Cars & Coffee, May, 2013....best one EVER!

First Saturday of the month, 45 degrees and rising, clear sky, calm winds....all the necessary ingredients for a great Cars and Coffee.  With a thousand cars +/- on display, this was petrolhead heaven.

The Plano (TX) PD was there doing some very effective PR work:

 I thought this was pretty clever.

There must have been a Porsche 928 Owners Club meeting there today.  I saw at least a dozen.  Porsche thought this would be the successor to the venerable 911.  They missed by a mile.

A rare $500K Porsche Carerra GT.  Impressive, but I think I could find better car(s) to drop a half-mil on.

Can you imagine shoe-horning a V-8 into a MGB GT?  British Leyland somehow managed it.  The weight distribution must have been awful.  (Hate the wheels.  Blech!)

Hard as I try, I just can't get excited about the new-generation Lamborghini's.  I just don't get that "Transformers" look.  I much prefer this cleaner, older-style Murcielago.

While this Maserati GT body style has been out for about 5 years now, I still never tire looking at it.  *sigh*

'Course, the Aston Martin Vanquish gets my juices flowing, too.  British Racing Green for me, please.

A Ferrari 458 Italia Spyder.  While I have excellent credit, I'm not sure USAA would up my credit limit to $291,000.  *curses*

A McLaren MP4-12C.  Can a car be TOO perfect?  (Hint:  yes.)

Until today I'd never seen a BMW Z8 with a removable (?) hardtop.  Umm....no.  Convertibles should be ragtops.  Period.  (Unless you're gifting me one.  ;)

A BMW Z3/4 Coupe menage a trois?

You knew you wouldn't get through one of my C&C posts without seeing a Fiat 500, right?  ;)

A very interesting Jaguar Mk ?  Doesn't it just scream BRITISH?  (No...wait...the British don't "scream".  It's much too undignified.)

OK, OK.  I'm a Europhile.  I admit it.  To be fair I took some photos of Detroit iron, too:

If you must have a 'Vette, THIS is the one you want.  A split-window '63.

Remember when GM stood for General Motors, before it became Government Motors?  Remember the Buick Riviera?  And the Pontiac Grand Prix?  If you answered 'yes', you're an old coot like me.  

Or a Studebaker Champion?  These were even before my time.  (OK, this was made in South Bend, IN, not Detroit.  Sue me.  ;)

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I'VE BEEN SANDBAGGING THE BEST FOR LAST

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Over the past year of posting C&C photos one car in particular has popped up more than any other....

....this absolutely pristine Jaguar E-Type V-12.  

Before today I think I've shown this car four times, I like it that much.  It was none other than the legendary Enzo Ferrari who once called the E-Type Jaguar the most beautiful car ever made, and I certainly wouldn't argue that.  Can you believe this design is fifty years old?  It's still stunningly spectacular today!

Several months ago on one of my Cars and Coffee debriefs I received a comment from a reader, "Robert", who said this was his car!  Whoa....needle in a haystack, right?  We made plans to personally meet today at 08:00, and we managed to connect.

What a treat it was to meet him.  Not just because he owns this magnificent automobile, but because he is a thoroughly pleasant gentleman.  He shared with me the history of his car, how he came to own it, the maintenance it requires (not much), and more.  I can't tell you what an interesting visit we had.

Then he made my day.  As we were both about to call it a day and go home, Robert asked me if I would like to go for a spin in his car.  I only had to be asked once! 

Oh my, you should hear this magnificent V-12 engine purr!  Once we cleared the crowd and pulled out of the lot he asked if I'd like to drive it?

Gulp!

I couldn't do it.  I've had manual transmission cars before....that wasn't the problem.  I just couldn't imagine how I could live with myself if I did something dumb and hurt his pride and joy.  I would have to impale myself on a long knife Hara-kiri-style.  (And boy, would K be pissed!  "Knock, knock....Hi.  Are you the widow Park?")

Until today I'd forgotten how excited I was as a kid to run into the den and look under the tree on Christmas morning.  Just sitting in this magnificent automobile, listening to it, smelling it, looking at every toggle, brought back that thrill.

Thanks, Robert, for the ride and most of all just for the "car-guy" camaraderie.  I'm looking forward to us being able to visit again.  

Until June 1, 2013, that's all for Cars and Coffee.  :)

S

*QUESTION:  I've been playing with my layout width in order to post x-large photos.  Is it too wide now to be seen on your screen without scrolling over?  If so let me know and I'll convert it back the way it was.

Cars and Coffee, April 2012

This morning bright and early I met friends Neil, Frank, Ron, Ken, and Cal at our monthly Cars and Coffee event.  This thing just gets bigger and better every month!  In my opinion they've outgrown the BMW (west) parking lot where they've been holding it for the past year.  I expect them to have to move it somewhere else soon.  Nice problem to have!  OK, on to today's highlights....

While nothing exotic, this pre-bloated-bumper-era MGB impressed me, and it's for sale...$8,500. *checking piggy bank*

A slick BMW 3.0 CSi

I must give credit to the BMW folks for their sense of humor.

This Z3M was brought by a lady.  I'm not sure which drew the bigger crowd....her....or her car?

My first look at the new Subaru BRZ.  It's a modestly priced sports car ($30K) being built both for itself and for Toyota, who will market it as a Scion.  Only 11,000 were allocated for Texas, and they were ALL pre-sold.

The rarest car there?  No doubt this 30's vintage Packard.  I'd never seen one in the flesh before today.

The detail of the original car was legendary, and this restoration certainly upholds Packard's lofty reputation.

These were two one-off's that drew large crowds, but I wasn't that impressed.  Underneath they're just Corvettes.  I think I could have found something better to spend my money on.

A new McLaren MP4-12C.  *2 thumbs up*

Remember drive-in movies?  Remember the FUN we used to have at drive-in movies?  I'm just not sure this would be the car to have said fun in.  *wink* 

My Grand Prize Winner for the day....this Alfa Romeo Spider.  It was PERFECT, except it didn't have my name on the registration.   :(

After saying goodbye to the guys I came home and picked up K and we had lunch at In-n-Out Burger.  Mmmmmm.....

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And just a short update on Luke....

 

He came through a helluva lot better than I would have.  He's ready to run and jump.  It's hard to hold him back.  

That was my day.  How was yours?  :)

S