Another Hybrid with Knock-Off Wheels
You don’t have to reverse Lambo-style in a McLaren, but it does help in certain situations. Furthermore, you don’t even have to use the 727hp twin-turbo V8 to move the car short distances, because it’s a hybrid: there’s a 176hp electric motor that will take it six miles on a single charge.
For a while the term “hybrid” was hijacked for eco-friendly driving appliances that added an electric motor for the purpose of improving fuel economy. However, hybrids are going back to their roots as performance machines, as the electric motors are used for “torque fill” (as McLaren refers to it) to help create immense, useable powerbands in what would otherwise be laggy, high-revving forced-induction engines.
“Hybrid” has always referred to propulsion, even when cars only had singular powerplants. In this case, it was the marriage of a nimble, classically-styled British chassis (the AC Ace) with a beefy American V8 (supplied by Ford) that created a world-class performance hybrid.
So while I was shooting a modern hybrid, this vintage hybrid rolled up. You know what, I didn’t really mind the distraction.
As you may have guessed from the badge posted earlier, this Superformance Cobra is packing quite a few cubes under the lid.
In a world of fuel injection, it’s refreshing to see carburetors.
Of course, there’s a nice little oil cooler in the proper location.
Another term that’s fallen from ultra-cool to ultra-lame is “knock-off wheels”. Nowadays, a knockoff usually conjures up images of a factory in the Philippines cranking out sub-par cast aluminum versions of popular or classic wheels, but that wasn’t always the case. The precursor to today’s center lock wheels were the so-called “knock-off” wheels, which used a single lug nut that got its name from how lead-headed hammers were used to literally knock off the spinning wheel nut. Of course, now it takes a giant wrench applying 375lb/ft to get a center lock nut off, but I digress…
It’s next to impossible to have “too much brakes”–you want all the help you can get with seven liters of fury pushing around 2,600 lbs with the only crash protection being a tiny hoop behind your head. Still, I would imagine the Wilwood brakes can easily apply enough pressure to lock all four Goodyear Sport Car Special tires, which look straight out of a late ’60s endurance race.
Everybody and their mom’s Cobra has a glovebox signed by Carroll Shelby, so here’s a fresh take on that old concept: this one is embroidered right on!
I really don’t know how I feel about replica cars. As I mentioned in the P1 gathering post, it’s a paradox of the value of exclusivity versus the desire to be visible. On one hand, I’d like to leave ultra-rare cars alone so they retain their cachet, so that when you see one, you know you’re seeing something really special.
On the other hand, some classics are so rare and valuable that not only would you never, ever see one driving the streets, they’re out of reach to all but the super-wealthy. For example, a real Porsche 550 Spyder will run you three to four million dollars–assuming you can even find one for sale. But a quality Beck replica? An assembled rolling chassis comes in at $25,000 and you just have to add an engine.
Another benefit of cars by Beck, Superformance, and the like is their extremely high quality fit and finish. The Cobra you see here was immaculate in every way–looking it over with a fine tooth comb gave me every reason to believe this car was built by people who knew what they were doing. There has been plenty of garbage (mostly Fiero-based) over the years that’s given replicas a bad name by infecting our streets with misshapen Lamborghini and Ferrari wannabes.
Oh, and one more thing–as I was walking around the Cobra, the owner casually quipped, “Does this color look familiar?” I stepped back and took a half-second to think before I asked the question I already knew the answer to: “Is it really Volcano Orange?”
Yup.
Meeting of the P1’s
The paradox of hypercar ownership is that exclusivity is ultimately a factor in their desirability. This has a negative effect for some of us, the so-called bystanders, who might even be satisfied with simply seeing some of these machines in real life.
But on the other hand, for the lucky 375 people who actually do have (or are waiting for) a McLaren P1 right now, the exclusivity means that ownership is automatic entry into The Club.
So when Mr. Orange came out to pick up his car and noticed Mr. White was seeing his car for the first time, a photoshoot was suggested and Alan–the cool cat you can find in the McLaren building a few days a week (when he’s not wrenching on race cars)–graciously obliged by bringing out McLaren San Francisco’s Volcano Red P1 to join the fun. Cars were arranged…
…and then wings were raised…
…as everyone settled into Race Mode.
And of course I volunteered to be the one to do it for the dealership car!
If you’re wondering why most photos are in this direction, there is one unfortunate distracting answer.
Those Volvos! Oh well.
With the sun receding, Mr. Orange lowered wing, lifted chassis, and took off like an orange demon at sundown.
I could read the writing in the sky. It was time to wrap up.
“Your P1 is ready for you, sir.”
Okay, now wake up! I’ll see you next time.
Little Winger
What are you looking at? Rather, what’s looking at you?
Well, if start to make your way around back to that endplate-less rear wing, you’ll get your answer–a few times.
Cayman R. Did you know that they have aluminum doors?
They also have straps where you’d normally find a door handle. Not sure how much weight this saves, but it definitely seems badass. Besides these additions, a few subtractions, and a slight bump in power, that’s about all the Cayman R has over the S model.
For something with the letter “R” on the back, the Cayman R is a bit mild. Maybe the current generation will get an RS version? Wishful thinking, I know…
Variety in Motion: The Cars of Pirelli World Challenge
IndyCar is pretty cool. Not only do some of the best open-wheel drivers in the world race their Dallara DW12’s on ovals at over 230 MPH (that’s 370+ Km/h, if anyone from the rest of the world is reading this), they also bump it out over rough street circuits and even do some old fashioned road course racing, like here at Sonoma.
To me, there’s one big problem with IndyCar. No, it’s not the racing. The drivers are not afraid to go for it.
It’s the fact that all the cars are the same. Of course, that has its benefits: there are thirteen teams (Formula One has eleven) running anywhere from one to four cars for the season.
Although spec series like IndyCar produce great racing due to the relative equality of machinery, I still think it’s a lot more interesting when you have different cars battling it out on the track. Pirelli World Challenge is an excellent example of a series that manages to have a great disparity of makes and great racing action.
Don’t you want to see a Bentley Continental battling a Ford Mustang? By the way, that’s Jack Roush, Jr. at the helm of the Roush Mustang.
Speaking of odd choices, how about a Kia Optima? There was a pair of them in this race, running an amazing amount of rear camber.
Given the choice, it would be natural to pick an Italian supercar like the venerable Lamborghini Gallardo. The Audi BS in the interior is stripped out, and you’re left with a screaming V10 and awesome rear louvers. How about that racecar suspension and aero, too?
Of course, if you like Italian horses, why not go with the most famous prancing horse of them all? Anthony Lazzaro won Race 2 driving the #61 Ferrari 458 Italia you see here.
Speaking of winners, Mike Skeen in the #2 Audi R8–seen here battling with Johnny O’Connell in the #3 Cadillac CTS-V–was the winner of Race 1.
Another entry in the supercar wars is McLaren, of course.
However, as much as I love those, I’m more intrigued by the weird side of the spectrum, like the TLX. Wait, what is up with that thing..?
Damn. Apparently the driver (Peter Cunningham) stalled the car when the green flag (light?) dropped, and got rear-ended. Bummer.
How about the “Dat Dog” Mustang? Its pilot Brad Adams clearly decided that the brown stuff was part of the track too.
Other drivers took a slightly more cautious approach to the chicane, though. Thank goodness they widened that section (note the fresh tarmac at the second apex).
I really liked the C6 Corvette. How long until there’s a C7 in this class?
So cool seeing the big Viper out there.
Although the sharp end of the grid is great, there are plenty of entrants down the field. I don’t care that Brian Kleeman finished 36th and 32nd in the two races, respectively; his 370Z still looked great doing so.
Another cool treat is seeing Porsche’s black sheep, the Cayman, getting some motorsports love.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t directly compete with the 911. Like many, I’ve always wondered what the ultimate iteration of a Cayman could be–the 911 GT3 RS treatment on a Cayman, in other words. Conspiracy theorists has been suggesting for years that Porsche holds back on the MR platform so as not to overstep the 911. Well, now we can finally look at the 918–which carries a naturally-aspirated V8 mounted amidships–and probably admit that they’re right.
Seeing ZL1’s battling on track is pretty cool too–these are rare as hen’s teeth in the wild, at least in my area.
If you’re a Mustang fan, you’d certainly have plenty to lust over in this series.
Anyway, that’s it for all the different cars, but there are still a few more pics I want to share. Dean Martin in the #50 Mustang had a very, very rough weekend.
In the first race, tire failure caused some sparky issues with the front end.
In the second race, tire failure caused a collision with a wall, which made quite a scene. Luckily, although he didn’t walk away, he was examined and immediately released from the infield care center.
I thought back to the times when a simple waved yellow flag would have sufficed for such an incident. As it happened, the scene was just too much of a mess, and the race ended under yellow; quite a sad anti-climax to such an exciting day of racing.
That Bentley, though!
Alright. That’s the end of my coverage for this event. As always, if you want to see more, just click the pictures to go to Flickr and explore. Cheers.
Star Road 