Rathbone Raceway

Lately there seems to be some very tidy packages parked outside my work on Rathbone Place in London. Yesterday afternoon I spied these two  machines which look straight of the Need for Speed. The red Nissan is a GT-R (Godzilla) and the white Audi is a TT-S coupe. I'd happily take either for a spin, although I can't imagine having the opportunity to changing above 2nd gear around London!

 

Mercedes scared of the big block Aussies?

As I've written about before, car brand loyalty between Ford and Holden (GM/Opel/Vauxhall to you overseas) is a national religion and the Bathurst's Mount Panorama is the Mecca that fans face to pray.

Here they race what we Aussies call V8 Supercars; incredibly powerful four-door sedans. In super exciting news Mercedes was set to join, along with Nissan. This renewed competition would bring a whole new dimension to the sport, particularly when it's essentially German V. Japanese V. Australian engineering. I can't help feeling Mercedes has gotten cold feet because they're worried about losing and being embarrassed by brands which are a fraction of the price in Australia.

It's no secret that the V8 competition does pay dividends for these brands in marketing and generally being part of the Australian landscape, but when you compare the road-going equivalent of each brand- V8 Commodore, V8 Falcon with a V8 Mercedes Benz, you're talking a discrepancy of multiple tens of thousands of dollars. If Mercedes joined and then got flogged by a Commodore, it would be hugely embarrassing for their brand in Australia.

This being said, I appreciate the Australian market is miniscule and the flip-side of the coin is, perhaps Mercedes just doesn't really care either way, especially not enough to pay for a team to join the V8 supercars. What do you think? feel free to comment below or email into exhaustpipedreams@gmail.com

Read the article here from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Porsche...there is no substitute.

Check out this beautiful Carrera outside my work in London's West End. You can see little Sponge Bob Squarepants in the background keeping an eye on her. It was just a shame she was covered in city dust and dirt when I took these pics. The paintwork underneath really looks to be either pristine or freshly done. Up until a couple of years back I always felt these 80s Porsches were a bit 'would if you could but you can't' because they were too new to be classic and too old to be modern. Now they sit firmly in the retro and classic category and this means the London hipster now has them firmly in their sights. Or the steering wheel in their grip.

The dweebs love him. He's a righteous dude!

Wow, there's a pristine Ferrari 250 GT California SWB Spyder up for grabs and I can't afford it. Jesus wept. Check out the car RM Auctions anticipates selling for between US$7.5m - US$9m. Read on here. Some of you may recall that the 250 GT features in my Dream Garage which for now, will remain just there. In my dreams.

Jimmy Savile's Roller

The late TV personality Jimmy Savile's Rolls Royce Corniche has been auctioned off for charity fetching £130,000! Read on here.

Racing in Slow Motion

via the awesomer.

Kiss Car...

runs on rock and roll.

So you wanna be a gangster?

You can buy Al Capone's car, reportedly the first ever bulletproof car ever made. It's up for action with RM Auction's on July 28th with a vague guiding range of US$300K-$500K. Read all about it here.

Full Leather...

A Ferrari custom wrapped in LEATHER! That's right. Check out the custom cruiser from Dartz.

Below: Some other creations from Dartz which made its name in vehicle armouring- which would explain these SUVs below.

Below: See how a wrap is executed. 

Women Drivers

Well many think it but few are brave to say it. Are women bad at driving, or at least bad at parking? One German town thinks so and has made easier parking bays for women-only. Yes, Germany has started another war. Read on here.

Buying an XJ-S

Last week I posted about the XJS and now the Telegraph has written a guide to buying one, so perfect timing. Check it out here.

Oh Yeah, My Dad Built Me A Countach

This post has been borrowed from The Chive. Beside the fact this homemade replica is truly amazing, I have to say, with this much talent- they deserve a better house.