big beginnings

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There have been so many huge changes and new developments and stunning realizations for me these past few weeks, I hardly know where to begin ... or if I should begin at all, honestly. This is a goofy, geeky car-blog, after all, not an self-indulgent excuse to spill my guts.

In my experience, spilling your guts is exactly as attractive as it sounds. Still, I believe I should make a few things plain.

First, I am no longer the sales manager of Switzer Performance. I have no hard feelings towards Tym or the crew there, but it's time for me to pursue something a bit more "me". I'll still be working on Tym's website, answering any questions that come in through email, etc., but I am no longer a part of the shop's day-to-day operations.

Second, I am no longer doing things I do not like to do. I like reading, I like writing, and I absolutely love lording my knowledge and experience over the other humans. Luckily, the guys at Gas 2.0 have agreed to give me a chance to try my hand at automotive writing, welcoming me with open arms and enthusiasm (again) and encouraging me to do just that.

Third, I have come to realize that I would be nowhere in life without people like Mike Switzer, Jody Moeggenberg, Frankie Berti, and Nalan Li, who continue to be incredibly supportive of my (potentially suicidal) decision to pursue a more "freelance" sort of existence.

Today is August 20th, so (while I'm here) I want to say "Happy Birthday" to mom, "I love you" to dad and Allison, and "come home soon" to Nalan, who is imposing her pointy little will on me from Brooklyn this weekend.

Thanks to everyone, then, for everything these past few weeks. I hope you stick around, too - because things are really starting to get interesting.

following godzilla

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YOU CAN COME ALONG - BUT STAY BEHIND ME

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Forgive the poetic slant to this week's prose, but it all sort of struck me at once: The spring. The breeze. The sunset. All of that caught up to me last week, as I followed Godzilla to Columbus, Ohio.

I was piloting Jo's portly white Volkswagen Routan behind a very special car. A supercar if ever I saw one. A foreign devil, with a decidedly America twist. A Switzer-modified R35 GTR Nissan, ripping along the highway at full song.

Dubbed "Godzilla" by the foreign press, this particular example of R35 was angry and loaded up on power. I followed its taillight signature like a meddling kid after a mystery, mesmerized by its speed and the setting sun across its "super-silver" flanks.

The GTR blipped and barked now and then, passing lesser cars (and they are all lesser cars) effortlessly with a faint puff of smoke and a malevolent whine from the turbos. The car rushed ahead like it beheld some secret to happiness, and I was left behind in its wake - left alone in the quiet VW to notice the full-blown greenness of Spring that I'd forgotten after all of these months of Ohio winter.

The van hustled to keep up, whipping past rust-colored barns, a yellow horse statue (!?), and a sign that said "hidden drives". Even as far back as I was, I barely missed the fact that my radio wasn't on. It was enough to listen to the hum coming from the GTR and hear the swoosh of the blurred road.

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LIKE THAT

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I laughed at the sight of the GTR passing a Mennonite horse. The horse turned its head to watch the car's passing with a sort of inter-species "right on, brutha!" nod.

The car reached its new home after two too brief hours, and nestled into its new garage home alongside another supercar if I ever saw one. Its owner beaming like a little kid. I knew what he looked like at five years old on Christmas morning, I think. With a car like that in the stable, I think I'd look the same.

more beige

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Today's post about the brain-dead simple new Smart Cables from Michelin reminded me of my buddy Matt Hardigree's excellent Beige Bites Back series on Jalopnik.

I find myself torn on the issue of beige-ness. On the one hand, there is a strong business case for building the sort of mildly invisible / ruthlessly efficient appliances that the market demands in quantity. On the other, you find cars that require knowledge, attention, and (one might say) a bit of work to really get them down the road.

This principle applies to computers, cameras, and espresso machines, as well as cars. Some are fairly automatic, and easy to use for even the most lay of laymen, while others require a more informed touch - lest, something like this happen.

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DO YOU CONNECT THE "+" TO THE "-" OR THE "+" TO THE "+"

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I'm not really sure where any of this is going (still), but I don't think anyone else does, either.

That said, it may be that the future really does belong to the Soma addicts Prius drivers and iPad buyers, but I like to think there will still be some room for those people who like to tamp their own espresso on a copper-and-brass La San Marco, boot into Linux on a Sony PS3, and tune an orchestra of carburetors by ear ... but maybe there won't be.

If not that, maybe I'll be able to sip my Mc'Spresso and text about the good 'ol days while my automobot drives me to work in the mornings. That would be nice, too.

new layout | new mission

Hello, hello!

Both of my regular readers will quickly notice that the color scheme has changed a bit, as have the graphics and leaderboard - but those are only a few of the changes being made here at Sunshine (some will be more obvious than others).

Perhaps the biggest change: Sunshine is no longer strictly focused on South Florida sportscars! In its new format, Sunshine's stated mission will be to deliver a daily dose of condensed supercar news - which is to say: more of whatever the he(ck) I want, except that I'm trying to get myself into a routine of blogging every morning, you know?

That's all just blogwash, though. The smart money is on more of the same, self-serving nonsense you've all come to love and expect.

Enjoy!

making moves - making changes

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Hello, all!

It's been a slow week on the blog, I know - but a BUSY BUSY BUSY week for me!

The big news, of course, is that I left the RENN last week. There has been some ugliness, which is to be expected whenever a key man leaves a small business, but all is well.

All things considered, I am incredibly happy with the way things are turning out. I am closer to my son, closer to Yuly, closer to D ... he(ck), I think this whole experience has even brought me and Frankie closer together!

Awesome stuff.

On a less personal note, I will be making a number of changes to Sunshine in the coming days - including some new graphics and a "reinterpretation" of what "Sunshine Supercars" is all about. I hope you stick around and enjoy the changes.

Thanks for visiting!

200 posts | nerdgasm | douchey comments

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It took me more than a full year to reach Sunshine's 100th post, and less than 5 months to get to 200. With all that's happened in the past 100 posts, I think it's time to sit back and reflect a bit.

First, Sunshine has begun to enjoy some real successes, with references on the Scooterscoop and Neatorama (two of my all-time favorite sites), as well as something approaching a regular readership!

Second, my recent coverage of the 2009 Palm Beach Supercar douchebags produced another, more personal sort of victory for me just this morning! Go click over there, and see if you catch it.

It's OK, I'll wait.

Did you see it?

Right, there, in the comments, Alex writes "I heard Alex Papas from South Florida Toys brought over 100 Lamborghini's and Ferrari's to the Pam Beach Supercar weekend he is the one that should talked about. He puts on the the best events in South Florida."

That's right, people. Alex Papas wrote that he'd heard (somewhere!) that Alex Papas had brought over 100 Lambos to "the PAM Beach Supercar weekend" .. then practically DARES me to call him out on his bad spelling and crap grammar by saying HE is the one who should be talked about!

Ha-ha, HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

OK, here's the deal: Papas really did bring 100 cars to the event, and this year's show would have SUCKED without his involvement ... but that referring to himself in the third-person baloney HAS GOT TO GO.

SO, there's your 5 minutes of "fame" on Sunshine ... is it all you dared hope?

Amazing.

As exciting as all this sounds, however, I should point out that it's not all cashews and honeydews here at Sunshine. Indeed, I was recently told that I should tone down "that nerdy bullsh*t" and get back to writing "more badass sh*t".

Well, you can bet I have a response to THAT, too!

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That's right, you bastards! Sunshine - like the blogging medium, itself - isn't about giving the people what they want, it's about giving the people what I want - I want more homoerotic 80's dance/Star Trek mash-ups!

I love it when Spock gives Kirk those eyes, don't you?

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the last 200 posts. I hope you'll all stick around for the next few hundred, since I Seriously intend to peg the whathef*ckometer on 11 here very soon, and have no intention of going back.

So, to all my readers, I love you all! Now, if I could only get you to click on some freakin' ads ...

classy paint | supercar weekend 09 | part iii

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The abomination above has gotten lots of press over the past year or two - known as "the tattoo Lambo", this horror has been vandalized from stem to stern by someone with too much time and way Way WAY too many Sharpie markers.

You'd think this kind of homage to poor taste and America's sub-par public school systems would be the worst thing at this year's Palm Beach Supercar Weekend, but you'd be wrong ...

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THIS tacky horror was at the show, easily gaining top (?) honors for tackiest, most pretentious automotive paint-job in all of South Florida.

I've covered this Britto abortion before HERE, but calling out a doucher like this for having the stones to treat this 2D betsy-wetsy crap like high art is never something I'll get tired of.

Simply put, this Britto Audi A4 is NOT a product of great taste ... but what about a CAVI-sponsored Radical?

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It says right on the hood, "A Product of Great Taste". Which, of course, doesn't need to be said - because NOTHING says class like a red, yellow, gray, and purple painted SR8 track-rat with generic level 2 "Crown Royal" logos all over it, right?

Right!

HOWEVER - if nothing says class like red, yellow, gray, and purple painted track-rat with generic level 2 "Crown Royal" logos all over it, you can bet that you need a super Classy guy to drive the thing, no?

Enter: the Prince.

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This is Prince Olav von something-or-other, and he is a for-real Prince. You can tell, because his heavily embroidered shirt has his name on the right breast, a CRAZY complicated generic level 3 "Crown Royal" logo over the right arm and left breast, and (of course!) the word "Royal" on the left sleeve.

I haven't masked his appearance to respect his anonymity, I did it because I still cannot bring myself to look this guy in the eye.

Pointing and laughing is another matter altogether.

do not sponsor | supercar weekend 09 | part ii

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I admit, I struggled with these Supercar Weekend follow-up posts. Sure, there were more than a few Joey Buttafucho level douchebags running around Temerian's otherwise excellent event, but this is an exotic car pissing contest in the heart of Palm Beach, so that's to be expected, right?

Right.

Still, some of these jerks really are worse than others ... and I've decided to point out some of the worst offenders, starting (above) with "Johnny B Racing".

First, a professional warning: do not sponsor Johnny B Racing.

I do not know Johnny B. He may be a class guy, when he's not feeling the need to tell you he's Johnny B (baby). He may even be a past or future customer (there are LOTS of Johnny Bs in the world, and about as many V8 Ferraris, as well). Of course, you know he's not, but that's not why I'm issuing the warning.

Simply: I don't think this guy can drive a stick.

At about 9:00am, this guy rolled his semi-generic "number 96" Ferrari (at a show like this, a Modena or F430 really is pretty generic) and immediately began REVVING THE EVERLOVING SHIT OUT OF THE ENGINE FOR A FULL 10 MINUTES.

This was not "racecars are hard to drive slow" revving. This was full-on "Special Olympics 500" jamming the throttle WFO to make sure everyone within 3 miles turns and looks at the Johnny B Racing trailer.

Times are tough, people, and there are plenty of high-class guys out there who won't blow your hard-earned sponsorship dollars on clutches, plugs, and top-shelf race fuel at shows like this.

More Palm Beach Supercar Douchebags to come. Enjoy the lawsuits!

a bit behind | supercar weekend 09 | part i

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I know, I know - the 2009 Palm Beach Supercar Weekend was done and over more than a week ago, and in the fast-paced world of online blogging, a week ago might as well be a century ago and blah-blah, etc., etc.

Keep up that kind of talk and I'll make you sit through "Awesome 80's Childhood: Masters of the Universe, the Movie".

All calmed down? Good.

You can see most of my "coverage" of John Temerian's 2009 Palm Beach Supercar weekend event at my Flickr site, or simply click on any of the pics above. A few highlights from this set: Bill Hart's Lola Champcar (below) got lots of attention from the kiddies, with every male between 2 and 22 begging to try the car on for size. Bill was a great sport, and only asked for smiles in return for letting the unwashed masses sully up his semi-historic racer.

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I'll have a bit more coverage coming up in a bit - and it's probably not what you'd expect ... or maybe it is, if you've been paying attention.

Stay tuned.

slc interior exposed

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It looks like the guys over at World Car Fans scored a minor coup by posting the first "spy" pictures of the upcoming Mercedes /AMG SLC supercar - which is set to become the spiritual successor to the original 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing ...

Just, um ... ignore that whole "SLR" program, k?

CLICK HERE for the original article.

new look sunshine

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I'm trying to get back into the whole "daily blog post" habit that I broke in Las Vegas. Sure, the SEMA girls are fun - but they have nothing at all to do with sunshine, supercars, or South Florida motorsports.

You know it. I know it.

The new "clean look" should be something a of a "clean start", even if it does come ever so slightly ahead of 2008's silly season of new year's resolutions.

Hope you like it.

missed dates and blackbirds

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Wow - take a few weeks off from 'blogging and you really do miss quite alot ... I don't know how guys like Jack and Neff and Hardigee do it.

Hats off.

In any event, in those 2 little weeks I happened to miss the 1 year anniversary of my own 'blog (a non-event, really), the start of the Gumball (sort of an event), and a number of MB, RENNtech, Mosler, Talbo, Rinspeed, and JD3 related "real" events that could have made this little corner of the blogosphere a happening place to be, for once!

These things happen. Consider the clip above, featuring rally driver extraordinaire Alex Roy showing off the one-of-a-kind Audi R8 blackbird ... it's what the cool kids will be driving at next year's Gumball and Silver state.

CLICK HERE for the original Autoblog link.

mt900 amerigasm v. ducati italia

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I know this is video's a bit old, but it's the 4th of July - a Fantabulous excuse for a red white and blue MT900 Amerigasm!

The clip itself is from Britain's "Fifth Gear" program, and I'm betting Dusty, Freddy, and any other Duc-lovers out there wouldn't mind seeing it again. It's also doubly appropriate since we'll be touring the old Mosler Auto Care Center (MACC) later this week with Tobias (the German intern) and Johnny Temerian, who is responsible for the Privilege Palm Beach Supercar Weekend and numerous other "lifestyle" events in and around South Florida. I'm sure Tobias will take lots of pics, so stay tuned.