Sunday, August 31, 2008

About the Author...


My name is Trevor Green-Smith, and though I love to write about cars, I've only just started driving them. I've loved cars my whole life, I guess it runs in the family, and so does the love of driving. My Grampa, owned everything from a performance tuned 57' Chevy, to a metal flake Mustang GT, to a Datsun 280Z, and mind you, he raced every car he got his hands on. My Dad's first car was a 67' Pontiac GTO, and my Mom owned the original Mini. My Uncles have had Porsche 911's and Mercedes SL550's, so I would conclude that cars are in my blood. I was keen on exotic cars from a pretty young age, to the point that I could name every car on the road by the age of four. When I learned what the fast-red-cars-that-made-great-noise's were actually called "Ferrari's", the deal was done. I was a Car Fanatic. Driving cars, as I've recently discovered is a whole other matter. After getting my permit, and subsequently enduring a truly awful 2 hour lesson in a Dodge Stratus with a 478 year-old man in the passenger seat, you could say that I was a bit discouraged. However, this hasn't stopped me trying to become Mario Andretti Jr., despite the fact that my parent's Toyota Landcruiser isn't exactly driving Nirvana either. Anyway, my experience with cars isn't just my lineage, but my own passion. I visited the Ferrari factory last summer in Maranello, Italy, I am constantly pestering the staff at the local exotic car dealers, and Infineon Raceway is a 20 minute drive away. Lets just put it this way, trips to London, Paris, Rome and other European cities don't exactly help me with my addiction to exotic cars. Enough said.





Sunday, July 20, 2008

Tiburon Classic Car Show 2008

A collection of my photos from the 2008 Tiburon Classic Car Show...

A gorgeous 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, one of only 36 ever produced:
A fantastic Lamborghini Murcielago with a perfectly fitting background:
A row of 1948 Porsche 356's and a 1955 Austin-Healey 100M:
A collection of old Alfa Romeo's including a beautiful yellow Giulia:
An extremely rare 1951 Jaguar C-Type, the first race-car to run disc brakes at LeMans, one of only 52 cars ever built, the C-Type won the 24 hrs of LeMans on it's first try:
This 1961 Ferrari GT SWB needs no words:
I have absolutely no idea what in the world this is, but it is really, really cool:
A brand new silver Maserati GranTurismo, in my opinion, the best looking GT car ever built:


Friday, May 30, 2008

Aston Martin V12 Vantage RS: A Serious Driver's Car

Despite claims by some that Aston Martin's effort to create hard-core, "thoroughbred" supercars is futile, this may be the light-weight descendent of one of the best looking cars ever, and now, it has a dragon under it's hood. Oh yes, that fire breathing 6.0 Liter V12 straight out of the DBS has undergone a transplant into a car that weighs in at a kerb weight of an anorexic 3500 lbs. Now equipped with an even more growly exhaust system, lots of carbon fiber bits, and even carbon ceramic brake discs, this Aston might just be a track worthy daily-driver. With 600 bhp, any CEO can get his heart racing when he nudges the throttle just a little. All of Aston Martin's Racing experience, combined with components from the DBR9 GT1 Track Car, and of course the dashing good looks of Aston's top notch design department, would bring even me to say that this one's a winner. Everything except the price tag of a pocket picking $320,000... 

Friday, May 16, 2008

THE LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO LP560-4: What Supercars should be...

This is one of those ferocious Italian cars that make us smile. The very essence of passionate design is exemplified in the new Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. This is what a supercar should be. Seriously. With a brand new bodykit, redesigned alloy wheels, carbon fiber all over the place, and that sumptuous 5.0 Liter V10 cranking out more horses then ever, you can't help but feel overwhelmed by Lamborghini's brilliance.  This thing oozes that feeling of insanity that we've come to expect of the Raging Bull. The new Gallardo could even be the epitome of the mid-engine supercars, in terms of design, technology, performance, and handling. This is what we should all be looking for in upcoming supercars.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

THE FERRARI CALIFORNIA


Some were hoping for a hard core, lightweight super car, some imagined a replacement for the 250 GT California of old, and some hoped for an F430 replacement, however, we received none of the above. On the contrary, we received none of those. What we see could be a replacement for the 575 Maranello, a 2+2, with possibly a folding hardtop, and a big V8 in the front and *gasp* a second pair of seats in the back. But there is one problem. It's not that original. It's drop dead gorgeous, no doubt about that, but is it really a Ferrari? Does it really carry the flare, the insanity, the passion, and the soul of the Ferrari's that we've all come to love? To me, it feels like competition for the BMW M3 or the Mercedes CL63 AMG, but just more expensive, and with that heart-stopping Ferrari badge on the front, and a few pieces of carbon fiber here and there. What we have here is not a supercar, but a toned down Ferrari, a subdued prancing horse. It almost feels like Ferrari held back on this one, it's missing the purity and the excitement that give Ferrari it's name, and all we can hope, is for the lunacy to return. 

Images From Ferrari SpA

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

WELCOME!

Welcome to Car Fanatics Unleashed, where guys who are crazy about autos talk endlessly about the hottest exotics in town! We'll have weekly design reviews, roasts for cars we don't like, and a Car of the Month award to the car that doesn't get totally ripped apart!
Join us for a wild ride filled with news, pictures, adventures, and ridicule!
We look forward to your comments and suggestions!

Thanks,
Trevor