If there’s going to be a sequel to the “new” Vacation movie from 2015, Porsche might have just the car for Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms), should he decide he needs something with a bit more panache than the Tartan Prancer SUV from Albania. The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo that debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in March seems about perfect, though perhaps it might need some faux wood paneling added.
Most car enthusiasts see through the veil of the “concept car” label put on what they know to be lightly disguised pre-production models. It’s always appreciated when the intro comes with a dose of honesty, as the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept did when revealed at the Geneva Auto Show this past March.
Danville, CA, about an hour’s drive from San Francisco, is not the most convenient locations for a classic car museum, yet the quality of the Blackhawk Automotive Museum’s exhibits, unique design and other area attractions make it worth the trip.
“Glamorous” is not a word you hear to describe modern Italian sports and GT cars. It’s a bit of a bygone word in an era when car designers and marketers much prefer terms like “aggressive.” Indeed, the modern versions often seem styled with angry-looking visages, perhaps to frighten other motorists or small children. The Maserati Mistral, built from 1963-1970, wears a happy look up front. Times are different.
For the next four days the Mazda Leguna Seca racetrack will be awash with elegance, transporting viewers back to a time when auto racing was the epitome of class and drama.
Put the words “Mercedes” and “convertible” together, and you’re all but guaranteed a highly desirable luxury automobile. Turn the clock back to the late 1960s, and you could only be talking about the 280 SE, the marque’s flagship image model at the time.
Naming a road car for a classic racecar would, for some marques, be a risky proposition. You probably won’t find too many objections, however, to Porsche’s putting the “718” badge on its redesigned Boxster and Cayman models.
Usually, we hold our Texas event in November, when it’s still warm and sunny but there’s not much going on in the rest of the U.S. vintage car world. This year, knowing that the famous Hill Country spring wild flowers would be especially brilliant thanks to El Nino winter rains, we scheduled our Texas Bluebonnets for April 3 through April 8.
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.
