200 mph Supercars: Caruso Concours d’Elegance at Americana on Brand

“If you’ve never been at 200 mph, it’s a sensation beyond belief.”  The words of Dick Messer, the longtime Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, could hardly have better summarized the reasoning behind the museum’s sponsorship of an October 11 car show that focused on automobiles capable of 200 mph.  Reaching out to local collectors and loyal members, the museum was able to assemble 23 such supercars for a fun and free event set against the backdrop of one of the area’s most popular open air luxury retail centers, the Americana on Brand Boulevard. 

 Located in the Los Angeles-adjacent city of Glendale, nicknamed the Jewel City, Americana on Brand is the latest project of Caruso Affiliated, a regional real estate development company that has garnered a reputation for the outdoor retail malls that are becoming increasingly commonplace in Southern California.  There is a small degree of irony in the fact that a Caruso property would host an exhibition of expensive supercars, given that company founder Henry Caruso made the majority of his fortune as the founder of Dollar Rent-A-Car.  

 “To my knowledge, and I read practically every [automotive] publication, at least here in the United States, and some in Europe, this has never been done before – that this many supercars ended up in one place at one time,” explained Messer.  The Petersen, of course contributed some of the most stellar offerings on display, including a Ferrari F40, F50 and 575 Superamerica, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a Bugatti EB110 and Veyron, a Ford GT and a Jaguar XJ220.  Another area institution, the Riverside International Automotive Museum, supplied a freshly acquired Maserati MC12, which in concert with a handful of locally owned Lamborghinis and Ferraris, rounded out the representation of the major Italian supercar rivals. 

 Rarer contributions came in the form of a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG, one of about 100 carbon fiber-bodied CLK models homologated for racing and one of only 40 that the manufacturer allowed to circulate into public ownership.  A Cizeta V16T, one of roughly 10 of the Marcelo Gandini-penned supercars that employ a transversely mounted V-16 engine, provided a rare glimpse of another little-known exotic.  The most unusual car on hand though was an AREX, whose acronym stands for American Roadster Experimental.  Fully looking like an experiment, the scissor-doored twin-turbo V-8 oddity was produced in the early 90s by former GM and Toyota designer David Stollery and Gale Banks Engineering.

 Though the show wore the banner of a Concours d’Elegance, there was no judging other than one People’s Choice award, which went to a Ferrari Enzo owned by Armen Aslanian of Glendale.   The show was the third such event that Americana on Brand has hosted in the last year, the previous two focusing on classic cars and the cars of celebrities.  Caruso Public Relations Coordinator Jenny Bronstein clarified that the event would probably be held on an annual basis from this point forward. 

 “This is all excess beyond excess,” concluded Messer.  “Nobody needs to have one of these cars.  You don’t need to have a car that goes 200 mph plus to drive around Los Angeles,” he said, referring to the city’s notoriously congested traffic.  “But on an open road, there’s nothing like it!”

Story and pictures by Mike Daly

 

LuxuryAutoDirect.com Road Tests the 2010 Aston Martin DBS Volante

As most people are well aware by now, Aston Martin has been producing legendarily refined sports cars for decades.  Those slightly more versed in the subject know that the DBS is the brand’s latest V-12 flagship, and has gotten more than its share of press with its role as the new preferred ride of fictional superspy James Bond.  True Aston illuminati will also know that the DBS moniker is lifted from a late 60s successor to the DB6 and that Volante is the brand’s traditional nomenclature for a convertible.  So what makes the 2010 DBS Volante so special?  Quite a bit, as it turns out. 

 

For starters, this Volante is only the 16^th convertible that Aston Martin has produced in 95 years.  Though the automatic retractable soft top is largely identical to that of the earlier DB9 Volante, it is now for the first time integrated into a DBS, that muscular synergy of bulbous fenders, functional vents and twelve-cylinder power.  Like its coupe sibling, the DBS Volante features a six liter V-12 good for 510 bhp.  Coupled with the optional “Touchtronic 2” paddle shift 6-speed transmission, this car rockets and slaloms with the ease and grace of a video game.  Throw in standard 20” wheels and carbon ceramic brakes and the agile DBS Volante has the tools to stay glued to the road and stop on a dime. 

 

Aston has attempted to maximize the engine’s power by reducing weight in some areas, namely by using carbon fiber in the hood, fenders and trunk lid, and a fabric soft top rather than a hardtop.  Though it might be considered a ragtop, this smooth gizmo is a far cry from the wrestling match that was your dad’s MG.  Featuring a sound-deadening layer of Thinsulate as well as a more aesthetically pleasing alcantara headliner, this convertible top automatically retracts at the push of a button, stowing neatly under a tonneau that seamlessly blends with the trunk.  The collapsibility of the soft top also minimizes the reduction of trunk space, a contrast to the retractable hardtops that tend to significantly impede cargo capacity.

 

Though a standard drive mode is always available (certainly a better choice if one is distracted by phone calls or navi use), the true fun of the DBS Volante lies in its paddle shifting.  In this mode one not only more fully utilizes the engine’s innate capabilities, but also benefits from the beautiful exhaust note to be found in the upper tach reaches. The exhaust system features an active bypass valve that transforms the usual raspy exhaust note into a climaxing, monstrous explosion when the revs exceed 4,000 rpm.  As an acquaintance of mine summed it up, this pretty much feels like one would imagine the Batmobile does when it bursts out of the Batcave with fire belching out of its exhaust. 

 

Typical to all Aston Martins, performance is balanced with considerations of comfort and luxury.  Memory seats, iPod connectivity, satellite radio and a navigation system are just a few of the amenities that make the DBS Volante feel more like a Bimmer or Mercedes than a demanding exotic sports car.  And with the top down, this car is almost as easy to get in and out of as those more pedestrian luxury models, resulting in an Aston that is far more tractable than some of its competitors.  

 

The capper of luxury points comes in the form of the truly awesome Bang & Olufsen “BeoSound DBS” sound system, one that has been exclusively designed and built for the DBS.  With a subwoofer poised at one’s leg and 13 speakers peppered throughout the cabin (punctuated by two hidden dash-top tweeters just inside the A-pillars that automatically rise into view when the system is turned on), the BeoSound creates an acoustic environment that disguises the speakers’ location, resulting in a subtle wall of sound whose beginning and end are nearly impossible to discern.  Perhaps the best aspect of the BeoSound is an automatic volume attenuation function that senses speed changes and the top’s position.  Simply stated, the BeoSound automatically raises the volume to overcome any wind noise from acceleration and conversely, returns the volume to its original level upon deceleration or raising the top.

 

Aston Martin has forged an identity based on handbuilt cars that are sporty enough to compete with race-tuned exotics, and comfortable enough to attract the luxury segment.  No exception to this pattern, the DBS Volante is a stunning looker with nary a bad angle; it is exceedingly close to external design perfection and harmony.  And with the V-12 engine, there’s no arguing that this is a fast and capable performer.  But at 3,990 pounds, this is not a lithe track car…nor is it meant to be.  Likewise, with a dauntingly long front overhang and low slung chassis, this car isn’t predominantly characterized by luxurious ease of use…nor is it meant to.  Aston quite simply knows their market very well, and though this car may not be Ferrari fast or Bentley comfortable, it perfectly straddles that small gap in between, that target niche that the company has been mapping beautifully for the last 60 years or so.

 Specs:

 All-alloy, quad overhead camshaft, 48-valve, 5,935 cc V-12

Rear-mid mounted ‘Touchtronic 2’ six-speed paddle-shift gearbox

Max power: 510 bhp at 6,500 rpm

Max torque: 420 lb-ft at 5,750 rpm

Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds

Max speed: 191 mph

MSRP as tested:  $300,870

Photos & Text by Mike Daly

2009 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance – 1930 Rolls Royce PII Brewster “Best in Show”

2009 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance – A Real Italian Job

 Article and photos by Mike Daly

 It was an altogether pleasant surprise to find that the Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance had eschewed small-time expectations and staged a world class exhibit of rare and desirable automobiles when it held its 17^th annual event on Sunday, September 13.  Located just south of Los Angeles on the Palos Verdes peninsula, with its ocean vistas and misty glimpses of Catalina Island, this year’s Concours offered an overall theme of Italian automobiles with a stress on Maserati as the featured marque. 

 In the hands of another organizer, this event might have resembled a diminished version of Consorso Italiano, featuring row upon row of late-model Ferraris, Lambos and Panteras.  Fortunately, however, the PV Concours’ organizing committee strived to match the elegant setting of the Trump National Golf Club with a discerning selection of rare and seldom seen Italian classics that transformed the show into one of the better such events of the season.

 In addition to a smattering of requisite Dinos and Miuras, the grassy slopes offered Siatas, Cisitalias, Lancias and Bizzarrini motored sports cars.  A stupendous 1955 Maserati A6G/54 2000 GT Zagato Coupe owned by John Bookout of Houston, TX took first place in the Maserati In-Line 6 (1946 – 1969) class while a beautifully detailed 1958 Ferrari 250 PF Cabriolet Series 1 owned by Peter McCoy of Beverly Hills garnered a win in the Ferrari (1946 – 1974) class.  The outstanding presentation and extreme rarity of both cars was generally indicative of the exquisite and unusual offerings on display throughout the Concours.  Though not nearly as refined, a 1963 ATS 2500 GTS Allemano Coupe owned by Richard and Ginger Powers of Santa Ana, CA attracted just as much attention with its cutting edge mid-engine design.  One of a mere eight built, the Bizzarri engineered racecar won first place in the Iso & Bizzarrini class.

 The Petersen Automotive Museum made a typically strong contribution, presenting its 1954 Plymouth Explorer Ghia in an American Luxury class that featured three such Ghia-bodied Chryslers, and its 1947 Cisitalia 202 Coupe in the Fiat, Siata & Cisitalia (1946 – 1974) class.  To this day the Cisitalia is considered a seminal Pininfarina design that is widely regarded as a landmark of modern sports car design.  Though the Petersen’s cars were not submitted for judging, a gesture of public outreach over competition, museum director Dick Messer’s personal car, a 1953 Siata 208S, won a special award as the Best Sports Car. 

 A showstopper in this writer’s mind, the 1932 Auburn V-12 Boattail Speedster owned by Anthony Vincent Zehenni of West Hollywood, CA won the distinction of Most Exciting Open, though even with the top up this car was an arresting beauty, unusual in design and pristine in presentation.  Ironically, the Best in Show was given to a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II owned by Helen and Jack Nethercutt of Sylmar, the renowned benefactors of the Nethercutt Museum.  While there is little doubt that the Brewster-bodied towncar had all the makings of a show winner and Mr. Nethercutt is virtual automotive royalty in Southern California, one might have presumed that an Italian car would win an event whose focus was automobili.  Notwithstanding this seeming incongruity, the Palos Verdes Concours could not be regarded as anything but a smashing success, with a mid-sized crowd that never impeded the car gazing, mild seacoast weather marked by gentle sun and ocean breezes, and a dizzying array of some of the finest and most unusual collectible cars seen in one place in recent years.

Bentley Flexes its Muscles

 

Lost amid the hype that marked Bentley’s debut of the new flagship Mulsanne two weeks ago at Pebble Beach was the company’s growing momentum to market its other new car, the Continental Supersports, which was unveiled at the International Geneva Motor Show last March.  Given that the Supersports wears an almost identical body to the Continental GT models that have become increasingly commonplace on the roads of America, it’s understandable why people’s focus would not remain on the new model for too long.  Make no mistake, though, in terms of innovation, technology and brand identity, the Continental Supersports is a far more groundbreaking vehicle than the Mulsanne.

 A week after displaying one of the two existing Supersports at the Quail Motorsports Gathering, Bentley trotted the car down to their Beverly Hills affiliate for an exclusive customer preview.  Though the Supersports has undergone minor aesthetic changes like the addition of functional hood vents, wider exhaust tips, larger side mirrors, and the implementation of a lightweight trim the company is calling PVD (physical vapor deposition – basically a spray-on chrome alloy), at a glance it looks no different than the Continental GT and GT Speed that accompanied it at the O’Gara Coach Company hosted event.  A peak at the interior reveals more noticeable changes, such as the removal of the back seat, a splash of carbon fiber trim, lightweight racing seats and Bentley’s first use of alcantara, the suede substitute widely used in Italian sports cars.  These measures have reduced weight by 250 pounds, and in concert with a retuned suspension and the biggest production brakes in the world (standard 16.5 inch discs), have transformed the once slightly lethargic Continental GT into a sprightly performer.

 The Supersports’ biggest innovation, however, lies under the hood.  Some major engineering has gone into transforming the GT’s six liter, twin turbocharged W-12 engine into Bentley’s strongest powerplant ever, capable of producing 621 bhp and propelling the car from 0 – 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.  Acceleration is also aided by a new “Quickshift” transmission that purportedly cuts downs shift times by 50%.  What really makes the performance numbers so impressive is that Bentley has simultaneously followed through on its 2008 declaration to reduce CO2 emissions by creating a powerplant that is flex fuel capable.  That is to say the Supersports can run on traditional gasoline or E85, the biofuel mixture largely made of corn-based ethanol that many environmentalists argue will help reduce greenhouse gases.  According to Bentley, running the car with E85 reduces CO2 emissions by 70% while increasing mpg by 45%.  

 Obviously this is an extremely unusual approach for a model that is supposed to be taking on the role of a performance-first sports car.  According to Jon DiVaio, Bentley’s Dealer Events Specialist on hand at the O’Gara event, “[We’re] trying to position ourselves as a pure driver’s car.  Bentley, in the past, even though the GTs have always been fast cars, they’ve also been luxurious cars.  So this is our attempt to directly compete with the likes of Lamborghini and Bugatti and Ferrari.”  According to DiVaio, the E85 capable powerplant will be implemented across the entire Bentley model line by 2012.  Bentley has slated a low production volume for the Supersports with only 200 units to appear in the first year, essentially about 4 per dealership.  Production models should begin to appear in November.

Aston Martin One-77, One for the Ages in Carmel Valley

Aston Martin – Customer Courtship in Carmel Valley

 

 Aston Martin could hardly have selected a more picturesque setting for its Pebble Beach weekend customer event than the Bernardus Lodge, an aesthetically rustic yet ultra-luxury resort nestled in the hills of Carmel Valley next to a vineyard.  The manicured grounds of the Bernardus proved to be a perfect backdrop for the 5-star catered brunch that surrounded an unassuming grass-square placement of the superlative One-77, Aston’s new 700 bhp supercar.  Guests dined on smoked salmon and other culinary delights while taking turns carving up the Carmel Valley hills with a stunning assortment of Vantages, DB9s and DBS models.  Aston was particularly keen on getting customers into the new DBS Volante, the convertible version of the $270,000 DBS that invokes the traditional marque open top nomenclature, and will come to market this fall.

 Notwithstanding the enviable opportunity to drive the powerful sportscars on the challenging curvy hill climbs that surround the estate, the star of the event was clearly the One-77, the uber-Aston that has been appropriately greeted with awe since its unveiling at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza at Lake Como, Italy last April.  Though pictures merely suggest a more emphatic interpretation of Aston’s signature design language, in person the One-77 takes on new life, a sensuous and fluid combination of sinewy bulges and well-placed vents that cannot be described as anything less than awesome.  Only 77 examples of the $1.97 million supercar will be produced, ensuring a level of rarity unclaimed by even the most select of exotics.

 Aston’s commitment to customer satisfaction was cemented by the presence of now legendary CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez, who casually roamed the event greeting customers and fielding questions.  In a brief interview, Dr. Bez described the One-77’s handmade engineering with words like “beauty, refinement and substance,” and asserted that the car would forever assume a position in the pantheon of Aston’s most collectible models, alongside the DBR1 and the Zagato-bodied cars.  Gently dismissing possible comparisons to competitors such as the Bugatti Veyron, Dr. Bez clarified that while VW’s car was engineered with a performance goal of 1,000 bhp, the One-77 was rather designed and built to be “a piece of art.”  Clarifying that the One-77 would sit atop the model range for decades to come, Dr. Bez commented, “We can’t make something more beautiful.”

 By Michael Daly

Preview The Official Auction of Pebble Beach

 

If you’re in the market for a collector car, there will be no lack of options this weekend at the Monterey Peninsula as proceedings get under way for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Concorso Italiano, and a host of related events.  What began 59 years ago as one relatively modest exhibition of fine collector cars has burgeoned into an entire week of related events, races and auctions that has come to be a mainstay for every major collector car auction house.  While Bonhams proudly accompanies the ever-more-exclusive Quail Motorsports Gathering, RM Auctions maintains its reputation for volume and quality, and Russo and Steele continue to lead the muscle car bracket, one auctioneer has distinguished itself from the crowd with a growing reputation for the finest overall selection and its enviable affiliation with the Pebble Beach Concours as the official auction of Pebble Beach:  Gooding & Company.

 David Gooding’s event, a two night affair which is held a mere 200 yards from the 18^th hole fairway that hosts the Concours, will feature a stunning array of rare and desirable collector cars that range from prewar brass and classics to postwar vintage sports cars.  Particular attention has been paid to two cars that are expected to easily surpass the million dollar mark: a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Special Coupe with one-off coachwork that was purportedly used as a personal car by Ettore Bugatti, and a 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Roadster with a body that is regarded by many to be the finest coachbuilt Duesenberg ever produced by Pasadena-based Bohman & Schwartz.

 Sports car aficionados will be much more taken with the great selection of 1950s and 60s coupes and convertibles, including a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Competition Spider, a 1954 Cunningham C-3 Coupe, a 1956 Talbot-Lago T14 LS, and a 1958 BMW 507 Series II.  Italian sports car lovers should enjoy the offering of a 1966 Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 that was featured in the model’s original sales brochure as well as two Ferrari California Spiders and four different Maseratis.  Two legendary Italian-bodied Corvettes will also cross the block, the one-off 1963 Pininfarina Rondine, and a 1959 Corvette Coupe with coachwork by Scaglietti, the first of three ever produced.

 For more info see www.goodingco.com

Photos courtesy of Gooding & Company

Lee Iacocca Raises the Curtain on his Signature Commemorative Mustang

On the evening of August5, Los Angeles dealership Galpin Motors hosted an exclusive cocktail party centered upon the unveiling of a new signature series Mustang bearing Lee Iacocca’s name and commemorating the automotive icon’s involvement with the original pony car 45 years ago.  The aptly named Iacocca Silver 45^th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang features unique fastback coachwork built by the Gaffoglio Family’s Metalcrafters, and a 4.6 liter V-8 that when blown with an optional supercharger produces 400 BHP.  Only 45 examples of the signature car will be produced, rarity that should ensure a degree of provenance unmatched by other numerous premium Mustangs.  Michael Leone’s attractive design visually reworks typical Mustang cues, resulting in a package that appears decidedly more cabin central, with a shorter front hood and longer fastback tail.  The Iacocca Silver also features an unusually sophisticated interior highlighted by diamond stitched leather seats, and a peppering of unique Iacocca badges.

 Members of the Gaffaglio family, Leone, and Lee Iacocca himself were all on hand Thursday evening to celebrate the unveiling.  Leone, who described Iacocca as his friend and mentor stated, “This car is not just about a nameplate, this car is really about the culmination of his life.”

 Iacocca, who took the stage to thunderous applause, made a handful of casual remarks, describing his namesake model as “a truly exceptional car in every way.”  He concluded by saying, “This is America, where dreams are possible, and opportunity is alive and well.  We wanted to bring a little sunshine into these trying times and remind people that the early automobile industry was based on fun and exciting cars.”  Almost immediately after the curtain was lifted, ownership of the first production model was auctioned for an eventual selling price of $125,000, a pricetag that also entitles the winning bidder to a dinner date with the man of the hour.  The supercharged version of the Iacocca Silver Edition will retail for about $105,000.  

 For more info see www.ilegacy.com

Photography by Joey Julius, NGEN Media