Category: Exotic

Basically your mid-engined supercars.

Categories
Exotic

2012 Audi R8 GT Spyder: Only 333 produced!! Ultimate R8

LOCATION SPOTTED: Sebonac Country Club (Southampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED: Sebonac Country Club (Southampton)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 3.6 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: 102 feet
  • Quarter Mile: 11.5 sec
  • Slalom: 74.9 mph
  • Skidpad: 1.00 g

Spotted by absolute coincidence at Sebonac Country Club, is a car that is as amazing as it’s abilities are at carrying golf clubs. This car is also exceedingly rare, with only 333 examples to ever be produced and only 90 of them to be slated for sale in the U.S., this car is hands down the rarest Audi currently sold in North America.

The GT package on this R8 bumps the horsepower from 525 to 552 and replaces much of the front and rear air diffusers with carbon fiber for super-lightness. More weight-saving measures went into the seats by replacing virtually ALL of the moving parts and power functions, so yes they are (probably) not so comfortable, but who cares? This is a super-car  that is taken to a whole new level of performance with little to no factors that inhibit outright capability on the road and the track. In fact this car is a full 220 lbs lighter than the “regular” R8 V10. 3770 lbs is pretty damn light for a car that is burdened with the weight of the heavy Quattro 4×4 system.

In essence the Audi R8 GT Spyder is truly pushing the envelope of what an Audi sports car can be. The real question is; “Why for $210,000, wouldn’t someone just buy a Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 Spyder?” Ok, the Lambo is still $15,000 more expensive, but still this Audi is very close in price to its Italian sister. The REAL reason why someone would buy the R8 GT Spyder over the Gallardo, weirdly, is because the Audi is more exclusive. Never thought I would say that about an Audi and a Lamborghini.

Categories
Exotic Luxury

2012 Ferrari FF: 208 mph For Four

LOCATION SPOTTED: Harbor Marina (East Hampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED: Harbor Marina (East Hampton)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 3.5 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: TBD*
  • Quarter Mile: 11.4 sec
  • Slalom: TBD*
  • Skidpad: TBD*

*There are literally almost no track statistics on the internet about this car yet

The new Ferrari FF has got to be the most complete supercar ever made. There are very few automotive tasks that this car can’t perform. The Ferrari FF goes in the snow. It can carry four people in sublime comfort. It has a larger cargo capacity than a Ford Focus hatchback, and if that’s not enough, it can also go 208 mph!

The looks will grow on you; this car is striking in person. It is admirable not only because it is so capable, but because it comes off as such a different looking vehicle than any other supercar. In the United States, there are very few high-performance station wagons sold; the Cadillac CTS-V and the Mercedes E63 being the only ones. But when you look at the Ferrari FF with it’s provcative curves and two door “shooting brake” hatchback design, it’s truely hard to not admire this amazing automobile.

 

 

 

Categories
Exotic

2004 Ferrari 360 Spider: Poor Man’s F430

LOCATION SPOTTED: Harbor Marina (East Hampton)
LOCATION SPOTTED: Harbor Marina (East Hampton)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 3.9 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: 131 ft
  • Quarter Mile: 12.2 sec
  • Slalom: 69.0 mph
  • Skid-pad: 0.90 g
The Ferrari 360 Spider was one of the first of the company’s mid-engined cars to feature the F1 automated manual transmission. The transmission made the 360, and all other Ferrari’s mated to the transmission, much faster and easier to drive. The 360 was a very fast and capable car that should have and could have been a monumental success for Ferrari, but it wasn’t. Here’s why.
In the simplest terms, the 360 Spider works brilliantly on the track as its performance figures will confirm. However, on the road it is way too twitchy and jerky in its steering and transmission shifts. Fortunately Ferrari fixed this issue with the F430 and F430 Spider, which both work brilliantly on the road and the track. That’s why F430s hold their value and 360s don’t.

 

Categories
Exotic

2009 Aston Martin DBS: Best Hampton’s Super-car

LOCATION SPOTTED: Castillo Di Borghesi (Cutchogue)
LOCATION SPOTTED: Castillo Di Borghesi Vineyard (Cutchogue)

Performance:

  • Acceleration 0 to 60: 4.2 sec
  • Braking 60 to 0: 100 feet (with carbon ceramic brakes installed)
  • Quarter Mile: 12.7 sec
  • Slalom: 69.7 mph
  • Skidpad: 0.93 g

When you consider the fact that this car sells for around $275,000 new, it may be difficult to justify it’s purchase to a performance minded enthusiast. A 2011 Ford Mustang GT500 is faster than this thing in most areas for god’s sake.

Therefore, it takes a different kind of customer to buy this Beautiful British piece of design. Someone who doesn’t care about occupying the top performance bracket of the modern super-car segment, someone who can appreciate a car for more than just going fast. This person is your typical wealthy Wall Street investment banker who, when he steps inside of the sleek leather cabin of his Aston Martin DBS, feels like a ten year old kid in a candy store. Lucky bastard.