CAFÉ RACER 76

The Container Yard Classic

Deep in the heart of NE Portland the battle rages - Team Icon vs. The Bikes of Icon in the first ever Container Yard Classic.

The current batch of Icon customs are based on our fondness for the dirt oval. And for choppers. And for cafe racers. All of these genres are conscripted into our ranks. Enter Cold Dead Fingers, Anemic, The Snakecharmer, and both lastly and leastly, The Kitten. Armed with large knobbed tires we sent this batch of air-cooled combatants to war in the gravel strewn outskirts of North Portland. A zesty enterprise of gas spewing tanks and dust choked nostrils. A course dictated by rusty containers and disgruntled longshoremen, backlit by a blistering August sun. An event that would eventually become known as the Container Yard Classic. No one would survive alive.

Music: The Civil Tones -- Mall Driver
Courtesy of Rumblefish Music Licensing Store

Babe Blue '73 CB750

The CB750 Build from Brady Young and Seaweed & Gravel is finally done! It has been a year in the making. I met Brady a little over a year ago and I had a beater cb750 in the back of my truck at the time. I told him this would be my babe. He kinda smiled while we made plans for other builds that were much more in the forefront. This build got pushed back by each client that came along. I didn't really mind because I knew she was going to be amazing. As it happens, some of the other builds were the testing grounds to work out the mistakes so this bike would be right the first time around. Well I am happy to say Brady nailed it on the head. The build takes me back to my childhood, no doubt. Growing up my dad had a '70 El Camino the same color and I drove a '70 Nova the same color. The number was my number growing up and it has significance in my adult life as well. This bike will be for sale but we have not come up with a cost yet. I hope I can ride her for a little while at least.

Brady will follow up with more information about the build so you may want to wait on the questions for his write up.

Seaweed & Gravel

Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid: Energy regeneration without compromise

For most of us, ‘hybrid’ means a list of awkward compromises that ultimately detract from the pure driving experience a car can offer. The Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid finally addresses this problem, drawing benefits from its eco-technology while retaining its stunning performance credentials…

It’s no wonder cars are so frequently cursed in city centres around the world. While crawling through the congestion, stifled by exhaust fumes and the pungent smell of overheating engines, electric drive seems to make a lot of sense. At the push of a button, Porsche’s second-generation Panamera S E-Hybrid will creep around in electric mode, completely emission-free and in utter silence.

Green technology, elegantly packaged

The Panamera’s divisive styling has been subtly tweaked with new front and rear headlights – an upgrade that will carry over to the rest of the Panamera range. Neon green brake calipers and badge highlights are the only tell-tale sign that this Panamera is hiding some rather impressive eco-friendly technology. It’s hard to believe that electric power alone can propel this two-tonne (2095kg) car for a mightily impressive 22 miles before being plugged in again (a first for the Panamera). And, if you’re caught short and run out of power before you’re home, it’s not a problem – the biturbo V6 can kick in and recharge those empty batteries right away. Rather than complaining about the decline of petrol-powered motoring culture, we relished the E-Hybrid’s zippy electric performance.

Power on demand

In electric mode, the saloon silently surges up to 135km/h (about 84mph) quite happily before the V6 petrol engine automatically takes over, swiftly putting its 330bhp into action to reach your desired speed. The change of modes is almost imperceptible to the driver; only a trick viewer on the speedo tells you exactly where and when the energy is going.

Elsewhere, the Panamera’s signature dynamic characteristics shine through, offering pure driving pleasure in abundance. Despite its weight, every bend in the road is tackled with remarkable poise, aided by the on-tap power and torque (410bhp and 590Nm) served up via the superb eight-speed automatic gearbox. When an eco-car offers thrills like these, we’ve nothing against the technology. Even if we couldn’t reach the ambitious 91mpg that Porsche claims, we were thrilled by the almost freakish way the car covers the ground.

All this fun comes at a price, though – £89,000 to be exact. While that’s not exactly cheap, the consolation comes when you start to save fuel and money right from the off. Whether the investment pays off for you personally is open to question; but for the environment, it’s a win-win situation.

Photos: Classic Driver