Highball 14: Red October

Spring is a funny season. It can give the us the best and worst weather, throwing up all sorts of chaos at the drop of a hat. This is just a Melbourne thing though so don’t think that climate change has suddenly ruined our lives because Port Phillip Bay is a wild beast. However when the weather decides to play ball, it can provide some truly spectacular conditions that are more than conducive to hosting a massive car show. This was very much the case for Highball 14, with a huge amount of people showing up and an incredible array of cars that spilled out onto the surrounding streets and parking areas for the many businesses in the area. For an added bonus, red cars took centre stage for a dazzling display right in front of Bosch HQ. This blog is going to be a good one.

One brand that’s synonymous with the colour red is Ferrari. Throughout its history, the company has used the vibrant tone of Rosso Corsa to represent itself on the world stage. Of course, Maserati and Alfa Romeo have also used it as red is the racing colour of Italy, but most people think Ferrari first. This car here is a 488 Spider, the open top model of the twin turbo V8 successor to the stunning 458. The wheel choice is what makes this car that little bit more interesting.

Now for something completely different in the form of the Plymouth/Chrysler Prowler. This modern hot rod may not have the go with a V6 engine lifted from the Chrysler parts bin, but it just oozes personality with some wild styling. Even today, more than 25 years on, this car turns heads. I’m pretty sure that if you could make it today, people would still see it as a modern interpretation of a ‘30s hot rod. This example here was imported straight from the USA with left hand drive. I was told that a total of 20 cars are in Australia, most of which being right hand drive to make them legal. The owner therefore had to wait 25 years for the doors to open. This is one of those cars that I was truly desperate to capture for my blog, because it’s soo unique.

I’ve featured a Diablo VT here before but I’ve never featured one painted red before. I think it’s very fitting considering that Diablo means Devil in Spanish. Seeing such a car is exciting at the best of times but seeing one in my ideal specification is truly incredible. I will always maintain that the Diablo VT is the best version of the ‘90s V12 flagship, with pop-up headlights, silver 5 hole wheels and 4WD – the first mid-engine Lamborghini to have the drivetrain as standard. This car featured in Midnight Club 3, my favourite street racing game and its definitely a dream car of mine. It’s not the most refined Lambo but you’d willingly take the compromises as character traits, because that makes the car what it is.

Before Audi RS3s with crackle tunes graced the earth, there was this: the Audi RS2 Avant. In the early years, Audi wasn’t really known as a performance outfit and their road models didn’t bother BMW’s M lineup or Mercedes tuner AMG. That all changed though when Audi collaborated with Porsche to create the first Audi Sport model. The RS2 featured a 5-cylinder engine derived from the original Quattro, mated to Audi’s trademark 4WD system with suspension work done by Porsche. The brand famous for the 911 also fettled with the engine to make it more potent. The wheels have been taken from a 964-gen 911, whereas the brake package, foglights and rear view mirrors are from a 993-gen 911. In the correct Nogaro Blue colour, this fast wagon is hard to miss.

As this blog is titled “Red October”, let me show off a handful of red cars that caught my attention.

I like this photo a lot. Look at how the tail lights reflect off the chrome.

The VT/VY/VZ Holden Monaro is my “attainable” dream car – if you don’t count the E46 M3. This is the ’04 HSV version.

Oh look it’s an original 8 Series! After the 635 was canned, this car took the mantle as BMW’s flagship luxury coupe.

The last iteration of the stunning Aston Martin DB9 really shines in this fantastic metallic red.

This is the cleanest Mark I Golf GTI I’ve ever seen.

An unmodified FD RX-7 is a rare breed, so you capture them when you can. Better still in my favourite colour.

Enzo Ferrari called this car the Dino in honour of his son, who died at young age of 24 from muscular dystrophy. This makes my connection to it rather tragic but I think Dino would be delighted that the car baring his name has become a classic.

I’m not the biggest Fairlady fan but I really like this one with the period correct modifications. The pictures don’t quite capture the exceptional quality of the paintwork.

This big thing is an Oldsmobile Toronado from 1968, and it’s front wheel drive. With a 7.5 litre V8. Who knew that the Americans could be quirky?

A C3 Corvette shooting brake? Talk about a rare modification.

It was quite the scene.

Here’s another car that appeared in Midnight Club 3: the Mercedes CL65 AMG. This 2-door luxury car sat at the top of the CL lineup, sporting a massive 6.0 litre V12 engine with a bucket load of torque. The pillar less window design allows air to flow through the cabin, and when you combine that with the comfort and ride quality that Mercedes is known for, driving along the beach is a breeze. However when you want to put your foot down, a savage kick of power is unleashed onto the road. The rear end may look a bit goofy but this is one of my favourite Mercs. Not many vehicles combine style, class and brute force quite like this one.

The base model C8 Corvette has become a hit after much hype and fanfare, but this one is a little different: it’s a hybrid. Known as the E-Ray, this car combines a good old-fashioned 6.2 litre V8 with an electric motor to produce a total of 655 HP. Moreover, the car is 4 wheel drive, giving it incredible traction and acceleration from a standstill. It seems as though General Motors are using the C8 as a technical showcase, demonstrating to the world that America can create something truly special with the latest technology. The promise of more advanced and more sophisticated machinery is sure to put the land of the free on equal footing when it comes to supercars. The E-Ray could very well be a winner.

Almost 20 years ago now, BMW had a brainwave: what if we made a V10 engine for our M5 super sedan? The crazy bastards went ahead and did it for the E60 generation model, but shortly after that, they decided to shove it into the 6 series to make the M6. This model had a short shelf life before the V10 was taken out of production for what I’d say were economical reasons. BMW’s brief moment of madness has become a part of car folklore, born out of a desire to beat Mercedes-AMG in the horsepower wars. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a V10 M6 so I couldn’t go past it without taking a photo.

What a wild show this was. Huge attendance, a constant stream of cars and plenty of interactions with fellow enthusiasts. I took a record number of photos at this show thanks to a nifty little remote button, so picking out a handful of them wasn’t easy. I have to say, the support I have received lately has been incredible and I honestly never thought that soo many people would give a shit about one man’s passion for the automobile. It gives me the energy I need to get out of bed in the morning. Now, for an added bonus, see a lowered Toyota 86 stuck on a speed hump: