The Color Gray
The C6 Corvette. You see them all over the roads or, well, at least I do here in California. Most of them are narrow-bodied, tan on the inside, with only two pedals. But that’s okay, because even in stock form they’re svelte-looking and plenty potent from a performance standpoint. Plus, the voluptuous Grand Sport is a fairly common sight, and the Z06 isn’t particularly rare either.
But the ZR1? Even in the land of supercar daily drivers they’re an incredibly rare sight. In the five model years it was sold, they built 4,684 of them, all for the USA. But I still never see them. Maybe they’re all being babied and preserved, like this one; 7800 miles and it’s still wearing tires made in early 2008.
It’s not just rarity that lends extra appreciation; it’s the performance. The standard 6.2L LS3 is already potent, and the Z06’s 7.0L LS7 is a big lumpy monster. But the supercharged 6.2L LS9 in the ZR1 is just wild; power and torque figures that rival a McLaren 650S, for a fraction of the cost. And don’t make the mistake of seeing “leaf springs” in the spec sheet and assuming this is some outmoded American beast. It’s an American beast alright, but one with incredible handling and brakes to match its rubber-roasting torque output. And did I mention it has quite possibly the finest feeling manual transmission and clutch ever fitted as stock to a production car?
Gray is a color without color, an intermediate neutral gradient on the way from black to white. Or so they say, anyway. GM’s Cyber Gray Metallic tends to look a bit weak in photos to my eyes, but when I saw it in person, I was shocked! It’s multi-layered, richly-hued, and color changing. Plus it has a treasure trove of blue and gold flakes that really make the color pop.
Most Corvettes have a pretty silly looking ride height. Driven by the needs of consumers who don’t want to rip their bumpers off on every steep American driveway, most Corvettes depart from Bowling Green with enough space in the wheel-wells to warrant checking the tops of your tires for stray cats every time you set off. But the ZR1? Carbon fiber lips be damned–this is performance-optimized. And hey, it happens to look pretty damn good, too.
So why didn’t they sell more of them?
Ninety Degrees
I very rarely take photos in portrait format; it seems to me that cars are best shot in landscape. But here’s a photo of my car in the street at a time when I felt like it was appropriate to turn the camera on its side.
Sometimes you have to stop in the middle of the street and take a picture. It helps when the street is wide enough so cars can drive past in both directions, too.
Warts and All: Fresh Eggplant P1
It’s an understandable request, but still frustrating anyway. Every once in a while a new McLaren arrives with a note: DO NOT DETAIL. Although the cars roll out of their covered carriers in impressive condition, they’re still not immaculate; our cleaning crew puts the finishing touches on each car to make them showroom-ready. But if you’ve ever wanted to know what a McLaren P1 looks like fresh out of the wrapper, you’re in the right place…
Car and Driver recently posed an interesting question to McLaren in their test of the P1; how many people who have the means to afford to buy a P1 also possess the driving skills to fully exploit its performance?
“Well, Jenson Button’s getting one,” a McLaren test driver noted.
Although I can’t reveal where this car is going, rest assured: it will be in good hands. You’ll notice minor swirls, smudges, and dust in these photos. They’ll be taken care of.
And what about the 903hp, sticky Pirelli tires, and active aerodynamics that endow this car with incredible performance? Sure, the car is beautiful, but will it ever get driven properly?
I can’t confirm that this car will be driven properly, only that I’m sure it could.
When I initially uploaded the photos for this car, I called it “Purple”. Almost immediately my phone lit up with a text; I was told to change it to Blue.
What do you think? The sun reveals hidden hot pink tones on top of a blue base, but shade and fluorescent lighting bring out purple tones.
It’s definitely a sophisticated shade, but the biggest shock is that it’s completely non-metallic. Once upon a time nothing except show cars had metallic flake paint, and nowadays we expect even a Hyundai to sparkle in the sun.
One thing is for sure though: that interior is purple.
A few combos have been through here, but this one is my favorite, with the purple leather perfectly accenting the black alcantara and sea of carbon fiber.
Go eat an aubergine!
Beater and The Beast
It’s funny how perspectives change. When Art only had one car, his 135i, it was the do-everything, all-around machine. On one hand, it was a comfy cruiser; the stock engine and interior lending themselves well to a life of shuttling its owner up and down the peninsula every day. However, the muffler delete, wide wheels and tires, and lower, stiffer, pillowball-mounted suspension give a hint of how its driven when the chance arises: hard.
In comparison with the E30, the E82 is certainly much faster–but it hardly feels that way. It’s funny that just last month the constantly clunking pillow-ball mounts were becoming unbearable and the exhaust actually seemed loud. But now? It seems like a gentleman’s chariot.
And that’s all good news here, because the quiet, smooth, refined, and effortlessly quick 135i simultaneously shows not only how far BMW has come with their small coupés, but how much has been lost.
The M3 is much more raw, direct, and visceral. When you’re behind the wheel, you always feel like you’re driving a car, and not just shuttling yourself from one place to another in a bubble. As manufacturers continue to tailor new cars to reflect modern conditions and end-user desires, they become more isolated from their surroundings.
Why is there a GoPro on the bumper? Well, that low-pressure zone is the best place to record exhaust notes, because you get almost zero wind noise. I know turbos have their place in the modern world of torque demands and emissions standards, but I’m a little disappointed with the modern proliferation of forced induction because there’s nothing like a naturally aspirated exhaust note. Turn up your speakers and enjoy!
Star Road 