May 2015 Issue of Driven World Magazine by Driven World Magazine- The official magazine of Supercar Sunday

D RIVENWORLD

May 2015

The Official Magazine of Supercar Sunday

After all... It’s a driven world!

THE ENTHUSIAST MAGAZINE DRIVENWORLD.COM

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Contents

D RIVENWORLD ISSUE 65, May 2015

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dustin Troyan

ART DIRECTOR Connected Media Group LLC COPY EDITOR Heather Troyan DESIGN Connected Media Group WEB DESIGN

Jeff Balbien

STORIES BY Dustin Troyan Mark Llewellyn Brooks Smith Tommy Mansuwan Jim Hunter Scott Martin Eric Roehm

PHOTOGRAPHY Brandon Goodyear Jim Hunter Tommy Mansuwan Dustin Troyan Greg Grudt Scott Martin Eric Roehm David Rosenthal

Advertising / Marketing Dustin@connectedmediagroup.com (818) 516-5053 www.drivenworld.com www.connectedmediagroup.com www.supercarsunday.com Driven World Magazine is published twelve times per year by Connected Media Group LLC. It is distributed at upscale locations and events all over California. It is also available online and distributed electronically to high-net-worth individuals as well as members of the car community at large. All rights reserved. Driven World and Supercar Sunday are registered trademarks of Connected Media Group LLC. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or any other materials or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of copyright owner. Driven World Magazine and Connected Media Group LLC, do not take responsibility for the claims provided herein. Connected Media Group LLC, Driven World Magazine, and its affiliates, contributors, writers, editors, and publisher accept no responsibility for the errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements contained herein. Connected Media Group LLC does not assume liability for any products or services advertised herein and assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers or editorial information.

On the Cover: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Ultimateâ&#x20AC;? Photo: Greg Grudt

From the Editor A soft subtle hint of wind a move movement Moving faster then ever before levitating above the floor Higher and Higher Lighter I get So many things I try to forget

I have no idea where I am going Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember where I have been just a taste the very last bit Spread out no longer a being my mind no longer deceiving

Where is this place who might I be do I belong nothing touches me The quiet peace the irrelevant stare nobody knows I am there

The who or the what the I, I am the not consciousness is no longer a thought

There is no day there is no night but somehow there is the most beautiful light

The light comes back ever so slow to the strangeness of a world I do not know

I cannot smell but I know the scent of the sweetest air I have ever met

The people the places they seem the same but everything I know it has no name

The softest hand I have ever touched I can recall that fateful brush

The air I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t breath the souls I dont see is this my reality

The blades of grass dancing in the wind I can see it within

I wander around place to place I only see the emptiness of face

I close the eyes that need no rest I dream of a dream of a dream

The faces they stare right past me as if I am not there

The dream is me the real me that you cannot see that I long to be

They cannot see me they do not know is this my life where do I go

In this place I do not know with all these people all alone

I dissolve into atoms off in time never to know the contents of my mind

Silently invisibly I travel in this place I have nothing nothing to waste

The people, unlike me, seem to be breathing

Freedom from all freedom from fear there is only peace my soul is near

I walk through people I walk through walls but I am not really walking at all

So far it was for so very long what was important so far gone

The ground is not nor the air not I breathe not I dare

It is warm as I go close to the sun burning my skin feels so fun I move through the sun and past how long will this ride last Darkness as I go away fear enters the mind it screams screams Past the sun a new place I have never been Further to the reaches a place before sin There is light all around there is no ground there is just the sound The sound is pure the sound is me a vibration who I should be

I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember it all from before the time the time ran out There is never enough. Time.

The McLaren 570s

The McLaren 570s, the most attainable McLaren to date is now making it’s debut at McLaren Dealerships all over the world. The new 570s, which is first of the Sport Series that McLaren is offering is more of a “daily” than any other McLaren produced. Targeted at a price-point similar to an Audi R8 or a Porsche Turbo S, McLaren is entering into a segment that will attract a lot of attention from those who might have never before considered...a McLaren. The 570s which some might say is an entry level McLaren is, not so entry level. McLaren which is famous for F1 and their pio-

neering technologies, has not cut any corners but, added value to a platform that you may able to attain. And, drive daily. The 570s which is a rear-wheel drive, mid-engine rocket that utilizes a carbon-fiber structure,(”Mono Cell II”) weighs under 3,000 pounds. And with 562 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, the 3.8l twin-turbocharged V-8 will get you from zero to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. Possibly making the 570s the fastest in its segment. McLaren has emphasized that the 570s is a “daily driver” and has designed the feature to include many of the creature

comforts you would expect out of your luxury sedan. McLaren boasts that the 570s offers the best-in-class-luggage-capacity, a refined leather interior, a huge infotainment display and a twelve speaker Bowers and Wilkins premium audio system. It is apparent that McLaren is crossing over from the “track” to the “lifestyle” and meeting a consumer demand that expects the best of all worlds...on a daily basis. For more information you may visit: mclarencalabasas.com

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Home Built Machine- 1955 Nomad AKA The FLOMAD How many of us have had the dream to build a car that we would consider our ultimate Home Built Machine (HBM). What sets us apart from each other in accomplishing our dream? After some thought, the only answer I came up with was the actual building of the machine. This is the variable in fulfilling the dream that sets us apart. Whether we choose to build a car to compete in the Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS), one that is driven to Super Car Sunday or any weekend show is immaterial as well as the depth of the build. It is having the dream or vision and to embark on that quest with whatever means one might have. Having been a car guy since building model cars in a matter of hours, to being very fortunate in having the means to build the real deal as an adult has brought me to this story. Not only have I set my dream into motion, it

would not have been possible without the help, tutelage, guidance, encouragement, or expertise of many, or the bum information received from just a few. When I was a young boy one of my favorite model cars was the 1957 Nomad, green in color. My little buddyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother next door actually had a 1957 Nomad that was black over yellow which we took numerous trips in. A local hot rod family of multiple boys bought the car and built it into a beautiful black street machine. Hence, my dream was to eventually buy and build a Nomad of my own creation, something that was different from the rest. Well, that day came when I decided to purchase a 1955 Nomad with the advice and consent of my lovely bride. How could I resist. My first vision was when I stumbled onto a defunct hot rod publication containing a small photo of Mr. Fred Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lowmad which I considered one of the most unique and

superbly designed and built wagons I have ever seen. With only his name and city of Boston, I researched and called him. We spoke for a good 45 minutes, he giving me all the specs and answering every one of my questions. I would not be deterred in my build using his car as constant inspiration. My next goal was constructing a four-seat hot rod that could be driven to Santa Barbara or Palm springs and ride like my 750i. I found my car and immediately had second thoughts due to its condition. The car was re-built in about 18 months and ready for pick up, modifications, and final prep. Fernando and Hugo completed the metal and body fabrication replacing 85% from donors and reproduction body parts. When that portion was completed, buddy Mike trailered the wagon directly to the West Valley Occupational Center, LAUSD. I was enrolled in their auto body repair program for a semester,

fulfilling yet another dream of learning additional skills that would assist me in the completion. My professor, Mike, guided me and other students in areas of metal work, welding, body fillers and the actual spraying of the paint. The experience was invaluable. Mike is a master body and paint man with 30 plus years of experience. This opportunity to be guided by him was an inspiration in itself, to me and all students. He assessed our skill levels and walked us forward. My tutelage at West Valley lasted 18 months and included chassis completion, interior and motor mock ups and through the paint process. Although I had command and control over the entire build, my instructor advised me six months prior to the closure of the program

that he and Martin would take over the final prep and paint. Although I received my certificate, my skills apparently did not progress quite far enough. How could I object to that? The colors I decided on were Space Blue Metallic over Sonic Blue Metallic, both 2012 Corvette colors. It seemed every Monday when I returned to class after a weekend car show, I came up with another modification. It got to the point when Buddy Mike counseled me on the need to stop going to shows because the car needed to be finished in the very near future. Some of the modifications completed are: conversion of the dash to a mono hump in the middle with a custom gauge cluster, bucket seats

front and rear, custom consol, all leather interior (no baby vinyl for my car), a Paul Newman custom chassis with 1987 Corvette suspension, custom side molding, removal of the gas filler cap, and a few others. The power train is an LS3 motor and 4L65 tranny. So much was inspired by the Lowmad. The fact that this HBM was finished was made possible with the help of so many friends, students and instructors at LAUSD. Special thanks has to go to Surfer Mike, Professor Mike, Nighttime Mike, Hot Rod Ron, Duke, Martin, JJ, Hugo and Fernando, and ZZ Top. The patience of my bride was also compelling in the completion. During the early build process, Hot Rod Ron suggested that because of the quality and extent of the build I should consider the GNRS. What? The HBM, not likely. Upon completion of entry into the GNRS the Flomad was accepted and trophied in the full custom class. This dream was made possible by the input of many people and the kid who dared to dream of someday owning a Nomad. Michael J. Florio Northridge, CA

Westlake Village Concours d’ Elegance Story // Mike Grudt Photos // Greg Grudt My son Greg and I attended the Ventura Farms Concours Invitational on St. Patrick’s Day in 2013. The event was held on the (rarely open to the public) 2200 acre ranch owned by David H. Murdock. This year the event was relocated to the Westlake Village Four Seasons Hotel and renamed the Westlake Village Concours d’ Elegance, a beautiful location with some amazing vehicles. As we entered the road to the parking entrance there was a limited edition Ducati SuperLeggera motorcycle next to an older Ducati to the right. On our left there was an extremely rare 1993 Bugatti EB110 and we hadn’t even entered the parking area. We quickly parked and went out to start admiring the beautiful vehicles. As Greg started to take pictures I checked out the Bugatti EB110 and struck up a conversation with a gentleman who

was also looking at this car. I told him what little I knew about this vehicle and learned he was at the hotel for breakfast and just stopped by when he saw these cars. It turns out he works with high tech equipment and rebuilds Jaguars in his spare time. We laughed as we joked about Lucas electrics and some of the pitfalls associated with Jaguar ownership. I filled him in on some of the local car events and especially Supercar Sunday. This event

was not just for “car” people. Most of the people I met throughout the day did not have much knowledge of the vehicles on display and they didn’t really follow the car scene. Greg and I couldn’t stay with the Bugatti all day so we checked in and entered the event. The entrance wound around

through a perfectly manicured rose garden and we passed a few unique micro cars from the late ‘50s. In the next section there were a few motorcycles including a very nice straight four 1923 ACE, a Ferrari motorcycle and a Triumph Bonneville formerly owned by Bud Ekins. Bud was a famous stuntman who doubled for Steve McQueen in the film “The Great Escape” motorcycle jump scene and also in the Ford Mustang chase scene in the film “Bullitt” (Just a side note: Greg’s great uncle Frank P. Keller was the film editor for the movie “Bullitt” and he won an Oscar for his work). Back to the Concours…we finally entered the show and worked our way around to view the vehicles. The first one we spotted was a 1910 Simplex Touring car in dark red with a huge amount of polished brass and

painted wooden wheels. The 105 year old car looked showroom new. In keeping with the St. Patrick’s Day theme Bruce Meyer displayed his immaculate green 1963 Jaguar Semi-Lightweight E-Type. At the far end of the exhibit lawn there was a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport in black with red accents. It would have been nice to see it displayed next to the EB110…maybe another time. At the other side of the area was a rare (sorry… every vehicle there was rare and or one-off) 1991 Lamborghini 291 F1 car and then some Duesenburgs, Delahayes and other timeless classics. The event had a stage with Irish themed performers and Irish inspired fare and drink for those who wished to partake. Also, Moorpark College brought a couple of birds of prey for the guests to enjoy close up. There was also a silent auction with some unique movie and sports memorabilia. It was another great car day in Southern California!

Auto Club Speedway in Fontana played host to the 14th California Festival of Speed. The three-day event, held in conjunction with the Porsche Club of America’s “Zone 8” Southwestern region and PCA Club Racing, is a dream for every Porsche enthusiast. From club racing, time trials, autocross, the Porsche corral and swap meet,

Story //Photos Jim Hunter

and concours there was something on offer for everyone. Owners also had the chance to put their cars through more relaxed paces around Fontana’s banked oval and infield road course. The festival is the largest Porsche gathering in the southwest United States. This year’s event took place under gorgeous sunshine, and deep blue skies, with

a nice breeze that kept temperatures in check. The relaxed atmosphere provided attendees an intimate glimpse over a variety of race chassis that have competed worldwide, and gave enthusiasts a chance to peruse a dream collection of Porsche’s amazing road cars. Until next year!

The Mullin Museum Story // Photos Scott Martin

Living in the Car Capitol of the World, we’re all lucky to see so many classic and exotic vehicles every day… driving on the streets, parked at the mall, on the showroom floors and at all the great car shows and canyon drives on the weekends. Of all the Supercars we spot

around Southern California, one of the most elusive brands is Bugatti. You may see a newer Veyron in its more native habitat of Beverly Hills or Newport Beach or possibly at Supercar Sunday, but unlike the more plentiful 50’s or 60’s Porsche and Mercedes, you are not very

likely to see an original vintage Bugatti on the streets of Los Angeles. Just west of us in Oxnard, however, the largest personal collection of Bugatti’s in the world resides at the Mullin Automotive Museum. Visiting the Museum is one of the biggest treats an auto enthusiast will ever get. Not only can you find some of the rarest and most beautiful vehicles every produced, but the public can experience them very up-close and personal. It is rarely seen in an environment with vehicles this valuable, but there are no ropes or barriers surrounding the cars… just a lone stanchion holding up a descriptive plaque. I can see why they don’t want you carrying bags. As a photographer, I was constantly looking to see where my lenses were hanging so that I didn’t get close to scratching any of these priceless automobiles! The exclusive Museum is located in what looks like an industrial park and reservations are required. It is best to reserve a spot on one of their personal tours to get the full benefit of the experience… the Docents are extremely informative and really help you understand how the Marque developed and flourished due to the artistic creativity of the early 20th century Bugatti family. Peter Mullin created his Auto motive Museum starting in 2010 utilizing the

building that was known as newspaperman Otis Chandler’s Vintage Museum. Since 1986, “The Vintage” had featured vintage and rare automobiles, motorcycles and trains as well as fine art and wildlife game. Anyone who visited that establishment should appreciate the extensive remodeling achieved by architect David Hertz and contractor Interscape Construction. Scenic Route provided the interior design and fabrication which allowed the open areas Mr. Mullin wanted so that every detail could be appreciated. They have been described as looking like the pre-war salons of the Grand Palais in Paris. According to the current brochure, “The Mullin Automotive Museum pays homage to the Art Deco and machine age eras, when magnificent art and automobiles were created and celebrated.” It goes on to say, “Dating from the brass era (1905-1915) to World War II, the Mullin Collection features more than 140 objects. The core of the collection includes masterpieces of French curve coachwork and ingenious craftsmanship envisioned by gifted

designers and engineers, producing beautiful Bugattis, Delages, Delahayes, Hispano-Suizas, Talbot-Lagos, and Voisins.” At the time I toured the museum for this article, very few vehicles aside from Bugatti’s were on display through loans and Mr. Mullin’s extensive collection. The selection ranged from the first car that Etorre Bugatti hand built in 1908, the Model 10, to his first production car, the T13, all the way through to the Jean Bugatti-designed 1936 Type 57SC Atlantic Coupe along with quite a few race-winners. Geographic and era-related Delages, Delahayes and Talbot-Lagos were included in an area of the museum devoted to the development of Bugatti in the racing world. A special exhibit entitled “The Art of the Bugatti’s” was ending and the museum was to be closed for reconfiguration during the entire month of April with the first scheduled open day as May 9th. A project was also on display where Peter Mullin had challenged the students at Art Center in Pasadena to build the Type 64 that Jean Bugatti had in the planning stages before his early death. They came up with a projected lifesize model of what the vehicle might have

looked like, which is beyond anything most of us have ever seen nor will we ever see on the streets. Two of the other most interesting exhibits were “Bugatti in the Lake” which was a 1926 Type 22 Brescia Roadster that had literally been in a lake for 75 years that is now sitting unrestored in the Mullin Museum… it is definitely something to be seen! The other was the Schlumpf Reserve Collection. There is a very long story about this, but in a nutshell, Peter Mullin bought a lot of 62 vehicles in France so he could save 17 Bugattis, and is keeping them all in their completely original condition. Several of them, including a rare truck model, were on display.

Mullin Automotive Museum is located at 1421 Emerson Avenue in Oxnard, California 93033. No bags of any kind are permitted. On days when the facility is open, visiting hours are 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Please call or email for the schedule of open days. Semi-private visits may be scheduled for $40.00 on most Tuesdays at 10:00 am: contact Ruby Talbot at 213 7006620 or email to ruby.talbot@mullinautomotivemuseum.com. General Museum information is available by calling 805 385-5400, on the internet at www.mullinautomotivemuseum. com or by emailing info@mullinautomotivemuseum.com. Scott Martin is a Calabasas resident, photojournalist, auto broker and regular contributor to Driven World Magazine. He can be reached at autobrokerscott@gmail.com or 818-430-7266

Supercar Sunday Marque Schedule

Supercar Sunday is presented by: THE AUTO GALLERY

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Luxury Exploration Story // Photos Eric Rohem

There is a certain stigma that comes with the name Range Rover. It seems that today the marque is interchangeable with Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, or Cartier: a must have label for the modern fashion-ista. An accessory to a lifestyle. The origins of the name, and further the brand behind it could not be any further from what it has become. In 1948 the original Land Rover was released. It was a basic 4x4 designed initially for farmers to traverse the soggy hills of rural England. It was a rugged, and capable offroader that gave nothing in the way of creature comforts let alone luxury. By the mid 1950s Land Rover had been working on a vehicle that could provide the same utility, but with the added comfort of a modern sedan. The culmination was the introduction of the Range Rover in 1970. Still unavailable in the U.S., the original Range Rover was only available in 2-door configuration and was fairly basic in the way of accoutrements. By the mid-nineties the Range Rover had been available in the United States for a few years, and was beginning to show the rest of the SUV market how to do luxury. The key specification was an optional increase from a 100-inch wheelbase to a 108-inch wheelbase,

all of which was added between the front and rear seats, giving rear passengers the much needed legroom they needed for ultimate comfort. This 1995 Range Rover Long Wheel Base is owned by Woodland Hills local, Joe Molina. Joe is the owner of JMPR Public Relations Incorporated, which caters to all sorts of lifestyle companies, the majority of which are high end automotive. These clients are attracted to the firm because Joe is a certifiable gear head. His passion for collector cars is unmistakable as soon as you look at the quality and condition of any of his acquisitions. However one of Joe’s prerequisites for a potential addition to his garage is that he must be able to drive it anywhere he wants, whenever he feels like it. So, given that classic Range Rovers aren’t exactly known for their reliability, this truck has been meticulously restored and maintained. The driver door requires a bit more force to open than you would think, but once unlatched the lightness of the assembly is noticeable, as is the smell of fine leather and wood. Stepping across, strangely not up, into the cabin I slide on to the seat bottom and find myself settling into a surprisingly refreshing driving position. The door closes with an aristocratic thud and I find the rest of the world silenced. The quality of materials is palpable; no mistaking that you are in a luxury vehicle. However, since the Range Rover uses a 4.2 Liter version of the Rover V8 used since the mid 60’s, and based on a Buick motor designed in the 50’s, the tick over is a bit mechanical, but settles into a wonderfully re-assuring V8 hum. Navigating the LWB on city streets is surprisingly simple. The steering is easy, and the truck is amazingly maneuverable considering its size. The ride is smooth, even though on

this particular Range Rover, the versatile yet problematic air suspension has been replaced with a more traditional coil spring set up. I enjoy driving this truck through town, but find my mind wandering. Every decent sized median, or even small car I come across I think, “I could probably drive over that.” You see, even today’s uber-luxury Range Rovers still keep one thing constant: they MUST be extremely capable off-road. I get the re assurance of off road ability in the way the Range Rover wallows around the streets. Its more than comfortable, but you get the sense that it just doesn’t WANT to be on asphalt. Since I only have the truck for a few hours, and the Rubicon is not located in Woodland Hills, I will not be able to explore its limits here… and anyway, I wouldn’t want to scratch the paint. Most every Range Rover you see is white or black, and in current years the trend is towards many shades of grey. However the box checked on this truck is Plymouth Blue, a hue that constantly reminds you of that magical sky between sunset and darkness. Couple that this the warm tan leather and you feel like any time of every day is dusk on a desert expedition. Which, lets face it, is the reason to buy a Range Rover Classic. The stigma is still alive. With all the amazing capability of the Range Rover, I’m content solely on the way that it makes me feel, probably the same as a fashionable bag, or a precision timepiece. Most of us will never drive the width of a continent or through the middle of a jungle. Very few of us will even really test the capability of a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and some of us may never even drive a dirt road, but today, driving Joe’s Range Rover, I feel like I could go just about anywhere... if I could be bothered to get it dirty.

Car Culture

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Mark Llewellyn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

t r s e g Fo r e v N ll R e o ’ o ‘n R ck raced the automobile for It is no wonder that musicians have emb e than clothing or tattoos, the the design of their record albums. Mor self and the automobile makes a importance of the association of one’s strong statement. established in the United States, With the origins of Rock ‘n’ Roll being rica to associate themselves it didn’t take long for entertainers in Ame the craze was worldwide. with the vehicle that fit their image. Soon e of the artists chose to be in These images speak for themselves. Som e the statement for the artist. the photo, while others let the picture mak Enjoy the images!

They set the standard!

Ever try to drive a car on dry sand? It sinks! (Never understood this.)

Not all artists chose the rebel-look. Nothing but class and style for Roy Orbison.

Bad-ass Boys have Bad-ass Toys!

This is as rowdy as a trombone musician can get!

Makes it look appealing, doesn’t it?

Many may think the cover of this record by the “Black Keys” was a drug-induced mistake. The 1994 Dodge the clever meaning is derived from g their durin tour Caravan used by the band to road”. “the s mean ino” ‘beginning stages’. “El Cam Figure it out yet?

se Although the cars are background, the licen was It . 28IF plate on the bug to the left reads part of the hoax that Paul was dead. He would have been 28 if…

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Golf Tips with Tommy Mansuwan If you have ever watched PGA Tour players in action, you might notice one thing they all have in common. Regardless of their swing style, every player has a consistent and smooth tempo. This is one reason why they are such good ball strikers. The whole body works together as a unit to produce the best golf shot as possible. Often times you will see a player hit a bad shot and the commentator will say “he was very quick” on that one. This is a reference to the transition between the backswing and downswing. When a person gets “quick” in the transition, the body stops working together and the tempo gets changed a bit. This will most likely lead to mis-hits and shots in the wrong direction. Below are a couple tips to help improve your tempo for better ball striking. Have you ever tried to hit a shot just a little further than usual? And did that resulting shot end up short or wide of the target? If so, your tempo is too quick from the top of the swing as well. In order to fix this, take a mid iron and hit it about 30 yards shorter than normal. For instance, if you normally hit a 7 iron 160 yards, stay on the driving range for awhile hitting that 7 iron around 120-130 yards with a full swing. The first thing you should feel is everything moving slower. The second feeling

Tour Temp

you will notice are your arms and body moving together. Once you have all the parts moving in sync hitting it 120, slowly increase it another 10 yards. Do it for every 10 yards until you get back to your normal distance. However, if you feel out of sync, go back 10 yards. You can do this with every club in the bag but increase the reduction in yardage as you go to the longer clubs (ie. hit drivers 50-60 yards shorter than normal). Train with this method to improve your tempo throughout all your shots. In case you are looking for another method to ease the transition of the club, try pausing at the top of your backswing. Make a backswing with any club you wish, only pause when you get to the top of the swing. Count to three and then start your downswing. You should feel as if the club is dropping down (not pulling) while accelerating through the ball. The pause at the top allows all the parts of the body to time up with each other in order for the swing to be more efficient. After doing this to a three count for awhile, make it a bit quicker by going to a two count. Also, feel free to switch it up by doing one pause swing and follow up with a normal swing in order to feel the difference. Make sure you focus on these training tips while you practice. You’ll feel a much

smoother swing, as well as, more speed through the impact zone. Happy practicing!

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The Gearhead Diaries I’ve recently noticed something of a pattern in my behavior on the roads. It has nothing to do with my driving, but with what happens when I see another car. Well, one car in particular, the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ (Which sounds like two cars, but is really just two grilles, and damper settings.). Every time I see one of these things, I end up wanting… a different car. This may not be the typical result of seeing one, but I have a feeling I’m not the only enthusiast who feels this way, and it may be why the car sold well for a year, and has now largely dropped off the radar. Let me explain. My Spider is many wonderful things, but a focused driver’s car is exactly none of them. It’s certainly fun to drive, and fast enough for me, but it never feels direct or connected in the way a really brilliant chassis does. In many ways it’s all the better for it; driving it is a relaxing, charming, but engaging experience, and one that keeps my license remarkably free of blemishes. When I see Toyobaru though, a whole other set of feelings and desires surfaces. Mostly, it’s the desire for an Alfa Romeo GTV, or a Fiat 124 Coupe, maybe a tuned Opel Manta, or Ford Capri. In many respects, the Toyobaru stands for a whole generation as the modern incarnation of these cars, and if you’re a bit younger, it’s something more like the Nissan 240SX, or Toyota’s own Corolla AE-86. None of this is any mistake. It’s exactly what the makes of the car intended; the point of the whole exercise, really.

Story Brooks Smith

And while most of the public complaints about the car center on its lack of power (Which mostly tells me that a lot of people don’t know the difference between power and torque.), it’s worth noting that none of the cars mentioned make more power, or torque, and many of them don’t come in much lighter. All of them though share a greater sense of focus than something like an Alfa Spider, or for that matter, a Mazda MX-5. The Toyobaru shares this sense of focus, but somehow manages to miss the ability to generate desire, at least for itself. The car is desirable, and the price looks right. Here in LA, it’s not an uncommon sight. But it hasn’t set the world on fire the way the Miata did in 1989, and what market share it did generate has faded rapidly. The only reason I can figure out for this, is that you can get a really nice S14 240SX, for a lot less money, and the Nissan will probably last just as long. The funny thing is, I remember a lot of articles making the same point about the Nissan at the time. It was considered underpowered for the money, especially compared to Honda’s sports coupe offerings of the day, and it lacked charm, and personality. Nowadays, it’s become something of a cult classic, and is worth considerably more than an Integra or Prelude in the same condition. The GTV, though never unloved, was also considered overpriced in its day. While the Fiat and Opel were seen as down on power compared to the 240Z. It wasn’t that long ago that even Lotus’ Elan +2 was considered

the poor relation of its two-seater stablemate. So maybe it’s the configuration of a 2+2 sports coupe that’s the real market problem? Why are these cars only seen as desirable with hindsight? Why, even after driving it, and understanding its unique place in today’s market, does an FR-S mostly make me long for my old 240SX, and its 50 fewer horsepower, and slower steering? I don’t really have an answer. Just like I don’t for the fact that a current MX-5 is still considered by some people as the better driver’s car. The forthcoming “ND” generation may well match the FR-S in driving focus; but the current car has nothing like the necessary stoutness of chassis to do so. Strangely, fewer people seem to question the Mazda’s even lower power output; as if being a roadster somehow gives it a free pass on actual speed. From a personal perspective, it’s a bit of a moot point, as I’m not at all thinking of switching cars. It’s got to sting for Toyota and Subaru though, as they went and built the car for which internet forums had been screaming. I guess it’s a good thing in that prices are likely to fall in a few years, as they did in my day, to the point where a new round of young people can just about stretch to afford a rearwheel drive sports coupe, with a manual gearbox, and decent suspension, and go out and learn the joys of a car that handles well, and engages its driver. They might just be the last generation to do so…

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