A Grand Day Out

[Vaigra]

Mini report to follow

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #2

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #3

[Kitdy]

What is the very first car?

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #4

[Vaigra]

What is the very first car?
A Gillet Vertigo

A Grand Day Out #5

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #6

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #7

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #8

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #9

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #10

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #11

[Vaigra]

A Grand Day Out #12

[derekthetree]

lots of ncie cars there. are there any press/other pics of the gillet road car around??

[Vaigra]

I'll take a look around, see what I can find for ya :)
You might get them tomorrow or later though, I'm out tonight.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Today was a nice day. It was nice because, after a dull time at college, I decided to visit Vaigra (or Asif, to some of you…) and go see some prospective automobiles. He had let me know about a Koenigsegg that was hanging about, not too far from him. I couldn’t really give a toss about some Swedish upstart, so I said no, but then he showed me some of the other stock- one thing that caught my eye in particular was the new Superformance Le Mans Coupé. It’s been updated for the 21st century, so you’re looking at classic looks coupled with modern underpinnings. I like that in a car. I also wanted to have a look because, some day, I wouldn’t mind one of these to either complement or replace a car.

So, I drove down to Brunel (made it quite quickly!) and met the great man outside his halls. Lazy git. We went upstairs, chatted for a while, met a corridor-mate of his, then proceeded to bundle down to the unique dealership.

We got there, and were told by a nice woman to go round the back, as the owners were presumably out for lunch. Crikey. Alone, by ourselves, in a showroom full of exotica? We didn’t know the half of it. Walking in the back, we spotted a Mercedes CLK having its bumper resprayed, then some nicer vehicles- a Mercedes 450SL, the hard-top, an Aston Martin DB7 Volante having its batteries recharged, an ancient Bentley, and a Mercedes 280SL with the pagoda roof. Then we stopped dead, because there was some big, weird, orangey-type-thing in our way- a Gillet Vertigo. Christalmighty above, it’s insane! I dismissed it for being left hand drive, though. Baha, Asif’s corridor buddy, kind of fell in love with it, and wanted to climb in- though shenanigans were stopped, for now.

Proceeding through, the Koenigsegg was only just visible, peeking out from underneath a dust cover. The silhouette’s quite nice. Then around the showroom… a Porsche 911 Targa from the ‘80s. The ultimate yuppy car, finished in black with that insane whale-tail spoiler… then next to that, an LHD 360M finished in a stunning blue. Behind that, a 996 Turbo, then an S320CDi LWB, then an MGBGT, then the real piece de resistance- an Aston Martin DB4 Superleggera. Just wow. Seeing a legend in the flesh was quite something! Parked next to it was the Superformance Le Mans Coupé- I’ve fallen in love. What an awesome car! Although it has no outer door handles (fob-operated), it’s just stunning. Amazing haunches, sleek lines, and purposeful to boot.

Next to the Daytona was a Land Rover that had apparently taken part in the Paris-Dakar- dirt and all. You’d think they’d have given it a quick wash and a valet. Next to that was… a BMW 7 Series. Whoop. Never seen one of those before. Behind that, the Bentley Mulsanne S- a real old steamer!- and then a manual Jaguar XJS convertible. Real rarity. Behind that sat 2 nice Hawaii 5-0 throwbacks- a 308 GTB, x2. Behind those, there was a nice 360 Spider in silver, with one funky interior, and then in front of that 360S there was a beautiful dark metallic blue F355 Spider- manual, with grey leather.

More to follow… give me a couple of hours…

[Ferrer]

Thank you Vaigra :)

Sam wearing glasses while not driving... that's an event! :D

Oh and I definitely want to see those when I come to the UK ;)

[Vaigra]

No problem.
Just let me know when you come over and I'll take you down there. We made some friends I think ;)

[Waugh-terfall]

MMMMMMMM-MMMM! 911 Targa 3.3 SuperSport, IMO, the ultimate Porshce! I'd like to see the doors in action on the Shelby, it sounds really odd. Seeing a Koennigsegg would've been, for me, the peice-du-resistance. Lucky mo-fo's...

[kingofthering]

. Behind that sat 2 nice Hawaii 5-0 throwbacks- a 308 GTB, x2. Behind those, there was a nice 360 Spider in silver, with one funky interior, and then in front of that 360S there was a beautiful dark metallic blue F355 Spider- manual, with grey leather.



I believe the TV show you're referring to is Miami Vice.

[Ferrer]

I believe the TV show you're referring to is Miami Vice.
Miami Vice had a 365 GTS/4 replica based on a Corvette. On the other hand Magnum PI had a 308 GTS and happened in Hawaii. I guess that's what Sam was referring to.

[Waugh-terfall]

Magnum PI was a legend program, damned shame FreeView got rid of the channel it was aired on. Bastards...

[kingofthering]

1 word- YouTube.

[Vindesh17]

If these cars are for sale you'd think they would take better care of them. I mean look at the break dust built up on the CCR's brakes.

[Matra et Alpine]

If these cars are for sale you'd think they would take better care of them. I mean look at the break dust built up on the CCR's brakes.
rust :(
At least it proves the car has actually been out in the real world.
Not one of those "only out on dry days" rubbish :D

[Vindesh17]

rust :(

that's what I meant :o

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

... but anyway, onwards :p

The cars we chose to look at up close were picked carefully. We didn't actually want to touch the cars at first, as there was no one around and we didn't know if they were alarmed. However, the sight of the F355's gated gearlever was a little too much! So, after confirming that the blinking red light was the immobiliser, I carefully opened the door. Discussion about the red light on it ensued, then I plopped down in the low-slung, well-supported seat. Amazing clutch! The gearchange is lovely, too- but I found the gears too closely spaced, and can easily imagine going from 2nd to 5th quite easily. Then again, it wouldn't really matter.

Emboldened by our foray into the Fezza, we proceeded to try out the other cars. The engine was stared at in the 355 first- and then we ran amuck! Of notable interest was the Superformance- we didn't know about the fob at the time! So we spent ages cramming our hands into vents, louvres, under the car, under the mirrors... then Baha leaned in through the open window and opened the door.

Excellent gearchange on the Superformance- very precise. The clutch was an absolute 'mare to get the hang of, though. The Superleggera also fell prey to our sweaty clutches- that thing has perhaps the weirdest gearbox, ever. It's like shifting in butter with a twig. The 911 was also on the list- a wicked car aesthetically. The pedals are placed very well, and the gearchange was excellent. I can see myself buying an old Porsche soon- even if I don't like them very much, their interior design and engineering impresses me.

So from there, we started peeking under the dust cover of the Koenigsegg. Check out the pics. We started with a corner, then a little more, and then some more, then put it back down, then went round the back... etc...

From there, just sitting in the cars randomly. Baha executed a nice Dukes of Hazzard movement to sit in the Gillet thing. I was more preoccupied with the pagoda Merc- the smell in that car was magical, old leather and petrol and musk. Truly enchanting. If I had one of those, I don't think I'd be able to flog it around. It would be sacrilege- like farting in a church (just as amusing, but plain wrong).

The '80s Ferraris were kinda cool. The one Baha and I sat in (the first picture with the bonnet mostly viewable I want to caption "I thought this CD had Magnum PI's theme tune on it?". Pretty comfy. The Jaguar was niiiiice. Sitting in it briefly revealed an excellent build quality- and it's manual! You barely ever see manual Jags, apart from these upstart X-Types.

Then, whilst we were busy ooing and aahing over the Superleggera and Superformance (right in the front window), we noticed two scruffy blokes in a Suzuki Vitara watching us. Obviously the owners.

Shit.

So, exiting the cars at light speed, we formed an orderly line instead of legging it, and explained ourselves. The gentlemen were very friendly from then on- the younger, rude-bwoi one engaged in conversation with Asif and Baha over the Koenigsegg, whilst I quizzed the older bloke about the Superformance, with a nice bluff story about a record label and some not-so-hard-earned cash. Watch this space- if a deal does work out with a couple of contacts, expect an Egg Nog of that Superformance sometime soon.

It was, all in all, a true grand day out. Thanks to Asif for giving me the modest opporunity, and Baha for the photos.

[Ferrer]

Sam, you keep on giving me reasons to come here... :p

Oh and the Aston isn't a Superleggera, Superleggera is the method of construction of the body, by Carrozeria Touring of Milan. The car is just a regular DB4.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Well, a regular DB4 is better than no DB4... ;)

Think of it this way, Albert- whilst you were in class, I was being buttered up by a dude begging to sell me the Superformance. I was tempted to lay down a deposit with Monopoly money.

[Waugh-terfall]

PAH! VITARA!? Why drive a poofwagon when you've got a 964 Targa 3.3 SuperSport to play with!?

[my porsche]

Your mullet is coming in nicely, sam.

[Waugh-terfall]

HAHAHA, His mullets in, my mullets out.

Does anybody actually know what Colin looks like? I've come accross a few from here, never Colin. lol

[sicilian973-2]

where is that

[Rockefella]

where is that

England.

[Vaigra]

It was, all in all, a true grand day out. Thanks to Asif for giving me the modest opporunity, and Baha for the photos.
Agreed.
Also I took the pics so you can thank me for those regardless of how crapola they are!
I remember you urging me not to open the engine cover of the F355 Spider....my hands just couldn't resist :p.
Also, if you look at Baha climbing into the Vertigo, Sam is clearly visible in the background urging him not to hahaha!
Another shock was the DB7 Volante that met us when we walked in...through the back :p. It had a flat battery and was being charged, surprise surprise eh. I'm offering a cookie if anybody can tell me how many exhaust pipes the Superformance Coupe has...Good luck fellas.
The owners did look pissed off when he got back though, I remember saying to Sam, "he does not look happy!" Following a truthful explanation of how we snuck in through the back the young upstart was bragging the CCR is actually faster than the CCX, I think not boyo. Unfortunately we weren't able to get into the CCR as the keys weren't there at the time. Suuure....
The only cars we didn't dare open before they turned up were the 360's, as they had not one, but two blinking lights each. It was decided they'd be the last cars we'd attempt to open up and if the alarms went off we'd scarper quite sharpish:D.
I think I'll pop down again sometime or other, this time with my own camera and get some better quality shots. I also just remembered I have a tripod back home in Birmingham so that'll help too.

Overall, a good day with some decent weather. I wanted to go in flip-flops but Sam said some sort of shoes would be better. Also flip-flops are a bit of a pain to drive in. I was surprised we found it considering we didn't actually have any directions to hand.

Oh and BTW, Sam's 206...the pedals really are very very close together, I kind of understand how he jumped on the gas instead of the brakes on Christmas Day, I really don't blame him. Guess it takes some getting used to, as does the gearbox, which isn't too slick.

Enjoy our writeups and pics regardless of quality:)

[my porsche]

HAHAHA, His mullets in, my mullets out.

Does anybody actually know what Colin looks like? I've come accross a few from here, never Colin. lol

Sam does, it's strictly confidential.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Because they're nude pictures.

[my porsche]

Precisely, were King Dong to be unleashed to the public it would result in a mass feeling of inferiority.

[Cyco]

I suspect the DB4 may be a Vantage, not just a "standard" one

[Waugh-terfall]

I belive it has 4, 2 sidepipes under each door.

[Waugh-terfall]

Oh and BTW, Sam's 206...the pedals really are very very close together, I kind of understand how he jumped on the gas instead of the brakes on Christmas Day, I really don't blame him. Guess it takes some getting used to, as does the gearbox, which isn't too slick.

Hahaha, curbs = t3h kill3rs!

I got a short drive in it last week and learnt how to reverse up a slope without rolling forwards, thanks Sam, and I kept getting 3rd instead of 1st and 4th instead of Reverse :D

[Vaigra]

I belive it has 4, 2 sidepipes under each door.Nope.

[Waugh-terfall]

It has 2 sidepipes under each door AAAND 2 downpipes under the back.

I didn't get it into 5th, when i came back to go to reverse i stuck it in 4th

[Ferrer]

Well, a regular DB4 is better than no DB4... ;)

Think of it this way, Albert- whilst you were in class, I was being buttered up by a dude begging to sell me the Superformance. I was tempted to lay down a deposit with Monopoly money.
I hate you... :p

And if, as Cyco says, it's a Vantage I hate you even more... :D

I'll have to come to the UK just to check...

[Vaigra]

Well, it's currently for sale for £115k if that helps determine which it is exactly.

[Ferrer]

Well, it's currently for sale for £115k if that helps determine which it is exactly.
Then I say Chris is probably right.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

What was that? We sat in a DB4 Vantage? Maybe I'll withdraw tonnes of money from my account and promise a deposit after a test drive :p

[Vaigra]

Haha and make them move every single car there before they can get it out of the place? I'm coming with you and placing a deposit on that Superformance methinks. If they're gonna move them all, they might as well take the Superformance out for me too.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

The Superformance is mine. You're getting Eleanor.

[Ferrer]

If no one wants the Aston in the end, I'm getting it.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Weird gearbox. You can have the Aston.

[Mr.Tiv]

If no one wants the Aston in the end, I'm getting it.

I'll fight you for it.

[Ferrer]

Weird gearbox. You can have the Aston.
Great, I'll have the Aston then... :)

[Waugh-terfall]

Well I'm having the 964 Targa 3.3 SuperSport AAND the Koenigsegg CCR so naaah! :p

[Ferrer]

Well I'm having the 964 Targa 3.3 SuperSport AAND the Koenigsegg CCR so naaah! :p
It's not a 964, but rather an older 911.

[Waugh-terfall]

It's not a 964, but rather an older 911.

hang on, isn't the 964 from the 90's? I belive Jorismo entered a picture of one in the comp this week and doesn't Richard Meaden from Evo own a 964 CS?
I've gotten my Porshce's mixed up again... Sorry

[Ferrer]

hang on, isn't the 964 from the 90's? I belive Jorismo entered a picture of one in the comp this week and doesn't Richard Meaden from Evo own a 964 CS?
I've gotten my Porshce's mixed up again... Sorry
Yes the 964 ran from 1989 to 1993, but this is an older Porsche. You can tell by the front bumper, as the 964 had much better integrated bumpres and this doesn't.

[Waugh-terfall]

Yeah, this is a 930 Targa 3.3, that's what I mean, a 964 is as pictured below.
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=234558&stc=1&d=1174256717

[Ferrer]

930 Turbo Targa? That's quite rare... and lairy...

[Waugh-terfall]

930 Targa 3.3 SuperSport = my <3 (Quiggs taught me that...)

[Ferrer]

Apparently the Super Sport had a turbo body but no turbo engine. So it's not a 930, but rather a more normal 911 Carrera 3.2.

[Waugh-terfall]

ooooooooh, one day, a black one, with black wheels shall be parked on my driveway..<3