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From the sunny California coast to the rain soaked Hockenheimring in
Stuttgart, Germany, Modified L&E is there - and everywhere in between - to bring its readers the latest in the world of exclusive automobiles. For
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 :
Top Marques Monaco
April 19, 2007
Grimaldi Forum, Monte Carlo, Monaco Story Colum Wood | Photos Joost Demuynck
Few places in the world are quite as amazing as Monaco. During my short stay
I saw 12 Rolls-Royces, a Porsche GT3 RS, a white Ferrari 599 and even the
brand new Mercedes CL63 - a car which was only unveiled two weeks before.
But all this pales in comparison to the manufacturers and vehicles present
at the Top Marques show. Under the same roof there were two Pagani Zondas, a
Koenigsegg CCX, a Fisker Tramonto and plenty of others that deserve a few
extra words. As well, many of the companies brought test cars to drive, a
feature which certainly helps to entice interested parties to buy right off
the showroom floor. Henrik Fisker was beaming when we spoke with him on only
the second day of the show, boasting that thanks to his tester he had
already made three sales. And to be honest, with the quality of the Fisker
cars, once you experience one yourself the price tag becomes understandable.
The company with the most tester cars was undoubtedly Gemballa. Inside
convention center, a brand new 2008 Porsche Cayenne boasting 750 hp and a
fully suede interior drew lots of gawkers, but not nearly so many as the
black and gold Mirage GT. With the GT's bass boat style
rainbow-flake-on-black paint, extreme is an understatement.
To redeem himself Uwe Gemballa had a better surprise on the second day, a
bright yellow version of the same car – this one to be used as a test
vehicle. Unfortunately no one got to drive the vehicle (or even Gemballa's
modified Porsche turbo, the Avalanche) themselves, as race driver Wolfgang
Kaufmann did the honors. It didn’t really matter though as the streets were
too congested to even get out of (and sometimes even into) second gear.
One of the few companies which was brave enough to let attendees drive their
vehicles was the Range Rover tuner Overfinch. With newly designed wheels and
body parts tourists and locals both scratched their heads at what they
though was an awfully nice looking Range Rover. (Pick up the July copy of
MLE to find out why editor Colum Wood owes Overfinch a new rim or at least
a great feature on their new vehicle).
Other test vehicles included the Gumpert Apollo and even the brand new
Lamborghini Superleggera which driver Valentino Balboni said they rolled off
the production line and drove straight to Monaco.
There was far too much in Monaco to cover here so be sure to pick up the
next issue of Modified Luxury & Exotics to find out about all the other
spectacular vehicles that you might never have even heard of, as well as
some exciting news about when Pagani is coming to America!
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