2016 Concorso Ferarri in Old Town Pasadena

What an awesome show this was today...but then again one can throw superlatives all day at cars as incredible as the Ferrari.  This years show had increased considerably over the year prior...so much so they had to move on down and over further east on Old Town Pasadena's famed Colorado Blvd.  How much of an increase?  76 cars were put of for judging and another 140 showed up for the show for display purposes by individual owners.  Roll in the restorers, lessors and others and there were easily 200+ cars here today.

To pick a favorite is a bit impossible.  I've always been enamored with the Enzo, a beast capable of 211mph that is sheer sexy on wheels.  They had  one similar to THE ONE split in half by a knucklehead who underestimated its abilities and was saddled with shady/questionable import history with the help of an equally unusual small security company in the SGV.  Once that scandal ridden accident and news rumor mongering died down it was restored.  Beautifully.  Sadly it remains in the EU.

After that its hard to pick among the numeric alphabetic soup that is the story of Ferrari in racing and road cars here in the U.S.  After the jump you can see a few of my favorites of the day.

2016 Fabulous Fords Forever

The annual Fabulous Fords Forever car show took place in Buena Park across from Knott's Berry Farm on April 17, 2016.  The show was back with well over 2000 Ford, Edsel, Mercury and Lincoln cars in all states of repair and customization.  This video is a highlighted overview of the cars that caught my attention including one that so blew me a way I named it best of show.

The most amazing custom was the 1962? Thunderbird Lowrider that I named it "Best of Show.  From hits firemist red and orange glow metallic paint job to the artful lowering this car stood out amongst them all at this years show.

More pics by me from the show in a Flickr Album.

#FordGT configurator just went live

The darling that stole the show at NAIAS 2015 just went one step closer to production and on sale date of late 2016..  Its configurator at Ford.com has gone live.

I built my version.  Wicked.  Matte charcoal black with a silver stripe, gloss carbon fiber accents and the carbon fiber wheels.  Coolness, right!?  Now I need to find someone to gift me the 450k large needed to put it on my driveway.  Think trading in a '13 Focus will get me closer?  Not.

You can build your own Ford GT dream car HERE.

Concorso de Ferrari set for April 24, 2016

Also know as "Ferraris on Colorado" this Ferrari Club of America sanctioned show will have 140+ pristine drivable Ferraris from their first introduction to the Americas to a top notch or two uber expensive and rare La Ferrari.  The show will take place in Pasadena on Colorado Boulevard between Raymond and Pasadena Avenues Sunday April 24, 2016.

The video featured here was shot by me at last years Concorso Ferrari.

Press release after the jump.

Fabulous Fords Forever show set for 4/17/2016

My most favorite single manufacturer show is Fabulous Ford's Forever.  Where else will I find at least one example of a fine, and I mean FINE 1969 Mercury Marauder XL than at this show?  This show in years past has easily held 2000+ cars with the Mustang dominating the show.

This years show is set for Sunday April 17, 2016 from 10-6 across the street from Knott's Berry Farm in lovely Buena Park, CA.  Of course I'll be there with a press pass in town documenting all the fun.

Here's a sampling of last years show

Found on Road Alive :1985 Plymouth Horizon

Here in the land that rust forgot I spotted one of the most forgettable cars from Chrysler...a Plymouth Horizon at a grocery store in Arcadia.  Forgettable as in I haven't seen one of these beasts in 25 or more years and completely forgot they ever existed.

These were intereting cars.  Sourced from a Simca platform this European Chrysler Division was the starting point for building stiff competition to VW's Rabbit (later changed to Golf) here in the U.S.

On paper it sounded pretty good, compact front wheel drive, 4 door hatchback and a VW sourced engine,  They sold well the first couple of years and were enough to get Chrysler bankruptcy protection help from the U.S. Government.  In typical Chrysler fashion for the era, they beat that horse until it was nothing but welts and a joke in the market place.  With a run from 1978-1990 it only produced 961,508 units.

There was one bright point in this platforms history.  The Dodge version got a turbocharged four cylinder producing 170 hp from a much larger than standard 2.2l 4cylinder.  This engine massaged by Shelby along with some suspension wore the GLH badge...

Goes

Like 

Hell

And like a bat out of hell it showed that Chyslers Dodge division was the performance division for the brand and this limited edition sold well establishing performance bars for others in the compact market to rise too.

Audi brings A4 Allroad Quatro and Htron Quattro Concept to NAIAS

A4 Allroad Quattro

Audi H-tron Quattro - image courtesy Audi

I don't know what I'm more enthused about The A4 Allroad Quattro or the H-tron Quattro concept that Audi showed last week at  NAIAS.

First up, since its actually being readied for sale, lets talk about the A4 Allroad Quattro.  Its name implies what the brand has done well for a while.  Performance oriented all wheel drive that can take you anywhere in any weather with confidence. Add in the versatility of it being built on a wagon body instead of SUV you retain the nimble handling and ride quality of a car, not a truck/SUV thingy. 

To build the Allroad Audi does a lot of tweaks and upgrades to the body and suspension to handle the higher ground clearance...not that you need it for off roading, but rather you don't have the old snow plow effect in winter driving that you get with a lower car.  

The other car of significance is the H-tron Quattro building on the E-tron Quattro unveiled here in Los Angeles in November.  This car is a significant upgrade over the E-tron as it uses a hydrogen fuel cell for electricity generation.  The upgrade comes in much further range, 350+ miles between fill ups that take only 4 minutes.  Build the infrastructure to support and this is a better and more viable option to the EV.  Having already driven an A7 H-tron I can tell you this is going to be an amazing machine.

More pics by me from the NAIAS show in Detroit in my flickr album.

Full press release on the A4 Allroad Quattro and the H-tron Quattro after the jump.