I'm not dead, I promise. Just super busy and slow at editing photos. Here are the pictures I've posted on my Instagram/Facebook, I posted these thinking I would be done with the rest in a week and I would have all photos and a write up on the blog, but clearly that hasn't happened. I promise I will work on them as soon as possible though.
A Very American (and Ironically JDM) July Cars and Coffee
This month's Gainey Ranch Cars and Coffee happened to coincide on a very important holiday for us 'Muricans: the 4th of July, our Independence Day. July in Arizona also happens to be very hot (as I'm writing this, my weather app says it's 47 degrees celsius/116 degrees Fahrenheit outside, at 2pm), since summer is now in full swing. So, a combination of a holiday weekend where people are either working a barbecue, swimming, drinking, or all three, combined with killer heat, means turnout for an outdoor car show in the morning isn't the best. Of course, this being the Gainey Ranch Cars and Coffee, "not the best" still means "quite amazing".
So, 4th of July. I was hoping to see some cool American cars for the occasion, perhaps like the one month where fourteen (yes, 14, one-four, I even counted myself) Ford GTs made an appearance. However, instead, I got greeted by a (literal) JDM surprise: a white R32 GT-R and blue R32 GTS, with a gold R31 GTS, lowered 350Z, and boosted 300ZX alongside. Plus, the Nismo GT-R and Alpha 9 packaged GT-R made another appearance.
I have to say, seeing the R31 and R32s made me happy. I know of other R32s and ER32s in the Valley as well, plus an R33. It's amazing how these cars have such a cult following, and that they're coming to the States en masse. The JDM scene stateside has found a wonderful new addition now that R32s are easier to acquire. Just imagine what the car scene here would have been like if they were imported from the get-go. But I'm still waiting until the R34 can be brought over, (relatively) hassle free. 2024, here we come!
But, past these JDM gems, the true colors of Gainey Ranch's Cars and Coffee showed: Rows of European exotic cars on one end and a row of Shelby/AC Cobras and other American muscle cars on the other, almost as if they're having a stare-off. Plus, there were even some "oddities", including a Citroën 2CV, which I found appropriate for the day since the French were instrumental in establishing this country.
By this time, I had probably sweat at least a liter of liquid from the heat, direct sunlight, and humidity from the remnants of a late-night storm. I was feeling pretty miserable. But, I was nearing the area where the "star car" of the show usually is. I have to say, Cars and Coffee has desensitized me to some cars. This month, the black Enzo made another appearance. I remember the first few times, I was super excited and pumped to see it and took a ton of pictures. This time though, probably inflamed by how hot and sweaty I was, how my friend said the Dustball Rally 918 Spyder would show up again, and the poor location of it in terms of getting good photos, I thought in my head "oh look, the Enzo, should I take pictures?". Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I no longer think an Enzo is cool or amazing, I'm just saying that because I've seen it so many times the shock-and-awe factor has disappeared and I can stare at it now without having the urge to take photos. It's stopped being that magical object that I will never see in my life to a completely real car that I can see and hear, and I can just soak in its lines and appreciate it at its true level as a car, not at some non-existent mythical fantasy level. And honestly, I like that feeling, because I feel if I'm too busy worshiping a car, I'll miss out on the true nature of it and I'll be unable to appreciate it fully. Now, if only I could get a proper photo shoot with it or ride along in it...
Walking to a second corner in the parking lot, a diverse group appeared. Although it was mostly populated by American cars, like Mustangs (and the very patriotic Mustang) and these two wonderful looking CTSVs, there were also some Japanese cars and even a Veloster. It was neat seeing all of the American cars that showed up that Saturday, which I'm hoping is because of Independence Day. Also, I caught an amusing vanity plate on an Alpha GT-R leaving the show, "GDZIRA". Oh, accents.
Now, you're probably wondering why I took photos of an Accord, and that's for personal reasons. My family owned a 1998 Honda Accord Coupe, a taffeta white V6 automatic, and as a kid I'd play around inside it all the time. Seeing a 6th gen Accord coupe around here is rare, and seeing one modified in a tasteful fashion with pride to show it off just struck a chord with me, one of those feelings you get that makes you smile but you can't articulate into words. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this kind of diversity at Cars and Coffee is what I love; all aspects of the car culture can come together and show off.
Walking back over to the main parking lot, I got a look at some more 'Murican muscle from bygone eras, as well as a Tesla Roadster, fitting for the day since it represents a potential future for automobiles, with an American brand leading the way. But then, an ER32 Skyline (sedan version of the R32 Skyline) rolled in. I started laughing to myself because of how much JDM was present at the meet, ironic since, you know, that thing almost 74 years ago, involving that harbor, named Pearl, with the ships, and the planes... But alas, it was cool to see these two large scenes of the car culture at the same show together.
The whole show was extremely diverse, evidenced when I walked further back in the parking lot. There were Impreza STIs sitting next to Mustangs sitting next to Corvettes. For example, this 2015 Mustang on airbags sat across from this Mk. IV Toyota Supra in pristine condition. And, walking around a little further, some very patriotic Shelby GT500s (all they needed was blue; red and white were covered) sat next to another Camaro and 2015 Mustang GT. It was extremely satisfying seeing a red-and-white-striped GT500 next to a white-and-red-striped GT500 parked next to each other because of how they were each others' opposite in color.
But, either the heat or the 4th of July festivities got to people, because by 9:30, the entire parking lot was cleared out. I've never seen the show end so quickly before; usually it takes until 10:30 or 11 for the lot to clear. Alas, I hope that as winter comes, more great cars show up as more people can tolerate the outdoors, the snowbirds roll in and all of the students at ASU come back for school...
More pictures:
Gainey Ranch Cars and Coffee April 2015- Scottsdale, Arizona
Every first Saturday of the month, Oliver Smith Jeweler in Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona, hosts a Cars and Coffee event, where the amount of wealth in Arizona is revealed through the cars that show up. I have been attending the show since May 2014, only missing June 2014 (ASU orientation), Dec. 2014 (finals), and May 2015 (finals), so I'm accustomed to what usually shows up. For example, every show is chock full of Ferrari 458s, C6 Corvettes, Lamborghini Gallardos, Nissan GTRs, etc.; in fact, as a friend noted, they're so common you find yourself saying "Oh, it's just another 458 Italia" and walk by without a second thought.
This month, I brought along several friends. Since most people start arriving at 6am to get a show spot, and I usually arrive at 7:40am, I always have to park away from the show. So, as we approached, my friends and I saw a Ford GT, some M4s, an LFA, and other cars, but the "main attraction" always was up ahead.
Since a LaFerrari, several Enzos, a Porsche 918, and a McLaren P1 have all been the "main attraction", (yes, implying that a Ford GT and an LFA aren't the main attraction), we rushed ahead to see what was there. And behold, a massive treat:
Yes, a Ferrari LaFerrari, Porsche 918, and an Enzo Ferrari. All next to each other. Over $3,000,000 worth of beautiful, artfully crafted engineering in three adjacent parking spots. Which, of course, meant there was a HUGE crowd by them. I wanted good photos of these cars, since I know that there are chances I would never see them again. So, I spent literally an hour trying to get good shots. Let's say I got rather salty, trying to get photos, due to all of the people surrounding it. Basically all my patience was tested that day as little kids decided to dart in front of me, adults who wanted to watch the world burn decided to cross my path, and people got all close and personal with the cars while I was trying to get shots from further away. For every good shot I got, I probably took six shots overall. But, I hope it was worth it. The owner of the LaFerrari was by his car, and I managed to have him leave the door open for a little bit to get photos of the interior. I wanted to talk to him, but he was talking to someone else and disappeared right after closing the door.
After this, I focused on photographing the LaFerrari, the Enzo, and the two together, because the crowd around them was not as dense as it was closer to the Porsche 918.
First, the LaFerrari. 949hp of some of Italy's finest V12s and electric motors. It' surreal seeing something so expensive, rare, and fast in front of you. I never liked the LaFerrari's looks, until I saw it in person. It's absolutely beautiful. I love how all the lines flow together, which is why a lot of my shots are detailed shots of the bodywork.
And then the Enzo, the old king of Ferrari followed by the Enzo and LaFerrari together. I loved how the two cars were parked near each other, as if it was a ceremony where the torch of "flagship car" and "hypercar war warrior" was passed from the Enzo to the LaFerrari.
And then, the crowd thinning out a little, I started photographing the 918, as well as the LaFerrari and 918 together, as well as trying to get all three together in a shot. If you're wondering why it seemed like I focused more on the LaFerrari than the Enzo and the 918, it's because I've seen the same Enzo and a different 918 twice before, so the LaFerrari was the "newest" to me and my priority for getting a good photo of, since I already have plenty of pictures of the 918 and Enzo. I love the exhaust on the 918; while the engine may be hidden, that exhaust sticking out from behind the occupants' heads is a wonderful sight. And that spoiler; man, it is huge. But my favorite design detail of the 918 is the taillight: the shape, the fact that it protrudes and is "hollow", how it and the spoiler meet when the spoiler is down- all of it appeals to me.
With an hour gone, I decided to join my friends and see what else there was around the show. I'm a sucker for LED DRLs that form shapes, and I love the LED DRL shape Lamborghini uses as part of their brand identity. So, when I saw a Huracan with DRLs on, I had to take a photo of it, and later on edited it.
In the middle of the show there were various cars, including a Lamborghini Huracan with the license plate "458 B8" and a Lamborghini Diablo. There was also a Rolls Royce Ghost, and a couple of Panteras, which I caught as they were leaving.
But then, another surprise showed up: A Bugatti Veyron, which drops by from time to time. My friend knows the name of the man who owns it, but I forgot it. While I'd love to be able to get to know him, all I have for now are pictures.
However, he was just passing through, most likely because there were no parking spaces left. However, some of his friends stopped to talk to him, giving me some extra time to snap some quick photos before he left again.
Once he left, it was back to looking around. There were a lot of cool cars there. A Dodge SRT Hellcat caught my eye. It always surprises me that the Hellcat weighs 4404 lbs (around 1998 kg). How does it weigh that much? I've come to realize that other cars are just as heavy, like the new M5, but the Hellcat's weight certainly doesn't help the "heavy Challenger" stereotype. Still, I love how Dodge's answer to this is Jeremy Clarkson-esque thinking: POWERRRRRRRRR (707 hp). Maybe it's a pig, but it's all lean, muscular meat.
There was a Ferrari F12 and Lamborghini Aventador Spyder there, too, both in perfect positions to take amazing photographs of. I love how the sun reflected off of the F12; silver paint finally has a purpose. I also love the open doors on the Aventador; to me, it almost was like the car was beckoning for someone to take the wheel and take it to its limits.
There was also a very nice looking BMW 2002 and a Ford Shelby Mustang GT350H, which, if you aren't familiar with it, is the special version of the GT350 made for Hertz, the rental car company. Just in case you wanted a rental car that doesn't make you rethink all of your life's choices (or I guess could cause you to do so in order how to figure out how to own a non-H GT350).
Meanwhile, a beautiful Maserati Gran Turismo S was parked nearby. I've always found the car a looker, but not a performer. I know the second part of that thought is not true, but if I wanted performance I would choose a different car, even if they aren't as pretty.
As we were getting ready to leave, my friends and I spotted a car that we did not see on our first rounds: A Ferrari 275 GTB, a true Ferrari classic. It's a shame it couldn't part next to the F12, since both are the 12 cylinder grand tourer of Ferrari for their generations. Unfortunately, there were lots of people surrounding it (as many cars left already, leaving it to be one of the few "interesting" cars left), so I could not snap too many good photos of it.
As we prepared to leave again, a Ferrari 458 Speciale pulls in, again attracting a crowd. I've neer seen a Speciale before. As an engineer, I should love the aerodynamic changes on the car, but I just can't for the front end. It took the sleek lines of the 458 and straightened them out into a weird square-jaw. My inner engineer cheers while my inner stylist weeps.
Just when we thought we could leave, a chrome-wrapped Nissan GT-R pulled in. This GT-R is special to me; I actually saw it brand-new and stock in a Wal-Mart parking lot by my high school in 2013, and when I first came to Cars in Coffee in May of 2014, it had its blue chrome wrap, new wheels, and was one of the first cars I took photos of. Now, almost another year later, it has an AMS Performance Package installed. I wish I could have talked to the owner, but he left too quickly. I know it is the same GT-R because all three of the GT-Rs I saw over that time had the same awesome license plate: "GODZYLA". I feel like I've been witness to its evolution, seeing it in its "young days" and maturing.
Afterwards, we all decided to head back to ASU, ready to take naps, eat lunch, or do homework, with all of our months made by the cars there.