Driven World July 2015

D RIVENWORLD

July 2015

The Official Magazine of Supercar Sunday

After all... It’s a driven world!

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Contents

D RIVENWORLD ISSUE 67, July 2015

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dustin Troyan

ART DIRECTOR Connected Media Group LLC COPY EDITOR Heather Troyan

DESIGN Connected Media Group WEB DESIGN

Jeff Balbien

STORIES BY Dustin Troyan Mark Llewellyn Brooks Smith Tommy Mansuwan Jim Hunter Eric Roehm Mike Grudt

PHOTOGRAPHY Jim Hunter Tommy Mansuwan Dustin Troyan Greg Grudt Eric Roehm David Rosenthal Duane Steiner

Advertising / Marketing Dustin@connectedmediagroup.com (818) 516-5053 www.drivenworld.com www.connectedmediagroup.com www.supercarsunday.com Driven World Magazine is published twelve times per year by Connected Media Group LLC. It is distributed at upscale locations and events all over California. It is also available online and distributed electronically to high-net-worth individuals as well as members of the car community at large.

All rights reserved. Driven World and Supercar Sunday are registered trademarks of Connected Media Group LLC. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or any other materials or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of copyright owner. Driven World Magazine and Connected Media Group LLC, do not take responsibility for the claims provided herein.

Connected Media Group LLC, Driven World Magazine, and its affiliates, contributors, writers, editors, and publisher accept no responsibility for the errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements contained herein. Connected Media Group LLC does not assume liability for any products or services advertised herein and assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers or editorial information.

On the Cover: McLaren Love Photo: McLaren

From the Editor

All grown up. I guess I am all grown up. I will be forty at the end of the month... how the hell did that happen. How fast time has gone by. I still feel like a kid I suppose, just with a bit more responsibility. You gotta love that responsibility. I am not complaining here, but I do remember the days of surfing all day long, weeks at a time. Kind of doing whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

I suppose I am still lucky, I kind of still do do that. Most of the things I do now, I consider work and/or are work related. In my quest to stay a kid I have somehow found a way to still play with friends and cars. I am not sure if it is more effort then say a traditional nine-tofive, actually, I know that it is.

Like many of you, I work quite a bit.

I try to jump at every opportunity and create opportunities when I can. There is no one single form of income that covers all my bases, so I am constantly moving, spinning, thinking, and trying. I was never one of those guys that knew what they wanted to be. If I knew I wanted to be a doctor or a cop, man, that would really simplify things. But for me, I operate on growth and direction. What direction can I go in that I can grow!

Growing. I don’t think that I am the sharpest tool in the shed but I am sharp enough to surround myself with good people. With people smarter than me and more successful then myself. Let’s hope that I can learn from them and emulate the qualities that have made them successful that I might become more successful.

To me it is not necessarily a money thing, although who would complain having a mountain of money. It is more of a potential thing an evolution thing. I need to grow. I need to move. I need to try. I often wonder where this deep rooted desire comes from that is so tied to my psyche. It has to be from my parents. I can recall my father saying, “there is nothing worse then wasted talent.” From a young age he said that and I could see the conviction in his eyes when he spoke those words to me. Almost like he was hoping that I had some talent and that I would not waste it. Hey, who wants to let down their father? I don’t.

So, back to direction. All I know is that I want to move forward. I want to follow what my heart and soul tells me to do. And, I do work hard. I do try hard. But, that is actually nothing special. Most men and women do work hard and try to do the best they can. Well, I hope that is true. But, there are so many people working so hard to make a better life for themselves and their families, some have two jobs, some in jobs

they hate, but they clock in day after day to put food on their families table. I have a deep respect for those people.

Turning forty. Boy, I am half way done. Good grief. I had better start moving faster don’t you think? I do. I better start really pushing hard. This isn’t “oh geeze this guy in the orange hat is having a midlife crisis thing”, it is a direction thing. For many years, I felt as if I was lost at sea. I was drifting on a boat and not knowing what direction to go in. I knew that whatever I did, I had to do it well. Wether it was sweeping a floor, cleaning a toilet or roasting coffee. Whatever it was, I had to be better than average. I knew that if I didn’t posses a natural inclination for something, well then I would have to try harder then the other guy and be more persistent. So...that is what I do.

This past weekend was Father’s day. I had to work both Saturday and Sunday recording cars for a video game. One of those little things I do. It is not hard work per se, but it is time. Thank God, my wife understands that if I am working, it means that I am providing. She didn’t like me working on Sunday, but she gets it. That is life. I should be grateful for the work.

And, there are many people that work days like Father’s day. It was an opportunity. I was doing it either way. The recordings went great, the clients happy and I actually got home early on Sunday and got to spend time with my family, my father included. It was a win.

Forty. A blink of an eye. Seems like yesterday I was sneaking out my brothers car at fifteen and driving around the block. And here I am. Time really does fly. But, how wonderful it is to be alive and to having fun. We all need to have fun, don’t we?

So...then next ten years really need to count. Gotta get the house in order as they say. Now with a daughter, I need to step it up and plan for her future, the families future. Not a new concept for many of you, I bet some of you are reading this and laughing, having been through it and more. So, what is the plan? What am I going to do differently to make things move forward faster? To grow?

Did I every tell you how my father wanted both my brother and I to be tall. Really.

He used to make us hang upside down from a bar with these things called “gravity boots.” My father, a mountain of a man in spirit, but only five-foot-eight in height, wanted us to be big and tall. Every night for years we would hang upside down like Dracula. I can remember telling myself to “grow, grow, grow.” Or, we would hang from the “pull-up” bars at the track.

Same thing...”grow, grow, grow”. I ended up

being the taller, between my brother and I and I will swear to my grave it is because I willed myself to be taller.

In any event, it is simple, I am not doing enough. I am trying hard enough. I am not being creative enough. I am not taking enough risk. I am not focused enough. Simple.

Looks like I have found some direction after all.

I need to follow my heart and soul more. I think I am moving in the right direction and am getting more and more focused. So... here is the plan:

I have wanted to do a TV Show for years. I have assembled a team and we are going to shoot this Summer. I am hugely excited that this will open a new door that I have been wanting to open. I believe that this project is viable and will be a lot of fun. I am going to take a different approach with the show as well as how I am going to try to get it picked up.

But, hey, “aint nothing to it but to do it!” So, I am going to go for it! I have to answer that question...will a show work, I believe it will.

I have mentioned that I have wanted to write a book. Well, I am going to. Why? Because the day that I die, will know that I checked it off the list. Wether or not it goes big, goes small, goes anywhere, I will know that I tried. So, that is on the list.

Many of you know about the Motor4Toys Charitable Foundation, but we (the founders of Motor4Toys) also have started another Foundation called Motor4America.

Motor4America is geared to assist our troops, veterans, service personnel and/or Americans in need. I really need to start working on this project as well. There are so many people who do so much for our Country, we need to support them.

So I guess in writing this, I have a bit of direction, which I was unaware of before I started typing this. I think that everything in here is reasonable and that I or any of you could do the same and more....but all I can tell you that statistically I am halfway through my life and I am not half way through what I wish to accomplish with the short time on the planet.

Lastly, I wish to be the best husband and father I can be.

So...there you go, there is my list. At forty years old, I am just getting warmed up.

Regardless of your age, I hope you are just getting warmed up too and can chose to follow your hopes, dreams and soul. I hope that we could all be the best we can choose to achieve... to do the best we can...after all, we are only here for a blink of an eye.

Dustin

12th Annual Still Saving Lives Car Show

Story // Dustin Troyan Photos // Duane Steiner

The 12th Annual Still Saving Lives Car Show was a SPECTACULAR HIT!

What has quickly become one of the premier car shows in Southern California, the 12th Annual Still Saving Lives Car Show presented by LAPD Valley Traffic Division was the biggest to date.

The show which was once mostly classics and muscle cars is now transcending every generation, every make and model. From the old hot rodders to the new generation of enthusiast, it is just an awesome sight!

One of the best parts of the show is that there is a general feeling of community.

Just about everyone you talk to there is so excited to support our men and women in blue who provide so much value to our own communities.

LAPD and Supporting agencies are at the show in full force to interact with the community. From Helicopters to SWAT to the Valley Traffic Motorcycles providing an awesome display of their motorcycle mastery, there was something for everyone. The best part to me...it all felt like a small town, patriotic people trying to make the community a little bit better.

Thank you everyone!

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Story // Photos // Jim Hunter

Hamilton Again, but keen eyes set on 2017

Following a Monaco Grand Prix destined to be remembered not for fantastic battles but for a tactical blunder which cost championship leader Lewis Hamilton his second victory in the principality, F1 arrived at one of it’s more popular venues, the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the man-made Île Notre Dame on the St. Lawrence for the 46th running of the Grand Prix du Canada.

To date, the season has delivered a few surprises, but has also failed to quell criticism of the new tire saving, fuel management era.

Despite a surprisingly dreadful opener in Melbourne, the surprise resurgence of Ferrari at one of the more exciting Grands Prix ever witnessed in Malaysia offered hope that F1 might not be as sick as many critics claimed.

Unfortunately the trend did not continue, and with the exception of Bahrain where Ferrari once again rose to challenge Mercedes’ Silver Arrows, the subsequent start of the European season only demonstrated that the team which began life as BAR Honda many years ago to still be clearly in control under their German moniker.

Therefore, news that Ferrari and Williams had exercised development upgrades (FIA engine tokens) for the power hungry Montreal circuit offered hope that Canada would breathe new life into the challenge.

The atmosphere in Montreal is

palpable, the city welcomes the grand prix each year with great enthusiasm and the events on track are often dramatic. The tightly enclosed nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve utilizes every available inch of the man-made Ile de Notre Dame, thus safety car appearances are frequent and consequential. Often run under the dramatically shifting weather on the St. Lawrence, the Grand Prix du Canada rarely disappoints.

This year’s race looked certain to follow that trend.

Fridays practice commenced under relatively sunny skies, but the afternoon session had hardly begun in earnest before those same skies gave way to a deluge of chilly rain onto the island. Despite the circuit’s relatively narrow and parallel layout, Mercedes were caught off guard not realizing just how hard it was raining on the

western coastline and sent both drivers out on intermediates. Hamilton, pushing harder than he probably should have at that point, hydroplaned straight off the northern hairpin, burying his W06 into the tire wall. The resulting red flag and continued downpour insured the cars would not return until Saturday.

The rain was, however, not the most troubling factor of the day as Mercedes totally dominated FP1. Adrift of teammate Hamilton, Rosberg resided 1.5 seconds clear of Romain

Grosjean’s Lotus. One had to wonder what had become of those Ferrari and Williams engine tokens?

Fortunately FP3 on Saturday morning brought some dramatic relief as Kimi Räikkönen proved quick in his Ferrari, holding the session’s fastest time before being pipped by Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes in the closing laps.

Räikkönen’s charge was noble but not quite enough, where Mercedes once again locked the front row in qualifying. Kimi engaged in a taught battle for third with fellow Finn and rumored challenger for his 2016 Ferrari race seat, Valtteri Bottas. Bottas held the slight edge after Q2, but Kimi delivered the lap needed to secure the third slot in Q3 and thus found himself in a post quali press conference for the first time since 2013! Teammate Sebastian Vettel incurred a surprising elimination in Q1 due to glitch with the electrical side of his power unit. The gremlin left Seb uncharacteristically 16th on the starting grid; adding insult to injury he incurred a further 5-spot setback under scrutiny for passing under yellow flags in FP3. Only Verstappen and Button’s more severe penalties kept Vettel off the back row.

With much anticipation, the cars finally took to the grid before the lights on a mild but somewhat muggy Sunday afternoon under muted skies.

Räikkönen had a fantastic start and almost managed to split the Mercedes duo.

Rosberg was spared demotion simply due to the nature of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve layout, where the left hand turn one leads into the immediate right hand sweeping hairpin. Nico took advantage of the left/right complex to hold his slot, but on other circuits Kimi would have

had him dead to rights.

Sadly, from that point forward and in hardly three corners the fight at the front was largely finished.

Hamilton drove away with relative ease, and managed to win the race adhering to every unfortunate aspect of this modern day iteration of the sport – save, save, lift, save. The finishing order would have matched the grid had Räikkönen not experienced an odd recurrence of torque spike as he applied throttle exiting the hairpin following his first pit stop. There are plenty of skeptics who believe Kimi simply applied too much undisciplined input to the throttle, but on close inspection of his Ferrari’s rear wheel spin, it seems more likely that driver input was not the cause. Bottas inherited the gifted podium spot, his first of the season.

Bottas was understandably pleased, “We really maximized everything today and I’m really happy for us as a team. We had an opportunity to get third and we took it. We were racing hard today and we earned the podium.

It’s great to be back in the top three and we know there are better Grands Prix to come because of the updates we are bringing so I can’t wait for the next few races.”

The real excitement in the race came further down the order in the hands of Sebastian Vettel, who managed to climb through the field from his lowly starting position to follow his teammate

home in 5th.

Seb has already demonstrated growth and maturity in this young s e a s o n , and his pairing with Räikkönen has only contributed to an atmosphere conducive to winning. Valtteri is a talent with immense potential, but it would seem almost premature to replace Kimi so early in Vettel’s time with the Scuderia. Much of the chatter appears fueled by supposition that Ferrari will lose Bottas if they don’t act quickly.

Given how few teams really have anything to offer in the fight against Mercedes, that perspective is debatable.

Ferrari would do well to hold course until 2017’s introduction of F1’s salvation

formula, when the balance of power will naturally shift again.

Hamilton took a decisive victory in Montreal, rebounding from his Monaco debacle.

Rosberg later rued the critical factors preventing his giving Lewis more of a challenge, “It was a tough race, with tires, brakes and fuel all on the limit. The problem for me was to cool my brakes behind Lewis. I had to take different lines to get some fresh air. In the last 10 laps I ramped up the pace and started to attack by using some of my electronic Hybrid power, which I had saved until this point. But the problem is that your team

mate’s engineers always have knowledge of your activities and can ask him to ramp up the pace, too.”

Such is the unfortunate product of intra-team competition, and this grand prix will not be remembered as one of Montreal’s finest. These are indeed challenging times for F1, and although it now appears help is on the way in the form of a new technical formula for 2017, one must wonder whether those fixes will arrive in time.

Long after the podium celebration, Lewis signed dozens of autographs and posed for mobile photos with hundreds of adoring fans pressed tightly against Montreal’s pit wall.

Bernie may believe that Hamilton is the only marketable figure in F1 today, but Lewis’ stature among F1’s core base of life long motorsport enthusiasts has been tainted by his frequently woeful off-track demeanor and tabloid drama.

Certainly Lewis, so coolly playing this

media opportunity for all it’s worth, wasn’t the same F1 driver who contemplated parking and pouting on his Monaco cool down lap? Perhaps there is good reason for the long history of F1 drivers who have shied from the media spotlight.

In closing, the best news from Canada could reside in confidence that Ecclestone has finally realized that the teams themselves should not be deciding the future of the sport.

The turbo-hybrid era, now widely regarded as detrimental to F1’s long-term future, was most likely born in service to the corporate interests of the manufacturers over sport. That product was on full display on the Île Notre Dame, and now there’s much work ahead to chart a path back to the level of competition well all know F1 should be. Montreal’s paddock seemed charged with impatient anticipation for that new day to begin.

Story // Photography Jim Gianatsis

Greystone Concours

The Beverly Hills City Council presented the 6th Annual Greystone Mansion Concours de Elegance on Sunday May 3rd in Beverly Hills. The Concours featured over 132 vintage cars and 20 rare and unique motorcycles. In addition to the classic vehicles, many new state-of-the-art vehicles were on display courtesy of automotive sponsors Tesla, The Auto Gallery and Infinity of Beverly Hills.

For an admission price of $120 spectators were treated to access to the historic Greystone Mansion and Grounds, the Concours in the Main Parking Lot, vendors and sponsors displays throughout the grounds. Open gourmet food buffets and Stella Artois bars throughout the grounds,

with dining tables on the grass. A beautiful setting for a wonderful day of rare classic and sports machines.

Completed in 1928 by oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny, Greystone Mansion & Gardens is a Beverly Hills and Los Angeles treasure, recognized since 1976 on the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Beverly Hills purchased the property in 1965 and in 1971 the entire 18.3 acre site was formally dedicated as a public park by the City of Beverly Hills.

Greystone Mansion is a historic site with a storied past, is tucked away in the hills and often overlooked. The mansion and spectacular gardens are home to some of the most elegant special events hosted

throughout the year in the City of Beverly Hills. The property’s lush landscaped gardens are free and open to the public during regular business hours. The interior mansion can be seen through private small group tours.

Greystone has become a premier destination event site for weddings, photography shoots, corporate retreats and other private functions. Long an iconic site for motion picture and television shoots, Greystone Mansion has been featured in dozens of films, including The Big Lebowski, Spiderman, The Social Network, Ghostbusters and There Will Be Blood.

Magnum Cliche’

It is a cliché really; a red on tan Ferrari 308GTS. Could just as well be a Gran Torino or a Highland Green Mustang fastback. In this case I just can’t help but think of a certain short-short and bushymustachioed T.V. show. After a quick once over of the car I find a red Hawaiian shirt in the compartment behind the motor… and I instantly know that my good friend who has lent me the car for the day is O.K. with the stigma.

This is Magnums car.

The Ferrari 308 could be the most recognizable vehicle of this century. First released in 1975, it was an instant hit. The 2.9 Liter V8 mounted amidships in the Pin-

infarina draped tube frame chassis made 240 horsepower that, by today’s standards, a pre-

Story // Photos // Eric Rohem

owned V6 Mustang could embarrass. However, in the late seventies you would be hard pressed to find anything else with that kind of firepower.

When emissions laws required implementation of fuel injection the power suffered, but Ferrari retaliated with the 308’s swan song in 1982, the Quattrovalvole.

Literally translated to “four valve”, the Quattrovalvole boasted just that; four valves per cylinder.

With the added induction the Quattrovalvole gained back the grunt that the emissions stole from the 308 and added melodic depth to the already beautiful Ferrari soundtrack.

This 1983 Ferrari 308GTS Quattrovalvole hasn’t yet ticked over 50,000 miles since new, but that doesn’t stop automotive pundit and collector Joe Molina from making me promise I will get it past 5800 RPM where it “really starts to sing” before he hands me the keys.

T h e first thing I notice is that although all the 1980’s design elements that we have grown to love: the black gills, chiseled lines, and dished wheels are still evident this shape is amazingly timeless.

Even though this body was designed and put into production 40 years ago its styling cues could be easily compared to the current model Corvette. The stylish door latch released with a light click and the seat take a bit of crouching to slide into. My 6”1’ frame fits well, but I do notice that my knees end up rather close to some of the controls. Indicating left and releasing the clutch cancelled the signal on more than one occasion. The ignition key takes what feels like an excessive amount of twisting, but once the starter is engaged the four valve V8 comes to life with a pleasing thrum. With a metallic ‘shink’ the proper gated shifter slides easily into gear and I’m off.

There is no mistaking that you are in a special vehicle while piloting the 308. There are countless looks and thumbs up, hoods of mid-size sedans meet the roof, and stoplights with SUVs make me feel like I’m street level in New York City. It’s nerve rattling. Even though this is one of the most “economical” ways to

get a prancing horse into your garage, a recent value spike would mean about $60,000 for a good one.

I need to get out of the Valley, and it’s a good thing the Santa Monica Mountains are so close.

I figured that in the hills I would be just as nervous, but with different reasoning: steep drop offs and 32-yearold Italian suspension and brakes. The only difference being that I could control my anxiety by crawling through the twisty bits. I was completely wrong. The chassis is marvelously taught, the suspension allows enough body roll to let you know your having fun, and the brakes inspire confidence. I find myself linking turns together using more of the 2.9 Liter than I expected.

And then, on a long straight in second gear, 5800 RPM. All the lines about Italian passion and Joes request make perfect sense.

Without realizing it I began looking for ways to nurse the car

up to 5800 and then bury it through the final numbers. It could be the most satisfying buzz I have heard in a long time.

I start to head down the hill before I get myself into trouble.

The interesting thing is that with all the Italian verve, the speeds were never blistering. This is when I think about my nerves again. The idea of taking a mid-engined supercar, regardless of age, up a mountain road to “sing” is daunting. Current offerings would see a breath of throttle and the autobahn would blush. And that brings me to the most marvelous thing about this vehicle; it can be used for what it was intended without needing F.A.A. clearance. It is an usable supercar. Couple that to classic looks and the simple fact that this chassis has seen its value hit its low point and continues to rise, and you may actually have a logical reason to get one of your own.

With the sun setting, it was time to give Joe his car back. As I was taking my camera out of the back I was reminded of the stigma that the car had made me completely forget: the Hawaiian shirt. I had always believed that there was more to a Ferrari 308 than being type-cast next to palm trees and bikinis, but I had no idea how much. According to Cambridge, the definition of a cliché is an idea … that has been used too often and is often considered a sign of … old-fashioned thinking’, and I was guilty. The truth of the matter is that in my mind the cliché was dead. In no time at all and just by being itself, the Ferrari 308 was no longer Magnums car, it is what it has always been: a beautiful, well balanced and amazingly soulful Italian supercar.

Supercar Sunday Marque Schedule

Supercar Sunday is presented by: THE AUTO GALLERY

The 2nd Sunday is Nissan Marque Day Jul 5 Hot Rods with Universal Nissan Jul 19 Lamborghini Day Aug 2 Corvette Supporting Sponsors include: Sept 6 Porsche Coastline Motorsport Oct 4 Audi SuperchargersOnline.com Nov 1 Pre-1970 European Cars Century Specialized Towing & Dec 6 Motor4Toys Transport

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Golf Tips with Tommy Mansuwan

Are you constantly losing your balance? Or maybe having a ball striking problem? Regardless of how strong you are physically, you may never achieve your full potential if your swing is out of sync. Many amateur players become so focused on their swing plane and body movements that they disregard one of the key moves in the swing…the transition. Making a full turn of the upper body is crucial to maximizing your distance. However, if you start to unwind with your arms and shoulders, it all gets wasted as you make an incorrect start to the downswing. The proper sequencing to the downswing is to remain grounded and unwind the body from the ground up making the hands the last part of your body to start down.

Does your body not feel like it is working as one unit? Try this step drill below.

A little while ago I had a friend help me out as I felt my body not working correctly and he

Sequencing – Step In To The Shot

showed me the step drill which helps sync the body. Use any club you’d like and take your normal setup but move your ball position closer to your left foot. Now move your left foot next to your right foot so that your feet are now together. Go ahead and complete your backswing but pause at the top. Here comes the fun part.

Start the transition by taking a step with your left foot down the target line while keeping your back to that target. Once you firmly plant the left foot, push off your right foot in order to start the downswing but remember to keep your shoulders back. Your hips and torso should naturally follow giving you a more powerful move into the ball. At impact, the feeling should be that of open hips while having the shoulders closed.

This will help to maximize your “X factor”, or the separation between your hips and shoulders, and help deliver all the power properly.

As with any drill, work it slowly into your normal swing. Hit 15 shots doing the drill and then hit five with your normal swing. After awhile, you should feel your normal swing become more fluid and simpler. Work your way through the bag with this drill and end with the driver. Maintain the 15/5 count for a couple practice sessions where the focus should be on moving the body correctly.

Expect to hit bad shots as part of the process and know that changing any habit in a golf swing takes time. When you feel comfortable with the move, go for 10 shots with the drill and then 10 normal shots. Keep repeating and it will work its way into your normal game.

Happy practicing!

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The Gearhead Diaries

All the way out Hwy. 170 on the way to Bodie, I was thinking to myself how nice it would have been to have brought my car instead of hers. How fun the little Alfa would have been on the twisting mountain road, fresh, high altitude air spilling into the cockpit, warm sun reflecting off chrome. How charming the whole experience would be, without all the casual modernity of my girlfriend’s Saturn Ion. Then she drove right off the end of the pavement as the “highway” rather suddenly turned to dirt.

Where the Alfa would have shaken its doors off moments before beaching itself on a small rock, the little Saturn continued untroubled along an increasingly unsurfaced surface. It wasn’t the first time, nor the last that weekend, that having a modern, practical car was something for which to be thankful.

Human beings can bond with just about anything, but the charm-free zone that is the interior of a Saturn Ion sedan should test that theory to its limits. On this trip however, the little car performed all that was asked of it, and in so doing, enabled one of the nicest, most fulfilling road trips of my life. The eastern Sierra Nevada are an amazing collective experience; In three days that Saturn took us to everything from a former concentration camp, to the oldest trees on Earth. In between, there was a ghost town, four volcanoes, a huge salt lake, and many

Story Brooks Smith

hours of excellent bird watching. In the process, the car was transformed from a basic utility into a repository for memories of a great adventure.

As an enthusiast, I’ve spent countless hours thinking about what car I wanted to drive where. Although I love racing, I have little time for dreaming about racing cars, or track days, because to me cars are about where they can take you, and how they get you there. Like, I suspect, a lot of us, I’ve tended to emphasize the conveyance over the destination. But for all its romance, a good road trip will scrap most of your idyllic daydreaming for more practical concerns, and in the process, remind you that the road matters as much as the car. For every mile of seductively sinuous asphalt that weekend, there came a point where we would have had to stop and get out of the sports car, and into an inconveniently unavailable off-roader. The Saturn never missed a beat, never made a fuss, never even seemed to notice that it was being used for something far beyond its maker’s intent.

Cars are storytellers in their way; they carry their history with them wherever they go.

Some of them come to you with stories already hanging from their mirrors, and it can be easy to forget that an old car was once new, and not suffused with the weight of memories. What will one day become period charm is usually the practicality of simply building new car at the

time, and treasured patina the buildup of years of constant use.

A Saturn Ion sedan may never be a sought-after classic. It is unlikely that one of the worst-regarded products of GM’s history will transcend its troubled birth to find fond remembrance in popular culture. At best, it’s likely to be relegated to the kitsch status afforded the likes of Nash Ramblers and Ford Pintos.

For me though, this one example of the car has already become something more. Kitsch is often just a veneer of irony, covering genuinely positive feelings for a faithful appliance. In this sense, this particular Ion has acquired a charm which my Spider, for all the history instilled in it from day one, and all the patina wrested from the years since, has yet to replicate. It has joined the ranks of the sky blue Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser and yellow Volkswagen Super Beetle that were the first cars of my life. It has, by enabling through practicality, become a part of what may be one of the nicest chapters of my own story, and ours.

Sometimes, it’s not how you get there, it’s simply the act of going that matters, and the stories of others, no matter how dramatic, are no substitute for miles rolled off under you own wheels, on the way to wherever you’re going, and who you’ll be when you get there.

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SUPERCAR SUNDAY IS LOCATED AT: Westfield Promenade Mall 6100 Topanga Canyon Boulevard Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (On the corners of Topanga Canyon Blvd and Erwin Street)

Supercar Sunday mcLaren Day

Story // Dustin Troyan Photos // Christian Welch

McLaren Marque Day! Wow! What a tremendous success. To the best of my knowledge it was the largest gathering of McLarens in North America, if not the world! How incredible is that! How far we have come indeed!

The funny thing was I had no idea how many McLarens were going to show up at Supercar Sunday. The team at the Auto Gallery pulled out all stops in reaching out to their McLaren owners and they were very excited to assist in making the event a success. A very special thank you to The Auto Gallery for always going so far out of their way to provide so much value to our car community.

McLaren is a newer brand and has been, to many of us...something we have been watching. Most enthusiasts have never had a chance to experience the supercar from across the pond. Further, it is a new brand and there are simply not decades of models out like Ferrari or Lamborghini. So, we kind of sit and wait to see how McLaren establishes itself among its competitors in the royal pecking order of exotics.

So the morning of McLaren Day, I had no idea what to expect. I have no idea how many McLarens are on the road or, if McLaren owners participate in car shows...it is such a new brand,

nobody really knows!

As the morning moved on, the McLarens poured in. First one by one , then in by the group. Just about every model was on display including the rarified P1.

Not to be outdone , the Auto Gallery and McLaren North America brought out the brand new McLaren 675 LT to share with the thousands of enthusiasts at the event.

Usually you only get the opportunity to see a car like this at the auto show or at the dealer....we had it on the ground. Awesome.

The Auto Gallery which is, in my opinion, the most passionate auto group around decided to organize a driving event with the McLaren owners. The McLaren owners were to leave Supercar Sunday and then do a scenic tour of the Malibu Mountains. All in all over forty-five McLarens participated in the drive. Indeed making history.

The route was perfect for the supercars which were purpose built to be some of the best handling cars on the planet.

The Auto Gallery then treated the McLaren owners to a five star brunch at the Four Seasons Westlake Village.

The brunch include a raffle and gifts for the owners.

The feedback from the McLaren owners as well as all of the attendees at Supercar Sunday was over the top.

Social media was buzzing and thousands of pictures were all over the web by the days end. It was truly a great day for everyone!

The Auto Gallery shot an incredible video of the entire event and drive which is available for viewing at: TheAutoGallery.com

I would like to thank all of you for helping to make this event what it has become...see you Sunday!

Story // Dustin Troyan Photos // David Rosenthal

Fantastic Fridays At Lavaggio

Excuse. I look for just about any excuse to get together with friends. Why not!

Life is too short and why not have as much fun as you can!

The backstory here is that both my wife and I have been wanting to go to Bob’s on a Friday night, but, by the time our work day ends and with traffic...it simply is not viable. So, we thought, what if we did a hot rod event at Lavaggio on a Friday night. Sure, that sounds like a plan!

I got on the phone and reached out to friends. Seeing as how we have space for about fifty cars at Lavaggio, it could not be a free for all.

We decided to call it “Fantastic Fridays” and it would be an event that we do by invitation every month or so, it sounded great. As I called around, friends loved the

idea. It was on!

If you have yet to visit Lavaggio-the art of auto detailing in Agoura Hills, it is a very special place. Arguably, it is the nicest auto detail center in the world and over the last few years has become the hub of just about everything automotive. At Lavaggio, we would

have our own private parking area, a drive way that is easy to enter, stunning waterfalls and a full staff of Lavaggio team members to assist with any of our needs.

Taking one step further, Lavaggio was going to provide an amazing ensemble of hor’dourves for the guests. It was going to be a very special inaugural event indeed. We have about two weeks to put the event together, but, knowing how passionate the car world is, we figured it would not be a problem.

As the event grew closer, there was a bit of a buzz from the friends attending. Word was spreading and we had limited space...but it is so hard to turn friends away. I told people it was invite only..but, we all like to have fun, so...it was going to be a packed house!

The event was to begin at four in the afternoon on a Friday...it is one thing to say that you are going to attend before an event, but then that Friday traffic! I had no idea what to expect, when most of the attendees were coming from some distance, even as far as Orange County and Bakersfield. Then, right about 3:30pm the roar of classic muscle began...the sweet smell of carbureted motors.

By four o’clock in the afternoon, it was a full house! We had to double park cars to make space. Yes! It was a success!

The cars that rolled in, man the cars! From Gary Wales and his multiple award winning La Bestioni to Big Al from the Chevy Club with his ‘57 to Tami Tackett with one of her all steel hot rods to Ken Latka from the

Television Motion Picture Car Club...Tony Fiori and Skeeter Rader from Vista Ford Racing, Josh V. from Coastline Motorsport with a custom built motorcycle which was a show stopper, it was a awesome.

One of our guests, Jim Ring brought out two twin supercharged vehicles. Both are de-tuned for street driving, but pushing the boost they are both around the 1,000 HP mark.

The 1953 Ford Wagon is an absolute sleeper until you pop the hood or turn the key on. Jim was very kind to unveil his Supersnake at “Fantastic Fridays” which just got out of the shop with the brand new twin blowers. It was

quite a sight, twin superchargers on top of the Roush motor, neatly tucked under the Cobra’s hood! Jim Basset of Bones Fab was also in attendance with his rat rod school bus, which he keeps taking awards with!

There were many other guests there and I appreciate everyone one of them for making it a great event! You are all aces!

And a very special thank you to Lavaggio for hosting and sponsoring the event!

It was magical and we all appreciate it very much! Until the next one!

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HRE WHEELS OPEN HOUSE

Story // Mike Grudt Photos // Greg Grudt

HRE Wheels is a premier automotive wheel company located outside of San Diego, California in Vista. Their annual open house is one of the most anticipated events in Southern California. This year, adding to the excitement, the Gold Rush Rally was stopping by with some of the most exotic and rare cars ever produced.

T h e open house was packed! Enthusiasts from all over California were present . The Gold Rush cars were an extra incentive to attend this year, but, there were so many other amazing cars on display!

Some very unique cars were present, including

a Noble (I’ve only seen a handful of these), a purple Audi R8 Spyder, a white Porsche 918, a white Bentley GT3-R, a red Lancia Scorpion, and numerous tricked out Porsche’s, Audi’s and Lambo’s. There were a couple of Dodge Hellcats and some nice Camaro’s, Vette’s and Mustang’s among others. There was also a great assortment of nicely modded and fairly stock vehicles.

We were able to tour the factory and there were pallets of wheels stacked ceiling high and ready to ship. They had a number of milling machines that actually turn the billet aluminum blanks into new wheels. It was pretty amazing to see in person and a spotless factory.

We heard a roar outside and realized the Gold Rush Rally was ready to leave. We angled our way through the large crowd to get up close to the departing cars. The crowd was going crazy as the Gold Rush Ralliers headed out…the sound, millions of dollars of cars…it was awe-

some! We watched as the cars took off down the street to the cheers of the huge crowd in rows lining the street, it was awesome!

The event was off the charts successful! And to add a philanthropic angle, HRE for years has kindly and generously donated proceeds from their raffle to the Motor4Toys Charitable Foundation. It is kind of an annual tradition and they, along with the HRE Open House Attendees collected thousands of dollars which will then be turned into toys for needy children during the holiday season! Well done HRE and Enthusiasts!

Goldrush rally 7

This year the GoldRush Rally starting point was in San Diego next to the Midway Aircraft Carrier. The rally went to Miami with stops throughout the Southern U.S. It was very special for me because not only did I go with my son Greg, I was also fortunate to have my Dad fly down from Central Oregon to experience our car exploits for a week (look out So Cal we had three generations of car fanatics).

Central Oregon is noted as an excellent source of Craft Beer Breweries and maybe some muscle cars, but not exotics. My Dad wanted to see Bugatti’s, McLaren’s and especially a Pagani.

Also, there was a historical significance since June 6 was the 71st anniversary of D-Day as my Dad proudly wore his D-Day hat. My Dad is an Army Veteran who proudly served in Germany.

Story // Mike Grudt Photos // Greg Grudt

Well, at this single car event my Dad saw four Bugatti Veyrons’, a Porsche 918, McLaren’s, Ferrari’s, Lambo’s, Rolls Royce’s, a McLaren SLR and he got to see a Pagani Huayra.

He could not believe the cars at this event.

Greg and I played it off as just another car event, but actually there was a very good turnout. The cars at this event had some extremely unique wraps. One Mercedes had a wrap similar to the “Family Truckster” car from the Chevy Chase movie “Vacation”. Another had a Duck Hunt wrap based on the old video game. Each car was unique and the wraps were pretty cool for this event.

As we checked out the vehicles my Dad thoroughly enjoyed the craftsmanship on the Pagani. The carbon fiber lines

up perfectly on the seams and the car is truly a work of art. He never thought he would see a Pagani or the Veyrons or other high end vehicles. That was definitely a memorable experience for him and for Greg and me too. We told him we rarely see a Pagani.

Soon it was starting time and the cars fired up. We checked to see which way they would turn and proceeded to get in position as they departed on their cross country trek. The police blocked the road for the entrants and they were on their way. There were so many amazing sounding vehicles on this rally. My Dad was just blown away. Greg and I took it in stride, but we always enjoy seeing such amazing rides.

Book Review: Roar with Gilmore

It may seem a little odd, in this day and age, to devote one’s time to writing what amounts to a love letter to a defunct oil company, but that’s exactly what co-authors Charles Seims and Alan Darr have turned out with “Roar with Gilmore; The Story of America’s Most Unusual Oil Company.”

The title itself lays down the reason for that, as L.A.’s own native petroleum producer has little in common with the likes of the Exxon Mobiles or B.P.s of today, and its history makes for fascinating reading.

From humble beginnings as an extension of a dairy business, the book traces the rise and fall of an oil company that refused to compete with independent retailers by opening its own stations, allowed dealers to sell other brands of gas, gave support to its dealers during pricing wars, innovated spectacularly in the field of marketing, and left a lasting mark on Southern California.

This is, in some ways, a book for a very specific audience, which is a shame as it deserves to be read and appreciated.

The text is clear and conversational, and the inclusion of extensive chapter notes at the end is a feature I’ve come to really value in any historical retelling. For fans of the story, it’s all here; Gilmore the lion and Roscoe

/E TypeUK

Turner, the advertising, the stadium, the field, the farmer’s market, and of course, the racing cars. All of it backed up in by a large amount of informative and charming archival photography. Fans of local history can watch the site now occupied by The Grove shopping center evolve through the years. Many will yearn for the days when the site sported more roaring engines than shiny boutiques. My favorite photos were those of the many Gilmore gas stations, as the brand had no set standards for architecture the variety is basically endless.

It may be that the memory of Gilmore benefits from its early demise.

In much the same way as James Dean, Gilmore will remain forever young and unsullied in the eyes of its fans. By exiting the stage long before anyone thought about environmental impacts, or learned to pronounce OPEC, Gilmore can be remembered as what it was at the time, an upstanding business that left an interesting legacy.

The book is nicely presented and bound, especially given its modest cost of $52.00, and comes in a protective box. It’s a worthwhile read.

The book kindly supplied for review by Autobooks-Aerobooks, and available for purchase at www.autobooks-aerobooks.com.

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Friends of steve Mcqueen car show

Starting in 2008, this annual show has been held in Chino Hills in early June, on the Boys Republic Campus to benefit the organization. Steve McQueen was actually a student there in 1946. We had planned to attend previously, but there always seemed to be a scheduling conflict. This year we finally made it. Steve McQueen was always one of my favorite actors and he was a huge car and motorcycle guy as well as an accomplished racer of both. We were really looking forward to attending this show.

I don’t believe I had been to Chino Hills prior to this event. The campus is like a large ranch and located in a beautiful secluded setting. The main display area was on a grassy field in the center of an athletic field. There were many classic and unique vehicles. The owner’s obviously spent countless hours and dollars preparing their cars.

I spoke to a few owners and learned more than I needed to know about various features of some of the older vehicles. They had a passion for each and every one of their beautiful show pieces. I could just feel their enthusiasm as we spoke.

My favorite section was the classic motorcycle display. I was taken back in time as I enjoyed the numerous classic dirt bikes from the 70’s and earlier. A few bikes of note were a ’69 Maico 250 (a top tier German motocross bike back in the day), at least three Rickman Metisse bikes with a BSA engine, A BSA 441 Victor, a Hodaka Super Rat, a Harley Davidson Baja (Harley actually sold a small Italian made 100cc 2-stroke in the early ‘70s), and numerous Husqvarnas and Triumphs among others.

One of the nicest bikes was a showroom new 1968 Yamaha DT-1 250 Enduro that many say started the dual sport trend. As I forced myself to leave the motorcycle area I walked

Crown Affair. The owner fired it up and it was surprisingly loud with straight pipes.

Next to the buggies up on a slight grassy knoll were some race cars from the past. There were a few Porsches and some other racers. My favorite was a 1979 Lancia racer with Martini Racing livery. It looked great. We walked past two Lamborghini Espada’s from the early 70’s (you don’t see one of those every day) and over to another display field. This show was actually spread out over a fairly large area. The final section had a row of at least thirty Bullitt style Mustangs in the traditional dark green.

From the authentic 1968 Mustang 390 fastback type that Steve McQueen drove in the 1968 movie Bullitt to the various versions Ford released through the years.

It was pretty impressive to see them all lined up. There were other nice Mustangs and a 70’s fastback with a blower that looked like a drag racer and sounded like one too. It had a license plate, but I wondered how it could be street legal.

This was a great show and we plan to attend next year. Put it on your calendars as it is truly an event not to miss!

around and saw a few dune buggies in a volleyball pit I guess. The buggies were fittingly placed at home in the sand. Nice touch. Next to the sand pit was a red Corvair powered buggy that was a replica of the model used in the Steve McQueen movie, The Thomas

Story // Mike Grudt Photos // Greg Grudt

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2015 Corsa MotoClassica at Willow Springs

Story // Photos // Jim Gianatsis

The annual Corsa Motoclassica was first run 20 years ago at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosemond, California, just down the road from Edwards Air Force Test Base in the Mojave Dessert. It was the child of Yoshi Kosaka of Garage Company, a Los Anegles based motorcycle used bike and parts store and restoration shop specializing in classic street and race bikes. The Corsa Classic at Willow Springs gave Yoshi's customers a place to bench race and ride their beloved classic race bikes at speed, and could be called the West Coast's version of the Barber Motorsports Festival near Montgomery, Alabama. To find out more about Yoshi and Garage Company visit their website at - GarageCompany.com  I've known Yoshi since Garage Company first began in Venice, CA, back in 1987 and he is a great gentleman, and well liked by everyone in the sportbike and collector bike community. His shop crew includes legendary AMA dirt tracker Sammy Tanner who does an incredible job in restoring classic Triumph street and race bikes.

Garage Company has also been an exhibitor at our annual LA Calendar Motorcycle Show. And a few years ago we had the privilege of shooting the FastDates.com Calendars there on location with some of their

Collector Bikes with beautiful Calendar Kitten Sara Horvath.

For hard core motorcycle enthusiasts on the West Coast, Corsa Classica provides one of the few opportunities each year to see some of the exotic and amazing European and Japanese Grand Prix and Race Bikes were only seen in magazines and books when we were growing up in the 1960s and '70s, and to meet some of the legendary racers from back in the day. Superbike racers like Thad Wolf, and Steve McLaughlin who went from top racer to race promoter establishing the beginnings of the World Superbike Championship.

F o r me, the high points of the day were seeing a Honda 4-cylinder GP 350 Grand Prix bike and watch it being fired up and hearing its legendary scream for the first time ever.

Plus there was a Gilera 4-cyclinder 350cc GP bike on display that I couldn't take my eyes off of, the DOHC air cooled engine was such a beautiful work of mechanical art.

Plus it was a great chance to see

again some old motojournalist buddies, race team owner / engineers like Carry Andrews, and suspension engineer Gil Valencourt of Woks Performance, among many others.

I was so mesmerized by the beauty and detail of third 1957 Gilera Grand Prix bike

with such unique details as the roller bearings in the carburetor throttle linkage. This bike is actually a reproduction built in England at a cost of $125,000.

This is not an authentic Gilera “Four” but rather one of six replicas which were built by Mark and Dave Kay of Meccanica Verghera Engineering – somewhat ironically based in Walsall in the heart of Britain’s engineering and manufacturing Midlands.

The Kays are nothing short of genius: no other word adequately describes their ability.

The two of them are probably responsible for keeping more classic race bikes on the track than any other people in the world.

Dave explains: “A customer brought us a 1952 Gilera for repair and we really liked the bike. It was one of the legendary motorcycles of all time and we enjoyed working on it.“

Later on, the same customer brought us a 1957 Gilera Four which was the last model the factory produced and was the ultimate example of all Gilera’s race bikes.

“We came to an arrangement whereby we could copy the bike and make a small number of replicas.“

From the start, we wanted to make a bike which was an absolute clone of the original bike. We could have easily improved it, in the same way which many British racing Singles have been modernized to increase per-

formance. But we were determined to make machines which were absolutely identical to the original bikes. This means that what was good on the original bikes is good on our machines and what is bad stays bad.“

We know we got things right because we keep a lot of the original Gileras in Italy on the track using our parts.

Gilera was owned, and very tightly controlled, by founder Giuseppe Gilera and he had ambitions to make his company a world leader in motorcycle design and production. As well as being an astute businessman Gilera was a talented motorcycle racer, and mechanic, and understood the potential of the four-cylinder engine – and the publicity it could bring to the Arcore factory.

Always retaining an across the frame design for cooling, the Gilera “Four” underwent many re-designs until it reach its, almost, ultimate form in Kay’s recreation of the five-speed, 1957 design which gave Bob McIntyre the 500cc World Championship.

The motor was still a two-valve per cylinder design but the highly talented, and practical, Franco Passoni increased the cylinder bore to 58.8mm with two pairs of cylinder

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heads. There were four separate cylinder barrels and one long magnesium cam cover – and the whole lot was bolted to the crankcases via 12 long studs: all very practical if you were a Gilera mechanic in 1957 but a nightmare for the Kays to re-create.

The valves were opened by a gear train because this was considered to be the most reliable method available at the time.

Gears were also used for the primary drive to the clutch, again for reliability, and they feed the power to a five speed gearbox with the classic, right-hand side, European gear shift pattern of “one up and four down.”

A one gallon oil sump was positioned beneath the engine to help the lower the center of gravity. In this trim, the motor produced around 70 horsepower and the bike weighed 330 pounds. This was 40 pounds heavier than the best Manx Norton or Matchless G50s – but a whopping 20 horsepower more than the British Singles.

A top quality Manx was good for around 135mph – and that was a really world class example – in contrast with the Gilera which would, in the right conditions, be nudging 155mph. Far more importantly, the Gilera would simply slaughter a Manx or G.50 in terms of acceleration.

The Gumball Rally

Story // Mike Grudt Photos // Greg Grudt

The Gumball 3000 Rally was created in 1999 to combine cars, music, fashion and entertainment. The rally takes place in Europe and the U.S.A. and they don’t always come across “the pond”. My son Greg and I have visited four recent Gumball’s when they made stops in the L.A. Area starting in 2006. If you are reading this you most likely care about the cars (me too) so I will focus on that aspect.

This year the rally started in late May departing from Stockholm, Sweden. The group then visited Oslo, Norway (the home of my ancestors; the Vikings who discovered America 500 years before Columbus) and most of the northern European countries and Germany before flying the cars to Reno, Nevada. Some of the entrants only drove the European stops and some only drove the U.S. stops. There

were quite a few who drove the entire rally.

Greg and I were fortunate to visit the local stop the last Friday in May next to Staples Center and the JW Marriott in downtown L. A. The last leg departed from L.A. and went through Death Valley and finished in Las Vegas.

Of course we left before dawn to arrive at the venue at sunrise. We were the only ones in the car holding area and we were able to photograph to our hearts content before the throng of drivers, crew and fans arrived a couple of hours later.

We saw some amazing vehicles including three Porsche 918’s, a McLaren P1 (owned by renowned DJ Deamau5), a Ferrari F50, a Mercedes Factory Team with three new AMG GT Edition Ones and the top dog was a Koenigsegg Agera HH (the only one in the U.S.) that was driven the final leg to Las Vegas by Formula One Champ Lewis Hamilton. As some of the participants began to

come over to their cars I spoke to Tariq, who is the Sales Director at Koenigsegg for most of the free world. He explained the philosophy and features of this unique automobile. He said the unique vertical swing hinged doors received the first patent and the cars were basically designed around that feature. He said they expect to ramp up production to about six cars per year with their ~75 person factory crew.

This car is an amazing 1160HP engi-

neering marvel. There were so many high end and unique vehicles it was difficult to believe they drove across Europe and down the West Coast.

As the drivers came to their vehicles I saw rocker Tommy Lee do a “faux” interview with Deadmau5… it was pretty funny. He acted like he was holding a mic as he asked him questions. When Lewis Hamilton

arrived at the Koenigsegg there was an instant crowd. Tariq gave him the quick rundown and immediately there was a huge media presence. We don’t often have a Formula One Champ in the area. He seemed just like an unassuming individual of small stature.

It was hard to believe he is at the top of the elite Formula One drivers group and has a worldwide fan base of millions. That was a rare treat.

It seemed that all of a sudden the drivers began to get into their vehicles and started them up for the send off. I walked over to the end of the street as the cars were going to turn right on their journey to Las Vegas. Lewis Hamilton was near the front of the pack and the Koenigsegg sounded great. The F50 (Greg’s favorite car) also sounded great as he took off for the journey through the desert. It was so nice to actually see an F50 owner driving his car instead of having a garage queen. The Mercedes Team of three AMG GT Edition Ones also sounded great. In fact every car sounded great. Also, there was a guy from Norway with an Orange C6 Corvette convertible. This guy had his shirt off as he waved two huge Norwegian flags (probably some crazy distant relative…he wasn’t driving thankfully).

The Gumball Rally continued in it’s success and it will be one of the premier rallys the world over.

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