Anyone own any Exotic cars?

getting blown by twins is great isn't it ?

Fantastic pictures, amazing cars....thanks for posting this.

Just looked at the Concours link and there was a black 1930 Voisan sedan in the first picture.

Last weekend my workmate's daughter got married, a client of the boatyard drove her to the church in his 1927 pale blue Voisan droptop. They are HUGE cars and very impressive.

The owner uses a NSU Ro80 Wankel as his daily driver, one of 37 classics in his shed. He has enough bits and pieces in boxes to build a 1920/30's Bentley Blower Le Mans spec racer.

He still drives his old Rolls and Bentleys covered in crap coated coveralls and black fingernails, I think she made him scub very well for the wedding.

Great concept...Got some phone numbers..?

I laughed my tail off... Thanks

Any Awards for Time of Ownership?

After my '62 Corvette was stolen, I turned around and bought a '73 Mercedes SLC that was 4 years old. Originally it was stock tobacco brown...but I tired of that and added euro-spoilers and a new color.

Drove that car till one month ago (July '09), whereupon I sold it for parts (lots of rust), and the guy drove it home to NY at 85-90 mph.

Lets see I drove that car for 32 years

Gullwing 300SL. 1954

But here is the car I always lusted after...a '54-'55 300SL

This is a brochure of one I almost got at a auction in Ind. i got there a half day late...and it sold for its min at $60K. This car was better than the one in the Mercedes museum in Germany at the time.

Brian,

I had a friend who had a Tobacco brown 300SL, you may have seen the print of it with a California plate that read Benz 56. Adolph was a service manager for a local MB dealer. His car was stunning; he drove it one Sunday a month. I have driven 300SL's when they were still road cars and while they are an awesome car they are hot, noisy, and kind of uncomfortable. Not as bad a a Ferrari Daytona, but the 300SL roadster is a better driving car.

Steve

Regrettable that is true. And the most amazing thing was that the guy who bought that one I mentioned above, lived in Louisiana...hot and sticky itself...but he was a collector, not a driver.

The problem I had with the roadster was there wasn't as much leg room...I'm 6'4".

BTW, I believe I detected another subject thread by yourself in reference to motorsailers. If you google that subject, or search this forum and another, I believe your find I've written a lot on the subject,
ie;http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-sailing-discussion/6710-motor-sailers-philip-rhodes-john-alden.html

Mercedes 300SL

BTW, I went out to that auction to look at a replica that was being built in North Dakota. The gentleman was to being showing it there. That was long ago when I come to think about it.

Somewhere in this past two years I looked at a couple of other replica projects on this model. I'm afraid with this current economy they will likely fail by way of cash flow.

I even entertained the idea of convincing one of these failed attempts and maybe we put together an 'alternative fueled' model SL300 over in Thailand. The MB brand in Asia is a BIG status symbol, and a slick looking gullwing might just be a real eye catcher to launch a new alternative fueled vehicle in those SE Asian countries.

In Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore you don't want a convertible, but rather a closed vehicle with GOOD air con.

Brian,

I don't know if you are aware that the MB Classic center built a few 300SL replica's with M119 V8 engines and all the comforts of a newer car. They went to a very hot desert climate.

I would like to build a SLR replica with one my 7.4L v12's aluminum bodied of course!!

I have looked at everything on the sight that has any motorsailer interest. It is is a favorite subject

Steve

Something like these:

..or maybe this coupe version...this must be very rare

A coupe of course; roadsters are fun but, I like closed cars for serious driving.

By the way my dad had a 450SLC in the mid 1970's. He thought it was the neatest thing, when I saw the SEC I felt the same way, they will bury in my car!!

Steve

P.S. you mention a modern gullwing with alternative power, check out the Mercedes SLS

Flywheel and Electric Pkg in 300 SL gullwing

Singapore is the highest per capita Mercedes ownership in the world...Hong Kong highest for Rolls Royce.

Here's what I wanted to put in a 300 Gullwing body...the flywheel/electric powered Chrysler Patriot Le-Mans prototype package

http://www.allpar.com/model/patriot.html

...and here are a few more 'flywheel energy' references:
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/56932-post6.html

Interesting, can you say P factor. The precession from that flywheel could do some nasty things.

Steve

American Exotic

Thought a pic from the driver's seat of my c5 Corvette "cruising" with a c6 Corvette might be interesting. You should be able to see the heads up display on the windshield measuring a speed of 93mph. This photo was taken in Alabama, USA on interstate 85 between Atlanta Georgia and Montgomery Alabama. The occasional high speed hook-up is always alot of fun. Speeds on this cruise regularly exceeded 100 sustained for many miles (traffic dependant). The Corvette is a very stable car at high speeds which enabled me to shoot photographs while driving very fast. p.s. I do not advocate this practice, just dumb enough to admit doing it once. Cheers sportscar fans!
Long Live Corvette!

Talking of speeding in only appropriate places, may I NOT recommend the Superyacht dock at the IYCA in Antibes.

As a young, stupid and well tipped crewman I had gone and bought another Suzuki 1100 bike. My skipper, Paul and our friend John Bardon (captain of the classic schooner Creole that was berthed next to us) wondered just how fast these things go?

So, wearing just shorts and a t-shirt, I took the 'wee beastee' to the end of the dock to find out and openned the throttle.

Very quick is the answer.

Shortly followed by Pierre, the dockmaster, in his little Mini Moke with yellow flashing light on top.

While red is a very good colour on the Riviera, not so much on Pierre's face, while he had steam coming out of his ears. He was not very 'appy with us.

So all three of us stood on the dock looking at our feet like naughty schoolboys, he shouted at us and threatened to throw both boats off the dock and never darken his wharf again.

As Pierre left, muttering something about mad Englishmen, John turned and asked "Go on then, how fast?" just within Pierre's hearing.

John Bardon is now looking for a new position.

Carl, Here is an Acura NSX submarine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDrlWy6IAdM&feature=player_embedded

5 bucks says Carl's head is absolutely spinning right now.