As they say “Tis the Season”….well, here at motorfanatics, ’tis the season to be dreaming. Dreaming about fantasy shopping binges. Yesterday, Chris and I went for lunch..and after a quick bite to eat, we decided to do some window shopping. I quickly remembered the BRABUS showroom in Newport Beach, and we headed over. As we pulled in, it occurred to me that it had been a while since I looked in the window. BRABUS was gone, but there was a Rolls Royce Phantom staring out the window with a big bow on top, so we knew we’d still get to see some goods. Inside we found another ½ dozen rolling palaces, in various colors and configurations. All equally extravagant, and excessive. But in the back we found the cars more our style. The first being a black Carerra GT, a car that Chris and I both put at the top of our fantasy car shopping list. This one was a 2005, and had about 8900 miles on it. We figured about 350k for that little piece of magic. Unfortunately we missed their Spyker, but they did have a handful of options in the Lotus family. We quickly became bored with the place when the sales guy contradicted what Chris knew as fact, and said its not a problem using the Lotus windshield as a pressure point when maneuvering in and out of the little track demon. It is a problem. So with a sour taste in our mouths, we split.

Next stop, PCH. Window shopping on the Pacific Coast Highway can be pretty fun. No matter what your looking for, you can find something to your liking on the highway along the coast in Newport Beach. Finding a red 993 Turbo was a score, both Chris and I love the classic design and at the time, it was the fastest production car in the world. Even to this day it would scare the living bujeeeezez out of most drivers.

The sight of the night had to come when we stopped at the Porsche dealership, and walked next door to the Bentley store. The Bentley Continental Supersports, OH MY GOOOOOODNESS! Maybe the best execution of style, power and exclusivity that we have ever seen. 621Bhp, striking good looks, comfort, class, this car has it all. Chris is sold that it would be his daily driver if the finances allowed…and I’ve tried, but I can’t think of a car that would be a better choice. The car is absolutely incredible.

Continuing along on our Christmas dream cruise, we saw a Maserati Gran Turismo, Multiple Ferrari 599’s, 430 Scuderia’s, and a banquet of Porsches. Then, we decided to roll into one of the largest Mercedes dealerships in the US, Fletcher Jones Motorcars. Now, until a few weeks back at track day, we both looked at Mercedes with a bit of a snark. Yeah, go ahead and pay that, I never would. But after spending some quality time on the track in a SL55 AMG, our opinions towards the 3 point moniker started to shift. That car was spectacular. Incredible power and agility, comfort was obvious..but we found ourselves with new found respect for Mercedes. Even if the prices are outrageous. Well, on the theme of outrageous, as we pulled up…we immediately saw not one, but 3 McLaren SLR convertibles in a row…next to 2 SL65 AMG Black Series vehicles. Now the Black Series is silly, 661hp, and roughly $300 grand? Are you kidding me?  The real cough came a few seconds later, when we spotted another SLR inside and Chris walked around to look at the sticker. WOW! Seriously, he looked a little pale, and about to faint…and he was rendered speechless for a few seconds. They had 3 new SLR roadsters at the dealership, all priced the same, at just under $550,000. Yes, that is a very nice home. This was enough to set our evening strait, we decided to head home and catch our breath on the way.

It occurred to me this morning when I was reliving our adventure that there is a reason I can’t afford all these cars. Its because I’m a dreamer. If I actually had all of that, what would I dream of? My life would have to completely change. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. Almost daily I have the “what if” discussion with someone and for me it’s entertainment, fantasy, and imagination all mixed into one. I dream of acres of land with an airstrip for my jets, a track for my cars, karts, motorcycles and toys of more varieties than I can even remember. I guess when it is all said and done, I benefit as much as anyone who actually buys these toys. I get to dream.  I get to bounce from one amazing toy to the next without the costs. Seriously, Chris and I had a blast last night. Did we stomp on the accelerator of any of these cars? No, we didn’t even sit in a single one of them. But are our cheeks sore from the smiles on our faces? You bet they are, and that is what its all about. So enjoy the holiday, Merry Christmas, and rather than wishing that all your dreams come true, I hope you keep your dreams alive and vibrant, because that’s really what its all about.

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So last Saturday, I grabbed my wife and we headed out to Pacific Porsche and waited for a turn behind the wheel of the $119,000 S model.  This was the first I’d seen the vehicle in person and my first thought was “wow that thing is massive!” (that’s what she said).  But I guess if the intention is to steal market share from the S class  & 7 series, the vehicle has got to be big.  We started out as a 4-some: Kam the sales guy, Albert another Porsche customer, and my wife and I.  First, we had to stop and fuel up so Albert took over driving to there.  I was sitting behind the driver seat, and I was amazed at the comfort and space.  The back seats where nicer than most vehicles front seats, and held you right in place.  My only concern with the back seat is that for a guy my size (no giant) the visibility isn’t very good and passengers might feel a bit secluded back there.  Chris with his long legs would relax in comfort back there with plenty of leg & headroom.

When it was my turn behind the wheel, the first thing I noticed was the feel from the drivers seat because the vehicle felt MUCH smaller.  The visibility was good and it felt like a bigger 911, but not nearly as big as it actually is.  I quickly learned that the vehicle has massive power and awesome handling on our short test drive.  We didn’t get a chance to REALLY push it, but it was an amazing machine.  I can’t imagine how much $ you would have to make to justify the vehicle…but whatever, people spend that kinda cash on cars all the time and if I was going to drop over 100k on a 4 door sedan…it would be foolish of me not to consider the Panamara.

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me:  So, if you had 300g’s and you had to spend it all on cars. what would your first purchase be?
Christopher:  it was given to me today?
me:  yep. you get a check at lunch.
Christopher:  FIRST
I’d go straight to the auto gallery and pay cash for that GT3RS
without thinking.  it’d be a reflex
me:  how much do that have that listed for? I think you could get them to come down some. its been sitting there a long time.
Christopher:  yea,it’s been there forever and I’d be paying cash.
it was at 120 I believe
or maybe 140
anyway
I’d get em down to 110
guaranteed
cash speaks
so that leaves me 190
me:  yes it does, it looks like the black one, with orange accents is listed for 159
Christopher:  hmmm
yikes
well
maybe more realistic is 130
getting them to come down 30 would be a tough sell
but I bet I could get them to squeak it by
me:  lets just say 135 then, so what next?
Christopher:  hmmm
well…
I’d really want something to put together
something to play with
a project really
so, once the GT3RS is in the garage
I’d order one of these:
http://www.factoryfive.com/hotrodhome.html
the kit’s 20
there’s probably another 20 in bodywork
and then I’d max the drivetrain and powertrain for another 20 probably
doing all the work myself
me:  nice, what motor would you put in it?
Christopher:  I’d actually buy a wrecked last gen mustang GT
cobra
so
I’d get the supercharged 4.6
and 6 speed
manual
me:  nice
my tally is 195 spent, 105 left to go
hmmm
me:  right
Christopher:  while I think about my last choice, why don’t I turn this back on you
what would you do?
me:  well….I think i would start with a used 997S…i think i could get that taken care of for about 70
Christopher:  yes
that sounds about right
me:  so I’d have a cayenne, a 997, I think then….i’m not sure
Christopher:  hahha
you’ve got 230 to go!
me:  I think i might get down with a V8 vantage….
so scratch another 100, because I wouldn’t spend more than that on one
Christopher:  good call
I like that
me:  now is where it gets tricky
Christopher:  yea
I know, I’m in the same boat
me:  I think I might go off course here
I’ve got about 130 to spend
Christopher:  that’s cool
right
me:  I think i would go pure track car
Christopher:  like what?
like a classic dedicated race car?
or build a track car?
me:  well, like this
http://www.race-cars.com/carsales/porsche/1234918483/1234918483ss.htm
83k
Christopher:  ahhhh
nice
me:  I could spend the 83, and then still have nearly 50 left, and with that, i could buy a used tow vehicle and trailer
something like a tahoe
Christopher:  yep
and a maxed out trailer
me:  soooo….i would have a 997S, an Aston Martin, a dedicated GT3 cup car..a tahoe and a maxed out trailer
and my cayenne
i’d be pretty f-ing stoked!
Christopher:  hahahaah
yea
that would pretty much be the dream
and I think that might be where the rest of my money would go
I think I’d pay off and mod the GTI a tiny bit
so, 20 gone
and then spend the last 85 on something to haul everything around in
me:  yeah, it makes sense to have a hauler.  but where the hell are we going to keep all this stuff!?
Christopher:  that’s what I was just going to say
can I spend some on a warehouse?
a warehouse/workshop
me:  its our fantasy, lets just say we already bought a warehouse
Christopher:  ok

So there you go.  Some would say that the conversation accomplishes nothing, but that’s where they would be completely wrong.  Its discussions like this that prepare us.  Chris and I most likely, will never be handed $300,000 to blow on toys.  (here’s the photos) As much as it pains me to write that last sentence, it’s just not likely.  That is why it’s called a fantasy.  But if it ever did happen, well, we would be prepared, just like all those other car guys out there in the world, waiting to pounce on a once in a lifetime opportunity.

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Since I was in Manhattan, it was easier to visit  The Classic Car Club of Manhattan in the Tribeca neighborhood.  The guys where kind enough to show me around, and take me for a hot lap of lower Manhattan in their Ford GT.  One of the things I learned is that they all offer very similar deals.  You pay and you play…for less than it would cost to buy one of these cars.  Recently Gotham Dream Cars let us know about a special event they are hosting in June, called the “Legends Dream Car Tour.”  Gallery here Participants pay $1495 and get to drive a planned drive route that is Led by famous Lamborghini test-driver Valentino Balboni. The tour will put participants behind the wheel of five different Lamborghinis including the Gallardo LP 650-4 Spyder and Murcielago LP 640 Roadster, and also time riding shotgun with Balboni, on more than 150 miles of scenic, open road in Northern New Jersey and New York.
So the point is this: $1495 for a day is a chunk of change for anyone, but for that price… you’d be behind the wheel of a couple million dollars worth of cars….not a bad way to spend a Saturday.  If Italian supercars aren’t your thing, there are a million ways to get your but seated in a dream car of your own…even if it’s just for a day.

I was probably 2 maybe 3 days old before I started dreaming about my first project car.  At the time, my dad was working on putting together a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 and as far back as I can remember, that was the car that got me hooked on muscle cars.  As I got older, my dad and I threw around more and more ideas for what we could put together as my first project car. Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers, but they were all too expensive for a beginning driver and didn’t quite have the flair that we were looking for.

It was then one fateful day when I watched Wayne’s World for the umpteenth time and put two-and-two together.  Why not a Pacer?  Dad laughed, but I was serious.  He wrote it off as crazy, but I kept my eye open.  A month or so later, paging through a car trader with my buddy (yea, that’s how car obsessed I have always been) we stumbled across a 1978 Pacer that the ad claimed to be equipped with a V8!  I clipped out the ad and rushed home to my dad.  Showing it to him, we both wrote it off as a typo until he called.  AMC DID in fact put a V8 in a Pacer, and this was one of them.  We had found our project car.

I was 13 years old when we took delivery of our Pacer, and within a month it was completely torn down and body on a rotisserie.  Three excruciating years and a lot of blood, sweat and tears passed until we had it fully restored and ready for the street, and when it finally was, it was a HOOT!

Those three paragraphs must be the longest introduction to a post ever, but I had to give some perspective to the Black Pacer in the above image and accompanying photo gallery.  I’ll have more details, specs, and images of the Pacer in the coming months, so you all have something to look forward to.  Now, getting to the point.  Did you know that the Porsche 928 was rumored to be inspired by the styling of the Pacer?

It’s true, I swear.  Porsche design chief at the time, Tony Lapine has credited the Pacer as being responsible for inspiring the bubble-shaped tail end of the 928.  Seriously.  The Pacer, one of the most unloved cars of all time has been rumored to be credited with one of Porsche’s more “unique” cars.  How does that happen one might ask?  Well, it’s hard to say.  I suppose design inspiration can come from anywhere.  Still though, a performance car inspired by a bulbous economy car sounds preposterous.  As a Pacer enthusiast though (yes, those DO exist, there’s even a Yahoo! Group for us misfits) it ads to the flavor and character of our portly little pals.  “Did you know the 928 was designed after the Pacer?”  “Yep” I reply as we roast the rear Kumho’s on the 401 V-8 powered Pacer.

Dan has made some new friends as of late who happened to be pretty well connected in designer circles, and we’re hoping to be bringing you an inside look at some designs.  While I have to keep the cat in the bag for now, let’s ponder the copy cat Pacer-Porsche scenario I posed above.  While nothing has been completely proven, the photo evidence I provided from last years Hot Rod Power Tour does speak volumes.  A picture’s worth a thousand words?  This one’s worth seven.  “The 928 was styled after the Pacer.”

Now, the point of this post..well, the American Le Mans series is about to start, and to celebrate that, Porsche decided to show us some past all-stars from their hall of fame stable.  They gave us the  718 RS 60, the RS Spyder as well as the 935 and 962 models.  So we’ve got the 718..it only had 160hp, and it smoked more powerfull competitors back in 1960, it was, and is, truely legendary.  The 935 cemented Porsches place in racing, and gave the company true credibility, and the respect they wanted. In 1985, the Porsche 962 continued the 935’s success streak with pilots A.J. Foyt, (racing hero, in any class)  and Bob Wollek . In the years 1986, 1987 and 1988, the 680 hp sports prototype with the 2.85-litre six-cylinder turbo engine also crossed the finish line first in Sebring.   In 1998 Porsche made legendary marks with the RS Spyder, the 4th vehicle in the photos…this car was just unstoppable, and if it wasn’t for this car, the Le Mans series would just be called the “Audi shows off” series.  Trust me, if Porsche will let us near their cars this year..we’ll try our best to bring it to you!