many of their owners.

However, over time I learned to manage the subcultures among car enthusiasts, as well as disassociate them and let the cars speak for themselves. And it is then where the C2 really shined for me. It has been stated many times that the original Sting Ray is one of the greatest designs in automotive history, or at the very least American car history, and I full agree with such a bold claim.

There is not a single angle on this car that doesn't ooze with style (ok, the wheel caps are pretty weak, but that can be easily fixed). Like most great designs, this was clearly created by one man's vision, not by a design team like many modern cars often are. Even though this particular model wasn't the ultimate split-window model, it still grabbed and held my attention better than many classic European cars could.

Also didn't hurt that the C2 generation had such a successful racing history. In fact, it was probably more successful than any other Corvette generation until Pratt & Miller came in with their C5 and C6 domination.

It's also the only Corvette I'd ever associate the word "classy" with. Every generation that followed seemed to have a stronger emphasis on getting more bang for the buck, both in terms of visual treatment (C3 Sting Rays) and performance (C4 ZR1, C5/6 Z06). Not that that's a bad thing, and maybe the "classy" association is due to the C2 being a product of the 60's, but I always felt the C2 had that perfect balance between sport and composure that no other Corvette was able to achieve.

Racing, class, bold styling, American roots. Small wonder why it's an icon among icons.