Atlas staged, plus a colorful collection of eclectic cars…

Posted on May 5, 2013 by digitaldtour

Webster’s Dictionary defines the word eclectic as “selecting what appears to be the best in various doctrines, methods or styles”: “composed of elements drawn from various sources”. Both of these definitions were equally appropriate in describing the vehicles that turned out for the Saturday April 27th gathering of Cars & Coffee / Irvine.

On this particular morning, courtesy of the Ford Motor Company, participants were greeted by a concept vehicle on display, staged over in the featured lot. However, instead of a car, the vehicle in question was a concept truck. In this case, a silver Ford “Atlas Concept” crew cab pick up, with an abundance of custom features, including active wheel shutters (shown in their closed position), as visible on the driver’s side wheels…

Wheel shutters in their open position, as seen on the passenger side wheels (below).

Parked over at the opposite end of the featured lot, the Mercedes-Benz Classics Center was showing several rare, beautifully restored, vintage treasures from their museum…

I overheard (while shooting the red model below), that this particular vehicle is a one of one; the only example of this vintage beauty in existence.

Parked just to the right of these two Mercedes, was one very cool and beautifully restored two toned DKW (Auto Union) Schnellaster panel van (aka DKW F89 L), produced from 1949 to 1962 as seen below. These vehicles were initially powered by a 700 cc, two-cylinder, two-stroke motor. Then in 1955, the Schnellaster received an upgrade to three cylinders, increasing the displacement up to 900 cc, good for 32 horsepower!

Who copied who? This two toned color palette appeared very similar to color schemes observed on several early 1950’s Volkswagen Type II transporters.

Over on Porsche row, it was one of those rare mornings that saw 100% occupancy by Porsche models only. And due to the clear, sunny springtime weather, a truly colorful collection of eclectic Porsches turned out in force…

Situated just opposite of Porsche row, was this spectacular 1970s vintage Datsun 510…

with an equally impressive turbocharged motor lurking under the hood, ready to shame any unsuspecting rival.

As I continued on my trek through the parking lot, I came across several other Porsches that obviously arrived too late to park along Porsche row…

And just two rows over was a collection of Dodge Vipers, three in the blue with white stripe combination. A closer look revealed the center blue viper as one of the brand new 2013 SRT models.

Representing Ford’s endurance racing efforts from the 1960’s, were these two Ford GT 40 tributes…

Also encountered and scattered throughout the parking lot, were several beautiful examples representing another of the German marques, in this case BMW…

Representing the Italian manufacturers was a line up of jellybean colored Lamborghini, parked together out on the very back row.

So with summer just around the corner, one can only speculate regarding the possibility of a Stingray sighting, or when the next Saturday mornings colorful collection of eclectic cars will occur…

(All photos by the author)

Heart of the Sunrise…

Posted on January 11, 2013 by digitaldtour

The first Cars&Coffee gathering of 2013 dawned cool, crisp and clear, and finally without the threat of rain. Obviously a very welcomed sight for those in attendance Saturday morning. And gauging by the sheer number of cars in attendance, all were eager to start the new year off in grand style.

So with camera in hand, I headed out in search of my first photographic subject for the new year. And the clock was ticking; due to a family commitment, I needed to leave early (by 8 am), so I needed to get busy. The cool, clear morning air, combined with the rising sun, made for some incredible lighting conditions, so what better way to kick off the new year than with a shot of a bright shiny red Speedster…

Porsche row illuminated by the dawning light (above, above and below)…

Nick’s always impressive, silver European spec Porsche 911S, reflected above and in person below…

It seemed that in order to park in this particular section of Porsche row, your car had to be either black or silver, and be parked in an alternating pattern… did anyone else notice this?

Even the black Ford Thunderbird convertible, and silver Nissan 370 Z that were parked alongside the silver Speedster, adhered to the Porsche row parking protocol…

Parked directly across the aisle from Porsche row, was this rare black, 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, configured for right hand drive.

Flawless, mirror – like early morning reflections, and right hand drive…

Located several rows over and positioned perpendicular to Porsche row, was one of several 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4’s ringing in the new year; this one in Arancio Argos (orange)…

Detail of the rear glass louvers, for heat evacuation and protection of the V-12 motor seen lurking below…

Parked at the opposite end of the row, was one of several Audi R8’s in attendance; this particular model in Daytona Gray Pearl, was one of several V10 variants, and wearing a set of custom wheels by Stasis (above and below).

Another of the Audi R8’s in attendance, this one however parked alongside a brilliant red Porsche 911SC, adding a punch of color in contrast to the R8’s matte gray finish…

As I made my way through the parking lot, there parked under the tress, and just across from Porsche row, were these two rare Porsche 911s (both of which have graced my previous blog posts individually, but never together until now). First up was the Grand Prix white 1991 Porsche 964 Turbo, and parked immediately behind in Riviera blue, was a true, European model 1996 Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport.

The 993 Carrera RS Club Sport… one of only 57 built by Porsche in 1996. For more details and photos of this Porsche 993 Carrera RS Club Sport model, please refer to my previous post via the following link.

The newly established Lotus row (below), rapidly establishing itself over that past several weeks, with an ever-increasing number of Evora’s and Elise in attendance each week…

Parked amidst it German brethren, was this beautifully restored, early 1960s vintage Gray Mercedes-Benz 300 D Automatic, 4 door Cabriolet as seen below.

Early morning reflections captured in flawless paint and chrome trim (above and below).

Even the motor and engine compartment were showroom fresh, and as highly detailed as the rest of the car.

The convertible top and its external chrome plated hinge with reflections…

Nothing like a whirlwind tour of Cars&Coffee in less than two hours, to start off the new year and answer the challenge of trying to capture a good cross-section of vehicles present for the first show of 2013. So here’s to recording and sharing the next 51 weeks worth of Southern California-based automotive events…

(All photos by the author)

Here comes the rain again…

Posted on October 26, 2012 by digitaldtour

Even as the light drizzle descended upon Saturday mornings Cars&Coffee gathering, the weak storm front was unable to dampen the spirits of the early morning, die-hard participants. What initially appeared as lighter than usual attendance at 6 AM, progressed into a steady stream of cars that continued arriving well past 8 AM.

Obviously, the drizzle had a major impact on the owners of convertibles, but for the most part, the majority had come equipped with tonneau covers and kept their interiors dry…

Even these classic Jaguar’s ( XK 140 roadster & XK 150 coupe) as seen below, came out and braved the less than sunny morning.

What was even more amazing (at least to me), was observing that the owners of these beautifully restored cars appeared unfazed by the drizzle falling onto their prized possessions.

One of a handful of gumball hued cars in attendance, and delivering an intense splash of color to an otherwise gray morning, was this sunflower yellow hued, Morgan Plus 4 roadster (below).

With the abbreviated racing windscreens as seen below, probably not much protection at speed from the rain.

Back over on Porsche row, the regulars were once again assembled; I’m not sure if this arrangement by color was staged or purely by accident.

The cumulative effect of the mornings drizzle as seen on the hood and driving light; Rolly’s red, white and black 1966 Porsche 911.

A dual set of color matched Porsche bookends.

And just across the aisle from Porsche row was this 550 Spyder recreation, fully exposed to the elements…

and literally dripping with badges.

Located several rows over towards the west, and shining like an orange beacon through the mist, was this beautiful, Lamborghini Gallardo.

And representing the die-hard hot rod contingency, was a very cool, gold customized roadster parked out towards the back row.

This particular car arrived at the event rather late, but made its presence known by virtue of its unrestricted headers, which delivered an amazing rumble as it rolled through the parking lot. And as this photograph illustrates, the drizzle had stopped by the time this hot rod arrived, sparing the driver, his passenger and the car.

Propulsion was provided by a massive Chrysler Fire-Power V8, sporting six individual carburetors and sparked by a magneto as seen below…

Ironically, just as the owner of the hot rod was getting ready to leave, his transmission got stuck in reverse. But since this was Cars&Coffee, two bystanders that had been talking with the owner, stepped up and helped trouble shoot the jammed transmission. As the photo below illustrates, after some discussion, adjustments were made to the shifter rod linkage, and the transmission was once again successful at engaging its forward gears. The owner then fired up his car, grabbed first gear, let out the clutch and rumbled off…

So should you ever experience an automotive breakdown as a participant at this event, rest assured that regardless of the make or model of your car, there will probably be someone close by with a working knowledge to assist you, and get you back on the road.

(All photos by the author)

Eggplant, Oranges, Limes, Fire, Smoke and Mirrors…

Posted on July 4, 2012 by digitaldtour

One of the factors that keeps me returning to Cars & Coffee each week is the diversity of vehicles and owners that come together every Saturday morning. And with each weeks sunrise, the dawning light uncovers and seems to set the tone for the mornings pending explorations. Some weeks the focus is geared visually towards a particular make of car, in part due to the sheer number of similar makes or models present. Other times, the morning may appear like a scene taken directly from the paddock area at a vintage race track. But this past Saturday struck me as a morning set for celebrating the wonder of light and color.

My first encounter that morning was with this beautiful 1973 Porsche 911T as seen below, wearing the rare, period correct color; “Aubergine” (Porsche paint code # 025).

Ironically, the French word for eggplant (which is exactly what this color resembles) is “Aubergine”. And to give you an idea of just how rare this particular color is, this is only the fourth car I have seen in person painted this color, after experiencing it for the very first time back in 1973.

Ironically, that first sighting occurred on the occasion of my dad taking me with him to shop for his very first Porsche. The dealers demo car at the time, and the one that we got to test drive, could have been the twin to the 1973 911T shown here (also Aubergine with a tan interior). On a side note, our 1973 test drive was a huge success; upon returning to the dealership, my dad placed an order for a 911, and two weeks later took delivery of a brand new silver metallic, 1973 1/2 Porsche 911T with black interior.

My next stop was over at the “Featured Lot”, to check out the cars on display. Situated towards the back of the lot, and parked in proximity to one another were two orange hued supercars. The first was this stunning burnt orange, 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4 as seen below.

The second car was this 2012 McLaren MP4-12C, painted in the classic “McLaren Orange”…

Returning to the main lot, I picked a route that paralleled motorcycle row. And at the end of the row was this trio of custom motorized bicycles on display. All three were equally impressive, however it was the lime green model that really caught my eye, probably because my very first bicycle had been lime green…

Upon closer inspection, it became obvious that the top tube on this custom bike had been repurposed, and now served a dual function; to not only provide structural support to the frame, but also serve as the fuel tank for the motor, securely anchored to the frame below. According to the builder, the bikes can be configured with either a 2 stroke 49 cc or a larger 80 cc motor.

The fit, finish and detailing visible on all three bikes was top-notch, and the display really drew a crowd. For more information on these three cool bikes and others under construction, check out the builders website – www.dutchmanmotorbikes.com

It was now time for me to check out the cars parked out on the very back rows of the parking lot, and then work my way back towards the front, row by row. Arriving on the back row, I was rewarded by the sight of two more exotics; one French and one Italian. Representing France was a fire engine red Bugatti Veyron 16.4, as seen below.

And representing Italy was a second Lamborghini Aventador LP-700-4, this one however dressed in black.

And parked immediately across from the Bugatti and Lamborghini was the beautifully restored, charcoal gray Ferrari Dino.

The Dino’s front hood made for the perfect mirror, and it wasn’t until I got home and was reviewing my shots that I realized the full extent of the reflections captured. I had not only recorded the reflections from the Bugatti and Lamborghini parked just across the row, but had also captured the images of two of the commentators from the Speed Channel (Bob Varsha and Mike Joy) standing nearby, who happened to be in town broadcasting from the Barrett – Jackson / Orange County auction.

Feeling inspired by these cool reflections, I decided to go in search of other interesting reflections as my quest for the rest of the morning.

Parked just off from the main parking lot, was this beautiful 1962 black on red Chevrolet Corvette roadster as seen below.

And the amazing hidden treasure found beneath the hood…

My last stop of the morning would be back at the featured lot, as my final challenge to capture the last few reflections for the morning. And luck was on my side; the two Lamborghini Diablo’s flanking the orange McLaren MP4-12C were still in place, and capturing some amazing reflections.

Now only four days to go until Saturdays sunrise once again reveals its magic, and sets the tone for a whole new set of discoveries…

(All photos by the author)

The shiny, happy cars of Cars&Coffee…

Posted on February 24, 2012 by digitaldtour

Shiny, happy cars, and hordes of happy people. That’s the atmosphere experienced each and every week at Cars&Coffee, and this past Saturday was no exception.

Under the cover of darkness, two white on white Lamborghini’s rumbled in, circled the lot and parked side by side. One was an early Countach 5000 S, and the second, a Diablo VT Roadster.

With no rain in sight, and the light morning overcast rapidly burning off with the sunrise, an amazing collection of bright shiny cars were soon revealed. The pair of Lamborghini’s acted like a glowing beacon within the parking lot, with their scissor doors pointed skyward like searchlights, and quickly began drawing a crowd…

Over at Porsche row, I was pleasantly surprised to see that on this particular morning, the entire row was occupied by Porsches; from 356’s, 914’s, 911’s, 912’s, and a rare 911 GT2RS …

And parked immediately behind Porsche row, was this beautiful blue 1965 Porsche 356 SC cabriolet…

And parked on yet another row, perpendicular to Porsche row, was this pair of modified Porsche 997 GT3 coupes…

And over at the “Featured lot”, was a gathering of the Roush Road Crew / Ford Mustang car club…

And situated opposite from the Roush mustangs, were several vintage Ford roadsters seen below. The black roadster was a highly modified 1933 model, complete with tan leather interior and matching rumble seat, and burl wood dash. Under the hood sat a highly modified Chevrolet power plant that was just as impressive as the rest of the car. The body work and paint finish alone were spectacular, delivering reflections from every angle, like a black mirror…

And representing Chevrolet, was this amazing silver Corvette Sting Ray coupe, complete with a L72, 427 cubic inch motor…

And every so often, one comes across an interesting radiator cap secured to a massive chrome grill…

Or a time capsule, 1951 Studebaker Champion, with fighter plane styled influences…

Perhaps a P-38 lightning influenced front end?

Also in attendance, and representing Jaguar, were these three examples of their latest high performance offering – the 2012 XKR-S. Interestingly, two out of the three XK’s present, (one in French Racing Blue and the second in Italian Racing Red Metallic / both in coupe form), looked identical to two of the cars currently represented in Jaguars new commercial for the XKR-S. Shown below (in Polaris white), was the sole convertible…

What makes these three cars even more unique, in addition to their being powered by a four cam, 5 liter supercharged V8, pumping out 550 horsepower, and rolling on 20″ wheels, is the fact that Jaguar only manufactured 25 examples of this particular model for 2012. Apparently Jaguar is already at work on a second limited production run of XKR-S models (100 only) for 2013…

And with several 1960’s vintage Jaguar E type coupes on site for comparison, it was easy to see where the designers drew their inspiration and historical references from for this new model…

And in what seems to be becoming a trend, the Lamborghini owners once again converged along the very last row of the parking lot, with the landscaped hillsides serving as a photographic backdrop…

Lamborghini row with a silver McLaren MP4-12C slipped in for good measure below…

And tucked away over by the Mazda facility loading docks, was this amazing gray (Grigio Medio) Ferrari 599…

And last but not least, hidden away in the furthest back corner of the lot, and at the opposite end of Lamborghini row, was this beautiful white Porsche 911 GT3RS with titanium colored graphics…

Given the massive turn out that was experienced last weekend, one can only speculate as to the hidden treasures awaiting discovery this Saturday…

(all photos by the author)

A Coventry inspired rain, reflections and rainbow colored cars…

Posted on February 16, 2012 by digitaldtour

This past Saturday morning saw scattered English country like showers pass through the Cars & Coffee parking lot several times in the pre-dawn hours. And how appropriate for christening the local Jaguar Clubs rally participants, all gathered together for a Saturday morning event at Cars&Coffee…

Once again the parking lot to the right of the main entrance was called into action to serve as the venue for a wide variety of Jaguar models, including an incredible array of XK and E-types roadsters and coupes, all on display as part of the clubs early morning get together.

In between the episodes of drizzle, the Jaguar owners would break out their chamois or microfiber towels to quickly dry off their cars and the exposed leather interiors…

And then there were the Jaguar owners who had the foresight to install their tonneau covers in case of rain…

Located at the end of the first row of Jaguars was this beautiful black on red, 1956 Jaguar XK 140 MC OTS. The owner even included a biography about the car, posted on his windshield (see below)…

And parked just across the aisle, was this amazing pale green on red, Jaguar XK 150 coupe…

And then there were the E -type Jaguars; in an assortment of rainbow colors, lined up side by side… dark green, light green, metallic green, yellow, dark blue, red and white.

It was amazing to see so many E -types gathered together in one setting…

And down at the opposite end of the Jaguar E -type row, was this pair of beautiful red and blue XK 150 roadsters…

Over on Porsche row, no car had been safe from the rain. These particular Porsches seen below had arrived in the early morning hours, evidenced by the amount of rain drops still clinging to their highly polished exteriors. What I found equally interesting, was the unique water droplet run-off patterns found on each cars roof and hoods…

And as I reached the end of the row, I encountered an unexpected surprise; a brand new white, 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S (type 991). This is the first 2012 model that I have seen on the street, since witnessing its debut back in October at Porsches Rennsport Reunion IV…

I’m still having to get used to this new design and styling, along with the various Panamera influences found about the car. Personally, I’m disappointed that the new 911 (type 991) has lost some of the unique characteristics that over the year have come to define the Porsche 911. Or maybe its just the references to the Panamera, used in context to this new model that I find troubling…

Moving on, my next stop was to the very back row of the parking lot, which on this cold, rainy morning looked like a scene straight from the local Lamborghini dealership. Here sat a rainbow assortment of Lamborghini Gallardos, with a couple Gallardo Superlegerra models squeezed in for good measure…

Then just as I finished shooting the Lamborghini’s, it started to drizzle again. Out came the umbrellas (for those with umbrellas), and signaled to me it was time to head back to my car.

On my way back, I came across this bright red Porsche 550 spyder replica below, still dry having escaped the earlier showers. However it didn’t look like it would stay that way for long, as the drizzles intensity began to increase. And with that, the remaining cars on site began to depart, returning to the shelter of their garages, in preparation to do it all over again the following Saturday morning, rain or shine…

(all photos by the author)

A cornucopia of cool cars that is Cars&Coffee / Irvine…

Posted on February 1, 2012 by digitaldtour

Webster’s dictionary defines cornucopia as “an inexhaustible store”: ABUNDANCE. This is a perfect description of what Cars & Coffee is each week; an inexhaustible store of very cool cars. From week to week, one never knows what make or model of car might appear.

And this past weekend was no exception. One gentleman even drove his Porsche 917; a recreation of the 1970, red and white Le Mans winning Porsche Salzburg 917 short-tail. The only noticeable absence was the 4.5 liter, flat 12 cylinder motor. However, in its place was a potent flat 6 Porsche power plant, based upon the growl of its exhaust note…

Representing two rival Italian manufacturers on Saturday morning were these stunning cars parked nose to tail; an aubergine colored Ferrari California, and a brand new black on black, Lamborghini Aventador…

The Lamborghini Aventador has to be one of the most visually stunning cars on the road today. In gloss black, and when combined with the contours, line and facets of the body, the Aventador could easily pass as a ground based stealth fighter, developed as a spin-off and befitting of military technology. The lighting further accentuated the multi faceted body panels, which made that car appear to have stripes…

And tucked in below the louvered rear glass window and beneath the diagonal chassis cross bracing is the Aventador’s V-12 motor, along with the rear suspensions exposed, transverse mounted shock absorbers with their bright yellow coil springs visible across the back…

And then out of nowhere, this vintage Ferrari roadster appeared, obviously undergoing a restoration, yet still being driven and enjoyed…

Representing the long hood Porsche 911’s was this beautifully prepared, early 1973 911E coupe…

The silver car seen below is a 1960 Beutler-Porsche; a very rare model according to the owner and his wife, and one of only five produced. As the license plate frame states: A 2+2 Porsche 356, complete with standard sized rear seats, instead of the smaller rear jump seats normally associated with a Porsche 356 coupe. After returning home and doing some research, I learned that the Beutlers were actually two brothers from Thun, Switzerland, with a common desire to create a 4 seater Porsche. So in 1958, they purchased a new 356B and began making modifications to the chassis, in order to lengthen its wheelbase, which would allow sufficient room for a full size rear seat. Once completed, the car was shown at the Geneva auto show in 1959. However, due to limited interest, their first attempt was considered unsuccessful, and the car became a one-off. However, they did try a second time, and with some simple restyling (specifically to the rear fenders), were successful in creating the Beutler-Porsche model as seen below.

And parked several rows over from the silver Beutler-Porsche was this pair of Grand Prix white, Porsche 997 GT3’s, with the model in the foreground configured for serious competition…

Representing the English manufacturers this week were a pair of British racing green, Jaguar 4.2 liter E-Types; one roadster and one coupe.

The hood with badging and emblem seen below, all belong to a beautiful, creamy white Jaguar XK 150 coupe, which was parked just two cars over from the green E-type coupe…

And representing Volkswagen type 2 transporters was this restored 1967 yellow dual cab, complete with a black canvas bed cover …

Located just several cars over and to the drivers right from the yellow VW crew cab, were these two stunning Mercedes-Benz models; a red,1955 300SL Gullwing, and a black 190 SL roadster, each capturing reflections from one another…

And last but not least was this beautiful red and white, 1959 BMW Isetta 600 in showroom condition. According to the owner, this model is even more unique and rare than the standard BMW Isetta, due to its 2+2 configuration, and which includes a side door for accessing the rear seat. Power is from a two-cylinder, 582 cc motor, and the car rolls on a set of 4.80 X 10″ tires. Ironically, the owner (who stands at least 6′-4″), was able to climb in, close the front hinged door, and drive off to enjoy the rest of the warm, sunny Saturday morning…