While I am drawn to many vehicles because of their design, my real joy comes in driving. There are certainly cars that might be considered by some to be a bit “visually challenged” but nonetheless deliver a rewarding experience behind the wheel.
The Corvette long carried a stigma of crudeness versus the Europeans, and the Chevy bowtie just doesn’t carry the status of a Porsche crest. That reputation had been eroding since the late 1990s, though not everyone noticed. Today, any Porsche 911 driver not looking at the new Stingray with just a twinge of horsepower envy ought to check his pulse.
As the first production car to bear the Bugatti name in thirty-five years, the EB110 had big shoes to fill. The 560 horses produced by its 3.5L V-12 fit snugly into those French racing boots.
This is the perfect weekend to take advantage of the meek March temperatures and brush up on all things automotive. While there’s a lull in major car events as many are still sleeping off Amelia or gearing up for the New York Auto Show, there are still local opportunities to get that weekly injection of petrol.
The Diablo’s design was more elegant than the Countach, which had become festooned with all manner of body add-ons, including a rear wing that looked like a Boeing 727’s horizontal stabilizer. Like the Countach before it, the Diablo also grew a young fan base and became a poster car in many boys’ bedrooms.
The Nethercutt Museum offers a walk through the history of the automobile, showcasing over 130 pre-1970 cars broken into categories based on era of production. Next door, The Nethercutt Collection occupies the museum’s former residence, with four floors of only the finest antiques.
The recent ‘generational shift’ in collecting may actually be examples of ‘mature’ collectors seeking a more comfortable, reliable and usable ride. It’s one of those rare instances in which we Baby Boomers can share an opinion with the Millennials without embarrassment or explanation.
Festivals of Speed celebrates its fourth year of providing the Amelia Island weekend with an upscale festival for as many as 20,000 enthusiasts with a thirst for speed. The varied roster of show cars offers something for every niche of the automotive interest.
Porsche did not need to build the 911 R, which it unveiled at the Geneva Motor show. It is a gift to the purists – or at least their memory – who would not let the 911 die in the 1980s. The profit on the 991 cars to be built, while certainly not pfennigs, is going to be small compared to a fleet of Panameras
