Automotive
ThomasM's "NGQ Halloween Run" captures the essence of a true automotive enthusiast gathering, showcasing high-performance cars driven as intended, free from the 'garage queen' mentality. This post offers a vibrant look into a community that values the driving experience above all else, providing a refreshing perspective on luxury car ownership. His photo essay highlights the camaraderie and shared passion among owners of diverse marques.
Lamborghinis and Ferraris and Porsches, oh my!
Lamborghinis and Ferraris and Porsches, oh, my!
(with all due respect to The Wizard of Oz and the Scarecrow)
Mercedes AMG and Audi R cars too...458 Italia; Gallardo; Diablo SV; GT3RS Cup; Cayman; CL65 Renntech; CLK63 Black Series; SL63 TT; R8...
The WanderingPurist had a chance to run with some friends from the NGQ (No Garage Queens) group in their Halloween Drive. True purists with their high performance cars like PuristS are with their timepieces, these guys (and gals) drive their cars the way they were meant to be driven; No Garage Queens here!
But just as importantly, no posing, no pretensions, no snobbish pooh poohing (though the occasional good natured ribbing and trash talking did break out) - just good friends enjoying a common passion for serious machinery, driven hard (but definitely not put away wet...you'll see what I mean later.)
The group gathered bright and early; so early it seems the ghost and ghouls and even skeletor hadn't gotten to bed yet!
Wait, did anyone else see the shadows?!?! The antennae sprouting out of the top of one of the shadows!?!?!?
HOLY HALLOWEEN, BATMAN!
Though everyone played well together once on the road, it seems a little nationalism came into play in the staging parking lot -
The German Ghetto (notice even the lack of adequate public cleaning services between the cars...) -
Over in the Italian 'burbs...wait, what's this?
can it be? a child seat? in a Diablo SV?!?
yep, it really is the suburbs and family living! 
But lest anyone mistake being a family man for boring domestication...
VROOOOOM!!!!!!!! (Diablo SV photos courtesy of Jenn Leong)
Yeah, now that's what I'm talkin' about!!!
First, a stop for some quick group photos before the serious run begins...
No, your eyes are NOT deceiving you! Those are a true royal couple you see, our King and Queen for the day...can you guess which ride was their royal STEED? (hint, hint...)
From this beautiful vista point overlooking Lake Castaic, we proceed through a quick but interesting cliff hugging route that ended up at our first T junction, where the faster cars waited for the slightly more timid, or overweight , and responsible - one of the cars had a child seat, afterall... 
- to catch up
Photo courtesy Kenneth Huey
Once everyone caught up, the caravan heads out again, first to a gas station to fill up our rides, then to a small quaint town to fill up our stomachs. Before lunch, I catch a glimpse of the princess whose throne we saw earlier in the Diablo SV -
These cars are fast, no doubt, but it seems even raging bulls and prancing horses aren't fast enough to outrun the undead and Skeletor when they fall in love...
We quickly got back in our rides and rolled on, hoping that we weren't going to be haunted the whole rest of the way! Our rides await...
After an INCREDIBLE drive through some majestic National Park grounds - the views are so beautiful, it is worth driving through at "normal" speeds just to enjoy the views! - we find ourselves at another T-intersection, where again the faster cars stop and wait for the rest to catch up. What a metaphor for life, eh?
Old Highway 33...there's something anachronistic, something out of time, yet timeless, about this area and this road...
I won't show any pictures of the stretch of 33 from 166/33 to the twisties north of Ojai...let's just say many many miles of nearly dead straight roads with 5 mile sightlines...I'll leave the rest to your imaginations...
One last T intersection, another choice to make, just like life...and remember my comment about not putting away the rides wet, after being ridden hard? Remember my hint about the King and his PRISTINE white STEED I mentioned earlier? No BULL here!
Photo courtesy of Jenn Leong
Well, all good things must come to an end, but the memories and friendships always remain, helped along by photographs and videos...
see you, see me...
Until the next run, keep the rubber side down and the Smokey's out of your rear view mirror!
Video courtesy of Chwee Chua
This message has been edited by ThomasM on 2012-11-05 18:34:31The Ferrari 458 Italia, introduced in 2009, represented a significant evolution in the brand's mid-engine V8 lineage, succeeding the F430. It was positioned as a high-performance sports car, blending advanced technology with traditional Ferrari design principles, and was available in both coupe (Italia) and retractable hardtop (Spider) configurations.
Powering the 458 Italia is a naturally aspirated 4.5-liter V8 engine, producing 570 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 540 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. This engine is paired with a Getrag 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, driving the rear wheels. The chassis incorporates an aluminum space-frame, contributing to a dry weight of approximately 1,380 kg. Braking is handled by carbon-ceramic discs as standard.
From a collector's standpoint, the 458 Italia is notable as one of the last naturally aspirated V8 Ferrari models before the widespread adoption of turbocharging in subsequent generations. Its high-revving engine and direct driving experience are often cited as desirable attributes, contributing to its sustained interest in the secondary market among enthusiasts seeking a purer, unassisted Ferrari performance experience.
Looks like a great run TM! Cheers, Anthony
... than there are in my whole country :-) .... . Great pics and video Thomas, and the driving was at a GOOD pace :-) ... indeed no posing (as far as that's possible with these cars :-) ...) and no garage-queens is what we like to see ! Filip
...Great to see these taken out for a real drive. Super gathering!
Looks like a great Halloween car party! Thanks for sharing. The video at the end of the post was great! Great music too!
Thanks for the photolog of your adventures. At my old office parking garage there was always a Ferrari parked with a child seat in it, so some babies are lucky from birth to be driven around in such super exotics! Cheers, Daos
out and about so they have some fun too ! Looks like you had a great day. Don
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