Part 1: Launch point, by Vince.
When I think of “exotic” cars I think about rarity, class, and overall uniqueness. As car enthusiasts we are all familiar with the buzz or feeling of excitement you get when you see an exotic car out and about. Malibu Autobahn’s 5100 Exotics event takes this “buzz” to a whole new level. This event consists of 51 high-end super cars, and 100 miles of driving through the best scenes in Southern California.
I arrived at the event at 7:00 am before most cars had arrived, so the experience was only starting to come to life. As a volunteer, I helped check in cars as they were pulling into the parking lot. Each car that pulled in had me more and more excited, and after some time the lot was full of the nicest cars in the area--a fine selection of Lamborghinis, McLarens, Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Bentleys to name a few.
At the front of entrance, with the honor of greeting all the supercars, I felt like I was working at some Hollywood event, and looking at celebrity cars. Whether or not celebrities were actually in attendance, this even absolutely makes you feel like a celebrity, being surrounded only by pure luxury and the highest class.
The starting point venue, Galpin Auto sports, had turned into an elite squad of some of the nicest cars I had ever seen. Before going on a drive through the Santa Monica mountains and down PCH, people had the opportunity to test drive the new Aston Martin DBX, the company’s first SUV.
As the time to leave got closer, all the drivers gathered for a pre-drive meeting to go over the route, rules and other tips one last time. After this, the cars lined up on the road, and when we finally had everyone ready to go, it was takeoff time.
The 100 mile route we took was simply incredible, traversing a wide range of open oceanside highways, farmland roads, curvy mountains and more. Surrounded by friends old and new, we enjoyed some of the best roads California has to offer, all ending at an incredible location nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Part 2: The destination, by Natan.
The ranch where we ended is unbelievably picturesque, a gem in the Malibu Mountains on any type of day. Put over 50 supercars in the parking lot on a Sunday morning and it will turn that location into the spot that everyone wants to be at. As each vehicle turned in, I grew giddy with excitement, and felt like a kid in a candy store; one that I certainly could not afford, at least for now.
For this event, we wanted to do an awards ceremony of some sorts. We had 3 “Autobahn Awards” to give out at the final destination of the 5100. So, a few members of the team got together and discussed award types. We narrowed down to what we are, premium, high end and timeless which resulted in 3 nice bottles of Champagne, Vodka, and Whisky.
Award 1 was “Most Likely to be Driven by James Bond” award. When we think of James Bond ( and hopefully others) we think of classy, elegant, timeless. The name itself states the award so we looked for a modern and classy British sports car. Of course, it was given to a beautiful red Aston Martin DBS, which ideally was parked next to a red Lamborghini Huracan.
Award 2 was “The Most Poppin’ Car” award which was meant to go to the craziest sounding car, quite literally poppin. This one was a difficult choice, all of the cars at our event were poppin. As one of the last cars arrived, that’s when I knew I had my answer. The Lamborghini Aventador SV in black and red. Subtle enough to gloss over but that 6.5L V12 was undeniable, winning the award.
The last and final award was “The Most Unique Car” award which was in my opinion the hardest decision to make. At Malibu Autobahn we receive all types of unique cars and each individual has their own definition to the word “unique”. This award was given to a beautifully optioned McLaren GT which in my eyes is a very rare car, especially with the beautiful spec this particular example had. McLaren is known mainly for its raw power and sporty feeling, not comfort performance like the McLaren GT. The McLaren GT is considered to some as a myth because they are rarely spotted, especially at car events. The more popular 570S and 720S are most frequently seen, with a spattering of 650S and MP4-12C’s here and there.
For the next few hours we did what car people do: stand around, look at each others cars, talk shop, and enjoy some great food. As always these events are amazing and get better each time. It is an honor to be part of the team. See you all very soon for our next event!
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