Since 2004, Cars for the Cure has hosted their annual exotic and luxury car show in Lake Mary, FL to benefit the American Lung Association. Every year, the show has displayed countless exotics not often available to the general public. Free to spectators, this annual fundraiser allows them to get up close and admire the fine craftsmanship of the cars displayed and is any automotive enthusiasts dream.

On display this year were some of the finest supercars the world has to offer. From your standard Ferrari 360 Spyder, to a one-off Bugatti Veyron Sang Bleu with a bleu carbon fiber and polished aluminum finish worth over $3 million, these cars made even the nicest Mustang look like a Yugo.  Such a hit, this special edition Veyron seemed to even overshadow the recently debuted Lamborghini Aventador and McLaren MP4-12C displayed only six feet away.

As this show continues to grow year after year, it has become a favorite drawing spectators from all over the state. All we can say is, we can’t wait to see what Cars for the Cure has to offer in 2013.

Quickly approaching is an automotive gearheads’ dream, the Festivals of Speed Orlando. Held on the grounds of the beautiful Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes Resort Hotel, the Festivals of Speed Orlando is a weekend-long mega event with fast cars, friendly people, and great memories. From a Friday night Jet Port Reception Party, to a Saturday golf tournament and wine connoisseurs’ dinner, to the Sunday Motorsports Collection and Luxury Lifestyle Display, the FOS has everything you want. Make your way to Orlando, Florida from October 7-9, 2011 and don’t forget your camera!

Exotics and Luxury has been given the following information and media images for direct release. Check out the Festivals of Speed website for all up-to-date information and scheduling, and hundreds of images from past events. And click the link below for a chance to win the Festivals of Speed Orlando VIP Experience!

FESTIVALS OF SPEED ORLANDO VIP EXPERIENCE

The winner of the Festivals of Speed VIP Experience will receive:
•       Two night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
•       Two (2) tickets to the Luxury Lifestyle Jet Port Reception
•       Two (2) tickets to the Wine Connoisseur’s Dinner
•       Two (2) tickets to the Louis XIII de Remy Martin Tasting
•       Two (2) VIP tickets to the 6th Annual Festivals of Speed at the
Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes

Contest ends 9.16.2011 so enter now!

The average man’s race car…

Wheels and tires came first. This GT3 has Porsche’s carbon ceramic brakes so no wheel cleaner could be used.  A bit of pH car shampoo mixed in a bucket was all that was needed. The tires and wheel wells were scrubbed as well.

Tire dressing from the dealer had to be removed…

The GT3 was prepped at the dealer and was wearing some kind of wax or glaze which needed to be completely stripped.

Dave started with a pre-soak using diluted Optimum powerclean…

Followed by foaming with CG citrus wash + Dawn…

Lastly, Dave applied the 2-bucket wash method with a lambswool mitt and CG citrus shampoo as well.

Dave used an electric blower to blow out the crevices and wheels.

Dave got some shots of the paint defects in direct sunlight.

RIDS and holograms…

Water etch on the film. The entire front hood and front bumper have clear bra.

Detailing doesn’t always go as smoothly as planned and a piece of tar on the film left a 1 inch gouge of scratches while trying to be removed.

Up close…

Dave then brought the GT3 inside for claying, paint only… Dave advises “Do not clay clear film as you can seriously marr it.”

The clay bar after the passenger door only…

After claying Dave prepped the car for correction using IPA mixture, again taking caution on the film and opting not to use any IPA as the alcohol can dry out the plastic

The paint treated with IPA/water for prep and after each polishing stage…

For wiping down film Dave likes Meguiar’s Final Inspection. It’s slick enough not to mar yet does a fine job cleaning without adding any real protection (which is what you want for prep and post polishing).

After taping up trim and badges Dave measured the paint and standard readings, and found no dangerously low areas.

On to the correction process as Dave started with the hood, clear film, and the scratches. He taped off the one area which needed extra work, then taped up all edges and lines where the film ends.

Up close of the cluster…

Some of the deeper marks showing through…

Dave prefers using a DA machine on film, so he began correcting this area with the DA, cutting pad and M105 and even after several passes only minor marks were removed.

He opted to use a 3″ pad on the rotary with the same combo and overloaded the pad with M105 liquid to keep the heat down and reduce the cut of the pad just a tad as to not burn the film. After 2 hits with the combo Dave was able to cut out a good bit more of defect from the spot. However, the deeper marks would not budge short of wetsanding.

Although not 100%, the mark was lightened quite a bit…

After the spot compounding was done Dave moved back to the DA machine to clean up the rest of the film. This was a 3 step process.

As for people say that you CANNOT improve gloss on clear film heres a bit of proof from the master himself…

“White polishing pad after a 2×2 area, you would be surprised how much dirt is pulled out of the plastic when polishing. I changed out the pad 4 times to keep working clean. I moved onto the finish stage only when my pads showed clean foam after polishing.”

All finished…

Moving onto the rest of the car Dave used the rotary for both cutting and finishing.

Below are a few passenger door correction shots:

50/50 left side shows the holograms left by the dealer…

Close ups using halogen and the Fenix TK40 LED:

Haze before…

After polishing…

50/50 difference in clarity and a hologram split in 2…

Cleaning up after compounding…

Working rear wing area, lots of tight spaces took Dave a bit of time to get perfect.

Light compounding…

Finishing up the rear wing, Dave switched up to the 3″ pad to get in between the two ducts.

Dave then focused his attention to the tail lights.

Before…

After…

Polishing front fender…

After all of the correction and polishing was done Dave began the jeweling step.

Wing after jeweling…

Dave gave the GT3 a last IPA wipedown and pulled it out in the sun to inspect his work. No LSP was applied.

Sun shots…

No more RIDS or holograms!

Dave took the GT3 back inside for the rest of the detail. LSP was powerlocked twice and topped with Collinite 915 for maximum protection. The tires were dressed and the wheels were sealed.

Dave polished out the doorjambs then applied the powerlock sealant…

50/50 trunk area plastics treated with 303…

Sealed hood jambs with AJT…

The GT3′s interior didn’t need much work, but the alcantara was treated for protection and all plastics were treated with 303, etc.

Also, 303 Fabric guard was applied to the carpets.

Engine compartment cleaned…

The front spoiler was treated as well.  50/50 before and after…

Finished shots of this stunning Porsche 997.2 GT3. Dave told us, “It came damn close but the rain held off!”

Way to go, Dave!

Back inside for the final wipedown using DI water…

The efforts and talents of David Saunders and Street Dreams Detail cannot be understated. If your car needs the tender loving care it deserves don’t hesitate and contact Street Dreams right away.

]]> http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/street-dreams-detail-porsche-997-2-gt3/feed 0 http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/sarasota-cars-coffee-july-2011 http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/sarasota-cars-coffee-july-2011#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:45:27 +0000 Exotics & Luxury http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/?p=3448

With the newly formed Cars & Coffee monthly car meets in Sarasota, Florida Exotics & Luxury has become a sponsoring partner for the events. We are helping get the word out to people from surrounding areas in hopes that this new get-together becomes a success. If you are unaware of what a Cars & Coffee event is you might want to check one out sometime. They are monthly automotive get-togethers where car owners and enthusiasts gather in the morning to chat about their cars and enjoy some snacks and refreshments. There are different styles of C&C meets depending on where the location is. Generally they are comprised of more high dollar cars, but every make and model is welcome.

The Sarasota Cars & Coffee asks that guests bring in a few canned food donations as they have partnered up with the local All Faiths Food Bank and all donations will benefit the less fortunate in the community. Suncoast Porsche has been kind enough to open their doors and provide their facility and parking lot as the host location.

Our professional photographer, Peter Tromboni, has his hand in this event as well and will be providing fantastic images for Exotics & Luxury and many other forms of media outlets. If you ever make it to beautiful Sarasota, Florida we suggest that you check out their very own Cars & Coffee. Meets are held on the first Saturday of every month from 8-10am at Suncoast Porsche on US 41, and as you can see from Peter’s photos below they’re all rain or shine.

Exotics & Luxury brings you this exclusive photoshoot from our head photographer, Peter Tromboni, and a beautiful Ferrari 458 Italia. The car is finished in the classic Rosso Corsa exterior over a more modern Couio interior. This Italia’s tail lights and side markers have been “smoked” to give the car a more aggressive look. Please enjoy the photography and the gorgeous scenery down in the Sunshine State.

Location: Sarasota, Florida

Once again our detailing sponsor Street Dreams Detail presents this photo documentary of a full 3 day paint correction, engine, and interior detail of a black Ferrari F430. David Saunders is the owner and paint correction specialist at Street Dreams Detail and he uses meticulous care and precision with every vehicle he touches. For information on how you can have David go to work on your vehicle please contact him via email, David@streetdreamsdetail.com, or by phone, (551) 804 6782. And be sure to check out Street Dreams on the web.

The car arrives for Street Dreams to being the transformation…

David began with the wheels and tires. Wheels were cleaned using regular soap and water with various brushes due to the carbon ceramic brakes.

The was process was as follows:

Foam w/ CG maxi suds
Soak w/ Optimum Power Clean 5:1
Hand wash using Lusso Oro

The car was then brought inside with the heat on full blast. At the time of detail the outside temperature was under 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Claying using ONR as lube…

After claying 2 IPA wipedowns were done before taping. David spent a lot of time masking this car to prevent a messy cleanup after correction. Most importantly the clear film edges on the front bumper, nose and by the side air intakes (upper and lower) were masked very carefully.

The hood’s clear bra line was taped thick enough so that David could run over it with a buffer and still not be onto the clear film as he was using a rotary for correction on the un-filmed upper half of the nose.

Next David took measurements with the PTG. The rear bumper and engine cover area were repainted a few months ago, and David took careful readings and surprisingly they were very close to the factory levels, at most a 40micron difference in thickness. The color match job done was hands down the best he has ever seen.

Factory reading…

Re-sprayed panel…

Onto paint correction. David played around with the new Flex PE 14-2 which he says is “quite a cool machine.”

The products used were Meguiars M105 and Sonax Perfect Finish (both for light cutting and finishing w/ varied pads).

David then switched to the Griots DA machine in the side skirts to make for easier polishing, these areas get hit the worst with RIDS and scuffs…

Here’s a 50/50 shot, not every defect was able to be removed but the haze did come out into a nice gloss to match the rest of the car after polishing.

After finishing…

The Ferrari’s front nose needed a good bit of work…

Before…

After…

Clear film correction was up next. This was about the worst condition clear film David has dealt with. There were far too many RIDS and scracthes to yield very high levels of correction, so as usual David swicthed to a DA for the correction process on the film.

After the first pass…

After several more passes using Powerfinish with a tangerine cutting pad…

David was having a lot of trouble wiping the film without marring it, he tried several types of microfiber all of which left some light marring behind… mind you he waited until the plastic cooled fully before wiping it.

David ended up using the eurow shag towels which seemed to glide best on the film not causing it to marr.

Top portion of film polished… bottom part untouched.

David had better luck with this part of the nose clear film, and finally was able to get a high level of correction because the defects were not as severe.

Polishing the rear decklid was a little tricky as the decklid sits adjacent to the rear quarter panel and David hates polishing over edges and onto another panel by mistake, so he had to improvise.

Solution:

Decklid defects (re-sprayed area)

50/50 after compounding…

David polishing the F430 with sonax perfect finish…

The 4.3 liter V8 engine took a bit of time to get right. David started with the exhaust, several polishing steps by hand, and a machine (on the can) to bring back the color.

50/50…

After …

50/50 of the intake manifold…

Again 50/50 difference in color with the left side untouched…

Finished…

David cleaned up the trunk area, here’s a 50/50 of the cowl. He also polished up plastic with Z-AIO to remove water spots.

The Ferrari’s interior was generally clean. David’s main focus was cleaning the leather to remove an old dressing’s sheen and restore a more natural matte finish.

Before…

David put 2 coats of Opti seal on the CF trim…

David polished the wheels using Werkstat prime followed by 2 layers of Rejex for protection…

Finished…

Then came the finishing details. Clear bra line had some old wax buildup which needed to be removed before LSP. David used a rather unusual toothpick/mini hotdog holder which he bought for instances just like this. He said it worked great!

It removed the chalked up wax very nicely…

There was old wax on the mirror trim as well.

Before…

After…

The glass was cleaned using some new towels Daivd just got in which are designed for use in hospitals to clean windows. They are made to not leave streaks or residue behind because bacteria can grow in the residual product left on glass (for cars not such a huge deal as we have been using glass towels forever but in a hospital you can see how this would be a concern).

Either way they work great!

Up close…

LSP: Menzerna Powerlock x3

Finished shots…

No outside shots this time, David finished around 9pm…. He could have finished at 5 and it would have still been pitch black outside. That’s when happens when you’re an auto detailer in the Northeast…

The efforts and talents of David Saunders and Street Dreams Detail cannot be understated. If your car needs the tender loving care it deserves don’t hesitate and contact Street Dreams right away.

]]> http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/street-dreams-detail-ferrari-f430-makeover/feed 2 http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/ferrari-superamerica-45 http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/ferrari-superamerica-45#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 21:15:23 +0000 Exotics & Luxury http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/?p=3282

Ferrari have announced a new bespoke supercar created for Peter Kalikow, a New Yorker with an extensive collection of Ferraris. The new Superamerica 45 was engineered and built in-house by Ferrari and was styled by Ferrari Design. It represents Kalikow’s 45 years of Ferrari ownership. The car will be displayed on May 20th at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.

The Superamerica 45 is a one-off creation that features a carbon fiber rotating hardtop, similar to the 575 Superamerica’s folding glass hardtop. The rear of the car had to be redesigned in order to house the roof when in the folded position, which was also made from carbon fiber to reduce drag and increase down force. The famous flying buttresses are body colored and integrated with the rear wheel arches for a more flowing look. The front fenders have been redesigned with two vents and the front grill has a new chromed look specific to the Superamerica 45. The A-pillars, mirrors, and door handles all have a brushed aluminum finish much like the recently announced 599 SA Aperta.

The stunning color that Kalikow chose for the Superamerica 45 pays homage to another one of his most prized possessions - a 1961 400 Superamerica cabriolet. The exclusive color is called Blu Antille and the wheels have been finished in that same color. Other exterior touches include dark blue carbon fiber weaving on the front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser. The interior has been dressed in a combination of Cuoio leather trim and Blu Scuro carbon fiber, and of course the latest and greatest digital touch screen entertainment system.

Source [Ferrari]

This excellent article was sponsored by Gumtree.com.au. Relevant Gumtree.com.au motoring links:

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Here is the car before David got his hands dirty. That sure is a beautiful color.

Here are a few pictures of the paint defects in direct sunlight. The hood and bumper have been wrapped in a clear protection film.

The suspension must be lifted before the wheels can be cleaned.

LP640′s have carbon ceramic brakes, so no chemical wheel cleaner was used. Instead, a heavy dilution of pH car shampoo and various brushes were used and worked fine.

The tires were stripped of their old dressing and the wheel wells were degreased as well.

Pre-wash cleanup

The entire car was sprayed down with a degreaser to strip off any prior protection and loosen up some grime, then the car was pressure washed again and washed with the 2 bucket method using CG citrus shampoo.

The car had a lot of bonded contaminants and a very rough feel to the paint. The clay bar process took about 2 hours to complete.

Plenty of paint to work with and a diamond hard clearcoat.

Paint correction was started on the hood and front bumper, both of which were wrapped in clear film. RIDS and swirls can be seen here.

After a few passes getting rid of the swirls.

A 50/50 shot of the bumper. You can really see the difference here.

More film on the front bumper. Before and after.

Now for something a little more serious, the entire finish had light wash marring with lots of RIDS and DA sanding scratches from the factory. These shots show the sand scratches and some pig tailing.

Another 50/50 shot

Getting there…

The paint even had holograms too.

After several passes compounding and polishing the front bumper and hood look fantastic.

Refining the coarse finish left from compounding at a ridiculous 2300 rpm. The buffer was run at 1900 rpm and slower passes during the polishing stage, working products at 1500 rpm does very little for extremely hard paint.

Foam compounding the LP640′s roof.

Working on the famous scissor doors.

Working the fenders.

Far less aggressive combos were needed on the side mirrors.

Running board before, during, and after.

Rear deck lid.

Glass engine cover before and after.

Lower levels of the headlights couldn’t be machined so David went with an older approach, correcting about 80%.

After the exterior was complete David moved to the interior. Here you can see some jean transfer on the leather seats.

Leather seats all cleaned up.

Interior all finished.

The carbon fiber interior pieces and engine bay were protected with Opti Seal.

Putting the finishing touches on the LP640.

After about 32 hours of detailing this Lamborghini Murciélago LP640 coupe looks better than the day it left the factory in Italy.

The wheels were layered up with Rejex.

Here are a few shots of the LP640 in direct sunlight.

Back inside for a water wipedown and she’s all done!

The efforts and talents of David Saunders and Street Dreams Detail cannot be understated. If your car needs the tender loving care it deserves don’t hesitate and contact Street Dreams right away.

]]> http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/street-dreams-detail-lp640-paint-correction/feed 3 http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/official-sponsor-street-dreams-detail http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/official-sponsor-street-dreams-detail#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 16:23:59 +0000 Exotics & Luxury http://www.exoticsandluxury.com/?p=3090

Exotics & Luxury is proud to congratulate and welcome Street Dreams Detail as our newest site sponsor. Street Dreams Detail is a small, independently operated premium detailing company located in Norwood, New Jersey, and serving the greater Tri-State area. Committed to the highest level of excellence, Street Dreams raises the standard in vehicle reconditioning service.

The finest car care products matched with precise application is the key to the perfect finish. Street Dreams emphasizes the art of proper car care and caters to the most discerning auto aficionados. Uncompromising quality coupled with the passion of a genuine auto enthusiast makes Street Dreams a truly unique auto detail company.

David Saunders is the owner and paint correction specialist at Street Dreams Detail. Providing services including everything from minor and major paint corrections to full interior and engine details, Street Dreams is Northern New Jersey’s premier detail company and can handle your vehicles’ every need.

With our new partnership with Street Dreams Detail, Exotics & Luxury will be providing full overviews, write-ups, and photos of all the great work that Street Dreams Detail does on a regular basis. For inquiries about how you can have Street Dreams Detail transform the look of your vehicle to show car quality please contact David Saunders via phone (551) 804 6782 or send an email to David@streetdreamsdetail.com for a complimentary consultation or estimate.

Companies spend millions of dollars each year in research and development for their newest products. Callaway Golf and Automobil Lamborghini S.p.A. have teamed up to create a brand new material for use in Callaway’s golf clubs. The co-developed material, called Forged Composite, is a showcase of how two completely different companies can form an alliance and bring the golf world something truly remarkable. Turbostratic carbon fibers are used in the new material which feature a higher level of strength and performance versus those products currently used in the automotive and golf industries.

Power-to-weight ratio is widely regarded as one of the most important statistics in the automotive world, especially when it comes to supercars. In 2010 Lamborghini unveiled their technological masterpiece, the “Sesto Elemento,” a car that has a ridiculous power-to-weight ratio of just 3.86 pounds per horsepower. At just a hair over 2,200 pounds, the curb weight of the “Sesto Elemento” is an astonishing 750 pounds lighter than the lightest production Lamborghini currently available, the LP570-4 Superleggera.

Callaway has taken a page from the book of Lamborghini and used carbon composites in place of steel and titanium for their club heads. This ability added a greater transfer of power to the ball and has increased the accuracy of trajectories. Lighter and stronger are two words that every golfer is always happy to hear. The new technology is being implemented on the new Diablo Octane Drivers, which are available through Callaway’s Online Store.

[Source: Callaway Golf]