Best of Car Spotting 2018 Part 1

As I have done in years past, I wrap up the calendar year by showcasing the best and most unusual vehicles I have spotted on the street and at car shows I attended. I will start with Part 1 of the Best of Car Spotting two-part series for 2018, which consists of the greatest vehicles I spotted on the street from January to June. Leave your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for Part 2 of Best of Car Spotting 2018 along with the Best of Car Shows 2018 series. Enjoy!

Lamborghini Aventador Roadster

 Ferrari 360 Modena

 Rolls-Royce Wraith

 Mercedes-AMG E63 S Wagon

 1st-gen Audi R8 V10 Spyder

 Porsche 911 Turbo/S (991)

Subaru 360

Featured here is the first model in Subaru's history, the 360. It was produced from 1958 to 1971 with 392,000 units created in total and 10,000 of them making their way Stateside. Under the boot is a two-cylinder engine producing only 25 horsepower. The 360 goes from 0 to 60 mph in about 37.5 seconds; it is by no means a performance car. As you would expect from a car like this, it had very poor handling and was lacking in terms of amenities. Also, it is a lot smaller and less powerful than the original Volkswagen Beetle. Simply put, the Subaru 360 was designed for Japanese tastes in mind and not so much for American tastes. Today, like several underappreciated vehicles in history, Subaru's first model has gained a cult following among a select group of enthusiasts and collectors. I would never want to own one of these, but I respect the Subaru 360 for being a quirky car that not too many people know of.

De Tomaso Pantera

The De Tomaso Pantera is a great fusion of Italian exotic and American muscle in one vehicle. It was produced from 1971 to 1991 and imported Stateside until 1975. A little over 7,000 examples were made during its entire production run. I mainly plan to focus on the US-spec Pantera for this post. It is powered by a Ford 351 cu (5.8L) Cleveland V8 churning out 330 horsepower and 344 lb-ft of torque. 0 to 60 mph occurs in 5.5 seconds onto a top speed of 159 mph. Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via a ZF five-speed manual. When the De Tomaso Pantera was new, it was sold through the Lincoln Mercury dealer network. However, the examples initially imported to the U.S. were built with steel body panels that were prone to rusting. Next, Lincoln Mercury dealers had no clue how to repair these vehicles. On top of that, the Oil Crisis was underway, bringing up concerns regarding the Pantera's safety and emissions. As a result of this unfortunate sequence of events, Ford discontinued sales of the Pantera in the U.S. in 1975. On a more positive note, like many classic Italian sports cars, the De Tomaso Pantera has become a sought-after vehicle among collectors and continues to appreciate in value. As of now, examples on the market can fetch anywhere from $80k to $400k. To me, the De Tomaso Pantera is a truly special car, and I am absolutely intrigued whenever I spot one in real life.

Porsche 919 Hybrid

The 919 Hybrid marked Porsche's return to endurance racing, specifically the LMP class, after a five-year absence. It made its racing debut at the 2014 6 Hours of Silverstone at the Silverstone Circuit in the UK to begin the season that year. From there, it went on to win three consecutive 24 Hours of Le Mans races from 2015 to 2017. Porsche used a tandem of three different drivers in each running of Le Mans from 2015-17 to carry them to victory, along with other races the 919 has participated in. Behind the cockpit is a 2.0-liter turbo four-banger mated to a lithium-ion battery with a combined output of over 900 horsepower. It also contains an energy recovery system that operates through a turbine in the exhaust. Earlier this year, Porsche unveiled a successor to the 919 Hybrid known as the 919 Evo, which improves on the already incredible specs and engineering of the original 919. In a nutshell, this is one of the most impressive Porsche motorsport vehicles thus far. Expect more posts on Porsche race cars in the near future, so stay tuned.