Buick Grand National

 

Most American cars from the 80s were hampered in every aspect, especially in terms of performance, due to the energy crisis at the time. However, the Buick Grand National was an exception to this trend. It first hit production in 1982 and was based on the Regal T-Type. In addition, the Grand National was named after the top series in NASCAR before the racing league began selling naming rights. Powering the Grand National is a 3.8-liter turbo V6 that made 175 horsepower in its early years and up to 290 horsepower and 355 lb-ft of torque toward the end of its production run in 1987. It launches from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and certainly had the performance to keep up with or even exceed European supercars of its era. Its interior is pretty typical of American cars from the 80s, which is not all that special compared to more modern vehicles. Every Buick Grand National was painted in black and didn't offer any other exterior color options. 

In 1987, Buick partnered with ASC and McLaren to create a more extreme version of the Grand National known as the GNX before its production run ended that year. In total, just under 30,000 Grand Nationals were built, with 547 of them being the GNX. Current values of the Grand National range in the $40-50,000s, with some examples with low miles and in pristine condition commanding six figures. In all, the Buick Grand National is a cool and impressive 80s muscle car and one of the biggest sleepers and most underrated performance vehicles ever made. It is quite rare, and I am lucky to have seen one up close at a car show back in July. Having previously been familiar with the Buick Grand National, it was one of the vehicles on display at that specific car show that stood out to me the most.

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Koenigsegg Jesko

 

Besides the four Pagani Huayras, the vehicles I was most excited about that were on display at Exotics on Broadway in Monterey a week ago were the Koenigseggs. Out of all the Koenigseggs that I saw at Exotics on Broadway, if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the Jesko in general, specifically the two Jeskos featured in this post. It is one of the latest models from the Swedish boutique supercar manufacturer, which was first showcased publicly at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show to replace the Agera range of models and began rolling out to customers fairly recently. The Jesko is also named after Koenigsegg founder Christian von Koenigsegg's father Jesko von Koenigsegg. The example in orange is a high-downforce Jesko Attack, while the example in gray is the top-speed-focused Jesko Absolut. These are the two configurations the Jesko is available in.

Powering the Jesko is a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 1280 horsepower and 1106 lb-ft of torque and up to 1600 horsepower on E85 ethanol paired to a 9-speed Light Speed multi-clutch transmission. Its V8 also features the world's lightest V8 crankshaft according to Koenigsegg, weighing in at 28 pounds. Koenigsegg claims that the Jesko can reach a top speed of over 300 mph, but this has yet to be proven. It also features a rear-wheel steering system that optimizes performance and up to a 40 percent increase in downforce over its predecessor, the Agera RS. The Jesko Attack is distinguished by a large rear wing and vents on the hood and front fenders, while the Jesko Absolut contains a more streamlined appearance with two rear flaps, rear wheel covers, and a slightly larger rear diffuser.

Inside, the Jesko is outfitted in a combination of leather, carbon fiber, and aluminum, and the seats can be adorned in either leather or microfiber with plenty of color options. It contains two cargo compartments: one up front and a smaller one in back, providing a total of nearly five cubic feet of cargo space combined. In addition, the Jesko has a 9-inch center infotainment touchscreen that supports Apple CarPlay, dihedral doors, and a detachable hardtop that allows for open-air driving. Only 125 units of the Jesko will ever be made, which have all been sold out and carried a starting price of roughly $3 million. Overall, the Koenigsegg Jesko is an absolutely amazing and insane vehicle. I see it as one of the coolest cars in the world and one of my all-time favorite cars, just like the Pagani Huayra I recently posted about. 

On a side note, I began posting the Koenigseggs that I saw on display at Exotics on Broadway after the Paganis because some of you may recall that I spotted a Koenigsegg for the first time ever when I was on vacation in London five summers ago, specifically the Agera RS1. This was a life-changing moment for me as a car spotter and photographer. In addition, Koenigsegg founder Christian von Koenigsegg was in attendance at Exotics on Broadway last week, gave out autographed posters, and took photos with other attendees. It would've been great for me to receive an autographed poster from Christian von Koenigsegg himself, but I didn't because the crowd and line around him was too huge and long when I had several other cars to check out that I hadn't gotten to at the moment I first reached the main Koenigsegg display and a limited amount of time to do so. Still, it was a blessing to see a handful more Koenigseggs up close than I had ever seen anywhere and at any time previously. This was another reason why Exotics on Broadway was one of the greatest car shows I have ever attended, if not the greatest.

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Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain (2021-)

 

Back to the regularly scheduled content in progress for now. The entire Mercedes-Benz E-Class range was given a mid-cycle refresh for the 2021 model year. As for the wagon version, the current standard E-Class wagon is now only offered in the more rugged All-Terrain form in the U.S. This follows a similar move made by Audi and Volvo, who only offer their base wagon models in the U.S. as Allroads and Cross Countries respectively. Powering the E450 All-Terrain is a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six producing 329 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission and a 48-volt mild hybrid system. It launches from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and has a top speed limited to 128 mph. As with nearly all new wagons sold in North America, the additional body cladding and more rugged appearance are intended to fool buyers in the market for a crossover or SUV into thinking that the E-Class All-Terrain is a crossover. Automakers who offer these kinds of cars market their tall wagons this way, especially in North America, as a cool and fun alternative to the typical crossovers and SUVs that many people are driving on a regular basis. 

The E450 All-Terrain features a slightly raised adjustable air suspension that gives it a tad more ground clearance than previous E-Class models. It also offers a beautiful, customizable interior that can be outfitted in a variety of fine materials and stowable, rear-facing third-row seats. Plenty of cargo space is available as well as two 12.3-inch screens, one of them housing Mercedes-Benz's MBUX infotainment system and the other housing the digital gauge clusters. Pricing for the Mercedes-Benz E450 All-Terrain starts at $69,450, with options bringing that total well past $80,000. In all, The Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain is an excellent and underrated wagon and the best new non-performance wagon on the market. It would be great if the the updated regular E-Class wagon without the extra body cladding was still offered alongside the All-Terrain in the U.S., but I understand that the standard E-Class wagon won't sell very well Stateside. Despite this, I'm grateful that the AMG E63 S wagon, my dream car and the ultimate daily driver, is still offered in the U.S. to cater to enthusiasts like me who love fast wagons.

Included below are photos I took this year of the current standard Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon before it was given a mid-cycle refresh for comparison and reference. 

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Pagani Huayra Roadster/BC

 

If you noticed any kind of trend on this site, I have been posting in chronological order based on when the photos were taken as of late. However, I have to buck that trend for this specific vehicle and certain others coming up. I have waited my entire life to see a Pagani up close until Saturday when I attended Exotics on Broadway in Seaside as part of Monterey Car Week for the first time. For those of you who know me and have been following this site, the Pagani Huayra is one of my top-three all-time favorite cars. The huge moment finally happened at this show as four Pagani Huayras were on display there, specifically two Roadsters, one BC, and a Roadster BC. Those specific models will be the greater focus of this post, but I must start with a brief introduction of the Pagani Huayra in general.

Pagani, a boutique supercar manufacturer based in Modena, Italy, first introduced the Huayra in 2011 as the successor to its first supercar, the Zonda. Following the release of the original Huayra coupe was the Huayra Roadster and the more extreme, track-focused Huayra BC in 2017 and the Huayra Roadster BC in 2019. Other versions of the Huayra came soon after the Roadster BC. Every version of the Pagani Huayra except for the Huayra R is powered by a Mercedes-AMG 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 mated to a 7-speed  manual gearbox. This engine-transmission combo produces 754 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque in the Roadster and BC, and 791 horsepower and 774 lb-ft of torque in the Roadster BC. Most Huayra models launch from zero to 60 mph in the low three-second range and can hit a top speed of around 230 mph.

Inside and out, the Pagani Huayra is a complete work of art. It uses elements of leather, alcantara, and polished metal and wood throughout its cabin. The fixed-roof Huayras feature gullwing doors, while the Huayra Roadster models have conventional doors since gullwing doors would be impossible to fit on a vehicle with a removable top, especially while keeping the vehicle's weight down. Both the Huayra Roadster and BC utilize a new material known as 'carbon triax,' which is a mesh of tri-axis fiberglass with carbon fiber power bands. This material is supposed to be stronger and lighter than standard carbon fiber.

The track-focused BC is more stripped down and contains a more aggressive front splitter, winglets, and rear diffuser and a more prominent rear wing. It is also a tribute to the late Benny Caiola, a friend of Pagani founder Horacio Pagani and who is credited as the first-ever Pagani customer. In addition, the Pagani Huayra is the first vehicle and one of the only vehicles where its roadster version is lighter than its coupe version.

Production of the Pagani Huayra is winding down and limited to 100 units for the original Huayra coupe, 100 units for the Roadster, 20 units for the BC, and 40 units for the Roadster BC. Pagani actually produced 30 units of the Huayra BC despite the initial run supposedly being 20 units. Most Huayra versions will fetch anywhere between $3-4 million. Overall, the Pagani Huayra is an absolutely amazing and stunning car and one of the coolest cars on the planet. It is also an incredible feat of engineering and an otherworldly supercar that most people don't know of or about and rarely, if ever, get to see in the flesh. Out of all the vehicles on display at this year's Exotics on Broadway, I had to post about the Pagani Huayra first because I have mentioned for the longest time how much I love this car and how much I have been wanting to see one up close. It finally happened on Saturday, and it was a dream come true and an item I can finally cross off my bucket list. Besides the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the 2022 Exotics on Broadway is the greatest car show I have ever attended, and seeing the Pagani Huayra in person for the first time is a huge reason why. More content from that show coming soon to Carson's Car Pics; follow along so you don't miss any of it! 

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