On Sunday I visited the Classics & Coffee event organised by Octane Magazine, they had such a good turn out with so many different cars. Really cool to see all these different cars together and the fact they all drove there was even better.
At many shows featuring supercars, I don’t pay them much attention. They don’t evoke the same emotions in me as a beautifully modified car or a youngtimer. But for this Koenigsegg Jesko Attack, the first on Dutch plates, I’m more than happy to make an exception. Because right now, this is the epitome and definition of a hypercar, or should we call it a megacar?
This car churns out a staggering one point one nine megawatts (1.19 MW) from its twin-turbo V8, which translates to 1600 horsepower, provided you fill it up with E85. This fact is clearly highlighted when you peek through the massive spoiler – there’s a plaque detailing what this car is capable of. Mind-boggling figures, especially when you consider that the Chiron Super Sport boasts the same horsepower. It just needs twice the number of cylinders (W16) to achieve it.
The Mercedes-Benz SL made its debut back in 1952, and the most iconic and now unaffordable 300SL remains one of the most beautiful cars ever designed. Anything that came after had some pretty big boots to fill. Now, the fourth-generation SL (R129) isn’t exactly the model that sets my heart racing. But after laying eyes on this version, built by Harry Pippard, I’ve had to reconsider.
The foundation here is an SL320, a rare 40th-anniversary Designo edition from 1998. The color is a stunning blend of green and blue, much to my surprise, it’s standard on the Designo edition cars. While the SL’s lines remain intact, Harry has made some subtle tweaks to the bumpers and sideskirts. Everything’s been done by Harry himself, including the paintwork, right from his own garage at home.
Working in collaboration with 6ad Forged, Harry designed the wheels himself. These three-piece wheels come in 18”x9.5j up front and 18”x10.5j at the rear. The inspiration here is pretty clear, taking cues from the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II wheels, giving the car that sought-after OEM+ vibe.
continue reading
During my last round at the Heaven on Wheels event before going home, I decided to take a peek on the upper deck. Not a bad choice, if I say so myself. There, I stumbled upon this BMW E28 5 Series. A stunning specimen from 1981 in Malachite Green Metallic, a color from BMW’s individual program.
The Gotti j55a wheels are true classics and fit perfectly on this E28. The centers are 16 inches, but with the help of a step lip, they now measure 17 inches. The wheels are 8.5 inches wide up front and a beefy 9.5 inches wide at the rear.
What catches my eye are the Alpina stripes on the sides, which seem slightly thicker than the original striping of a genuine Alpina. But it adds a touch of class, and since the Alpina logo isn’t present, it’s not pretending to be a real Alpina. So kudos to the owner for not doing that.
continue reading
Belgium is renowned for its chocolate, beers, and potholes. Because goodness gracious, the roads are abysmal. As soon as you cross the border from the Netherlands, it’s like hitting a minefield, zigzagging to dodge the craters. But i digress, because Belgium is also known for its plethora of car meetings. In the Netherlands, we have a few events, all organized by the same outfit. So most of the times you see the same cars over and over again.
But in Belgium, it’s a different story. Small organizations which attracts different cars and people run the events with a slew of volunteers. One such event is Heaven on Wheels. They take over a parking garage at the shopping center Cora in Anderlecht, near Brussels, transforming it into a scene straight out of the Fast and Furious films.
What sets Heaven on Wheels apart from other events is that they don’t do any pre-selection. Anyone can roll up with their car. This means there’s a wide mix of cars, but to be honest, it also means there are quite a few cars I wouldn’t normally spend 2.5 hours in the car to see.
Continue reading
In today’s market, there are few brave souls willing to slam a Nissan Skyline R34 GTR on air suspension. But did you know this is not a real GTR? Could you spot the difference? Because what we have here is a converted R34 GTT. The transformation is so seamless that I was completely fooled. No expense has been spared to create this Z-Tune lookalike.
Even the interior has undergone a complete makeover, often one of the first signs that you’re not staring at a genuine GTR. Unfortunately, I couldn’t pop the hood to peek underneath, so whether the conversion includes an RB26 engine remains a mystery. What I do know is that the car has since been exported, so perhaps we’ll catch a glimpse of it again at a foreign car show.
When it comes to many classic cars, it’s all about the history and provenance. Often, you’ll come across a fairly ordinary car, but it’s the story behind it that makes it truly remarkable. That’s certainly the case with this Audi Ur-Quattro bearing license plate GL-79-XB. You see, this happens to be the first one registered in the Netherlands by Pon, the Volkswagen and Audi importer for the country. Naturally, that makes it particularly enticing for collectors.
Back in those early days, this car served as a test car for the press, so you’d often spot it in the magazines of that era. All the journalists back then were absolutely gushing over its performance and the pioneering 4WD system, better known as Quattro, which Audi has since become synonymous with.
It’s precisely these tales behind the cars that make it enjoyable for me to delve deeper than just the exterior appearance of the car. I spotted the car in the cellar at the Gallery Aaldering in Brummen, a place in which you never know what you might find.
Every car enthusiast in the Netherlands knows about Gallery Aaldering, whether from TV or their showroom in Brummen. Since its establishment in 1975, Gallery Aaldering has grown into one of the largest classic car dealerships in Europe. They’ve kept their garage in Brummen all this time, and funnily enough, that happens to be the town I grew up in. Nowadays, I live just a stone’s throw away.
So, whenever something new comes in that piques my interest, I know the way to their showroom. In this case, I spotted an original BMW 2002 Turbo had arrived, time to get up close and personal. This particular model is from 1975, coincidentally the same year Gallery Aaldering was founded.
continue reading