Spyker C8, Audi R8 @ Neptune's Net in Malibu

Got a call from my friend Chris saying that he had a couple of guys from Top Gear Magazine in town to do a story on the Spyker C8 and Audi R8, two cars that have benefited from the addition of the VF Engineering Supercharger mod. They were looking for some good backgrounds for photos and test drives and were thinking that the Solromar section of West Malibu might be what they were looking for. Why not? I was having one of those Mondays where work wasn't feeling overly rewarding, despite having been at the computer since 5:30 that morning. I told them to meet me at Neptune's Net and about an hour later they showed up, accompanied by the sound of thunderous engines and a minivan.

It was a pleasure meeting Tom Ford (ex-Fifth Gear presenter) and seeing the cars. Seeing the response to the cars by the patrons at Neptune's was also fascinating. The Audi R8 is stunning on its own but unfortunately pales in comparison to the drop-dead gorgeous good looks of the Spyker. That the Spyker lacks some of the creature comforts standard in the Audi (ie: a freakin' ROOF!!) is of little concern; all of that beautiful metal work more than makes up for a little wind in your hair and the possibility of rain in your face when the weather turns ugly. Or "challenging". Or whatever. No worries that day though, as blue skies greeted the crew and a potentially great sunset loomed ahead.

So maybe we didn't have a permit for the shoot and maybe we had to keep an eye out for drivers intent on making their way home who weren't exactly expecting to see a couple of supercars parked on the sidewalk for a couple of quick photos, but all's well that ends well. As the light moved into the golden hour the party moved on up into the hills by the old Tony Duquette extate for more pictures of the Spyker in action (you'll have to wait until the magazine hits the newstand to get a look at those shots, but they're stunning, having been taken by The Coolest, Most Diligent Photographer In The Auto Industry™, whose name escapes me at the present time)(nice guy, into wine, and tres focussed when trying to get THE shot).

We made it back down Deer Creek Road with cars intact and the shoot was finished up with a couple of action shots from the back of the van as we drove down PCH with the ocean and sunset behind us. I'm anxious to see the finished story- Tom has a great approach to automotive journalism and he seemed to enjoy driving the Spyker. Tom headed off to a private jet to take him off to Colorado to drive a Bentley for a few days, the photographer dropped off the minivan and I think took a Greyhound bus to Denver (Top Gear seems to value its writers quite highly) and Chris and the gracious owner of the Spyker headed off to Las Vegas to hit the racetrack the next day and really give the cars some quality track time.

BTW, is it even legal in California to wear a VW t-shirt when driving an Audi R8?