This, and a little concept art I did from he first film…

This was sent to be by Thomas Bloch yesterday on the heels of my Cayman R Article. A great digital version of the 2013 CAYMAN S. If the plans are to make it anything like this… Porsche fans should be all smiles… or at least evil grins. The scalloped side vents, vented fronts and slightly cleaner tail light treatment works well. If… IF that’s what Porsche’s doing, eh Thomas?

So, Kathie and I love to travel. But sometimes, there’s not enough time. That’s when we decide to travel into our own town. And LA’s a great place because it’s spread out like a big-ass blanket.

When my son Sean was a kid, we would take him on what we called “Hat Trick Trips” which were 3 cool things in one day. (For those who don’t know what a Hat Trick is, it’s three goals in one game bu one player. Always good.) And that’s what these tiny trips are all about. Having a good time with those you love.

So off we went in King Tahoe to Downtown LA. First stop? Union Station where they shot Blade Runner and other cool flix. Amazing how old it is and how people glide through it without noticing the amazing tile and architecture. It’s awesome…

Then… Olvera Street to have lunch. The last time I was here, it was 100 degrees and like walking through a sauna. But yesterday? Perfect. Bought some milk candy, giftees and had mole enchiladas. Even walked the oldest house/pueblo in LA! This is where LA actually grew from…

Next? The Bradbury Building down the street. Again, another cool location for Blade Runner. Built in 1893 at the time of the Chicago World’s Fair, all the iron was shipped from France, to the Fair and then to the Bradbury. And yes, Ray Bradbury is a descendant. But… then we broke the Hat Trick rule because there was more coolness to be had…

Off to Angel’s Flight Railway. The world’s smallest rail system, lasting only 1 minute and costing 25 cents. This lil’ baby has transported more people than all the railways put together. Millions… just for a minute. It was a blast. We rode it twice and imagined the people in the early 1900′s taking it to work.

Then… the the open indoor market across the street. Where… everything smelled like fish, including my eclair. Eek…. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Victor Clothing Company where my grandfather worked for 50 years. On the side of the building is a painting of Anthony Quinn, my friend Francesco’s father. Francesco passed away about 6 months ago, but did a great job at helping to restore it.

Days like these pull your attention from stress and get you to focus on adventure, fun, travel and family. Do it. Spend a day in your own town and go somewhere you’ve never been. You’ll be glad you did….

I was wrong…

Second, seeing the photos of the Peridot Green color had me thinking of my wife’s birthstone. And driving a green machine like this all week… I thought would attract a different sort of attention.

I was wrong… again.

And thirdly, or “tertiarilly” as I like to say, a big sign on the side saying PORSCHE isn’t usually how I roll, but again… looks are deceiving… especially with this car.

The 2012 Porsche Cayman R is a sprinter. A Carl Lewis kind of sprinter. But it’s also a smile millionaire. Everywhere I went in this car, the thumbs we’re up like Christmas morning when you got something you really wanted. Now, let’s get some of the specs out of the way so we can get to the internal gutteral crux of this here contraption.

300hp and 273 lb ft torque… 6 Cylinder, 3.4 liter… 6 Speed… Full Race Suspension… lots of acronyms including ASR (Anti Slip) and PSM (Porsche Stability Managment)… Ceramic Composite Brakes with 12.5″ Front Rotors and 11.8″ in the back… 8.5X19 Lightweight Black Rims… and Carbon Race Seats. The Seats, man, the Seats…

The weight of the car? Light. All this, gas mileage of 19/27 and at $81K. But this car… is ready for the track or anything else you want to throw at it. I mean… it’s ready.

I took it to a Mazda event and got “the smile.” An GM Eco Event in Hollywood… and got the smile. You know the smile.  The one that says “Man, what I would do with that car…” Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re right.

First… this R (Race Version) is a bullet that Steve McQueen would have trouble keeping up with. I even got smiles from other Porsche drivers in 911s that seemed to say… “Maybe I shoulda got the Cayman?” The design exterior has curves like JLo, muscles like Dwayne and extensions out of a Supermodel Summer Catalog. But the seats…

Second, the green just got people smiling. It was the only one I saw for a week, and people treated it like it was a doubled refreshing Mai Tai on the beaches of St. Tropez. With no one on the beach but the Supermodels…

Tertiarilly, the PORSCHE decal is a decal. No biggie. But… the seats.

Inside, the cockpit was an ergonomic champ, although some old school tech in the radio. Needs the swipe technology, even though it’s a trackster. This R version comes sans AC and door strap pulls to save weight. Even the seat belts are red as Christmas. But…

THE SEATS… Now, I’ve planted my butt in a lot of car seats. And being a bit on the thin side, either there’s too much play or to not enough support. But these have to be the best seats I’ve ever sat in. Carbon backed, lightweight race buckets,… you are goin’ nowhere. And the best thing? The secretive industrial designed Cup Holders!!!! Just plain cool… although it took me 2 hours to realize they were there.

Final Analysis? As you know, Automotive Design is about capturing a feeling. But it’s more… It’s about maintaining that feeling in a way that doesn’t become old. Holding your attention like a woman that understands her need to evolve. To gradually become something more to hold her man’s focus. The Porsche Cayman R does exactly that. It’ grows. Expands. Evolves in your hands. Captures your thoughts and takes them for a permanent spin. Yes, there are strange ergonomic idiosyncrasies, but that’s a trait with most women and men.

Had a hard time seeing this one go because it was an affair of evolution. Positive growth where there was no end in sight. Seems to me, that’s what we all look for in a car… and the Cayman R achieves in green. Good job, Porsche doods…

The Bertone Studio has always been famous for their “wedge” designs. I think it’s something having to do with cheese and Italians. Or… Italian Cheese. Anyway, according to Giuseppe Bertone, the NUCCIO will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

“The Nuccio is an ‘extreme’ sportscar that puts an evolutionary imprint on the concept that is built into Bertone’s DNA,” he says.

That has something to do with the cheese, I think. The wedged prototype is powered by a high-output motor mounted in a mid-rear position, but no specifics on what it really is…. but again, think cheese and think gelato.

After Geneva, the Nuccio will go to Beijing for the local auto show in April and then to the Turin National Car Museum in May where it will spend summer… dining on fine wine. Makes me want to head there now.

The Nuccio. You like-a? Ora you no like-a?

What is Global Green USA? Just a force in creating “the shift” along with the New GM. Check out the highlights from the event but more so, …check out their site and join in on making our globe as blue as possible… Wow, so much color!

17 and racing full bore Mazda’s?? …Awesome. These guys are having such a blast that their excitement was infectious. Imagine, being a kid and getting to play with cars like these? So frikkin’ cool I can hardly stand it.

Event took place at the Crevier Classic Car Museum in Costa Mesa which was filled with a great collection. But the MicroBus’ were what I’d steal, given half the chance. Although there were a few million dollar cars blocking the way. Dangit!

Mazda is speeding up to have a great 2012 in Motorsports. Keep an eye on them.