Jalopnik: monterey historics

Porsche Panamera: You're With Me, Leather?

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:30:00 EDT

Remember when we caught those Panameras being loaded onto a plane? Here they are at the Monterey Historics. The Panamera's still the perfect car if you're into leather, though any mention of driving experience is notably absent.

Fisker Karma To Make Powered Debut At Monterey Historics

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:30:00 EDT

The Fisker Karma debuted its production-intent mustachioed shape at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but now the fully running prototype will take a spin at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on August 15.

The Karma's been spotted driving in "official spy photos" in the past, but it's been a while since the Karma was in the headlines, so driving it at the Monterey Historics will jog everyone's memory. We still don't know when the car is going on sale though the original boast was in the last quarter of this year, we shall see.

FISKER KARMA TO MAKE PUBLIC DRIVING DEBUT AT ROLEX MONTEREY HISTORIC AUTOMOBILE RACES
Event to be a highlight of Monterey Peninsula's Classic Car Week

IRVINE, CA – July 23, 2009: The Fisker Karma Plug-in Hybrid will make its public driving debut during the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on Saturday, August 15, just 19 months after being unveiled as a concept car. It will be the first time a PHEV has appeared on track at the event. The Fisker Karma will also be on display at Concorso Italiano on Friday, August 14, alongside the Karma Sunset hardtop convertible concept. The Karma Sunset will again be on display at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Sunday, August 16.

The Fisker Karma PHEV represents a paradigm shift in alternatively-powered transportation. A full-size luxury sedan with seating for four, the Karma has a range of 50 emission-free miles on a full charge of its Lithium-ion battery, and a total range of 300 miles thanks to an on-board generator turned by traditional but efficient 260hp Ecotec engine. Two 201.5hp electric motors send enough traction through a single-speed differential to reach 60mph in about six seconds and a top speed of 125mph. Together, these components make up the Q-DRIVE® powertrain exclusive to all Fisker automobiles. Q-DRIVE® delivers not only performance, but can average more than 100mpg with a lower carbon output than current hybrids.

"The Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races is the best stage in the world for great moments in automotive history," said Henrik Fisker, Fisker Automotive CEO. "Fisker is honored to be a part of it."

The Fisker Karma prototype is scheduled to complete two laps on the legendary 11-turn Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca course at 11:10 a.m., starting and finishing just ahead of the pedestrian bridge at Turn 5, before returning to the Price Family Dealerships display area on the infield. Fisker executives Henrik Fisker, CEO, and Bernhard Koehler, COO, will be available for media interviews throughout the weekend.

ABOUT FISKER AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

Fisker Automotive, founded in 2007 by Fisker Coachbuild, LLC and Quantum Technologies (QTWW), is a privately owned American car company producing premium green automobiles, with Henrik Fisker as CEO. Global headquarters are located in Irvine, Calif. The company is backed by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Palo Alto Investors and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA). More information is available at www.fiskerautomotive.com.

What Color Should Junkman Paint His Olsen Eagle For The Concours d'Lemons?

Murilee Martin — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EDT

Remember the Olds Toronado-based Olsen Eagle that filled us with such awe last year? It now sits in Junkman's garage, and he's bringing it out to Monterey for the Concours d'LeMons in August!

Thing is, he wants to paint it a color appropriate to its majesty before unveiling it to the world. You see, the Concours d'LeMons is no ordinary car show; organized by the same perpetrators responsible for lowering the collective property values of the automotive world with Billetproof and the 24 Hours Of LeMons, its metastasization of Malaise Era Detroit economy clankers, best-forgotten British Leyland clinkers, and Brezhnev-Approved™ Iron Curtain clunkers should make attendees of those other Monterey events abandon those boring ol' millionaires' toys in droves. The truly enlightened car freaks will hit both the Concours d'Lemons and the Buttonwillow Histrionics 24 Hours Of LeMons that weekend, because what could be better than driving 200 miles in order to watch $500 race cars throw rods in the 110-degree bovine-emissions-scented air of Merle Haggard country?

Given the historical significance of the very first Concours d'Lemons, Junkman is really under the gun to make the Eagle perfect. He'll be instructing the orange-peel maestros at Ohio's most exclusive Maaco to shoot that crypto-Toronado with a color that will guarantee him the Most Eleganté trophy. The question is: what color? Junkman feels that Jalopnik readers have the sensibility needed to make such a crucial decision, so he's decided to make a contest for our readers out of it:

As you know, I acquired the infamous Olsen Eagle several months ago. Since the car I entered in the Pebble Beach Concours last year didn't win, I have decided to make an all-out effort for best of show in this year's inaugural Concours d'Ignorance (if it happens). I believe the Eagle is the perfect vehicle to achieve this goal but, as you can see, it needs a bit of cosmetic freshening. As a result, I have sent it to the local Maaco to make it concours ready.
It's just about ready for paint and, being artistically challenged, I could use the help of the wildly talented Jalopnik commenteriat in suggesting a new color and/or paint scheme. Photoshop or written suggestions would work. In addition to my eternal gratitude, I would reward the winner with a 1/18 scale model of a PT Cruiser and a package of Sham-Wows with only one towel missing. I'll even pick up the postage!

There you have it, folks! I'm thinking a two-tone job would be nice, with Pearlescent Caterpillar Orange on top and Unnecessarily Purple on the bottom. How about you?

Madmen Will Put Any Number Of Weber Carbs On Any Engine You Want

Murilee Martin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:20:00 EDT

We saw some cool Weber carburetor setups at last year's Monterey Historics, but the guys at the Pierce Manifolds booth have upped the Weber ante with their insane custom intakes. You want to put eight two-barrel Webers on your Chevy 348? No problemo- they can pull that manifold right off the shelf for you! How about a GMC Twin Six with 24 Webers? Yeah, we're drooling. [Pierce Manifolds]

Are You Concours, Dream Cruise Or Sonic Parking Lot?

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:40:00 EDT

As you may have noticed, we divided our time this weekend between the 2008 Woodward Dream Cruise and the Monterey Historics. Both events are full of the kind of people who love cars, though the people themselves are often as different as a 1967 Mazda Cosmo 110S and a 427 Cobra Limo. The greatness of our car culture comes from the variety of our interests, backgrounds and ideas. And while we celebrate this oil-stained plurality, we understand that your ideal car show may not be our ideal car car show. So, what is your ideal car show?

Do you love the perfectly maintained cars, wine and witty repartee of a Concours? Are you more into the wild customs, beer and cutoff jeans of a dream cruise? Or are you the type of person that eschews both for the beaters, cherry lime-ade slushies and put downs of the Sonic Drive-in parking lot? What's your ideal car show? Does it exist?

Olio, Huile, Or Oil? Gauges Of The Monterey Historics

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Once I saw a tachometer with a "$$$$" marker at the redline and another driven by a leather belt coming off the camshaft, I decided I'd start shooting some instrument panels at the Monterey Historics. Italy, Germany, Japan, and Detroit are all represented in the gallery below, but Joe Lucas ( the Prince Of Darkness) caused all the shots of British gauges to come out blurry and/or dark.

1967 Mazda Cosmo 110S Doesn't Care How Many Pistons Your Car Has

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EDT

When's the last time you saw one of these? This damn-near-perfect first-year Mazda Cosmo didn't go out on the track, but it did grab more attention than most of the quadrillion-dollar Ferraris, just sitting there parked.

Win On Sunday, Still Don't Sell On Monday: Screamin' AMCs In Eardrum-Punishing Trans Am Action!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Sure, there were plenty of Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers- not to mention a few furrin jobs in the 2-liter class- roaring around the track in the Historic 1966-74 Trans Am Cars event yesterday, but: red-white-and-blue Javelins and AMXs! The sound of 40 V8s WFO on the track overwhelmed my poor camera's sound-recording abilities, but I did get a usable video of this Javelin warming up. Make the jump for many Trans Am photos.

What Do You Drive To The Monterey Historics? Leave The Camry At Home!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:45:00 EDT

As soon as you arrive at the Monterey Historics and park your car, something becomes very clear: this isn't your typical bunch of parked cars! More late-model Porsches, Ferraris, and Corvettes than you can shake a briefcase full of nonsequentially-numbered $20 bills at, of course, but also dozens of funky old imports that drove to the event under their own seemingly miraculous power. I shot a handful of the cars I encountered on the walk between my parking space and the track. You can take the whole vintage-ride-to-vintage-race thing a big step further- if you're really serious- and do what the driver of a certain Trans Am Ford Falcon did: drive your race car to the track!

Not Just Engines At Monterey: Emblems, Chrome, And Shiny Baubles!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EDT

I've always loved photographing car emblems and hood ornaments, and what better place to do so than a huge racetrack complex full of priceless vintage racing machinery?

Engine Pr0n From The 2008 Monterey Historics

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:00:00 EDT

We saw a whole bunch of engine shots from the '07 Monterey Historics, so let's make it a tradition and check out some of the vintage go-fast hardware that roared into Steinbeck country this weekend. You get a pretty interesting mix of engines at this event, with exposed-valvetrain mills in horseless carriages, big Detroit V8s stuffed into tiny European machines, and all manner of high-strung Italian iron with camshafts and carbs all over the place. Make the jump for three big galleries.

Welcome To The 2008 Monterey Historics! Glorious Engines Everywhere, Not Many Meat-On-A-Stick Options

Murilee Martin — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EDT

The temperature is a perfect 66 degrees, there's a soundtrack of wailing engines, and you can't walk 20 yards without encountering some legendary race car. Yes, it's the 2008 Monterey Historics, where I spent all day yesterday poking my camera into engine compartments and trying (in vain) to find a booth selling Deep Fried Porcine Lymph Nodes On A Stick. Check in later for some righteous Engine Pr0n!

Earlier today we spoke of the Napier-Railton...

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 19:00:00 EDT

Earlier today we spoke of the Napier-Railton setting a 1939 speed record at the Brooklands Motor Course outer circuit. Sections of the British race track are still intact, or as the photographer who took these pictures writes - lying derelict, broken into by Gallaghers. [Brooklands Race Track]

The 1933 Napier-Railton Special

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Our favorite part of going to events like the Monterey Historics or the Pebble Beach Concours is seeing cars not only spit shined for static display, but also barreling around a race course. The 1933 Napier-Railton Special was built exclusively to run the Brooklands Motor Course high-banked oval at maximum velocity. In 1939 John Cobb pushed the 24-liter Napier Lion aircraft engine powered Special to a speed of 143.44 mph. This Brooklands outer circuit record stands unbroken today. The Napier-Railton wasn't moving at record speeds when the Brooklands Museum director wrestled the two-ton monster through the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Then again, the car was never designed to turn right. [Motoring Exhibits via the Brooklands Museum]

Because One Can Never Have Too Much Can-Am

Davey G. Johnson — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT

We've already yammered at length about the glory of Can-Am. It's one thing that Los Jalops can all agree on. Detroit brawn, Euro-sportiness, Texan ingenuity and enough sheer gobsmackery to make the most jaded automobile fan remember why he or she fell in love with cars in the first place. Little in this world is more awesome than even the most pedestrian Can-Am car. We had the action gallery the other day. Here're some shots from the paddock at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Go forth and drool, minons. Then drool some more.

Monterey Historics Can-Am Action Gallery

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EDT

The 1966-1974 salad days of Can-Am racing were a result of the Sports Car Club of America and the Canadian Automobile Sports Club joining forces. The adoption of Group 7 FIA rules spawned a North American racing class with no restrictions on engine size or boost pressure. Tire size was wide open. Weight was optional. While there were no rules on construction materials, Can-Am cars had to have an open cockpit, two seats, and two doors. Unlimited rules encouraged innovative thinking. The Jim Hall Chaparral 2J featured not one but two engines. A snowmobile mill spun a set of rear-mounted fans that generated over 1000 pounds of downforce without need for drag-inducing wings. We didn't see the 2J or driver Jackie Stewart at the Monterey Historics, but we did catch Chris MacAllister of Indianapolis, Indiana drive his number 5 1971 McLaren M8F to the checkered flag.[Can-Am History via Vintage RPM]

Ferrari 512 BB LMs at Monterey

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:15:00 EDT

While Porsche 935s are supremely awesome and the DeKon Monzas force us into shit-eating-grin mode, we also dig the few oddball machines that wind up in the IMSA ranks at Monterey. For example, we present to you the Ferrari 512 BB LM. While it wasn't a particularly successful race car, it's pretty close to as sexy as it gets. The above model was campaigned by Charles Wegener of West Chicago, Michigan. It placed sixteenth under the crushing weight of a 935-and-Monza sea. The #100 BB of Kurt Schultz finished 26th. Still, we love these Ferraris just for being there. We could stare through that rear Lexan for hours. And we would have, were there not a race going on. [HowStuffWorks]

Monterey Historics IMSA Racing Action Gallery

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EDT

There is a rawness to vintage race cars sorely missing from their more modern counterparts. The IMSA cars that closed the 2007 Monterey Historics at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca sent this point home in ten laps. Turbocharged and naturally aspirated Porsches tossed it up with V8 Corvettes and Monzas. A BMW, Ferrari, and a Ford were on track for race fan sonic amusement. Chad Raynal of San Jose took the checkered flag in his 1975 DeKon Monza. The symphony of forced-induction compression theatrics and atmospheric RPM was a winning combination for all. Our personal favorite was the lone 1974 Ford Capri RS3100 piloted by John "Ten-Tenths" Norman, who took tenth place.

Happiness is a Hot Monza

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:15:00 EDT

In our estimation, the two finest cards of the day at the Monterey Historics fell on Sunday — the resurrection of the Canadian-American Challenge Cup and the retro IMSA class (aka Group 7b in Historics parlance) are the two wish-we'd-been-there, can't-miss events of the weekend. And since commenter jrhmobile requested pics of the DeKon Monzas, we're happy to oblige him, especially considering this particular car, driven by Chad Raynal of San Jose, decimated a field consisting of insanely-turbocharged Porsche 935s, a few RSRs and even a wound-out Ford Capri, whose driver John Norman was one of the ballsiest, hooniest men of the weekend. The three DeKons in the contest all ended up in the top ten, but here're a few photos of the winning Monza shot while we were entering a pleasant haze courtesy of eight internally-combusting cylinders and a heaping helping of race gas. Enjoy the pre-race gallery; on-track action shall follow.

Ah, Joe Lucas Humor

Davey G. Johnson — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:45:00 EDT

While crossing the bridge to the media center on Saturday at Laguna Seca, we ran across a fellow wearing the shirt at left, bearing the legend: "LUCAS, Prince of Darkness. 'A gentleman does not motor about after dark. - Joseph Lucas.'" When we stopped the man to compliment him, Murilee noted that there are all sorts of things on the web dedicated to Lucas-deriding humor. You can buy said shirt here and peruse selected humorous jabs at Intermittently-Joltin' Joe's expense here. Our favorite? "It's not true that Lucas, in 1947, tried to get Parliament to repeal Ohm's Law. They withdrew their efforts when they met too much resistance." Rimshot, please.