Reflections on a summery Saturday morning, and two new Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

For the second weekend in a row, Southern California was once again blessed with summer like weather, complete with warm breezes and sunny, cloudless crystal blue skies. This past Saturday was another stunning example, and what better time to undertake another study of reflections, and explore the contrast of shadow and light and their collective impact on the automotive form.

The following photos represent my latest study, with lighting effects provided courtesy of Mother Nature, and additional fill provided by my Nikon SB600 Speedlight…

Porsche Row__356 in foreground/reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red 1987 Porsche Carrera__reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Black Porsche 930 turbo_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue metallic 1972 Porsche 911T_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue metallic 1972 Porsche 911T_front hood reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Silver Porsche 911 coupe_3/4 front view reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Silver Porsche 911 coupe_motor_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red Mercedes- Benz 300SL gullwing_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red Jaguar XK roadster_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue Shelby Daytona coupe_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue Shelby Daytona coupe_rear view _reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue Ford woody wagon_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue Ford woody wagon_ front grill emblem reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue 1950 Mercury coupe_rear bumper reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Blue 1950 Mercury coupe_3/4 front view_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Pale blue 1960's vintage Ford thunderbird coupe_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Black Ferrari 458 Italia_reflections_front view_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Charcoal gray Fisker Karma_hood reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red Ferrari 365 Daytona coupe_side view_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red Ferrari 365 Daytona coupe_hood_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red Ferrari 365 Daytona coupe_Borrani wire wheel reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red Ferrari 365 Daytona coupe_tail light details_ reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

After shooting the Ferrari Daytona coupe seen above, I ran into a friend who asked if I had seen the Ferrari Enzo and Bugatti Veyron parked by the catering tables. I told him no, and then asked if the Bugatti was the blue-tinted carbon fiber model that had been at the event 2 weeks earlier. He said no, that this one was a two-tone, red on black, and that the Enzo parked just in front was a blood orange color. So off I went in search of these two cars, which can be seen below.  I was definitely surprised to see each car displaying a KONY 2012 placard, an apparent effort by each owner to draw attention to the atrocities committed by African warlord Joseph Kony, against the children of his country…

Blood Orange Ferrari Enzo_Kony 2012 graphics_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Red & Black Bugatti Veyron_Kony 2012 graphics_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

I then noticed that another crowd was gathered towards the middle of the parking lot and decided to find out what was drawings the crowd. There parked at the end of the row, was a spectacular looking hot rod, and then it hit me. This was a Chip Foose creation, and walking towards the back confirmed it. This was the Foose HemiSFear…

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_rear view& reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_3/4 front view_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

And with the rear deck opened, even the valve covers confirmed that this was in fact the HemiSFear.

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ front view_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ headlight reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ front suspension detail_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ front suspension components_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ glass roof & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ Interior_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ side reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ motor viewed through rear window & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Chip Foose_HemiSFear_ undercarriage detail_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

My next stop was on Mercedes row, to check out a beautifully restored Triumph motorcycle parked next to an amazing black Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster, both the source of some amazing shadows and reflections…

Vintage motorcycle helmet & goggles_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Aqua blue Triumph motorcycle_shadows & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Black 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster_motorcycle reflection_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Black 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL roadster_reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

And now an update on my two latest Porsche GT3 RS4.0 sightings…

On Saturday March 3, I added another GT3 RS4.0 sighting (#7) to my list of cars encountered since October 2011 at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV.  This car was another example of the white exterior with the RS4.0 exterior graphics package, with the white wheel configuration.

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_3/4 front view & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_3/4 front view & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_headlight detail & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_rear wing shadows & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_wheel detail & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_rear wing & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 with white wheels_3/4 front view & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

After talking with the owner, I learned that he’s had the car for only three months, but from the smile on his face it was obvious he thoroughly enjoys ownership. It was then time to ask him my standard GT3 RS4.0 question – What series number is your car out of the total 600 built?  Fortunately, every RS4.0 owner faced with my question has been gracious enough to share their cars series number. And keeping the trend alive, this owner shared with me that his car was #490 out of 600.

Sighting #8, and my second sighting for March, occurred this past Saturday, and was once again at Cars&Coffee /Irvine. This particular car appeared to be brand new; also white and wearing the traditional RS4.0 exterior graphics package, but in this case its wheels were black.

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 w black wheels_3/4 front view & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

Realizing that this was a brand new car, and not one that I had seen before, I immediately looked around for the owner in hopes of asking him about his car, and adding its series number to my GT3 RS4.0 sighting list. No owner was to be found, so I circled that car a few more times, adding more images to my collection and studying the various reflective surfaces found on the car.

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 w black wheels_rear view & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 w black wheels_3/4 rear view & reflections_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 w black wheels_Interior_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

White 2011 Porsche GT3 RS4.0 w black wheels_front view_Cars&Coffee/Irvine_3/10/12

I returned to the car a little later and was lucky enough to catch the owner, just as he was getting ready to leave. I quickly introduced myself, and explained my interest in the Porsche GT3 RS4.0, along with my quest to document each of my RS4.0 sightings since seeing my first at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV. I learned that the owner had also attended Rennsport Reunion IV, and had even participated in the weekends racing. It was then time for me to ask my question, and this owner kept the tradition alive by sharing with me that his car was series #491. I then shared with him that I had encountered another white GT3 RS4.0 one week earlier, which was series # 490.  We both agreed on the rarity of finding two cars with sequential series numbers, from such a limited worldwide production.

Now only 592 GT3 RS4.0’s remaining…

(All photos by the author)

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