Down in Monterey, CA during the ever-expanding deluge of car-related events that surround the Pebble Beach Concours, you'll feel like you've been transported to another dimension where gearheads rule the world. Everywhere you look there's a car you've never seen outside of a videogame—and this is no car museum, nearly all of the cars here are actually being driven! It's wonderful.
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The 1955 Lincoln Indianapolis Concept driving the Tour d'Elegance preceeding the Concours itself |
If you're able to get your hands on one of the $450 tickets that seem to sell out 9 months in advance, and you can find a vacant, overpriced hotel room for the week, you'll be in for a treat: gourmet all-you-can-eat buffets of every variety, wing-suited stuntmen jumping out of helicopters, and you might even bump into the likes of Jay Leno, Micheal Schumacher, or Valentino Balboni.
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Quite the entrance |
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Leno rolls into the Quail in a C7 after thrashing it about at nearby Laguna Seca |
Eventually you'll notice that you've been too distracted to realize how badly you need to go to the bathroom, and—if you can find the place–not only can you relieve yourself, but they've got you covered for all manner of classy-person emergencies: free gum, shaving cream, razors, deodorant and combs for the taking. There's a MacGyver joke in there somewhere . . .
Even after spending 5 full days in the chaos, I left feeling a bit like I had missed out. I know, you're thinking, "ungrateful much?" But hear me out. I had seen so many cars, each one bearing engineering milestones, unique designs and their own fascinating history, I wished I could have learned more about each and every one. But for that I'll need a lot more time, Wikipedia, and attention span. Is the Matrix a thing yet? I'm looking at you, Google.
If you ever do get the chance though, you have to go.
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You think that's a lot? This Ferrari sold for less than one third of what the 275 NART Spider went for |
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Stumbled across a pair of glorious 787b race cars in a staging area |
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The 700-hp 4-rotor rocketed Mazda to the only Le Mans win for any Asian manufacturer |
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I couldn't explain to you why, but I am completely in love with the styling of this 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato |
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The all new BMW M4 |
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Rivets are hot. The hindquarters of the stunning '35 Bugatti Type 57 |
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Truly an engineering masterpiece |
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Lamborghini Countach rolling onto the green—doors up—for all the crazy folks who woke up 4am to get their free "Dawn Patrol" hat |
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Another blue Countach on display at The Quail |
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You damn well better appreciate the lengths this car's owner had to go to keep that white interior this pristine |
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Lambo Mafia |
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1965 De Tomaso P70 Prototype |
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Engine bay of the legendary F40 |
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Of course your F40 comes with matching luggage |
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F50 GT1 |
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A sculpture in carbon fiber: The '09 P 4/5 Competizione |
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The Ferrari P 4/5 |
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This picture does absolutely no justice to how bad ass the rear end of the F50 is. The V12 and impossibly cool rear suspension on full display |
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Galpin's 1000+hp GTR1 |
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The first and hopefully not the last Huayra I'll ever see—driving on a public road no less! |
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Everything about the La Bestioni Beast is absurd, and I love it. |
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It's a stripped down customized old firetruck with a 6-cyclinder 14-liter engine! The motor alone weighs 1500 lbs, and, believe it or not, can propel this car to 100 mph |
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This Maserati MC12 road car (1 of 36, and the only one in black) has only 700 miles, and it's for sale! |
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Interior of the MC12 |
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Needs no description. |
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1936 Morgan Super Sports Barrel Back |
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The original: 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen |
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The massive crowd at Pebble Beach during the height of the show |
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Panorama shot of my view for the day at The Quail |
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MB SLS AMG GT3 |
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Spyker Venator—the silly scoops are finally gone! |
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Interior of the Venator resembles the engine of the Type 57 |
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For when you're too cool for gated shifters—fantastic |
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Triumph TR250k |
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Spotted this on an access road, I believe it to be an early prototype of the Tushek Renovatio—a more refined K1 Attack |
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Veneno—such a stunner |
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The new XFR-S seems like it should only be sold in Australia |
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XKR-S GT |
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918 now with the fastest production car lap time on the 'Ring |
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Coolest exhaust of the show |
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My view leaving The Quail in an SLS AMG GT |
AR