Minneapolis Street Sighting: Mercedes 230SL

I love spotting a classic Mercedes. There's just an essence about a Mercedes that screams elegance, and class; a roadster/convterible even moreso than its hardtop brethren. While the mid 1980s SL roadsters did me good for awhile, a got bored of them rather quickly. It's not that I don't like them--I do. But, there's something about the SL that makes them prettier with age. The new one is ugly-- and it will always be so. My favorite SL is probably the first generation one-- but I have no chance in hell of seeing one streetside, so for now its a fantasy. I do like the second generation model, as shown here.
From what I can see, this particular example has a host of European trim pieces fitted, and it looks better for it. While I enjoy these in darker colors, the cream on this looks downright classy. It scream richness, without being too ostentatious-- yet it isn't bland either. With the color coding on the wheels, this whole car gives off a royal vibe; something that often isn't said about cream vehicles. This car looks as at home sitting in front of a fancy hotel as it does parking amongst city traffic. To prove my point, as I was shooting this, I counted at least seven people (none who I could gather were car people) stop what they were doing, and come over and stare at this beautiful convertible and admire the details.
Looking at this particular generation of SL, it's no wonder where MBZ's current design language comes from; I quite like it, but I think this fasica should be left alone. Just because this is one of the more beautiful vehicles in Benz's heritage does give the company a right to glorify this generation (or bastardize it depending on your point of view) by plastering this grille on damn-near everything they churn out nowadays.
Is this car a memorable sighting? Most certainly. Am I happy I shot it? You bet your ass I am! Would I look back on a 2011 SL550 with this same vibe in ten or so years? I quite doubt it.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: MGA 1600

Okay, okay, so I shot another British roadster in front of Quality Coaches-- I know, I know, it's getting routine now, but hey-- why stop if it works, right? I like going down to QC, and I don't; I know what usually hangs out there, so most of the time, I ride there because it's easy; I know the way by heart. Sometimes, though, they have gems I haven't yet seen. Rare occasion, but it happens-- as is the case here. I've seen maybe an MGB and Midget-- Austin Healeys are almost boring to me now; same story goes for many earlier Triumphs. But, I don't see many MGAs. I quite like this one; typical period color, no unnecessary add-ons, no curb rash, or other decay, no evidence of being abused, just a clean British roadster.
I quite like this example, not only for the pale-- not to mention unusual-- color but for the wire wheels too. Cars like this simply don't look right otherwise. The interior protector tonneau is a nice touch, too, especially given Minnesota's iffy summer weather. Since it was under wraps, I can't vouch for the interior's condition, but it's a fair bet to say it looks as good as the exterior. I'm not too up-to-snuff on older MGs, but from what I can see, this one looks nice.
Given a choice between MGs, I would probably pick an A like this one over an MGB roadster any day. I'd like to have one of these-probably outfitted like this one-- and an MGB GT coupe, and being attracted to spoked wheels, I'd likely go for wire wheels on both (if there's any other way LOL). My hat goes off to the owner for keeping such a non-cliche classic vehicle up and running! Kudos to you, and have yourself a lifetime full of fun driving ahead of you! Happy motoring!

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chevy Corvette ZR1

I usually don't post modern cars, but lately, I am finding a few standouts; surprisingly enough, most of the modern cars that catch my eye enough to shoot are not premium marques, but premium offerings from rather mundane marques. I have secretly liked modern Corvettes in their most powerful (and most expensive) versions, and it's not just the C5 and C6 I'm referring to.
One of my earliest memories of having a favorite car was the C4 Corvette ZR-1. This model was produced 1990 to 1995. It looked slightly meaner than the standard Corvette, too, in addition to having a substantial power hike. It was also quite the handler for its day, too, and was very, very fast. Initially, GM was in talks to build a car based on the contemporary Corvette that could be the world's fastest production car. Unlike the standard Corvette engines, the ZR-1s LT5 was made by Mercury Marine, then shipped to the Kentucky plant to be fitting into this limited run of Corvettes.
Fast forward to 2009, when the Corvette C6 is in its midlife cycle; GM says the car desperately needs a refresh, along with a top tier model ahead of the 505 horse Z06. The result is the C6 ZR-1; packing a 638 horse version of the LS9, also found in the CTS-V, this 'vette is capable of hitting 207 MPH, and lapping the Nurburgring in a hair under seven and a half minutes. Yes, a sub $200,000 car completed the most hellish track on earth in less time than it takes to drive from Uptown to Augsburg College. Yowzers!
Oh, and the price? Less than half the cost of a Ferrari 458 Italia, or about $30,000 less than a Porsche Turbo. Sure, you can get more performance out of those two cars stock, but with the money you saved on purchasing your high end Corvette, you've got money left if you wish to do more upgrades-- not that 638 horses is anything to sneeze at by any means. It may be just a lowly Corvette, but it's still one of my favorite modern cars, and that's saying quite a bit.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Chrysler's TC by Maserati

In the 1980s, Chrysler was in trouble, so was Italian carmaker Maserati; Chrysler had economy cars, Maserati had luxurious sedans that oozed class, and Maserati was struggling to broaden its US image. The pairing seemed natural, right? Shady reliability, crappy dealer network, and a lurid base platform-- what could possibly go wrong?!?
Unfortunately for Maserati (or for Chrysler depending on how you look at the situation), not many US customers were fooled into paying double for a coachbuilt Chrysler LeBaron. Before you bemoan me, and say I have no respect for fine Italian motoring-- well.. this thing is neither fine, not very much Italian. I'll leave you to be the judge on the styling, because I like some parts of it, yet I can't quite look at this and not see its generic Chrysler roots. Granted, the interior is a bit nicer, and the exterior does look slightly more formal than that of the Chrysler on which its based, but that isn't saying much. I would call this the 1980s equivalent of the Ford Fusion/Lincoln MKZ sedans. Different styling, and different dynamics, yet you can't help but know they're the same car beneath the skin.
Like other Turbo variants of Chrysler products, these Italian-American bastardizations may creep up in value, but since they're often forgotten, prices should stay quite low for some time to come; that's good news if you're seeking an offbeat classic from a marque with rich heritage, but bad if you bought one with the intention of scoring a killer profit. So, would you fall for this offbeat Italian, or is this TC just another ill-fated pseudo luxury car?

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

I know this "sighting" is kinda lame.. but I rather like this car; yes, I realize I have lambasted "donks" and "hi-risers" to no end on more, but if they're done well and not a gaudy trash-heap, I don't mind them as much; case in point here. Take a clean Cutlass, put some nice wheels on it, and don't lift it very much. I like the stock paint, stock interior, and not hacked to hell bodywork. The wheels, too, are pretty nice, IMO; just your basic 22" IROCs with a mild lift. While I dig the wheels on this example, I would how it would look with a set of Forgiatos are maybe Asantis.. hmmmm.. could possibly look even better than this thing... Maybe..