Picture this: You are in your mid twenties, a fresh college graduate, and looking forward to starting a career. A career in what? Becoming a pro athlete? Please! You and what odds?
But if you're somehow half decent and earn some recognition in amateur competitions, a scout might discover you and you might get introduced to a team. And, if the team is half decent, they'll stay operational thanks to ever important sponsorships and endorsement funding.
But what if you're really good? I mean Michael Jordan good? The tables turn and it's no longer a matter of putting on sneakers and track jackets with a Nike Swoosh on it like a walking billboard. You'll find your name labelled onto everything Nike sells instead. It makes you immortal. It makes you legendary.
On Friday, Danny Chin shared about his first experiences at Lime Rock Park a couple years ago and his affections for the scenic racetrack.
Although I have been an avid fan of motorsports for many years now, I never had the opportunity to attend a live race. Yet since I was armed with a camera and a media pass, I somehow believed there will be no surprises. I was in for a big surprise.
I try to upload my pictures from my cameraphone onto the FPH facebook fanpage as often as I can but I always knew that they could stand to have a bigger stage.
Featured on our main blog for the first time, enjoy a selection of my spontaneous captures!
In my years of automotive enthusiasm, there's been a particular brand that I never understood. Saab isn't small or attractive enough to be considered prestige, nor is it large and common enough to be considered mainstream.
... almost always look like a naked woman lying on her stomach about to get up." -unknown
I would have gladly taken credit for this quote, but let's face it, we all know it was said by someone much more brilliant. If any of you know of its origin, feel free to leave a helpful comment.
Every once in a while, your favorite car magazines will do a cover on what they've nominated as the most beautiful cars in the world. 90% of the time, they've somehow managed to let you down by either not including one of your favorite cars or by putting in a car that you just don't care for. Unfortunately, this may happen here too. If you really want a list that meets your expectations, it'd be easier if you just created your own.
Anyway, back to me. I imagine that industrial design may be one of the most creativity prohibiting fields within design. Oftentimes, designs are dictated by the boring philosophies of practicality and functionality. You've all heard the phrase "form follows function," yes?
Even so, the humble automobile that started out as a tool for transportation, has become something that has transcended to lifestyle, culture, and won the affections of many.
Affection is wonderful. Affection has given upright utility a sprinkling of the irrational. But with a little extra addition of passion (Italian or otherwise), the flood gates opened and we witness the evolution of modern car design.
Through the decades, specifically starting in Europe and the United States during the late 1930's, one shape overcame the test of time and became the shape we have all universally agreed upon as beauty.
A common misconception has been that the most important part of a car is its engine.
Take this picture of an 1918 Peugeot for instance. It suggests to me that it is as powerful as a locomotive, dramatically displays the immensity of its engine. All else is an afterthought.
Later, a new philosophy stated that, in fact, the most important part of the car is its contact points to the road-- the wheels and tires. Car design paid close attention, and eventually devoted attention, to incorporating fenders that cover the wheels and suspension for better protection, aerodynamic fluidity and, of course, aesthetics.
1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900
Italian "Pontoon"
1949 Mercury Coupe
American "Character Line"
This design pursuit gave fruit to two key design cornerstones. The "pontoon fender" and the "character line." The majority of later design exercises have always been a combination of the two in varying degrees.
1955 Porsche 550 Spyder
1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa
1963 Ferrari 250 GTO
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe
1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback
Approaching the late 1960s, we enter the golden age of Italian car design and engineering.
Advances in fiberglass and metallurgy allowed for even more complex surfaces. In order to convey athleticism, designers offered the illusion of tension and bottled energy. No longer is it simply an attractive steel shell covering the mechanical bits. Inspiration created taut, firm skin, appeared to have stretched itself to its limit of tension across the car. What's the result? Yes you guessed it, the result is a car that looks like a naked woman lying on her stomach. Through it all, the philosophy from the 1930s remained true in the 1960s-- wheel fender arches are even more aggressively exaggerated, the engine still bulges through the bonnet. Another notable event happened in the 1960s. A small Italian automaker was founded in the once quiet town of Sant'Agata Bolognese. You may recognize the name from their more recent efforts; Diablo, Murcielago, Gallardo. But in 1966, Lamborghini created their genesis, the very first mid-engined V12 Lamborghini. The Miura. A sword has two edges, however. In the 1960s, car manufacturers were still in the experimental phase of aerodynamics and many were yet to master wind tunnel techniques. What does this mean? The rule of thumb for designers became, "if it looks slippery, then it is slippery."
1967 Lamborghini Miura
1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale 1968 Ferrari Dino Porsche 917
Ferrari 330 P4
Ford GT40
1990s Britain's decade of Magnificence. The wind tunnel's path of enlightenment.
Jaguar XJ 220
McLaren F1
Aston Martin DB7
2000s
Porsche Carrera GT
Ferrari F430
Aston Martin DB9 Alfa Romeo 8C Competitzione
Porsche Cayman S
Like many things, design can come back in full circle. For numerous reasons, whether it may be heritage, intellectual recycling, or what not, I do feel that the modern cars, while still thoroughly modern and innovative, borrow a lot from its predecessors. Nonetheless, I am very amazed at how far and how successful the original Italian Pontoon and the American Character line have developed and evolved while still staying very true to its original intention. Thank you all for reading this incredibly long post. In a century, there have been millions of cars that have been created so naturally there are numerous cars that have captured our hearts and inspired us. To the Lotus race car fans, and Lancia Stratos fanatics, Acura NSX tuners, Rolls Royce connoisseurs and yes, even you BMW playboys, I have not forgotten about the contributions your cars have provided but I just couldn't have possibly done them all.
Completing my last final exam at around 11pm last Wednesday night, I receive a call from mom with exciting news that we would be going on a trip to Cape Cod the morning after. Road trips with mama dukes always meant that you'll have to mentally come to terms with her role as the back seat driver for the coming four hour drive. But hey, I was desperate and I really needed this.
I'd like to use this opportunity to just say how important family really is and that I'm really glad we did it. In the end, this turned out to be one of the most pleasant trips of recent memory. My parents are no longer young and they're only going to get older. Another family trip is another memory that we'd be able to share together. When my folks get to an age where they've become too old to travel, I hope not to have any regrets on not spending time with them when I had the chance.
Road trips also remind us what owning a car is really about. Fundamentally, it is mobility. When an owner buys a Ferrari only to leave it in a climate controlled garage, I can only believe that what the owner must feel is a sense of regret and remorse that grows exponentially for every back road that he prevents his Ferrari from stretching its legs on.
Anyway, without further ado, please enjoy the pictures!
Day 1, Cape Cod:
::click on photo to enlarge::
The Lexus GS300 AWD, Joe's Lobster Mart near the Boardwalk, and I.
Considerations were made on whether or not to make this post a review on the Lexus (this is supposed to be a car blog after all) but I was afraid that it'd make readers fall asleep.
Let's get this over with. The Lexus GS 300 awd. Design wise, it's one slippery and handsome bar of soap, or as Lexus likes to call their design direction, "L-finesse". It seats four comfortably, though headroom is a bit lacking and I would have much preferred to leave my hat on while sitting inside.
Performance is good. With all passengers and luggage in the car, the engine was not out of breath when it was asked to accelerate to merging speeds. I'd describe the delivery as similar to that initial feeling you get when an elevator starts to move from underneath you. Boring, pretty much.
The chassis is rigid, the suspension is firm, the dampers are forgiving. The cabin is extremely quiet, the air conditioner blew cold, the leathers are soft, the ergonomics are sensible, the Mark Levinson stereo system was most welcomed. My mom and dad were especially happy with it whenever Lady Gaga's Telephone came on. Really, they're more hip than you think!
In conclusion, the Lexus is a good long distance tourer, but we'd prefer something with a bit more passion (a quid in the Italian swear jar) or a bit more Maserati Quattroporte.
Day 2, Provincetown and Gray GablesToken "editor in front of test car" picture.Paying Uncle Bob a visit!Day 3, BostonTop of the Prudential with Danny ChinCoordinating get up was unintentional. Probably caught a bit of attention though.Danny Chin and I sitting around talking about cars as usual. Note how my left arm is flat against the armrest and my fingers are curving upwards. I'm convinced that this picture was taken when I was in the middle of describing this white Aston Martin V8 Vantage I saw earlier that day and what my arm was actually doing is imitating the Aston's duck tail spoiler. Yes.
All in all, I had a great time and it was great to visit Boston again. Special thanks to Sandra and Uncle Bob, a thank you to my parents for becoming less dorky, and special special thanks to Danny Chin and his family for the hospitality. It was wonderful to see you all again!
I'm sure there will be more road trip posts in the future. It is arguably the most rewarding thing to be able to do as a driver. This sort of combination of spontaneity and freedom is rare and I don't think it's even something I see many major publications write about in detail.
I hope you enjoyed this post, let us know of your memorable road trips or one that you've always wanted to do!
Chronologically, a measurable length of time. Other than that, a decade only becomes more difficult to describe.
But what comes hand in hand with time is growth and knowledge. We see examples of both throughout the course of this decade more than any other. Highlights of the decade include the German horsepower wars (became Nurburgring lap-time war thanks to the GTR), the latest gasoline crisis causing the abandonment of the SUV trend and eventually leading a trend to a full blown "green" mentality(Toyota Prius + Obama), the need for lifestyle niche vehicles (crossovers), the dramatic demise of the Big 3 (and the fall of the global economy), Toyota's misstep (largest automotive recall in US history, 3.8 million vehicles), Tata and Hyundai's leaps and bounds.
Don't be mistaken, I'm not here to recap or to analyze. Just let the paragraph sink in and reflect on just how turbulent this decade has been for all of us. With this setting in place, I would like to proudly introduce to you our vehicle of the decade.
Nissan GTR Surprised? Initially, so was I.
Honestly, I've procrastinated with this post. I've been fearing this post. Having spoken to Danny Chin many times, double checking to see if there has been anything we missed, wanting assurance that this was definitely the car we would be going with, I've finally come to peace. I know now that this award belonged to the GTR all along.
Readers that disagree, I assure you that although we may fit the "ricer" stereotype (we're Asian after all), we make our decisions without that sort of bias. We find pride, as individuals, for being worldly and indiscriminately curious.
Our list of candidates came from every avenue. Selling this post idea to Danny Chin, my first nomination for car of the decade was the Toyota Prius (2004- 2009). It's impact to the car industry and to society as a whole has arguably become too great to ignore. The Prius-- leader of the "green movement", the hyper-miler's weapon of choice, the overnight celebrity profiler-mobile (how many hybrids does Leo DiCaprio own again?), as well as urban area workhorse (NYPD).
I would say that it was the celebrity effect that was strongest of all. It snowballed an idea that being earthy, environmentally friendly, frugal, and techy has become posh. Overnight, everyone and their mothers owned one. Market wise, an age bracket hardly existed for the Prius.
However popular and well received this car may be, it never sat well with me or Danny Chin. For one stubborn reason or another, we could not bring ourselves to acknowledge, let alone appreciate, that this was the car of the future.
Other suggestions and nominations that we've played with include the all electric Tesla Roadster, $1.8 mil Bugatti Veyron, Aston Martin DB9 (A.K.A. the most gorgeous, voluptuous, sexiest car the world has ever seen), the surprising Corvette ZR1, E46 M3, 500hp M5, etc. insert ::DB9 plug::
-Danny Choy-
So,why the GTR? The GTR has turned heads and changed opinions all over the world. Before the GTR arrived, the best performance for the money was a Corvette. That was a car full of compromises. You could have your world class performance but not your world class interior. In the same price bracket, a 911S was available but you'd be sacrificing Ferrari beating acceleration and levels of grip.
Then six years after the concept bowed, the GTR went into production in 2007. It shook the foundation of the car industry. Thanks to games like Gran Turismo and Forza, generations of young adults have lusted after this car because of its fore bearers. The tale of Godzilla was rewritten but this time it was available for U.S. consumption. No other car has had so much resting on its shoulders and been able to deliver. Just like no other car has been said to "defy the laws of physics." It claimed the Nurburgring production car lap record, decimated its opposition in every comparison test, and you could buy three for the price of a Ferrari.
