Poke Me In The Eye

I saw these racing at the Monterey Historic races at Laguna Seca. The two that were on the track weren’t the fastest machines in those races…perhaps the other cars were truly better performing machines or maybe the drivers didn’t want to push them all that hard. But there are two things that made these cars stand out above all else on the track…

One, they were absolutely beautiful.

Two, they sounded like no other car could.

It was amazing seeing these awesome historic Ferrari’s blasting around the track. If the drivers weren’t driving to win they sure as hell were driving to race. But the sound…oh the sound…it’s hard to describe. It wasn’t something you noticed until they were going right past you. It had a special whine to it (but whine sounds like bad term). It was more tenor than bass. It was more scream than rumble. It was…glorious.

These cars are worth an insane amount of money. I highly doubt I could get ever get my hands on one. But at least I was able to see them race with my own eyes…and more importantly…hear them with my own ears, in their element…kicking ass!

    

It has one of the stranger names out there, I am not sure how it’s pronounced to be totally honest, and it’s Swedish, but Koenigsegg CCX is one of the fastest cars around, it’s scary fast. I could write a whole lot about the car but to be honest, the video does a much better job than I could ever hop to.

Engine location: Front, longitudinal
Displacement: 471.93 cubic inches
Engine type: V8, 8 cylinder
Power: 228 HP @ 4400 RPM
Torque: 525 lbs/ft @ 3,000 rpm
Fuel system: Carburettor
Turn circle: 43 Feet
Weight: 4,640.7 pounds
Wheelbase: 10.83 ft
Overall length: 18.8 ft
Overall width: 6.66 ft
Ground clearance: 5.9 inches
0-60 mph in 9.4 seconds
1/4 mile 16.5 sec @ 83.8 mph

The car that Boss Hogg drove, the juggernaut and the last of the classic Cadillacs. What I really love about this car is the sheer size of it and the fact that even though it is nearly 20 feet long it’s only a two door. Lets compare some of the specs of this car with my admittedly small car, a Mazda Miata. The turning circle on this beast is a whopping 43 feet, that is a full 13 feet greater than my car. My car is 155.3 inches long, this behemoth is 225.6 inches long. I really wish I could find a measurement of the hood, doors and trunk but I didn’t have any luck doing so. This car is so big that you could live in it, it would be like driving around in your living room.

I would totally pimp one of these. I can just imagine driving around on a nice summer day with the top down with about 9 of my closest friends in the car with me, all of us comfortable I can’t decide what color scheme I would want. I have three choices: Triple white (white interior, top and exterior) like Boss Hogg’s, white exterior with a red top and red interior or black exterior with a black top and red interior.

    
    

Mid Engine, 4WD
1.8 L 4 cylinder turbo
450 hp @ 8,000 RPM
361 lb-ft @ 5,500 RPM
Weight: 2315 lbs
0-60 2.8 seconds

This amazing machine was made by Ford Motor Company from 1984 to 1986. It was a purpose build rally car designed to compete in the absolutely insane Group B series of the WRC. A little over 200 road going versions were created (including the ultra rare 2.1L 800 hp version). Although this car didn’t have the successes of the the Audi Group B car of the same era it certainly deserves our attention. It’s a car that looks funky, is American, but has a tiny engine that spins 4 wheels to levels unheard of in road going cars. It’s brutal, it’s blindingly fast and extremely dangerous. But the most amazing part of it all is that it’s a Ford…a car company that hasn’t touched the small 2 door AWD turbo car in a long time.

Well…that’s not entirely true. Check out the European Focus. There’s something special that we just don’t get.

Ford…wake up and smell the dollar signs. You did it once. You can do it again.

   

Powertrain Layout Mid Engine / RWD
Base Price $283 750
Configuration Twin Turbo V8
Valvetrain OHV 2 Valves / Cyl
Displacement 364.5 cu in
Power 625.0 bhp @ 5700 rpm
Torque 630.0 ft lbs @ 4900 rpm
Top Speed 218.0 mph
0 - 30 mph 1.9 seconds
0 - 60 mph 4.2 seconds
0 - 100 mph 8.3 seconds
0 - ¼ mile 12.0 seconds
Acceleration 0.97g

The Vector W8 was America’s first Supercar. It was produced from 1989-1993. During that time only 22 of them were made and only 17 of those were sold to customers, so as you can guess, this car is quite rare. I have actually never seen on in the flesh. The car is definitely extreme looking which is one thing I have always loved about it. I have always loved these type of cars that just scream LOOK AT ME!! The car has some funny features, it’s a 3 speed automatic, it was the only transmission available to the builders which could handle the twin turbo V8’s 625 horsepower. The body was made primarily out of carbon kevlar and there are over 5,000 aircraft spec rivets on the car. I hope I get the chance to see one someday, they sure look pretty wild.

    
    

Weight: 2077 lbs
Length: 149.5 in
Width: 68 in
Height: 45.6 in
Horsepower: 220 hp @ 8000 RPM
Torque: 165 lb-ft @ 5500 RPM
0-60 MPH: 5.0 sec (2006 with 190 hp)
Skid Pad: 0.97 g

Is there any reason NOT to love this car? It’s got performance that dips into Ariel Atom territory (at several thousand more dollars sadly) but all weather comfort (if you can call it comfortable).

Lotus has been making beautiful performance machines for years. The Esprit has always been a favorite of mine. But the first time I saw the I saw the Elise I was absolutely floored. It had the looks and the performance to back it up. Originally powered by a simple British 4 cylinder it progressed to a very technically advanced Toyota 4 cylinder powerplant for the US.

Although I’ve never driven one I’ve heard about it’s unreal track abilities…few “street” cars out there can touch it (especially at the price). But there is a drawback…it’s (supposedly) a very rough ride, not very comfortable and a total pain in the ass to get in and out of.

Screw all that! I challenge you to find a better weekend fun track car that could still carry the groceries home…well…as long as you don’t have a passenger.

   

Engine Location: Front
Drive Type: Rear Wheel
Production Years for Series: 1954 - 1957
Weight: 2,885 lbs
0-60 mph: 8.8 seconds.
Top Speed: 135 mph
Cylinders: 6
Aspiration/Induction: Normal
Displacement: 3.00 L | 183.1 cu in. | 3001 cc.
Horsepower: 240.00 BHP
Torque: 220.00 Ft-Lbs @ 4800.00 RPM
HP to Weight Ratio: 12.0 LB / HP
HP/Liter: 80.0 BHP/Liter
Compression Ratio: 8.55:1

To put it simply, one of the most beautiful cars ever made. It was a serious performer back in the day too. Read all about this amazing car right here.