Geneva Auto Show 2015

The Detroit Auto show is always my favorite show of the year, but that is only because I never make it to Geneva. While Detroit might bring us the Mustangs, Corvettes and F150s, They rarely debut exotic cars (This year being the exception with the Ford GT). Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bugatti, McLaren… they all hold off a couple months until Geneva. This show brings us something incredible EVERY year. Two years ago it brought us the P1, LaFerrari, and Veneno. Last year it brought us the One:1. This year, expectations are high as more and more info is coming out.

Koenigsegg has revealed the Regera, a car they have hyped to be the “next level” of super car. It boasts a reported 1,800HP and is capable of reaching 150MPH in around 20 seconds. Insane performance.

Another big development from the show is that Lamborghini released the Aventador SV. This special edition looks great and I cant wait to see how it performs. The first customer car has already been claimed and will be heading to the United States to Team Salamone who I assure you will put it to good use.

Detroit Auto Show 2015

Here are some of the more interesting sights from the 2015 Detroit Auto Show (NAIAS). These were some of the better cars we saw at the show. I have to say, the Ford GT is definitely my favorite this year.

2014. Year in review… 2015 preview.

So, after only posting a couple relevant articles last year… I think I owe my readers a full explanation and update. My year started off a little crazy. My photography business exploded and trying to keep up with that along with my day job was a hand full. I spent the first half of the year planning my wedding, going around the midwest to as many car events as possible and still going to school.

I went on a stage of Gold Rush Rally finally. I have been involved with Luxury4Play and Gold Rush Rally for years, but I never got to participate in anything until this summer.

I got married on July 22, 2014 which led to a month of traveling the US and Canada. I saw a ton of great cities and came home and bought a new house.

Running out of money and with increasing stress at work, I was fortunate enough to be offered a great job getting back into my marketing career.

I started working on writing my own book on marketing and promotion and I even bought a new car.

This is why I havent put the necessary time or effort into managing this blog or being as active in the car community.

2015 has many big plans on the way. I dont expect to be any less busy, but I am going to allocate more free time to my site. This is a huge stress outlet.

Let’s do this.

-Jack Stump

Why it’s ok to throw a rock at a lambo.

I know my friends on here are slightly biased, but I am reading articles from (non car focused) news sites about the guy who threw the rock at the Lambo. Obviously there is quite a bit more to the incident than is shown on video. Apparently some “racing on residential streets” reportedly happened. What I struggle with are the tone of some articles justifying the guys actions and the throwing of the rock. I’m not going to link to the articles I don’t like because I’m really not trying to start a war with some nationally known news blogs. If you’re one of the few readers who don’t know the video, it easy to find all over the internet.

What I can’t believe is that any neutral news site would think it’s ok to destroy someone’s property. The only thing worse are the comments. Moms saying they are proud and good job to the guy. I realize I’m not a parent and apparently don’t know what it’s like to have kids placed in danger, but this isn’t the proper solution.

I try to rationalize with this guy who threw the rock. My problem is a clear bias. I know street racing is wrong. I know I’ve done insanely stupid things in nice cars in residential neighborhoods. I know I’ve pissed off parents the exact same way the Aventador owner did. It’s different when you’re the one behind the wheel and in sure most of us can relate to the lambo owner. We’ve all been in a situation where we did something stupid or irresponsible and made someone hate us. Hate us enough to dream of smashing a rock into our car. The difference is most of the people we made mad didn’t follow through. They yelled at us. Cussed us out. Maybe called the cops.

Likewise I’ve been places had horrible drivers piss me off. I’ve wanted to throw rocks. But I don’t. I don’t damage someone’s property. Especially a car. I do understand being a parent changes your perspective. You do anything to protect your kid. My issue is how he handled it. According to the accusations the Lambo was driving through repeatedly. Which I believe. Because you don’t have a rock ready on the first pass. So you have a problem staying around your house… Awesome.This is a police issue. Keep your kid inside for 10 minutes until they run the guy off. Going after the guy puts you at risk. I know a few exotic owners who wouldn’t have simply pulled off. A few who might have felt it necessary to defend themselves from an attacker. I’m definitely not going to start the debate on whether defense is justified but rather pointing out that escalating things by going after the driver make the potential for it higher. What if there was a fight or a serious injury as a result of it? Is your kid safer now? Why not let the police handle it?

I know this is just a drawn out rant but I wonder how many people out there agree and disagree. Feel free to share your thoughts.

The Best British Car you’ve never heard of.

So, you are a fan of British sports cars… with a bit of money to spend on a new one. So, what do you choose? A classic sports car like a 60’s era  Aston Martin or Jag featuring some of the greatest styling in automotive history. Or do you go for something brand new like a Jag XKR with serious performance and even a bit reliability and comfort? Automaker David Brown has set out to make that decision a little easier for all of us by combining both. Brown takes a modern day XKR and completely redesigns all of the exterior styling. He recreates the iconic design of the DB5 with only minimalist updates. I can definitely forsee the concept being polarizing… you have to either love it or hate it. David Brown has said he will limit production to 50 units per year with pricing information to be announced later. For those who recognize the name “David Brown” it is important to point out that he is not related to the “other David Brown,” the famous Aston Martin designer after whom the “DB” line is named.

Need For Speed Movie Review

So, yesterday was the big preview screening for one of the few movies I’ve actually been really excited to see. Need for Speed is coming to American theaters on March 14. The trailers have been awesome, but I was cautiously looking forward to the full length movie. My main worry was that the trailer, which features some pretty serious exotics, would basically be the only scenes featuring those cars. Obviously, you cant look at any car movie without comparing it to the Fast & Furious franchise. So, I was concerned that NFS would only show the exxotics for the same amount of time that F&F featured the GTR, Koenigsegg, FXX, and other exotics. Good news, NFS really keeps the rare cars around through the entire movie.

Now,down to the content of it.The racing scenes are incredible. For those who are into more realistic racing, you will enjoy this a lot more than F&F. Is it perfectly accurate? No, but there is less of the glaring issues with drivers shifting through 10 gears on an automatic and all the other problems people have brought up about F&F. I could list them all, but there are entire websites devoted to that.

The acting I’m sure will draw a ton of criticism. The plot is not the greatest in the world and the movie really is so predictable. If you are looking for a good plot and great acting go find some other movie to watch. This isnt for you. It wasn’t meant to be. This movie is for people like me who care more about the Sesto Elemento than a plot twist. I wasn’t expecting much anyway when it came to the plot progression.

Bottom line, I had low expectations, but liked the cars. After seeing it, the acting and plot, though imperfect, was far better then I expected. The racing scenes and car selection are unmatched and definitely more than enough reason for everyone to enjoy it. I definitely recommend checking this movie out and cant wait to host a meet at the drive in opening weekend.

Lamborghini Aventador Boat

So, you were one of only 100 people who took delivery of the 50th Anniversary Edition Lamborghini Aventador LP 720-4. What’s next? Well, one Luxury4Play member was recently was faced with this dilemma and immediately found two glaring problems with his new Lambo. First, its only 720 HP. With supercars now pushing past the 1,000HP mark some people want to see Lamborghini’s impeccable Italian supercar styling on something with four figure hoursepower.  His second and most pressing issue with his Lambo: You cant even drive it on water.

Enter Marine Technology Inc. (MTI) with a solution to his problem: The Lamborghini Aventador boat. The team at MTI drew all their design inspiration from the 720-4 and crafted a 3,000HP boat. One off, special edition. Both MTI and the new owner are keeping quiet about pricing details, but thankfully they were not afraid to share a look at the amazing boat. 

McLaren Reveals 650S

McLaren is expanding their product line. The British automaker currently produces two different models, the MP4-12C (also available as a Spider) and their insane Supercar, the P1 which is the primary rival of the LaFerrari. McLaren has announced that they want to introduce two new cars into their line. One, the 650S, set to be “In between” the P1 and 12c in performance and another to come later as an “entry level” car below the 12c. Well, the 650S is here and it looks exactly how you would picture a hybrid of the 12C and P1. It literally looks like they chopped the front off a P1 and stuck it on the front of a 12c and it looks amazing.Official performance data is beginning to leak out and so far we know that the turbocharged V8 will be producing about 25HP more than its 12C predecessor. McLaren is presently intending to keep the 12C in its product line, but has hinted that depending on sales of the 650S and its later entry level car, it may choose to retire the 12C.

 

 

Lamborghini Huracan revealed

Lamborghini has finally rollerd out their newest model, the replacement to the Gallardo. Much of the performance stats are yet to be confirmed, but it will be a V10 double clutch, that will share many components with the next generation Audi R8. Here are a few pictures provided by Lamborghini Plus two renders of a new kit already in the works by Oakley Design.

Mercedes announces the end of the SLS.

Mercedes Benz has announced that they are ending production of the SLS AMG. The SLS was introduced back in 2009 reviving the gullwing doors Benz used on the legendary 300SL. Mercedes is planning on revealing a special edition of the SLS at the LA Auto Show. It will be exciting to see what the team at AMG comes up with to top the latest version of the SLS, the black series.