It has been a while since we have posted anything new on this site; we have been busy reading.

While in Monterrey last year for the week-long car enthusiast events; including Pebble, Quail, Gooding’s, RM, the Concorso, etc, etc, etc….our good friend Tony a2z introduced us to a very, very nice Englishman by the name of Peter Bryant.

We knew the name, but, were not quite certain why. Peter was cool and his typically dry British humor refreshing. Peter was one of those fellows that, when one met him, was instantly likable. As we were having lunch at the Quail event, we discovered who Peter was. This guy was one of the finest and most ingenious designers of the fastest race cars of the time- Can-Am cars-the light came on….THAT Peter Bryant!

A few months later, we had the good fortune to spend more time with Peter at the Desert Classic Concours. Peter’s book about his life in racing had just been published and he was gracious enough to have autographed ours; right there on the spot. Having had the opportunity to speak with Peter at length that day was amazing. The people he worked with, the drivers that he knew and had driven his cars- it was a trip though what was, in our opinion, the best days of the sport we all love so very much.

 Sadly, Peter passed away a few short weeks later. What we would give now to have been able to meet Peter sooner; a facinating man with an amazing story.

When we returned from Palm Springs, we placed Peter’s book on the edge of our desk and though we occasionally thumbed through it, it was not until recently that we actually sat down and read it…Note to a2z- “Have you read the fookin’ thing?”:)

This book is an absolute must read! The forward is written by Jackie Oliver and the stories of Peter’s life in racing just amazing; an intoxicating read to say the least. Buy the book,  poor yourself a nice long single malt Scotch and re-live the real days of motorsport; you’ll love it!

O.C.C.E

No Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

We have to admit, helping others learn how to drive well has some wonderful fringe benefits. As a high performance driving instructors we are allowed the fantastic opportunity to drive some really great cars; never having to actually pay for them- good work if one can get it. We are also afforded the pleasure of meeting some of the best people, not only students, but, other instructors as well. Every now and then we get to drive their cars too; enter David Mecey and his Porsche Cayman S.

David knows a thing or two. Not only about driving, as he is one of the finest instructors and racers one will ever meet and just a damned nice guy, but, David also has a keen eye for aesthetic appeal- more on that a little later…

Porsches have a certain feel to them, a feel that can be difficult to describe, but, few cars have it. Before one even starts driving a Porsche, something simply feels right; the car fits well. As a driver, the seats are welcoming and supportive; everything is right where one thinks it ought to be and there is no fluff-nothing un-needed, just a well designed and ergonomically correct office in which to work.

The Cayman S is also a GREAT looking car. The body lines take us back to an era in racing where Porsche produced fantastic looking cars; the 550 spyder, the RSK the R60-bloody great looking cars AND race winners.

Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

The ability to write a check for a very expensive high performance car does not mean that the talent to drive it comes with the ability to afford it. Case in point; this last Wednesday, in the early morning hours two “gentlemen” made a conscious decision to race their high performance cars on public roads. The out-come, (almost inevitable and most certainly predictable) left one driver dead, his unfortunate (and most likely unwilling passenger) injured and luckily only so-in that the Ferrari that he was driving is now in two very separate pieces.

The driver of the second car (a Porsche from what was reported) left the scene of this fatal accident. He- had also made a conscious decision to race on public roads and is therefore, in our opinion, as culpable as the driver of the Ferrari. It has also been reported that the driver of the Porsche has had numerous previous driving violations and citations- more on that later.

Rather than a Dennis Miller rant - going on and on about how racing on the street is an obvious danger to many more than just those participating, not to mention just bloody stupid-we thought it better to offer observations from years of legal racing and the teaching high performance driving skills to owners of cars just like this one and at the same time offering sound suggestion to those who are fortunate enough to acquire them.

One could argue (we will) that the largest percentage of drivers who own high performance cars have no real clue as to their cars performance potential nor do they possess the needed skills to drive the car well. Ego (not always bad) and ambition may have put them in the fortunate position to acquire the car. Ego (always bad) tells them that because they can afford the car, they have somehow and miraculously become a great driver and in many cases; just overnight.

There are but a handful of truly gifted drivers with natural God given driving talent; they are paid a great deal of money to race cars for a living; on race tracks! For them, the ability to control an automobile at speed is somehow natural. For the rest of us it is a learned skill. Let us repeat that- FOR THE REST OF US IT IS A LEARNED SKILL!!!!!

Read the rest of this entry »

2 Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

Over the years we have been to many a Concours d’elegance; more than a few have been very prestigious events. What has always attracted us, are the fantastic automobiles that are displayed in what are normally very attractive settings. Pebble Beach is an event that we have attended more than just a couple of times and one would have to argue a great setting- a golf course we have yet to play, but, an eighteenth fairway that we are very familiar with; more on Pebble later.

What we want to try to describe to you here is the simply fantastic event held just last weekend in Palm Springs; The Desert Concours. Masterminded (brilliantly we might add) by Paul Merrigan, his wife Holly and his amazing, though very tired, band of volunteers. Paul and Holly- listen carefully and you will hear the applause of many-strike that-thousands!

This years Desert Concours was but the second of hopefully many, many more to come. As impressive as the inaugural event was, this year was simply stunning. The cars and their “custodians” were absolutely top drawer. The collection of automotive history gathered in one place, at one time and at a venue that is-well; perfect, is something that those who attended will have very fond memories of for years to come. We most certainly will!

The list of significant cars is long, so long that we just don’t have room here to talk about them all. Some of the most memorable cars to us were (and not in any particular order) a fantastic Ghia bodied Chrysler, If Chrysler were to build anything like it today, they would not need financial assistance from the government; again. An amazing and perhaps the most important post war race car ever built; a 1947 Cisitalia D46. A Maserati “monoposto”….WOW! Another instant favorite was a very, very rare Delahaye….oh my goodness. To imagine driving this perfectly curvaceous roadster somewhere in the south of France- our mind wonder’s back to the real days of motoring; and is perhaps one of the reasons that a Concours event is second only to driving a race track; to us.

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

It is no secret that American cars have never really done much for us. We have admitted in the past however, that certain Corvettes and most certainly the Ford GT are indeed worthy cars- if not great cars; proving that American car manufacturers can (when they want to) build really competent automobiles. Now, we have found a third- The Dodge Challenger 6.1 liter SRT8. Why? Keep reading….

Staying true to our “driving impressions” theme and writing only about cars that we have the good fortune to drive on real race tracks (having to turn both left and right) we had the opportunity to experience what the new Dodge has to offer and we have to admit- it is pretty damned impressive.

The exterior design of the car is right out of the 70’s and if muscle cars were your thing (or, are your thing) the cars aesthetic design is truly from that era and works really well on the new car. It is a great looking car.

Better yet, the car has monster power and enough torque to pull a mile long freight train- or so it seems. Wanna tear up some asphalt- let’s rephrase- a few hundred yards of asphalt? Holy Moses…it goes!

The cars owner, our good friend…let’s call him “Jeff”, brought his 2009 Challenger SRT8 equipped with a real gear box….you know, the one that requires three pedals on the floor, to Spring Mountain Raceway a couple of weeks ago and we had the opportunity to experience how well it would do on a road course.

Keep in mind that Spring Mountain Raceway is a very technical track. There are a number of very slow, late apex- off camber corners that come up VERY quickly, with this car- off of very fast straight sections of tarmac. Add to that the 4,200 pounds that this car weighs and…it is a ride, but, surprisingly; not a handful.

Acceleration in this new Dodge is mind boggling. The car just pulls and pulls AND pulls. Given enough room, one can easily see how 160mph plus is not hard work for this car. We ran out of race track well before that number, but, the car is (as our good friend Caaarl- an Aussie- would put it)….”waaarp speed fast”.

The car is also equipped with huge brakes and thankfully so! The brake pedal feel, modulation and pedal pressure are good, but, typically American. That is not to say that the brakes don’t work well, they could just use a bit more feel. Brake fade however, was never an issue. The car stops very well indeed!

Steering feel is another area that could be improved on. Perhaps a reduction in the amount of power steering assist would help. The steering feel is very, very good and a boat load better than what we would have expected from anything coming out of Detroit.

The handling of the car is pretty darn good given its heft. It is not a car that can be easily thrown around and was never designed to do be. If the driver takes this into consideration and slows the car sufficiently, the car turns in well and stays nicely balanced. Try to throw it into a hard corner too quickly and the car will object with a fair amount of under- steer. Get on the throttle too soon or too quickly and all of that power will force the rear end out. Drive the car smoothly, brake early-keeping the car balanced; squeeze the throttle and the car does everything remarkably well. You just can’t over-drive the car; it is not a 2,000 lb. sports car.

All in all, we really like the car a lot! It would be better suited to a high horse power track like Willow Springs rather than a tight, technical track like Spring Mountain, but, given that the car was not really designed for tight road course action it still did everything very, very well. And, did we mention that this thing hauls ass?? !!!

What the car is; is a very fast, very competent and great looking piece of machinery. It again proves that American car manufacturers can indeed build world class cars when they set their minds to it. The new Challenger may prove to American car companies that the light at the end of the tunnel is not the 5:00 train; though this car pulls like one!

We would like to thank “Jeff” for the opportunity. If you are in the market for a car that reflects that great muscle car era with even better performance, remarkably good handling characteristics and brakes that work…not requiring the State of Main to stop the car…put this car on your list.

O.C.C.E

2 Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

When we started writing this blog, we suggested that when we wrote stories about cars that we have the good fortune to drive, we would write only about cars that we have driven on the track. We will stay true to that, but, rather than writing about BMW’s Porsches, or Lamborghinis, we are going to describe what we experienced with a car that many can afford, but, one that impressed the absolute hell out of us.

Last weekend, as an instructor, we attended a Driving Concepts High Performance Driving School at Spring Mountain Raceway in Nevada. The raceway/country club is a story all on its own. It is bloody fantastic and one of the most technically challenging race tracks anywhere; loved it!

We were fortunate to have been paired up with a great student and his car; the car that impressed. By the way…so did the student, the best we have had the pleasure to pass this addiction onto in some time. Welcome to mainlining Sam!

Enter the Subaru STI. Sam’s (yup- he’s the student) Subaru is not stock, but, not much that we drive is. Modifications to the car consist of some great Recaro ASM Limited RS-G Seats (a little tough for this writer to get his fat arse in to) they are wonderfully supportive and remarkably comfortable, and host of other modifications…oh hell, here is Sam’s list:

Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

This coming weekend Palm Springs will host The Desert Classic Concours d’elegance. Last years inagural event was an absolute sensation!!!!! The press and media were absolutley wowed by the qaulity of entrants and the fantastic venue. The event is held at the O’Donnell golf course, the oldest in Palm Springs and the setting is simply stunning.

This years entry list is even more impressive than last- if that is possible. There are also a few suprises that are to be unvailed for the first time at THIS event!!!!

Make time this coming weekend to attend, it will be well worth the drive, entry cost is only $25.00 at the gate and we promise that you and yours will enjoy a remarkable show.  

No Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

 A few months ago my good friend David Mecey (a very, very competent driver and one hell of a photographer) invited me and some far more gifted drivers to California Motor Speedway. The goal was to instruct and coach Lamborghini owners on how to better drive and understand the performance potential of their cars; in the appropriate place. I have to admit (though not wanting to say anything at the time) that the cars were- well just ok actually; perhaps numb is the better word choice. I just could not see myself walking into my garage and being enthusiastic about driving the car. It didn’t do much for me.

That was then………

Yesterday, David and I spent the day at Willow Springs Raceway with a couple of great guys (let’s call them Bob and Bob) who brought along a Ferrari 360 coupe and a brand spanking new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560. Yes, we were nice to the car….heck it was new.

The New LP560 is light years different than any other Gallardo I had previously had the opportunity to drive in anger and I do mean- light years! The new car delivers 560 horse power (hence the name) is capable of 0-60 times in a scant 3.7 seconds and can reach 124 mph in just 11.8 seconds. The new engine is equipped with direct injection, making the performance difference from its predecessor instantly noticeable. Not only is the engine more powerful, but, according to Lamborghini; fuel consumption and C02 output have been reduced by an astonishing 18%. We drove the car all day and did not have to refuel until leaving the track for the drive home.

This car is extraordinarily capable, verbiage I do not use lightly. Lamborghini has revised the all wheel drive system and improved the suspension design for the new LP and the effects were felt instantly. The car felt far more sure-footed, driver feedback is much- much better and steering feel has been improved significantly. The car is simply far more communicative than what I had experienced in the past- the new LP has truly become a world class automobile.

The brakes… they do stop the car very well indeed, but, they are very difficult to modulate smoothly. There is a great deal of initial brake pedal travel and then…whuump…..you have thrown out the anchor; making it difficult, though not impossible, to be ultra smooth with the brakes and not upset the balance of the car. Porsche seems to be the only manufacturer who gets brake pedal feel and modulation perfect; must be some kind of well protected secret. More initial brake pedal feel and a little less initial pedal travel and the brakes on the LP would be just about perfect. There was never any brake fade and even though we were pretty nice to the car, braking from well north of 100 mph was uneventful- in a very, very good way.

Whereas the previous car felt rather numb and uninspiring, the new LP is a completely different “bull”. It is a car that would now be a pleasure to both own and drive.

I have always enjoyed driving the Ferrari 360, great car, and though the opportunity has not yet presented itself to drive the 430 this new Gallardo was impressive to say the least.
It was an interesting side-by side comparison, but, the Ferrari (as good as it was and still is) is perhaps just a bit dated when compared to the new LP560. We are going to have to find a 430 owner who actually wants to drive their car to make a fair comparison; any takers?

O.C.C.E

1 Comment · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

For those of us who have been around for a while, we here in Southern California, used to have a world class race track not too far away from Orange County. Riverside International Raceway was just that; World Class. The names of drivers who raced at Riverside is a virtual who’s -who in racing. Name a few you say? Gurney, Andretti, Jones, Donohue, Revson, Hulme, Mclaren, Follmer, Brabham, Unser, Patrick, Posey, Petty, Allison, Stewart, Stuck, Haywood, Gregg, Hobbs, Redman, Ginther, Shelby, St. James, our good friend Tony a2z- the list could take up pages alone. There is also an extraordinarily long list of great cars that were raced at Riverside as well, including the amazing Porsche 917 turbocharged Can-Am car driven by a certain Mr. Donohue who basically ran away and hid from the rest of the field ….and all by turn 2! We were there, still very young, but there!

Though Riverside went the way of “progress” some years ago and was unfortunately gone by the time we started driving competitively - we had been there many, many times; watching our hero’s and as a crew member for Tommy Kendall and Max Jones in 1985 when he and Max shared a championship season in the IMSA Firehawk series.

Though the raceway is gone, there is a gentleman who simply refuses to let it die. Doug Magnon is preserving the history of the great raceway and has done so by sharing its sensational history with all of us at the Riverside International Automotive Museum. This is a must see venue for automotive and racing enthusiasts and just a short jog out the 91 freeway from Orange County. Inside the museum, is a wonderful collection of memorabilia and a terrific grouping of automobiles; including some fantastic Gurney Eagles, one of which, is the very car that our good friend Tony Adamowicz drove to his 1969 Formula 5000 championship and in which he is now competing again; some forty years later.

This gets even better! On March 27th through March 29th, the museum will be holding a Charity Film Festival and Gala Event. A vast number of auto racing legends which had raced at Riverside Raceway will be in attendance. The list is so long that it is just easier to direct you to the web-site. If you share the same passion as we do for motorsport, this is a must do event! The opportunity to rub elbows with the truly great hero’s of auto racing, is a once in a life-time experience that simply can not be missed! Tickets are available on-line.

Please order you tickets NOW as they are limited. See you there!

O.C.C.E

2 Comments · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us

Santa does not really have a Sleigh does he ???

1 Comment · Digg This! · Stumble This! · Save to del.icio.us