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.