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From the sunny California coast to the rain soaked Hockenheimring in
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every issue of Luxury & Exotics we send our writers and photographers to capture the beauty and the thrill of events worldwide. Readers can look
forward to gripping stories and breathtaking art. Whether the exceptional automobiles are standing still in a trendy venue or roaring across Europe in the Gumball 3000, Modified L&E is there.

  



 
  NEWS ARCHIVE :   
 

Festivals of Speed
March 24, 2007
St. Petersburg, FL
Story and Photos Colum Wood


Having just arrived in the Tampa airport from Amsterdam via London, I crossed the bay and headed to the Clearwater Airport in Tampa’s sister city, St. Petersburg. At a private hangar the Festivals of Speed was just getting under way with plenty of glitz and a full lineup of high priced speed machines including jets, yachts and some very nice cars.

Audi, an official sponsor of the event, drew a constant crowd with their brand new R8. Displaying the car was a wise choice considering the percentage of people in attendance who were seriously looking at purchasing an R8 in the near future.

One of the few cars that drew more looks than the Audi was the Champion Motorsport Carrera GT. With ‘Man From Chile’ paint, black Champion wheels and some bright orange accents the Carrera GT shares design cues from the F77 featured in the July 2006 issue of MLE. The Porsche supercar also had a custom exhaust system which Champion painstakingly researched and designed allowing for increased horsepower and a smooth Italian sound from the German V10.

The Friday night Jet Port Reception was followed up with a Concours on Saturday, which included some truly amazing models including the Ultimate Aero TT, Spyker C8 and Ferrari FXX. As well, there were more Bentleys, Aston Martins and Rolls-Royces to keep track of. What was particularly interesting was the use of modified vehicles by dealerships to attract attention to their displays (and likely their showrooms). Lexus of Clearwater had a pair of Element 114 modified vehicles with full body kits, wheels and some extra goodies. Aston Martin of Tampa followed suit with a Mansory tuned model. Topping the Carrera GT wasn’t going to be an easy job for the guys at Champion Motorsport but on Saturday they unveiled their Porsche Turbo, painted in Martini Racing livery, in homage to the team’s victorious history.

Also at the Champion booth was a new project of theirs in cooperation with SdS Alloys. A pearl white Gallardo SE was the canvas used to showcase SdS Alloys’ newest model, the Invidia. The MLE booth was also flanked by some extra impressive vehicles from Carlsson; an S-Class on one side and the brand new CL on the other. While the V12 powered CL drew the most gawkers, the S550 had an unbelievable response from S-Class owners looking to differentiate themselves from the pack.

An awards show ended the sun filled day in St. Petersberg with a Mr. Moody from Sarasota, FL taking home the Modified Luxury & Exotics ‘Best of Class’ award for his over the top Ford GTX1. Congratulations!

 
   
   
   
   
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