Pebble 2008

Words and photos by Warren Madsen
Aug 2008



Ah, the "Pebble weekend." That 5 to 6 day journey into a world of automotive hedonism and a higher tax bracket. Living so close, I've been lucky enough to attend many of the shenanigans that go on here, from the expensive Jet Center party to the freebie 'Tour'.
This year we tried to fit it all in one full Saturday. Here are a few pictures to highlight what most consider the mecca of the hobby. Enjoy!



Grand touring on our way down to Carmel from Santa Cruz. Remember, almost nothing stands out along these streets. An ice-blue McLaren F1 passing one way and a black and red Veyron going the other is an indication. Our Italian probably seemed pedestrian that day except to us riding inside.




In my earlier post about the Bentley Drive, (our first stop) we were able to get our fill of torque, but the mini bar was quickly empty. This is the "I need a scotch" edition of the last Arnage. Searching for a chauffeur on craigslist...

Stopped in at The Quail auction tent. I stuck my head in an unrestored $4 million Talbo Lago and ingested the aroma of 70 year old french leather, wood and metal. I know it sounds absurd, but this is my disease. I really enjoyed all the Voisins, too.



On our way through downtown Carmel along Ocean Ave.
This house didn't shout Lamborghini, but the license plate sure did. Other sightings downtown included a Mosler, a few new Maserati Granturismo's (great design), Audi R8's (which are still rare), and of course a few Ferrari's, Lambos, Aston's and Bentley's or FLAB as we will now refer to them.




Even though the driver was afraid to pull out into 35 mph traffic (only 617 horsepower, can't blame him) it's not a bad choice for this particular weekend...I mean, that's what I keep at my Carmel Highlands villa.



We were graciously invited to the Mercedes exhibit at Pebble where the parking lot was slightly dominated by the three pointed star. Can anyone i.d. whats under the cover? I have my hunches. We were shown the F700 concept in detail (I got to watch a 3D movie in the back seat and inspect the sushi refrigerator center console) and a few other AMG treats by a cool German engineer who could talk concepts or 500 SECs. I hope Mercedes makes it back in '09.



Ah, the Maybach 62 Landaulet. The most ridiculously awesome Dubai sled. If any of these features makes it into a more pedestrian Mercedes down the line- sheepishly, I hope it's the real granite interior trim. It looked really cool against the white leather. I guess the sliding roof would be a cool option too, now that I think of it.





One of my favorite new cars of 2009; the SL65 Black Series. Maybe a few years late to the game, Mercedes takes it's Ferrari beating SL, and cranks it up to 11. With a monster twin-turbo V12, carbon fiber everything and a $320k price tag, it's the ultimate Mercedes not named McLaren (and even then, you'd have a good argument).

We cruised to the auction preview at Gooding & Company, camped just above Pebble. This auction was stacked with amazing blue chip's. I liked the Corvette racer, an unrestored Rolls, and a few simple Bugattis. This 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia also caught my eye. Beautiful and it later sold for nearly $2.6 million.



Nothing to see here. I want this trailer behind my RV at all times. Covers most bases, I'd say.



Please note the full size camper van next to this tiny British coupe. I really shouldn't like this behemoth as much as I do. I would love to give it a run down Highway 1.

Here's what I know: it's Corvette powered, hand built, one-off, and the driver sits in the center. Obvious Lamborghini styling influences. What I don't know: why?
Also parked nearby was a Nissan GTR, a CTS-V, and my first look at the new ZR1 Corvette.
The last F50 I saw in public was about a year ago and not far from where I got this shot, that time a very rare black example. Here in it's familiar red, always a treat.

Rumor has it that this thing stalks Rodeo Drive during the week, looking for attention . The ugliest DHC I've encountered. Somewhere a Rolls salesman is punching himself.

"If you build it..."
The next great Caddy will be this CTS Coupe. The high waist line looks a little better in person and it's supposedly ready for production as you see it. We also caught a good look at the CTS wagon off in a dusty parking lot which also looked very close to being ready.
The Hyperion; a Pinifarina-bodied Rolls-Royce. The star of this years concept lawn at Pebble, unveiled just after company chairman Andrea Pininfarina was killed in a tragic road accident. I loved parts of this design, and other pieces...not so much. I'd ditch the cross-eyed headlights and add something to the enigmatic rear. The long hood and two seat layout are fantastic.

We finished the day in Monterey at Russo and Steele and then the RM auction. Exhausted, we retreated to the Mucky Duck for a burger and beer which hit the spot as we read through numerous magazines and programs from the days activities. It's become a week long thing, but this year one day was enough. I hope you enjoyed this peek into the craziness that is Pebble!