Promising something and then following through on said promise is a pretty simple concept to grasp. However, there have been many occasions in history where someone has promised something massive and then not delivered for one reason or another. The previous Compello show, Euro Vs JDM, was one of these occasions. When you are paying real money to attend a show, you expect to see something special but that simply wasn’t the case in my opinion. Not enough cars, not enough space and not enough variety to justify the price of admission. My post about it did soo badly that I had to remove it out of shame. As you can imagine, I was a bit apprehensive about going back again after they announced their “All In” show, however I was willing to give Compello another chance so I bought the tickets at a special discounted price due to my attendance last time. This show was being promoted quite aggressively compared to the last one so expectations were high to say the least. I was concerned that they were hiding a desperate situation but it ultimately turned out to be a hunch because it actually delivered. The organisers clearly listened to the feedback, and I was very pleased with what I saw.
I’m not a massive Ford guy but this Falcon F6 Typhoon ute was impossible for me to ignore. It looks to have a fully built Barra engine with a giant turbo strapped to the side and massive pipe that sticks out of the bonnet when it’s closed. The thing I love most is that the car still looks mostly standard, if not for the huge rear tyres and parachute attached to the back. It’s soo understated but you just know that it’ll be devastatingly fast on a drag strip. The quality, both inside and out, suggests that a lot of time and money has been put in to the presentation and performance of this car. The custom dash display, the bucket seats and the tall gear shifter scream purpose but the integration of all these elements is seriously impressive. After the presentations, I came back and spent 5 minutes looking at this thing because for me, it was the best Ford at the show. What a machine.
The big drawcard for this event was Adrian Portelli’s car collection. And what a collection it is. Park whatever view you have of him in the corner because he’s a true car enthusiast who knows what he wants. Unlike some celebrities who just buy cars to look good for the paparazzi, Adrian seeks out what he likes and genuinely cares about what he chooses. He’s also of the belief that cars should be driven; hence why he drives his P1 around instead of stuffing it in one of his garages. The yellow Aventador SVJ and the orange Murcielago SV are 2 of the most revered V12 supercars from Lamborghini, representing the best of each respective breed. The Aventador has a few modifications but nothing too insane, whilst the Murcielago has been kept as standard, which I think is the right choice for the last “old” Lambo. He also brought his McLaren Senna, the wild track machine with crazy aerodynamics, his modified XB Falcon coupe which has actually been done rather tastefully and his R34 GT-R, which looks like it’s ready to head into a WW2 dogfight. His P1 was there too of course, along with the HSV Maloo GTS-R W1 which I didn’t picture.
This is a 2006 Dodge Viper SRT-10 and in Australia, they’re not very common. I think I’ve only seen one other example in my life so I did freak out a little bit. This American brute was likened to a sledgehammer with it’s 8.4 litre V10 “truck motor” that dwarfed everything from Europe and the Corvette with a measly 7 litre V8. With 510 HP and oodles of torque, it was properly fast but also quite archaic, even by the standards of the time. In typical Dodge fashion, they brought a hammer to a knife fight. It was brash, it was unapologetic but oh soo irresistible to those who just wanted serious speed without spending tonnes of money. The fearsome reputation of this reptilian beast has given it legendary status amongst car enthusiasts.
One type of car you’ll never get at Cars and Coffee is a factory GT3 race car that actively competes in GT World Challenge Australia. Fresh from the round at Phillip Island, this Audi R8 LMS Evo II – owned by Melbourne Performance Centre – was piloted by Supercars/PRO driver Will Brown and AM driver Brad Schumacher (no relation to Michael). Audi might’ve pulled the plug on it’s GT program but MPC haven’t discarded any of their R8’s and they will race them until the spare parts run out. They’re still highly competitive and this car ended up scoring two third place finishes, but it could’ve been a third and a first after Brad Schumacher spun whilst challenging for the win. Happily for MPC, the car that ended up winning was another one of their Audis, driven by Tim Miles and Brandon Leitch. You can only get a true appreciation of these machines close up, where you can see all the little tricks used to extract the most speed possible – within the rules of course. Nothing is here for show.
The Honda NSX was Japan’s answer to the Ferrari 348, promising the same level of performance without any of the drawbacks from a reliability and comfort standpoint. At the time, it was something of a shock as Honda’s lineup consisted of family-friendly hatches and sedans which were not particularly sporty. The NSX was presented as a halo car for the brand, and it ended up outperforming the 348 in every possible metric. However, like the Lexus LF-A, sales weren’t great due to the high price tag and the badge. Today the car is a classic and this example right here is what it looked like from the factory over 30 years ago. Not many NSX’s remained in standard guise so seeing an untouched example is a rare sight. Such rarity is sure to demand a 6 figure price tag which some may say is totally ludicrous for a Honda.
The E46 generation of the BMW M3 grabs my attention enough on it’s own, let alone one with such extreme modifications. This car looks to have an LS V8 engine with two turbos attached and an extensive induction package that uses some rather intricate piping. I don’t know if this setup is the most effective but it definitely makes a statement. It’s clearly built for drifting with a large amount of front camber, a widebody kit and a stripped-out interior that doesn’t have any creature comforts from the original car. There’s a possibility that this car started life as a lesser 3 series model like a 320i or something, because cutting up and stripping down a legit M3 would take some serious courage. Unless it was wrecked. Either way, this car is sure to provide some incredible entertainment with a lot of smoke and plenty of noise.
Before the Mustang officially came to Australia a few years ago, they weren’t very common and I still remember freaking out over them when I was 7. So in many ways, seeing this ’07 Mustang convertible was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. In 2005, the S197 generation Mustang made it’s debut and people went wild for it, ushering in a brand new era for the famed horse. The styling was a homage to the original car from 1964 and with a whole range of engine options, interior trims and colours, there really was something for everyone. Better still, Carroll Shelby returned to Ford after working for Chrysler and helped to create a new breed of high-performance models that the previous generation didn’t have. He would work with them right up until his death in 2012, cementing a legacy that Ford still celebrates to this day. Moreover, the famed Coyote V8 made it’s debut in the S197 after a mid-life refresh. This engine has become a hit amongst tuners with 4 valves per cylinder and a complex ECU that allows for better electronic management. With only a few modifications, you can get some serious power.
One type of car that isn’t hugely popular in these parts is the lowrider. You might’ve heard the song without even knowing that it was actually referring to something like this ’64 Impala. I do know a few things about this type of vehicle – they’re popular among Latinos, they have fancy hydraulics, sit really low to the ground when they aren’t bouncing around and have incredibly complex chrome detailing alongside exquisite paint jobs. What I don’t know is why the ’64 Impala has become such an iconic car within this community. The “Six Four” has been referenced in many hip-hop and rap songs over the years, so even if you don’t know cars, you probably know what this one is. Australia is hardly a hot bed for lowriders but we still have an extremely dedicated group of people who are willing to put in the hours for these mechanical art pieces.
A show like this would not be complete without a Silvia. The S-chassis cars of the S13, S14, S15 and 180SX are mainstays in modern car culture but this S15 doesn’t look like any other that I’ve seen. I get some sex-spec vibes looking at the yellow seats, however I cannot say the same about the rest of the car because it doesn’t have any ugly bodykit or a cringeworthy paint job. The pink/purple paint job offers something completely different from other modified cars, and I suppose it was the one thing that helped it win the best JDM car award. No other car has gone quite as hard as this one and with the proper wheel fitment, it’s like a pearl from a clam. I don’t know how much work has been done underneath but it probably doesn’t matter to be honest.
This show definitely offered more than what I was expecting, combining cars from all sorts of countries in all sorts of different styles. The kind of variety on display and the bigger floor space allowed the show to deliver something that felt distinct from what I’ve been to in the past. This time, I don’t have to sugar coat things through baseless optimism. The event was a knockout.
DevMacCars 