Ferrari 458 Spider.. The best drop top on the best road?

The amazing Ferrari 458 Spider on the famous Stelvio Pass... Personally I think the 458 is the most exciting Ferrari in years.. what a dream to drive one on this amazing road!

Eric Claptons awesome new Ferrari

BIG fan of this... the 512 BB's is one of my all time favorites.. too bad it doesn't have a flat 12 :( They sound like no other!

Eric Clapton's bespoke Ferrari SP12 EC revealed

iPhone Road Shots: Maserati Quattroporte

Bellezza!!!.. Like a fine crafted designer pair Italian shoes this girl is... This car just screams and flairs it's hands all around even when it's sitting still (no pun intended.. well maybe)! Ya, ok... it's not perfect... many complain about it's goofy floppy gearbox... and it being underpowered compared to it's German Uber Saloon rivals. But, who cares how fast your going? Really... it's like having an extreme makeover.. when you look this good, you want to get where your going as slowly as possible so everyone takes notice!

The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano "An Enzo in a designer suit?"

Here is the last set of pics my friend Bryan snapped on his holiday New York trip. And hopefully you all will agree I saved the best for last. Behold the mighty Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano! When released the 599 was Ferrari's most powerful series production road car to date. This came thanks to the Enzo's 6.0L V12 producing 620HP and 448 lbs ft. torque. The front engine rear wheel drive 599 is the latest in a long lineage of front engined Ferrari's (including the famous 365 Daytona). The 599 also features a techno showcase of computer controlled driving dynamics borrowed from Ferrari's formula 1 cars. Many have said the 599 is like a front engined Enzo with creature comforts. All said and done the 599 is an amazing car....But, I have to say I don't think it's Ferrari's best looking design. Ferrari continues to make better and better technical cars... they are faster than ever, handle better than ever, and are without a doubt a technological marvel. I just wish Ferrari could recapture some of the design magic of days past. Don't get me wrong though.. I would gladly drive one if anyone would like to let me borrow their's for a week or so? :-)

The Amazing Maserati GrandTurismo

For a Christmas gift of sorts, my good friend snapped some great pictures in New York during the holidays.. Of course there was Rockefeller center, the tree, times square... all the usual New York affair. But, being a car buff like myself.. I knew he'd snap some great pictures of cars on his trip. And he sure didn't disappoint!

Here is the new Maserati GrandTurismo! What an amazing looking car. I am so glad to see Ferrari has rejuvenated the brand and is releasing amazing cars like this! The lines give this car a look that is better suited for an art museum (or the Roma version of the Batmobile). Nonetheless you could drive this beauty right out of the gallery and head for the first sweeping, curving piece of asphalt. A Grand Tourer with the flair of a F430... How can you go wrong with that! And the 405 HP V8 isn't to shabby either! More great pics from New York to come! (Oh ya.. speaking of 430's.. check out the Ferrari in the background... decisions decisions)

2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - First Drive - Motor Trend

2009 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione - First Drive - Motor Trend

It has been a long time coming! Alfa Romeo finally returns to the United States with the 2009 8C Competizione! What a beautiful design. It embodies everything that is Alfa Romeo. This car looks as sleek as a custom tailored Italian suit. It is the kind of car you flash down the streets of Monte Carlo in on the way to a socialite ball. You can be sure the valet is going to park it in front of the Ferrari's and Porsche's as the showcase car for everyone to see.

Yes I'm sure it will be unreliable.. But who cares! If you are looking for the pinnacle of passion and soul in an automobile.... it doesn't get any better than the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

Sorry though... unless you are already on the list.. the few cars slated for the U.S. are all spoken for.

"Wall Poster Classics" 1985 BMW 635csi

The year was 1985... Tubbs & Crockett were all the rage... My Bedroom was riddled with posters and die-cast models of prancing horses and cars with doors that seemed like something out of a sci-fi novel. We all had our favorites... mine was the Ferrari 288 GTO... it's a car I still dream about to this day. Amidst all the over the top Italian Madness, the Germans managed to pump out Autobahn super coupes that in many ways alluded my wall as a kid. The Porsche 928, the Mercedes-Benz 560sec, the Audi Quattro and the BMW 635csi.

They didn't have doors that spun upside down and inside out. They didn't have more gills than a school of fish. And for the most part, they didn't have their own poster section at you favorite mall hangout. What they did have was powerful engines that actually worked without a $5,000 service every 1000 miles. Subtle but powerful bodies of solid German steel (and aluminum in some cases) that were built to last like a 1000 year old castle on the Rhine, not like a fragile Baroque piece sitting behind climate controlled, bullet proof glass in the Louvre. Tasteful and functional interiors. And the forefront of innovations we are just now starting to see as standard features on modern cars.

Looking back now I find myself asking.. Why didn't I have my walls plastered with 1980's German innovation? Why didn't I focus my boyhood car dreams on realistic executive coupes that the upper middle class business man could obtain? I look back on the cars now and lust after a big German coupe just as much as I did over Italian madness as a kid. These cars have proven themselves timeless. And many are still in top running order today!

The car I am going to focus on today is the infamous "Moonlighting" car. My good friends (and hopefully soon to be guest author) Beautiful 1985 BMW 635csi...

Originally introduced in 1978, the BMW 635csi was a more delicate and precise option over the brute and stiff Mercedes Coupes (another favorite.. we'll talk about them some other day). The 635csi was equipped with BMW's legendary 3.4L strait Six with 182hp and 214 lbs ft. torque. When you first slide into the taught purpose built leather sport seats, the BMW's 22 year old interior is still a fantastic place to sit. I am just amazed at some of the features that were available on this car. Central Locking, a pretty darn sophisticated computer, power seats the go pretty much every way but sideways.

Setting aside and the bells and whistles, as you crank over the silky smooth strait 6, you'll find one of the most unique exhaust notes I've ever heard. I have jokingly told the cars owner that it reminds me of a perfectly timed symphony of pots & pans. It is just precision engineering at its best! Once I got this old girl out on the road, I was immediately surprised at how light it actually feels. Every aspect of the car is scalpel precise. The suspension is notoriously BMW. Everything about this cars handling feels showroom new. I was very impressed with the breaks. They are sharp and responsive. In fact, I have driven modern cars with breaks not as good as this car.

Back to that silky smooth engine! I can imagine back in the day this car was one of the more powerful cars out there. By modern standards it isn't a screamer off the line, but mid range power is still impressive. You can tell this big coupe was built for the Autobahn. There was also the infamous M6 (again, another car for another day) which had performance on par with the supercars of the day.

This car is becoming a classic. I have watched these cars jump in value even over the past 5 years or so. That said, you can still find one of these in great shape for under $10,000. The BMW 635csi has always had a cult like following, and now more and more interest is being drawn to these old girls with the introduction of the new BMW 635. Maybe I should have put a poster of the BMW 635csi right next to my Ferrari and Lamborghini posters. It sure would have deserved that spot! A great car indeed... I can only sum this car up in two words..

"Sehr Gut!!!"