Saw an interesting duo on the way to the NY auto show last month (at the same station as the R8). A Nordic Gold Porsche Boxster S being chased by a "Very Orange" Tesla Roadster. Interesting that they appear to be the exact same color, although Porsche's naming convention is obviously a bit more conservative. It was really interesting seeing them pull off the light, the Boxster put the hammer down with, of course, a pretty nice sound, while the Tesla was right on his tail, but his only sound was that of his Yokohama tires chirping a bit. I'm not even sure if they knew each other but it was cool to see, especially since the two cars perform so similarly yet are fundamentally very different.

(2011?) R8 V10 (5.2) Spyder

Don't know how I forgot to post this. I Was filling up about a month ago and a big Audi pulls into the station. The first thing to flash through my mind was, "...S5 cabriolet?" but I immediately realized it was an R8 Spyder - a 5.2 V10 equipped Spyder, no less. You can see that it has "Vehicle Manufacturer" plates from New Jersey, home of Car and Driver. I don't know any other reason that it would have Jersey plates, but then again, I don't know why there would be a near-production example of a German exotic car that doesn't even have a US launch date driving around Stamford, Connecticut. I'm glad I had my camera with me... right place at the right time. According to exif data I took this on March 14, quite awhile ago.

B7 Audi RS4 4.2 FSI

In the beginning of this month, while walking to the 2010 New York Auto Show, I spotted a great car before even getting inside - a B7 Audi RS4. I always thought of the RS4 as an AWD M3, which is certainly not a bad thing. The color, as far as I can tell, is not a stock one and looks almost exactly like taxi-cab yellow. I sure wouldn't mind getting ferried around in a small 6-speed Audi with a tuned 4.2 FSI V8 - the same base engine that's in the A8, and... oh, yeah, the Gumpert Apollo. Maybe he picks up passengers for $15/mile when he needs to fill up?

Porsche Carrera GT

Today's sighting was a Porsche Carrera GT, year unknown, at the Ferrari wing of Miller Motorcars in Greenwich, CT; Guards Red with a Terracotta interior.

This is a very interesting car - it was Porsche's second purpose-built supercar (the first being the incredible 959) with a specially-designed V10 engine. More interestingly, it almost never came to fruition. The car's engine was first to be used in Porsche's new LMP (LeMans Prototype) car. A focus on the design of the Cayenne and the upcoming Audi R8 - a corporate relative - led to the shelving of this LMP project, however. Only after the release of the Cayenne did the dry-sump 5.7L V10 find a home in the Carrera GT.

The Carrera GT was both ahead of its time and an homage to Porsches past; mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, and a non-synchromeshed transmission give the car a hardcore driving feel, while a carbon fiber monocoque/subframe and carbon ceramic brakes add a modern technological element.