Auto Reverie: Why You Should Go To The Quail And Why You Never Will

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.

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.

Quite the entrance

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.

You think that's a lot? This Ferrari sold for less than one third of what the 275
NART Spider went for

Stumbled across a pair of glorious 787b race cars in a staging area

The 700-hp 4-rotor rocketed Mazda to the only Le Mans win for any Asian
manufacturer

I couldn't explain to you why, but I am completely in love with the styling
of this 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato

The all new BMW M4

Rivets are hot. The hindquarters of the stunning '35 Bugatti Type 57

Truly an engineering masterpiece

Lamborghini Countach rolling onto the green—doors up—for all the crazy
folks who woke up 4am to get their free "Dawn Patrol" hat

Another blue Countach on display at The Quail

You damn well better appreciate the lengths this car's owner had to go to keep
that white interior this pristine

Lambo Mafia

1965 De Tomaso P70 Prototype

Engine bay of the legendary F40

Of course your F40 comes with matching luggage

F50 GT1

A sculpture in carbon fiber: The '09 P 4/5 Competizione

The Ferrari P 4/5

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

Galpin's 1000+hp GTR1

The first and hopefully not the last Huayra I'll ever see—driving on a public road no less!

Everything about the La Bestioni Beast is absurd, and I love it.

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