Driven World June 2017 Issue

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NISSAN MARQUE DAY NOW THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH

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FROM THE EDITOR A

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L E T T E R

B Y D U S T I N T R OYA N

just spoke with a friend who many years ago was flat broke but is now doing very well. I always enjoy conversations with him because he is always so positive and upbeat. He said something to the effect that he always does things 100%. Not 80% or 90% but 100%. He said that when he goes to bed at night, he sleeps well knowing that he did his very best. Otherwise, he said he could not sleep at night. I like that. He is a really cool guy.

Having conversations with him and other people, I find inspiration and I find it to be contagious. People like him are magnets that pull you towards them with their positive energy and their “get it done” attitude. I would like to believe that I have some of that in me as well, but at times I know that I do everything 100%. I have in the past, but it got me thinking, am I doing that now?

Our conversation was about cars, life, and talking about people who create things like craftsmen, builders, and artists. For him, he said it was about the journey. The journey that lead him to his first supercar and then his second. It was not about the price or actually having it, but his journey to get to a place where he afford and enjoy them. He did it, he really did. Two of the most desirable supercars in his garage, well done sir.

I wonder, do we all live at 100% and what exactly does it mean. I remember one day when I was cycling with a friend, we were racing each other up a section of Mulholland Hwy. We were going so damn hard, racing to the top of a hill and neither of us would back off. I beat him over the top and then almost passed out!

It was the hardest I had ever gone in a sprint and I remember it well. I am proud of that moment, but in retrospect, I wonder if that is the hardest I have ever gone.

I have dropped in on big waves, and passed on others, but, did I drop in the biggest waves I could have? I know there were times where I thought I was going to possibly drown if a huge wave broke on me, and yes, I have kissed the sand after getting out of the water during a huge swell, so happy to be alive. And yes, you do feel alive.

There is something about being all in and doing things at 100%, when you just can’t stop what you are doing. For me I have always given my all in sporting activities. I remember surfing at one of the islands off Tahiti. I was surfing out at the reef which was about 400 yards out which is a long way out. If you had to paddle to the reef, it would be about 45 minutes. I would pay a local guy to give me a ride on his boat and then have him pick me up 5 hours later. I was surfing with this British guy when he saw a 15ft shark, then paddled to his sailboat and left me there all alone. Shark bait! I was all in that day for sure. I had four more hours of surfing and a shark swimming back and forth. That day was 100%. There was another time as well, circled by sharks in the South Pacific, boy you really feel alive and hope you live.

I can recall conquering fear, riding down a hill on my mountain bike or road bike, being 100% in. That if you crash, you are going to the hospital or...even worse.

To make that commitment and go for it. Go for it!

Being alive, that is when I felt most alive. When I had skin in the game. Knowing that if you crash, there will be serious consequences. Or if you drop in on that huge wave....man, what could happen? To drown or break a neck, that would suck.

And surfing big Zuma or surfing a reef, can have serious consequences.

The journey, my friend likes the journey. It is funny, I have another friend that talks about “the journey.” He too is very successful, works very hard and I can say is always 100%. The Journey, let’s think about that. The first guy I am mentioned said, “twenty-five years ago I was broke, now I have two of the rarest supercars in my garage at home.” What a journey!

The Journey: Do you think about the steps you have taken to get where you have gotten or the road that you are on? Do you enjoy the journey? I don’t often think about “the journey.” Oddly, I had another friend that I ran into the same day within the same couple of hours. He is a car collector. He is friends with guys like Jay Leno. I was telling him how I was present when Jay Leno took delivery of his McLaren P1. That I had no idea how I was invited there, but it was such an honor. And that at one point Jay walked over and knew my name and asked how my family was. I never knew he knew my name...just figured he thought I was the guy in the orange hat at the car show. Jay then asked if I wanted to be a “double” sitting in the car while they set up the shot. I was stoked! What an honor! Sure, to some it might just be sitting in a car, but to me, I thought, how did I get here? Jay Leno knows my name and I am sitting in the 1st McLaren P1 delivered, and it is Jay Leno’s car. I had no idea how I got there, how this moment in time worked out, but, it was a journey indeed.

The Journey: I have never really given much thought to life being a journey. I do reflect quite a bit and I know that our experiences and people in our lives shape

us. I think about what I could have done better or differently. But most of the time I seem to be running around in the “now” concerned about the “today” and not “the journey.” I don’t know if I am driving the journey or if it is driving me. Or if that is just life. You are on a ride and you better hold on.

Who is driving your journey and are you running at 100%? I think that I need to reflect on that a bit more. What has my journey been about? Where is my journey going? Am I running at full speed or am I at half-mast missing opportunities, experience, and fun. Am I accomplishing my dreams, or am I just dreaming? It is not a success thing, these guys say, it is a life thing.

The journey of life. I am always trying to figure out what I am meant to be doing. While I am trying to figure that out, I am doing what I know. I do try to do my best, but am I at 100% daily? The honest answer is no. I could pour more effort into everything that I do. I think that I am a good husband, father, community member, business man, but I do feel that I am lacking in different areas. I suppose I could make any amount of reasonable excuses, being tired, being busy, not having enough free time, but, I do remember getting up at 4:30am to ride my bicycle, something now that seems unfathomable. Unfathomable, because with two kids, we don’t sleep a lot. And my work schedule. But, there are tons of athletes that do get up that early to train and earlier. I could turn off the TV and go to bed an hour earlier, but, I don’t.

I suppose I could plan better, with business, with vacations rarely taken. There are so many things that I could do better. I would say that I am about 75%, perhaps 80. Higher for father and husband, but, I could still do better there as well.

The other thing these guys talk about is detail. They love detail and they love craftsmanship. They love the time and energy that goes into a product or service.

They are willing to pay any amount of money for something if they feel that someone poured their heart and soul into it. They love being at the cutting edge, redefining trends and thinking outside of the box. You may say that it is easier to do with money, but these guys didn’t always have money. What they had was a ton of heart, motivation and a belief in themselves. And they never gave up. They kept going and going until they became successful and their own successes offered greater opportunities and they had the ability to jump on them. The experience to know that it was a great opportunity and the courage to go for it. Maybe that is the journey part.

I wonder where I would rate on a journey level. The other day I was with a potential client and Laird Hamilton walked by. If you know surfing, you know that he is arguably the best “waterman” in the world. He has surfed the biggest waves, has defined and redefined surfing trends, has defied death many times and the guy is all out awesome. Now that guy has a journey. Traveled the world following his passion, doing things in the water that are deemed impossible and providing inspiration for millions. For many he is a living legend. The only other times I have seen him were surfing in Malibu and riding his bike on Kanan. I wanted to walk up to him, shake his hand and say “thank you.” Why? Because the guy is awesome. That guy is in charge of his journey for sure and he is definitely 100%, 100% of the time. He has to be to operate at his level and to stay alive. I bet he makes a conscious decision every day to do the best in everything he does. Again, his life depends on it.

Your life depends on it... I wonder if it is possible to be 100% all of the time.

It seems that the people that are at the forefront of what they do, the people that really excel and grow, are pushing that hard, maybe harder. They are always looking for something else to do, a different approach, a different direction, a better way, more efficiency and more fun. Somehow they have found a way to take what they do and make it fun. And the fun drives their passion to excel and succeed. I think it becomes natural for those that chose to run at 100%. Maybe it is actually harder for them to run less than 100% than it is to run full bore all the time. 100% becomes like breathing for them. It is what defines them, motivates them and sets them apart from those who decide just enough is enough. I suppose mediocrity is the acceptance of average and average doesn’t inspire. Average is easy, too easy. I guess at the end of the day, the question you have to ask yourself, is are you at or 100%.

And can you go further?

Be inspirational!

-Dustin

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CONTENTS

drivenworld ISSUE 86, JUNE 2017

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dustin Troyan ART DIRECTOR James R. Stanley Jr. COPY EDITOR Heather Troyan DESIGN Connected Media Group STORIES BY Dustin Troyan Mike Grudt Mark Llewellyn Gwen Banta Tory Herald Ted Lighthizer Scott Martin

Page 8 11 SHOWS 2 DAYS

Scott Martin Page 13 FUELED BY PASSION

Nicolas Hunziker Page 16 GREYSTONE

Concours d’ Elegance Page 19 SUPERCAR SUNDAY

May Pics Page 20 CENTERFOLD

Ted Seven Page 22 9INE

Gold Rush Rally Page 24 Ferrair Concorso Page 26 GERMAN

Luftgekuhlt 4 Page 27 SUPERCAR SUNDAY

Marque Schedule Page 28 CAR CULTURE

A Little Evil Page 30 FLAVOR OF LA TMPCC Page 32 LAVAGGIO Detailing Page 36 NO SUBSTITUTE Rusnak Page 37 Real Estate

Home Appreciation

PHOTOGRAPHY James Stanley Thomas Lavin Nick Fiori Ted Lighthizer Scott Martin Greg Grudt Ted Seven Ted Lighthizer

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 highnet-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:

Rolling shot of a Bugatti crossing the Golden Gate Bridge.

Photo By: Ted Seven

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et me take you on a virtual trip to 11 of the best car shows around SoCal, all without leaving the comfort of your living room chair. Nope, we don’t need no 3-D headsets or hi-fi sound system for this tour… we have our imaginations! Just look, read and off we go, just let me do the drivin’!

A little back-story here… The idea behind this has been growing since 2014. That year, I decided to do something different by covering 4 car shows in one day since it was 2014. I already had my eye on 2015 and knew it would be pretty easy for a photo journalist to get up to 5 shows in one day. You see, on the first Sunday in May, the stars line up to provide a number of car shows culminating with the Greystone Man-

sion Concours d’ Elegance. In 2016, the Cosmos cooperated by providing 6 car shows starting in Malibu and ending up in Beverly Hills at Greystone Mansion This year, the powers that be were not cooperating with even 5 shows on Sunday. So I did what all entrepreneurs-at-heart strive to… I got creative! The one day tradition became a two-day event, this year ironically leading to my personal best of 7 car shows on Saturday May 6th and then another 4 shows on Sunday, May 7th for a total of “Lucky 11.”

I’m also fortunate to have the support of The Auto Gallery. Last year, I was able to drive around Southern California in comfort with a Maserati Quattoporte. This year, to help kickoff the new Alfa Romeo Giulia performance sedan, The Auto Gal-

lery of Santa Monica and Van Nuys supplied a Russo (red) Giulia for Saturday and Blanco (white) AWD to drive on Sunday. Look for my driving review in last month’s Driven World, but suffice it to say, I was once again able to cruise in style on my 2-day Carshow-a-thon.

On Saturday, May 6th, I started out early morning at the famous Donut Derelicts car show at Adams Ave. Donuts in Huntington Beach. The long-running weekly get together was hoppin’ with cars parked up and down the strip mall. The theme was more Hot Rods and older originals or renovations. Bruce Meyer was there in one of his amazing original Hot Rods and it turns out, I saw him at my first and also my last show of the weekend (we’ll get to that later…)

From that kind of home-spun local 8

car-guy show, I headed over to the wide-open parking lot of Cars and Coffee Aliso Viejo. This show is one of the main offshoots of the original Cars & Coffee in Irvine. While that show was decidedly super-car driven, it now features a more varied grouping of cars with everyone’s favorites in their own special part of the shopping centers’ lot. There was even an area along the side where Superformance and Hilbank Cobra and GT continuation cars were lined up for people to drool over.

So, already cruising from Huntington Beach out to Aliso Viejo, it was time to take an even longer jaunt to Costa Mesa for the Lamborghini Newport Beach cruise-in extravaganza.

No arguing about the consensus of cars here… exotic supercars all the way! They get a really big and excited

crowd of spectators at the monthly show and nobody seemed to be disappointed. There were a couple of “fun” traffic citations issued (someone revving up and spinning out right next to a Costa Mesa police car they didn’t see & etc.) but most drivers obeyed the rules of the road.

After saying goodbye to some of my professional photographer friends and exotic car owners, my GPS led me back up toward the North where the Edelbrock Car Show was happening in Torrance. It was a huge show but I kept seeing people I know and friends were starting to catch up from the first two stops. My favorite car guy Chuck Schauwacker was showing his famous Rod ‘Riquez and I filmed him being interviewed by the MC. By that time, the whole OC crew of Daniel (Dano) Patten, Mel

Craig, Fireball Tim Lawrence, Ken Vela and Pete Haak were working the show and suggesting other locations to continue my car show quest.

It sounded like my fifth show of the day was going to be at the Redondo Pier Car but after cruising around the area, I ended up going further north and found the show was actually taking place near the Hermosa Beach Pier. I tend to forget how great the beach areas are in SoCal… tons of restaurants, shops, bars (pubs) and generally a very happy community of people enjoying the beach lifestyle. In this case, the great quality vehicles were lined up diagonally to create a great welcoming pattern of fun cars. The signs said, “Look but don’t Touch” but you couldn’t help get close because of all the great paint, design and details. The Hermosa

Beach Endless Summer Car Show was one I will definitely visit again, this being the 18th Annual show.

I took advantage of the Alfa’s Nav routes and dropped off the Russo at Auto Gallery of Santa Monica so I could continue on my way in a white AWD version. At this point, I really had to jam in order to make Car Show number 6 way up North in Simi Valley.

While enjoying the start of the Coachmen monthly car show and cruise at Simi Valley Town Center, I was trying to figure out if I had it in me for a 7th show because I had been invited to the McLaren 720S unveiling at my favorite car show in the world… Petersen Automotive Museum. With a few encouraging words from my friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I decided to fight 9

the urge to quit and instead continue to my own personal best record of 7 car shows in 1 day!

Luckily it was Saturday so the normally heavy traffic from Simi to Museum Row on the Miracle Mile was light enough to make it to the Petersen in 45 minutes: Start time 7pm, check! Long row of McLaren’s parked in front of the Petersen entrance, check! Time to grab a few hors’ deurves and even a celebratory drink, check! Lookin’ at and photographin’ the beautiful people of L.A., check, check!

For those of you who have or haven’t been to the Petersen since their relatively recent re-design, attending an event like this one is an exciting experience. You’re not just looking at the one car you’re there to celebrate, but you’re walking around through

some of the most beautiful and unique vehicles in the world.

Keeping my jaw off the floor and documenting the unveiling of the totally new McLaren 720S and everyone’s reaction to it was awesome, even to this jaded photojournalist.

The curves, the color, the doors, the technology that is unique to this supercar and finding out it has a (relatively) reasonable price point. I can’t wait to get one out on the road for a review and “proper” photo shoot!

I think you may be getting tired as I was on the way home from shooting the 7 cars shows in one day from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm. But hang on, we’re getting up early for day two and setting even more records.

Sunday morning, May 7th began with a drive from Calabasas to a secret spot in Malibu for the Vintage Car Show. Some of the best cars in SoCal and Malibu meet up on the first Sunday of the month for this small but quality-filled car show. Yes, there are some “regular” collector, classic, antique and even some “daily drivers”, but the emphasis is on quality and uniqueness (is that a word?)

From Malibu, we drove to my “home” car show, Supercar Sunday in Woodland Hills, CA to find the wide diversity that has been the hallmark of

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this show for over 15 years. Founder Dustin Troyan has recorded a great “rules of car shows” that everyone should watch at least once. At this point last year, I visited the Classic Chevy Club of SoCal Car Show at Rancho San Antonio Boys Town in Chatsworth, but this year, the event was postponed early due to possible rain. The 35th Annual charitable car show will now take place on Sunday, July 9th.

Knowing that I was missing one show, I decided to make a detour to Pacific Palisades on the way to my last show of the day. The Exotic and Classic Autos car show was part of the city’s 9th Annual Expo. It was not the biggest show I have experienced, but the mix of daily drivers and major collector cars was inspiring. Although they wouldn’t normally go together, even my white Alfa Romeo Giulia looked normal parked behind a cream colored 1953 Volkswagen bus.

Luckily already being on the West Side, it was a fun cruise in the AWD Alfa East on Sunset Boulevard directly over to Beverly Hills to get on a shuttle to Greystone Mansion, my eleventh and final “car show” of the weekend. Being lucky enough to have attended all of the Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance’ since its debut, the 8th Annual event did not disappoint! Although I can’t remember experiencing rain before, the timing was not too bad… waiting long enough until almost the end of the event. As usual, Donald Osborne and ABC7’s Dave Kunz were perfect in their presentations of the awards and it was great seeing Bruce Meyer (remember I spoke with him at my first show of the weekend) receiving the Best in Class Ferrari for his 1957 625/250 TRC. Best of Show was won by Stan Lucas for his 1929 Lincoln Aero-Phaeton.

Hitting your goals is very satisfying.

It’s a challenge to set new goals and continue with a tradition, even if it’s a relatively new one, but I plan on hitting new heights next year. I’m not sure what form it will take but you have my word it will be even bigger and better than 7 car shows in one day leading into 11 shows in a two day period. And maybe my transportation partner will provide a supercar to drive… just so long as it has room for my camera gear and a bottle of water, I’ll be fine. Year number 5, here we come!

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r o f e s s i o n a l automotive fine artist Nicolas Hunziker comes by his work honestly: He derives his eye for detail from his great-grandfather and grandfather who were both classically trained painters and his father who is an excellent artist as well. This makes Nicolas Hunziker the 4th generation to pick up the family trade.

Nicolas trained at Pasadena CA. Art Center College of Design and he believes in keeping his work simple.

He incorporates many elements of Art Deco advertising posters into his paintings and he calls his style “Period Correct”. I especially like the “bigger than life” look of Nicolas’s artwork and the fact that there’s normally always a driver in the car he’s portraying.

Nicolas has created artwork for Porsche Cars North America A.G. and the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. Nicolas has also had is artwork featured at Porsche Club of America PCA, example the 2014 PCA Porsche WERKS event poster was a Nicolas Hunziker creation.

Many of Hunziker’s paintings have been given the official stamp of approval from the ACO/24h Le Mans and Gulf Oil L.P. McLaren A.G. most recently commissioned

Hunziker to create eleven acrylic on canvas paintings each featuring one of McLaren’s winning race cars from their illustrious racing history.

Besides offering some of the finest motorsport paintings available you can also find many of his most popular paintings available on T-shirts for a fraction of the price you’d pay for the acrylic on canvas painting. In 2016 Hunziker apparel became an official apparel supplier to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Hunziker’s latest creation is the Hunziker BRM Art Watch: featuring a series of commissioned one-off, hand painted dials that are encompassed in custom BRM watch cases. To complete the apparel line Hunziker has added performance inspired casual driving shoes with Gulf Oil and Steve McQueen era themes and styling.

Nicolas fuels his passion for life by race car driving just like his granduncle the motor racing Prince Bira of Siam. Nicolas owns and drives a 1969 Lotus 51 race car in “An attempt at honoring Bira’s Legacy in the fastest way possible.”

Nicolas Hunziker’s art studio and gallery is located in Torrance, CA and to learn more please visit www. nicolashunziker.com 13

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ue to the unusual amount of rain we received in Southern California this spring, many car shows have been affected. The eighth annual Greystone Concours was no exception as a slightly lighter turnout was apparent due to the threat of rain on the day of the event in early May. Since it “never” rains in Southern California this is a new issue to contend with that the rest of our country just takes in stride. The event was held at the historic Doheny Estate located in the hills overlooking Beverly Hills and much of Southern California.

Greystone had a nice mix of over 100 American and European vehicles from the early to late 1900’s as well as a handful of rare motorcycles on display. This year the Concours paid tribute to Lincoln Motorcars for their 100th anniversary and Ferrari for their 70th anniversary and each had special displays set up. This event is one of the few to exhibit 1960’s American Muscle Cars in the same setting as rare seven figure Euro-

Story by Mike Grudt and Photos by Greg Grudt pean Classics. Greystone featured a few high new cars from local dealers too and a number of displays with exclusive goods and services. The Greystone attendees tend to be a mix of car aficionados and those who wish to tour the historic Greystone Mansion and the well manicured grounds to mingle with others. Proceeds from the event are used for the preservation of this amazing estate.

One of the regulars at this event is Jay Leno and he always brings something special to exhibit. This year Jay brought an immaculate burgundy and gray 1953 Cunningham Coupe that looked showroom new. I believe the car is powered by a Chrysler Hemi and only twenty coupes were built. I walked around the estate and noticed a new McLaren 720S brought to the event by McLaren Beverly Hills. This vehicle is the successor to the 650S and has a totally different look from the other model. As luck would have it Jay just happened to be admiring this new “supercar?” I know he is a huge McLaren fan so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him rolling into Supercar Sunday at some point behind

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the wheel of one of these.

I have been to the mansion five or six times and I always seem to discover something new since they open different rooms and areas during each event. I spoke to one of the docents and she said they are continually renovating all areas of the mansion so I will always find something new. I always enjoy seeing the underground two lane bowling alley adjacent to the billiard room with the hidden bar that was used during prohibition. There is a lot of history in this estate and I’m glad this event was established to preserve the mansion for future generations to enjoy.

After my mansion tour was completed I went back up to the vehicle exhibit parking area located at the northernmost area of the estate grounds. There were partially cloudy skies and cool weather, but never a real threat of rain throughout the day.

The changing sunlight added a different feel to the event and the look of the cars. The view looking to the south out across the city was truly amazing with the constantly changing cloud patterns and the sun poking

out to reflect off the exhibits.

Viewing vintage motorcycles at Concours events is something I always look forward to. Greystone only had a handful of two-wheelers, but each was unique and handpicked for display there. Two of note were a 1904 Peugeot Type D racer and a 1970 Triumph Bonneville dirt bike. The Triumph is owned by former Speedway Champion Sonny Nutter. I didn’t see Sonny this year. I watched him race at Ascot Raceway numerous times in the 70’s and always enjoy hearing his stories whenever I run into him.

The cars were also limited to handpicked examples of the best from various decades representing each manufacturer and model. There were a large number of Lincolns to commemorate their 100th Anniversary and as per usual a large number of classic German cars including Mercedes-Benz and Porsches among others. A select group of classic Ferrari’s were also on exhibit to honor the 70th anniversary of the prancing horse. It was another great car event in Southern California.

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any car rally events come and go after one or two tries. It is rare when a rally is held for nine consecutive years, especially a high end happening such as goldRush. Billed as the premiere automotive lifestyle event, the goldRush rally attracts the best of the best in Supercars and Hypercars and their high profile owners. They always stay at the best hotels, dine on the finest food, enjoy the best entertainment and of course traverse amazing routes through the scenic less traveled roads in America.

Many of the participants promote charitable causes and the others always seem to have a great time just being involved in the rally. This year the starting point was the Petersen Automotive Museum right here in our backyard and the eightday rally continued through Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and Utah, and concluded in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The event usually had a starting point or end point in or around Southern California so my son and I have been fortunate to attend these over the past few years. My Dad lives in Bend, Oregon which was near their overnight stop in Sunriver, Oregon and he was able to view the cars in the Rally too as they passed through.

They don’t get very many Bugatti Veyrons cruising down highway 97.

To add to the enjoyment, as he was driving home after viewing the cars one of the Veyrons must have had a delayed start as it passed him on the highway. He was pretty excited to say the least.

Two unique aspects of this event are the amazing colorful wraps adorning the vehicles and the reference to gold in the car designs and clothing worn by the participants.

They were both over-the-top and pretty amazing. The rally again lived up to the hype as many cars had gold colors designed into their wraps, especially the Bugatti Veyron that was completed wrapped in gold, including the wheel spokes. Another Veyron wrapped in a brass and black combo was parked to the left and to the right a Ferrari 488 wrapped in a copper and black mix was displayed.

The sun reflected off of the metallic coverings to add to the “bling” appearance of the cars. There was also a chrome wrapped Lamborghini Aventador Roadster that was almost blinding as the sun reflected off the hood and other panels of the car.

The participants brought amazing McLaren’s, Lamborghini’s,

Porsche’s, Bugatti’s, Ferrari’s, Maserati’s, Jaguar’s, Rolls Royce’s and many others. There were even two of the new Lexus LC500’s, a standard version and a hybrid in full wraps. There was a purple Aventador SV (that was painted that color and not wrapped) and a dark pink Porsche Carerra GT with no logos that was wrapped. I enjoyed the sort of 60’s looking pink and purple Jaguar F-Type Convertible with the huge Cheshire cat on the hood that could have been in an Austin Power’s movie. Another favorite of mine was the McLaren 650S with a matte gold wrap and large line drawings throughout with a Leonardo da Vinci quality that was unbelievable. There were so many colorful and amazing cars, but the one I enjoyed the most and many of the fans I spoke with agreed, was a Lambo Aventador adorned with the classic light blue and orange Gulf livery from the 60’s. As I walked closer I noticed the design was composed of thousands of Lego blocks and a few little Lego men. It was very cool and definitely involved countless hours of design and preparation. It was well worth it.

One fan favorite participant was actually at the nearby Beverly Wilshire Hotel, a Brabus MercedesBenz B63S 700 6x6. The 700 horsepower behemoth wouldn’t fit through the Petersen parking structure so he joined the group as they departed the next morning. That would be my first choice for a “Zombie Apocalypse” vehicle.

Next year when the GoldRush comes through our area make sure you check it out. You need to see the cars in person as pictures don’t do them justice.

Story by Mike Grudt Photos by Greg Grudt + Ted Seven

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ne day each year Colorado Boulevard in Old Pasadena is home to the Rose Parade and then the Ferrari Club of America Southwest Region’s annual show in late April or early May. Of course the Rose Parade is seen around the world by millions of hung over New Year’s Eve revelers. The Ferrari event must be seen in person and is much more fun. I’ll take 150 Ferrari’s over a bunch of High School Bands any day.

Concorso Ferrari was extra special this year as it marked the 10th Anniversary of the event and the 70th Anniversary of Ferrari. My son Greg and I have attended

Story by Mike Grudt and Photos by Greg Grudt most of the past nine shows and we always enjoy the largest annual gathering of Ferrari’s in Southern California. This event is about Ferrari’s only and we’re good with that. As per usual we arrive early before the thousands of attendees arrive to get unobstructed views of the beautiful examples of Italian artistry. I say “artistry” because when I look under the hood of a vintage Ferrari I marvel at the engineering involved and the craftsmanship it took to construct them. Calling one merely a “car” doesn’t do it justice. Many vintage Ferraris are stored in climate controlled collections and museums throughout the globe so you know what I’m referring to. It is great to see them

actually moving and viewed outdoors.

Each year we hope to see examples of the Ferrari supercars. The entrants vary from year to year and this year there were no Enzo’s and no F50’s, but I guess one could say the four F40’s arranged prominently in the center of the show and the two LaFerrari’s made up for that. We didn’t feel cheated. There were so many show room new Ferrari’s old and new that were meticulously prepared by their owners.

Ferrari owners have a special connection to their vehicles and other Ferrari owners that is difficult to describe. I can just sense their passion.

Most of the vehicles were adorned in

the traditional Rosso Corso or variants of “Ferrari red”. There were some in other uncommon colors such as a white Testarossa Spider with white interior, another Testarossa in gunmetal gray over tan and a bright blue 430 with a cream color interior.

I’m not sure of the official Ferrari names for those colors, but they looked great. There were so many other Ferraris from the past few decades to enjoy it is difficult to single out just a few of them. We really enjoyed some of the color combos of the newer models especially the 458 Speciale, the 458 Speciale Aperta and the F12tdf. Each of these are very limited edition vehicles and very nice to see the owners taking them out

of hiding for our enjoyment. Also, many of those present were built in colors other than red. One of my favorites was a White over black F12tdf with wide black and gray center stripes and black highlights on the exterior. That was just another beautiful example of Italian craftsmanship.

One pair of vehicles was a contrast of old and new as the owner displayed a vintage 60’s Ferrari 250 GT Lusso and a new limited edition Ferrari F12tdf. Each was painted a striking Yellow (Giallo Modena?) with the traditional green, white and red center stripes, a large number 8 on the sides and a blue alcantara interior with red shoulder harnesses. It was an amazing pair

and a nice contrast to see how far automobiles have advanced in the past half century.

The owner is a prominent local Ferrari collector who probably owns one of each major Ferrari model in addition to the Ferrari supercars and he also won the best of show.

His best of show winner was a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that was fully restored except for the original paint and interior.

To continue the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Ferrari, the next big gathering will take place in August at Concorso Italiano in Monterey. See you there.

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by Mark Llewellyn

www.LeonsTransmission.com

“A Little Evel in All of Us” I was recently watching some X Games highlights on television.

I was amazed at the stunts that these athletes performed, but one thing was missing. Their sport was missing a star personality. A personality like that of the world’s greatest daredevil, Robert Craig Knievel (aka EVEL KNIEVEL).

I could devote this whole magazine to his life, but instead will focus on the impact of his persona and why he is still popular today, even after his death in 2007. If he had appeared today, I think he may have been predominantly ignored. Evel’s fame was born out of the atmosphere of the late 60’s and early 70’s. For those whom the “Peace Movement” and protests of the Vietnam War were controversial and uncomfortable questions of the American conscience, Evel Knievel restored their faith. He made himself and America respectable. Here was a guy dressed in red, white and blue leathers facing death square in the eyes. His bravado made women want him and men want to be like him. In the end, he did what he said he would and jumped his motorcycle over what seemed impossible distances.

Ironically, he became more famous for his biggest failure, the crash-landing at the Caesar’s Palace Fountains jump in Las Vegas. By all accounts and watching film of the crash, he should have died. The fact that he didn’t made him a star. He is further credited for saving the “Ideal Toy Company” by the millions of dollars of toys produced in his image. He negotiated coverage of his jumps on ABC’s World of Sports, and hung out with the likes of John Wayne and Liberace.

Inevitably fame put demands on the man that began to fracture his personal and professional life. He was 40 and facing a divorce.

He was unable to better his feats due to injury and the inability of technology to allow his equipment to perform longer jumps. It all ended in 1977 when Evel had an accomplice hold his ex-manager while he proceeded to pummel him with a baseball bat for writing a book about the daredevil, which Evel referred to as “lies”. It was over, no more endorsements, no more Wide World of Sports, no more celebrity friends, and no more good times. Hit with jail time and law suits it seemed America would never hear from him again. For 20 years one might catch a glimpse of him on a late night infomercial promoting a pain reliever. People can be forgiving; after time it seems we forget the bad and attach the good memories to the times in our lives. So it was for the likes of Bill Clinton, Kolbe Bryant, Pee Wee Herman and of course, Evel Knievel.

He was welcomed back in the 90’s and credited as being the “Father of the X-Games.” He even opened for the MTV music awards ceremony. His toys were re-issued. People would line up for hours at “Galpin Ford” when Evel made appearances there, to have him sign their mementos and get a picture with their hero. With his “master of showmanship” quality he would talk of coming out of retirement to make “one more jump”, while it was obvious he could hardly walk.

I was lucky enough to be there that day…to see my childhood hero.

No one giggled and no one smirked when he spoke of this next great jump because we all believed that if anyone could do it, it would have been him. So in retrospect, I suppose he is remembered more as an inspirational figure rather than a sports figure. He has a motorcycle in the Smithsonian; that says it all right there. Happy Landings!

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1972 Chevy 4x4 Truck K20 SHOW TRUCK 3/4 Ton - $29500 This truck has all the right parts. Built as a show truck or use it for 4x4. No expense spared. Everything works. Including the air conditioning. All the right parts. Spray in bed liner, engine bay painted.

This truck is done and done right. Cash only.

- ZZ4 Crate Motor - Hdyro Boost Brakes - 37� Toyo Tires - 17in whhels - Eaton 3rd member with 411 gears and Factory Detroit Locker - Custom Deaver 10 Leaf Springs all around with front shackle extension - 8in Deaver lift - King Shocks and Steering stabilizer.

- All Billet Accessories - New Brakes - New Transmission.

- Fresh paint - Poly body mounts - Original Window Sticker and owners manuals - Every factory option as well as factory disc brakes.

Over $40k into this truck. Ready for summer, for 4x4ing for shows! dustin@connectedmediagroup.com

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hat is the Taste of Los Angeles?

My first thought was “What flavor would I associate with Los Angeles?” Having just sat in 101/405 traffic along with inhaling a 7-eleven doughnut for a quick breakfast, nothing tasty came to mind, quite the opposite. This was

Story and Photos by James Stanley a 1st annual event and no one knew what to expect. Would the crowds be big? Would anyone show up at all?

After setting up the Vista Ford Lincoln booth on site at the CBS Studios, I took a moment to step back and take in the view. Upon entry, guests would be greeted with an incredible lineup of show cars. These cars are all part of The Motion Picture Car Club (TMPCC),

and each has some sort of fame associated with it.

The Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am, the new Night Rider series Mustang Cobra, and even two Dodge Chargers from The Fast and the Furious franchise were all on display.

If the vehicles weren’t stars themselves, then the owners were! Most notably, Barry Meguiar of Meguiars Polishes

and host of the Car Crazy TV series, brought out his sleek black Ford GT. After strolling past this incredible lineup of show cars, guests were greeted by smiling faces under two long rows of white tents, each with its own unique sampling of varied delectable cuisines.

This was the taste of LA. Dozens of restaurants and chefs were on site giving out samples of their cuisine. From

sweet bite size samplings of Baklava, to savory Italian meatballs, there was something to be had for everyone. For those of age, a few vendors had some wine and spirits to sample. Since this was a “pay-at-the-gate” kind of event, you could go around and around and around the tents, sampling over and over again until you couldn’t walk anymore.

I was most surprised by the number of healthy options which were all gluten free, vegan vegetarian blah blah blah blah. The smoked peppered bacon was delicious.

As the day drew to a close and the heat of the sun gave way to cool shaded breezes, the vendors packed up their wares, and the vehicle owners packed up their displays. For those just outside

the studios, a beautiful line of classics, muscle, and supercars could be seen leaving the studio together, and I was lucky enough to be a part of it all.

I can easily see this event growing and growing in the coming years.

Southern California is always looking for the next great event, this one combines my two favorite subjects: Food and Cars! Perhaps in future years,

the show will open up to more than just TMPCC, and the list of high-class restaurants will grown in numbers. I’m not sure if the CBS studios will be able to hold onto this event for too long as I could easily see it goring well beyond the confines inside the studio. Only time will tell, and I can’t wait to do it again next year! For more information on t, visit: http://flavorofla.com/

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hen I first heard of Lavaggio, I didn’t believe what I was told. “The most amazing detailing facility ever built!” that was the quote. Years ago, I had an auto detailing business and all of us know, auto detailing is a bay or a trailer. So, when I heard about Lavaggio, I just wrote it off. Over the next couple of months, I kept hearing about Lavaggio and it always followed with “you must go see it, you will not believe it.” So, curiosity got the best of me and I headed over. Exiting the 101 fwy at Reyes Adobe, I was told I could not miss it, “turn right off the freeway and make the first right onto Canwood St. and you will see it on your left.”

So off the freeway I went, turned right and right onto Canwood Street.

But, something must be wrong. All I see is a spa or a medical building, ev-

erything else is residential. There is no detail center around here? So, I drove back and forth a few times and I kept seeing the Lavaggio waterfall and signage by the street, but where was the facility? All I see is this stunning building that is reminiscent of a Tuscan villa.

So, I turned into the medical building or villa or whatever it was and my jaw dropped, IT WAS LAVAGGIO! A little intimidated, I pulled into the parking lot. I didn’t understand.

This was the detailing facility? I walked up the marble steps and entered automotive nirvana. Allow me to assure you with 100% certainty; there is no other detail facility on the planet like Lavaggio. Everything I was told was true, and more.

Lavaggio is an entirely new concept in auto detailing. It is not a bay or a body shop, it is quite possibly the nicest automotive venue that has ever been created. Lavaggio is dedicated to

one simple principle: Exceed your expectations.

To fully understand Lavaggio, you must visit. No expense has been spared in providing your vehicle and yourself with the finest experience possible.

So what makes Lavaggio so special?

It begins when you pull onto the property. As you pull in the lull of waterfalls immediately puts you at ease.

Lavaggio’s service advisor, Gabriel greets you with a friendly smile and an extremely high level of expertise.

Once you have agreed upon a service, you enter Lavaggio’s state-of-the-art building. The concierge greets you, not unlike a five star hotel. She asks if you are “staying” or if you would like to be “transported” back to your home or office. Now here is where it starts to get very interesting. Included in the price of every service is a meal made to order and a ride to your home or office if

needed. Do you need me to repeat that?

You pull up to get your vehicle washed or detailed and you have your choice of a freshly made meal and/or a ride back to the office!

NO EXTRA CHARGE! If it is the case that you decide you are going to stay at Lavaggio while your vehicle is being cleaned, you have your choice of relaxing on their stunning patio, watching the flat-screen TV inside, using one of three iMacs or your own wireless laptop or device. And, this is only a small portion of the facility! If it is the case that you have work to be done or want a little more privacy, just head upstairs and there is a desk and a private sitting area as well as offices that are available to you. At no extra charge!

Ok, ok, sounds great, but if I am getting a ride home and a return pick up to get my vehicle and a complimentary meal, this place must cost a fortune right? WRONG! That is the most

amazing part of the Lavaggio experience; it is priced at a level that anyone can afford! In fact, it is price better than most other quality detail shops and mobile detailers. Throw in the lunch, amenities and pampering, it is a nobrainer.

Back to exceeding expectations, the base service is the Lavaggio Signature Wash. Now, what you have to understand here is that their wash is everybody else’s mini-detail or detail.

That signature wash which is expertly executed by detailers, is fully customized to each vehicle, meaning that it is not a conveyor or a line, it is two detail professionals using mineral free water (R-O water) in a dedicated wash bay utilizing the finest products available.

After the car is washed, it is pulled into the detail bay. Oh, the detail bay.

Again, I assure you with 100% certainty that you have never seen such a detail bay or work area (see next page).

Your vehicle is pulled into the bay and the detailers go to work on the inside and exterior of the vehicle. Your floor mats are put through a state-of-the-art washing and sanitizing machine. Your steering wheel, shifter and door handle are sanitized. From your wheels to your windows to your gas door, the attention to detail on the Signature Wash far exceeds the norm. To ensure the paint looks great, the detailers finish the vehicle with a liberal portion of detail spray. Yes, this is the wash! Upon completion, your vehicle is inspected three times. THREE TIMES! This ensures that Lavaggio lives up to its promise: Exceeding your expectations. If this is just the wash, imagine the detail!

Also worth noting are the big, sound-proof bay windows, which are incorporated into the structure. Every step of the way you can observe the skilled technicians perfecting your vehicle! Nothing is hidden and the entire

process is there for you to see. The entire approach at Lavaggio is to ensure that you are 100% comfortable with every aspect of your experience and the services being rendered on your vehicle.

When I tell you that you have to experience Lavaggio, you really must. I believe it actually takes a few visits to really understand the scope of what Lavaggio has to offer and the vision that has been recognized. Lavaggio is truly redefining auto detailing.

When one publishes a magazine, space is a precious commodity. I figured I would dedicate three pages to Lavaggio, but I could not tell the whole Lavaggio story in just three pages. I could actually dedicate a whole magazine to really elaborate on the level of detail at Lavaggio, but if you are a car guy like me, check out this one of a kind detail bay.

To detail properly, you must have an environment, which is conducive to

detailing. Environmentally factors like temperature, wind, fallout (overspray, dirt/dust in the air, other pollutants) all play a major role in the preparation, application and execution of detailing. At Lavaggio, the detail bay was designed to guarantee that Lavaggio had the perfect environment. From the climate controlled bay to the “clean room� air treatment system to remove dust and pollutants in the air, to the natural lighting, and the finest and most modern equipment, Lavaggio is truly one of a kind.

The detail team at Lavaggio has been trained, retrained, trained again, some more training and they are always training. Enough is never enough and to stay sharp, industry experts are in constant contact and are being flown in from all over the United States to ensure the Lavaggio team is current on all new techniques, products and information.

At Lavaggio, detailing is more than detailing, it is keeping you and your family healthy! Lavaggio has researched and found that there is a direct relationship between time spent in a car and illness. This is often attributed to contaminants in your vehicle. Research shows that if you eat in your vehicle, have kids or animals, your vehicle can be as dirty if not dirtier than your toilet. It’s true, Google it! To combat this, Lavaggio has taken a “health approach” and again, invested in training and equipment to kill germs and bacteria in your vehicle. The purpose of this

“Health Approach” was simply that the Lavaggio management felt it was their responsibility to keep their guests and the guest’s families healthy.

The lift in the corner. Yup, you got it, concours detailing. There was such a high demand from guests that wanted more than just the top and inside of their vehicles done, that Lavaggio decided to put in a lift with extra-low ramps (for the sports cars owners out there). Lavaggio offers concours detailing and under-carriage detailing.

They offered a story about a set of wheels that they were preparing for a34

guest. The wheels were to be put on a vintage Ferrari that was to head up to Concorso Italiano. So Lavaggio went to work on the wire wheels and the vintage tires. Having completed the “Concours wheel and tire service”, what did Lavaggio do? They called in a local certified concours judge and had them inspected prior to delivery to the client.

The vehicle took a trophy!

What types of vehicles frequent Lavaggio? On any given day, you will see a mom pull up in a SUV or a Prius owner pulling in. The irony is that most people think that Lavaggio is only for

“certain cars,” but truth be told, every type of car imaginable pulls in on a daily basis. I have been there when a boat pulled in, followed by a Carrera Gt, then a couple “soccer moms” in SUVs and then a Harley. Lavaggio was created to suit the needs of every type of vehicle owner and every type of vehicle. I have seen 4x4s covered in mud from weekend in the desert to real 440 6-pack Cudas to Hondas, Toyotas, Kias and everything else under the sun.

Lavaggio is such a value and an experience, once you visit, you have found a new home.

Lavaggio has also reached out to the car community. From offering their facility to car clubs and charitable foundations, to holding private events at to partnering with dealerships and manufacturers. Lavaggio has hosted guests like the Santa Barbara Porsche Club and parties and receptions from Lamborghini Aventador Launch parties with the Auto Gallery, Vista Ford Racing Mustang drives, McLaren Beverly Hills test drives, Tesla test drives, and so on and so forth. Lavaggio is becoming a central hub for everything automotive.

Being very immersed in the automotive world, I have never come across such an organization and operation.

Lavaggio has truly set a new bar that will be very hard to replicate if it is even possible. Again, I have to stress, you have to visit the location to fully understand what has been created.

The Platinum Club at Lavaggio: Lavaggio has had such great demand for a “yearly program”, that they came up with a concept called the “Platinum Club.” The Platinum Club is a yearly program in which you enroll your vehicle. The program allows you to get your vehicle unlimited Signature Washes. Yes, that does mean every day. It entitles you to a meal with every visit, concierge services, local car service, use of the business centers and offices, invitations to private events and product launches. It also entitles you to (4) Ultimate Details, A Lease Return Detail & A New Car Detail (in

Back to the detailing. Lavaggio takes such great care of your vehicle and they take it so seriously, every vehicle is inspected three times by three different trained experts. The technicians wear white cloth gloves and lab coats. Upper management will even does “spot inspections” to ensure the highest level of work possible. And, within 48 hours, a follow up call is made to the guest to ensure that their experience was of the approval of the guest. At Lavaggio, the experience is in the details and they are in the detail business and trust me, it shows.

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the case that you trade in your vehicle), VIP treatment. You might ask if anyone gets their car washed everyday and the answer is “yes”, they do. The value of just the washes once a week is well over $3,000.00, not including the Ultimate Details, the meal with each visit, the New vehicle and Lease return details and all of the amenities. The true value of this programs is somewhere over the $5,000.00 mark. But in classic Lavaggio style, they have priced the Platinum Club starting at $2,275.00 and even have payment options available to you.

In essence, your vehicle is guaranteed to be clean and resale value or trade-in value is realized.

I have personally enrolled two vehicles and have to tell you that it is the finest experience ever. I would suggest joining to everyone.

For more info on Lavaggio & the Platinum Club: 818-584-3240 www.lavaggio.net

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or the discerning Porsche enthusiast, there is a new event in Westlake at Rusnak Porsche, No Substitute Saturday.

Rusnak Porsche Westlake has hit a grand slam kicking off the car show season with one heck of a car show! The inaugural event was a huge success. Porsche enthusiasts from all over Southern California turned up to share their passion, amazing Porsches, friendship and camaraderie. Well over a hundred Porsches on display for the inaugural event and examples of every generation of Porsches were on display. From early 356s to multiple 918s and of course

a Carrera GT or two and many examples from the Air-cooled generations. It was incredible.

The brainchilds of the event, General Manager Keith Goldberg and New car Manager Ron Giger, goal was to keep the event simple; To bring the community together and share their passion for Porsche and the automobile.

In classic Rusnak style, there was a catered breakfast, espresso and coffee beverages, gift bags, an outdoor cafe style reception and the full Rusnak Team.

The event showcased how close-knit the Porsche community is. Everybody knew everybody and representatives from many Porsche clubs

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were present. Taking pictures, chatting, enjoying breakfast and looking at the amazing Porsches, everybody had an incredible time.

The Rusnak Porsche location is the perfect place for a Porsche gathering. Everybody was excited for this new monthly event featured on the third Saturday of every month. The attendees were very excited at this new Porsche specific event and very much looking forward to the upcoming months.

The Rusnak Team also did an amazing job as brand ambassadors. Whether it was the ladies at the boutique, the sales team or the service team, the Rusnak Team was there to assist

you with all of your needs. From questions on new cars, service questions from attendees or even special ordering hard to get Porsche items, the Rusnak Team was there for you. The passion and energy the Rusnak Team displayed made us all feel so very welcomed and appreciated. It was truly a well done event.

Driven World would like to give kudos to the Rusnak Porsche Team for pulling out all the stops and executing a phenomenal event. Everybody had a great time and we are so looking forward to more!

For more info on No Substitute Saturday, please visit: www.porschewestlake.com

Gwen Banta

Tory Herald

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ave you ever wondered what features help increase your home’s value?

We discovered some surprising information in a recent study conducted by Realtor. com®. One of the most interesting conclusions is that small homes actually appreciate faster than larger homes. According to the study, homes smaller than 1200 ft.² appreciated at an average rate of 7.5% a year for the past five years, while larger homes of 2400 ft.² or more appreciated

at a rate of 3.8% per year. Adding to our surprise is the fact that two bedroom homes appreciated at a rate of 6.6% per year, while homes with five bedrooms grew in value 4.3% per year according to the research team at Realtor.com®. Apparently big isn’t always better after all.

Other features that added to home appreciation were, in order of importance: open floor plan, patio, hardwood floors, fireplace, finished basements (not as prevalent here in California), hot tubs, stainless steel appliances, and granite counter

tops. We were surprised not to see pools on the list in this nationwide study, however, pools may not be as important in cooler climates. It is also worth noting that here in California, newer counter surface materials are beginning to replace granite as a preference. It will be interesting to see how this list changes from year to year.

Modern and contemporary architectural styles were determined to have the greatest potential for appreciation, followed by bungalows and traditional style homes. The

(323) 252 1700 (310) 985 2719 Connecting the Worlds of Real Estate 37 www.LosAngelesLuxuryHomesForSale.com

study also concluded that green space views are very desirable, while ocean views appreciated the least, perhaps due to purchase and maintenance costs, as well as weather issues. As California girls, we have our own feelings regarding that conclusion (cue the Beach Boys here).

The good news is that regardless of what size or type of home you have, there was an average valuation increase of 6.3% in 2016. So let’s show our appreciation for our homes’ appreciation!

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