The Crew works their way further south into the Baja peninsula. They stop into meet Ivan "The Ironman" Stewart before feeling a little under the weather before continuing on the adventure. The Southern point of Baja provides a cool place for the guys to get a dive in, but Kurt and Clay are about to have a sketchy situation.
jeudi 30 juillet 2015
Luigi Colani’s Ferrari Testa d’Oro was 1990s land-speed lunacy
There are eye-catching cars, and then there’s… well, this. Based on a Testarossa, but boasting 700bhp-plus and aerodynamic bodywork by Luigi Colani (the original ‘nutty professor’), the one-off Testa d’Oro has to be seen to be believed...
It's driveable, but...
It’s hard to know how to begin describing this car. Words fail us. So let’s start by saying that it’s not just an art installation – it’s driveable – but not always easily. For a start, the front spoiler is so long and low that taking it anywhere on the roads requires careful planning. Hence, when Classic Driver’s Rémi Dargegen went to Maranello to photograph it, he made do with static pictures.
Built for speed
The Testa d’Oro (named for its gold cam covers) was built to set speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats by German designer Luigi Colani. Its organic, aerodynamic shape is typical of Colani’s radical designs, as is the not-entirely-practical front splitter, while German tuning house Lotec was responsible for the (recently fully rebuilt) twin-turbo engine.
Class winner
First put together in 1989 (but with at least two subsequent body changes), it never did fulfil Colani’s dreams of setting a new World Record for the highest speed attained by a road-legal car, but it did win its class at Bonneville in 1991, with a speed of 218mph.
"Made by a crazy man"
Style-wise, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But to quote Rémi Dargegen who, as a renowned photographer, isn’t easily overwhelmed by a car’s visual impact: “The car has unbelievable presence. It’s a real UFO, a veritable flying saucer – but a real-life one, that you might actually see on the road one day. It’s a concept/show car of the 1990s, made by a crazy man, so the measurements are very approximate, but the shape is unique. And very, very impressive. Every time you look at it, you discover a new detail, an angle, a curve. Colani’s creations are out of this world.”
The Ferrari Testa d’Oro was recently sold via Maranello Purosangue.
Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2015
You can find many more Ferraris for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
CONCEPT RACER, MEXICO CITY
Mexico is one of the world’s great motorcycling destinations. It’s the all-time favorite trip of veteran moto journalist Peter Egan, who heads to Copper Canyon in northern Mexico. And then there’s the famed El Diablo Run, from San Felipe to Ensenada in Baja California.
Despite reports of the glorious landscape and sunny climate, we’d never heard much about the custom scene in Estados Unidos Mexicanos. Until Miguel Lerdo of Concept Racer got in touch.
Miguel is a lawyer with a Masters Degree in business, but his true passions are speed and adventure. Motorcycles satisfy his need for speed, and a stint as a Himalayan mountain guide provided plenty enough adventure.
Today Miguel focuses on the Concept Racer store in Tecamachalco, which he runs with ex-enduro racer Sydney Lewis. Tecamachalco is a bustling suburb in Mexico City—the oldest capital city in the entire Americas and one of the world’s powerhouse economic hubs.
Miguel, when did you start Concept Racer? We opened in 2014. I’m in charge of the design and creative aspects, and Sydney is the general manager and also a very skilled mechanic.
What do you sell in the store? We sell the same brands you’d find in high profile US and European outlets, such as Icon, Pagnol, Alpinestars, Ride 100% and REV’IT! We’re focused on quality—with the products as well as the motorcycles. Our audience is 98% male, city-based and educated.
What type of motorcycles do you build? We have especially close links with Yamaha and BMW. The Yamaha XV950 is popular with customers, along with the BMW R nineT. Our bikes have been showcased on manufacturer stands at both of Mexico’s big moto shows.
Do you have plans for expansion? “We’re now opening a second store in Santa Fe, one of Mexico City’s business districts,” says Miguel. “The city is so big and crowded that if you want to drive from one side to the other it could take you at least two hours—and we want to make things easy for our customers.”
What is the appeal of Concept Racer? It’s a fun store—where people can drink coffee with us and talk about their bikes. It’s a hangout place. Our next shop will have air hockey and foosball since we want to continue the hangout spirit.
Sounds like a shop we’d like to visit. What are your opening hours? 9am to 7pm.
What is the appeal of Concept Racer? It’s a fun store—where people can drink coffee with us and talk about their bikes. It’s a hangout place. Our next shop will have air hockey and foosball since we want to continue the hangout spirit.
Sounds like a shop we’d like to visit. What are your opening hours? 9am to 7pm.
Concept Racer, Fuente de Tritones 28, Lomas De Tecamachalco, Mexico City | Facebook| Instagram | Images by Francisco Lisci
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