MClub.La is pleased to announce that we are co-hosting an open house event at Rhythm & Speed Automotive Performance! Co-hosting the event with us is Gaphix Design Haus who will have an exclusive debut of a world’s first E46 M3 product! Come enjoy food, music, cars, and atmosphere at Rhythm & Speed, the service and performance shop for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts. Come get a shop tour and find out what Rhythm & Speed is all about, meet and share driving enthusiasm with MClub.La, and come checkout Gaphic Design Haus’ current and future M products. In keeping with our driving enthusiast nature, MClub.La will be hosting a rally to the event! Come on down this event is going to be HUGE!!!

Featuring

*An exclusive launch of a world’s first E46 M3 product by GDH
*MClub.La Rally Drive to the Event
*Shop Tour of Rhythm & Speed
*Exotics
*Music
*Food

MClub.La Rally Info:

Meet Time: 10:15am
Departure Time: 10:45am

Rally Meeting Point: Home Depot (12975 West Jefferson Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA)

Destination: Rhythm & Speed (Google Maps)

A few reminders:

*Please observe the rules of the road
*No racing
*Please be respectful of the meeting location
*No Burnouts, donuts, or engine revving at the meet
*Bring a friendly attitude!

Spread the word all auto enthusiasts are welcome!

After enjoying the cruise along PCH and into the canyons, we stopped for a late brunch at Wolf Creek Brewery, who had plenty of room for an impromptu car show (over 40 BMWs and classic muscle cars arrived for brunch). After eating, those that did not drink, rallied up Stunt Road to the Top of the World lookout and then through several of Malibu’s amazing canyon roads, eventually leading to the famous Mullholland Snake. Aside from two of the attendants receiving front plate tickets, the cruise and brunch otherwise were a great success. We’re looking forward to the next collaborative event with EMK as they were a great group to share the road with!

MClub.La is pleased to announce our first joint cruise with the OC Car club Elitär Motor Kingdom! Come out for a nice cruise up PCH to Malibu Seafood for lunch!  We’re looking forward to an LA – OC joint cruise!

A few reminders:

*Please observe the rules of the road
*No racing
*Please be respectful of the meeting location
*No Burnouts, donuts, or engine revving at the meet
*Bring a friendly attitude!

_____________________________________________________

LA Meet Time: 9am
LA Departure Time: 9:30am

LA Meeting Spot: Home Depot (Google Maps)

_____________________________________________________

OC Meet Time: 8:15am
OC Departure Time: 9am

OC Meeting Spot: Best Buy, Tustin (Google Maps)

_____________________________________________________

PCH Meet Time: 10am
PCH Departure Time: 10:40am

PCH Rally Point: Von’s on PCH

Lunch Destination: Malibu Seafood (Google Maps) *Due to the Camarillo fires we’ve updated the lunch destination*

We hope to see you there!

There was no shortage of concept cars, for example, Lexus brought out their stunning LF-LC Blue concept, while Acura displayed their extraterrestrial-looking NSX Concept. Mercedes-Benz show what a future SUV might look like with their Ener-G-Force concept (which has headlamps that are in fact the letter “G”) and Honda brought out their surprisingly small EV-STER concept. Chevy and Cadillac also brought a few concept cars to display as well.

Noticeably absent again this year are Ferrari and Lamborghini, as in recent years they’ve made the Detroit Auto Show a priority and have opted for private customer events in LA. But with displays by Bentley (including their new Continental GT3 Concept), Saleen (Who brought a S7 and S7 Twin Turbo), Aston Martin (who brought the brand new Vanquish), and Porsche (who introduced the new Cayman and Cayman S), luxury sports cars where certainly well represented. From America Dodge SRT brought their 2013 Viper and Chevy displayed their C6 Corvette ZR1, the last of the C6 Corvettes as the next generation C7 Corvette is due early next year.

With over 40 vehicle debuts, journalists from all over the world documented the event and packed the press presentations. A personal highlight was bumping into renown journalist Chris Harris at the Porsche debut.

One of the major themes for this year was Eco-friendliness, and most of the concept displayed where in fact hybrids. Fisker displayed their impressive Karma which has very unique standard features which include a solar panel roof and massive 22 inch wheels. Many of the new cars launched featured improvements in MPG and in low-emissions.

Other notable vehicle presentations belong to Jaguar, for their presentation of their brand new F-Type and utterly insane XFR-S. Also, BMW made mention of their BMW Individual Program by bringing out a brand new 7-Series in Frozen White as well as discussing their i3 Concept.

In the Aftermarket and Tuner Showcase Hall, a lot of cars featured at SEMA where present. Notable cars in this hall where 2 fully chrome Mercedes and a Mosler MT-900. There is also a showing of BMW’s (which include a pristine E30 M3), a couple Ferrari 458 Italia’s and two Lamborghini Aventadors. Also of interest, a few of the 3-wheel T-Rex cycles  are on display.

Overall the press days were very impressive, with a great showing from many manufacturers of their current and concept models. The show this year is certainly worth checking out and it will surely delight hardcore petrol-heads and casual car fans alike. For more information, including exhibitor and show time information, check the LA Auto Show Website.

Anyway, fast forward to losing two of the tickets which I contested, I gave Traffic Ticket Pro’s a chance. They are a staple traffic ticket attorney’s office within the BMW community. Compared to a “cheaper” service that I’ve used in the past, Traffic Ticket Pro’s took the situation from A-Z. I e-mailed over my case information and signed a few documents and the issue was off my plate. Jason and the staff kept me informed on a weekly basis, so I always knew what was happening and they didn’t just sweep the case under the rug.

Tickets are being handed out like coupons these days, especially if you are driving a modified BMW. Make sure you always contest your ticket via written declaration or a 3^rd party attorney. It’s worth the chance!

We will begin the day bright and early on Saturday, July 14th, meeting at the Westwood Recreation Center at 9:00AM sharp. Heading down south, we will converge with the Orange County M chapter and continue our scenic trek down toward our destination in San Diego, Stone Brewery. Along the way, we will cruise along Route 73 to take in some of the scenic blessings OC has to offer, and then continue down Pacific Coast Highway to enjoy the nice ocean breeze.

START: 9:00 am
West LA meeting point @ Westwood Recreation Center
1381 S Sepulveda Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90024 (Google Maps)

ROUTE 1: 405 To OC Rally Point, Irvine Spectrum South-East Lot (Under the freeway overpass)
Meeting Time For OC: ETA 10:15am – 10:30am
Enterprise Dr
Irvine, CA 92618 (Google Maps)

ROUTE 2: TBD
Lots of options here. Possibly the 73 because its a beautiful ride.

END: 12 noon
Stone Brewery in Escondido
1999 Citracado Parkway
Escondido, CA 92029 (Google Maps)

WHAT:
Lunch, cruise and good times. This is part of a monthly car cruise and it has turned out to be a really good time – if you went to June’s meet you know it was a BLAST!!! Our thoughts are that we bought these cars to drive them, so that’s what we do!

After our inaugural Arrive & Drive event in March, many enthusiasts and friends expressed interest in a followup event… so at 8am on Saturday, June 2nd (thanks to our platinum sponsor, Minicorsa, as well as sponsors Speed District, and Traffic Ticket Pros for their awesome support), a group of sleepy-eyed racers gathered under a blue desert sky and prepared for a day filled with adrenaline-pumping driving, music, comraderie, and scorching heat. Once everyone had consumed their fill of delicious doughnuts and coffee, the drivers donned their helmets and headed to the starting grid for a brief driver download. By 9:30am, the first run group was out warming up the tires and testing out the track.

At the inaugural Arrive & Drive event in March, a few racers mentioned that they would have enjoyed a little more track time prior to the Grand Prix event. Building on that critique, Josh Brozen stepped up to the plate and created a brilliant (and exquisitely detailed) track schedlue, providing each of the four run groups with two 20 minute practice sessions each before lunch and by two “qualifying” sessions in the afternoon – all before the Grand Prix event. As the day progressed, the smiles everyones faces was all the feedback we needed to know Josh’s plan was truly genious.

As the last morning practice session tore around the track, our chefs for the day, Mark and Matthew, fired up the grill. The stiff winds posed an interesting challenege to our aspiring grillmasters, but with the assistance of several helpful racers, the hot juicy hamburgers and hotdogs began piling up just as the final practice sessions came to an end. Lunch was enhanced with the smooth sounds of DJ PJ on the 1s and 2s, and by 1pm everyone was rested and ready to begin afternoon qualifying sessions!

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

As the sun beat mercilessly on the track, the racers headed out for afternoon qualifying sessions. Each racer’s best qualifying lap time determined their ranking for the final Grand Prix race, so the stakes were higher… and the racing more intense! After each run group completed their two qualifying sessions, the times were compiled and we prepared to begin the Grand Prix sessions.

Around 3:30pm, the top ten competitors made their way onto the track for a rolling start race for first place. When the pace vehicle left the track and the green flag was waved, spectators were treated 12 laps of intense wheel to wheel racing. After the tire smoke and dust settled, third place went to Ken Lukach, second to Frederick Johnson, and first place to Gerold Arnone. Congratulations gentlemen!

After the top ten Grand Prix, racers ranked 11th-20th made their way onto the track for a bit of friendly racing. While the competition was more relaxed, there were many great photo moments and everyone had a blast. Once the second race finished, everyone headed back to the garage for the awards ceremony. The top three positions in the Grand Prix received their trophies, and the racer with the best time during qualifying, Ty Gi, won a trophy and a free track day thanks to our generous sponsor, Speed District.

A few minutes later, a group of happy and exhausted racers headed home with smiles and great memories, eager for the next time we get to meet on the track.

Thanks to Studio 6 Speed Photography for race day photography – you can find the entire album here. Recorded racer times are listed at the bottom of the page.

Racer Times

Driver Name	Practice #1	Practice #2	Qualifying #1	Qualifying #2
David Fulk	01:01.18	no time	no time	no time
Josh Shokri	no time	00:59.88	no time	no time
Ty Gi	no time	00:56.77	00:56.80	00:57.16
Josh Brozen	00:57.77	00:57.08	00:57.07	00:56.88
Gerald Arnone	00:58.30	00:56.82	00:57.37	00:57.02
Frederick Johnson	no time	00:58.22	00:57.52	00:57.04
Jacob Schiffelbein	00:59.04	00:58.33	00:58.70	00:57.58
Jim Dandalides	01:01.46	00:58.72	00:58.82	00:57.64
Ken Lukach	00:58.61	00:58.03	00:58.46	00:58.09
Sev Kocharian	00:59.20	00:58.56	00:59.30	00:58.17
Danny Darwichian	no time	01:01.80	00:58.19	track
Matthew Rickman	00:58.74	00:58.52	00:58.34	00:58.55
Eric Robi	no time	00:58.77	00:58.37	track
Yegor Hovakimian	00:58.78	00:59.84	00:58.47	00:59.37
Mark Karpus	00:59.57	00:59.16	00:59.06	00:58.77
Pj Roozbeh	01:01.48	01:00.87	no time	00:59.09
Israel Lopez	01:00.71	no time	01:00.35	00:59.10
Anthony Andrade	01:02.04	00:58.84	00:59.17	00:59.80
Kenneth Hu	01:02.39	no time	01:00.41	00:59.17
Katherine Simpson	01:02.59	00:59.94	00:59.87	00:59.32
Cleanth Angeles	01:02.43	01:00.06	01:00.48	00:59.59
Vyacheslav Yanson	no time	01:00.60	01:01.04	00:59.78
Jack Katchikian	01:02.94	01:00.30	00:59.88	no time
Fil Aledort	01:01.20	01:00.61	00:59.91	01:00.08
Gary Awesome	no time	00:59.58	01:01.99	01:00.86
Jubentino Martinez	no time	01:03.55	01:02.91	01:01.03
Dale Shin	01:06.21	01:02.87	01:02.87	01:01.42
Charles Park	01:04.12	01:03.49	01:01.91	no time
Shad Ayoub	01:04.32	01:01.03	01:02.02	01:02.04
Ulises Salazar	no time	01:00.61	01:04.34	01:02.09
Jennifer Rickman	01:02.66	01:03.40	01:02.70	01:02.29
Aleksey Borisov	01:03.11	01:02.68	01:03.00	no time
Olga Streltsova	01:05.58	01:02.92	no time	01:04.09
Maksim Kolomeyer	01:05.49	01:06.45	01:04.98	no time
Justin Ong	no time	01:08.18	01:06.33	no time
Jose Luis Carvajal	01:00.69	01:00.62	no time	no time
Raul Pincheira	01:00.07	01:00.35	no time	no time
Matthew Smith	01:02.26	no time	no time	00:59.95
Ashley Gibbs	01:17.05	no time	no time	no time

Track Map

The last Arrive & Drive event was so successful, we’re doing it again! June 2nd is just around the corner so make sure to purchase your tickets today!

More event details here.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

This past Saturday, we had the privilege of joining a group of Motorsport enthusiasts for a 10/tenths driving day. Because my beloved M3 is recovering from a recent track day, I elected to ride shotgun and bring you the adventure through my lens.

The day began bright and early (some would say too early) with a hearty breakfast (and gratuitous quantities of coffee) at a friendly IHOP. After wiping the sleep from our eyes, we set out for the beautiful back roads of Southern California. The plan for the day included a cruise on sections of CA-33, as well as miles on the scenic roads of Los Padres National Forest and a road mysteriously referred to as “Nurburgring West.”

After a short drive up the 101 (and spotting an uncomfortable number of enthusiastic CHP officers), we left the interstate and headed for roads less traveled. The first leg of our journey took us to the town of Ojai, where we topped off the tanks in preparation for the trek into the mountains. Despite the traffic on this portion, a few shots of the group were captured for your enjoyment (you can find the full gallery over at Studio6Speed.com). Aside from some rather rude insults hurled our way by a jealous Expedition driver, we arrived without incident.

After refueling and a quick driver briefing, we left the traffic behind and headed north. Highway 33 is endowed with an astounding variety of long sweepers, tight switchbacks, tunnels and straights, all surrounded by beautiful Southern California scenery – in other words, a car fanatic’s paradise, hidden a few short miles from Los Angeles. The drivers were unable to keep the smiles off their faces as they shot through the switchbacks, and involuntary utterances of “holy sh*t that’s awesome” were heard at nearly every apex.

After twenty-five fantastic miles on CA-33, the group stopped to reflect on the journey to this point and prepare for the next leg of the adventure. Once our legs were properly stretched and the vehicles had cooled down a few degrees, everyone returned to the cockpit and embarked on a spirited cruise over several miles of flat, straight road en route to the second highlight of the trip… an area lovingly dubbed “Nurburgring West.”

The Nurburgring is considered by many to be the Mecca of the Motorsport world, and having a road referred to in this manner by fellow enthusiasts certainly conjures lofty expectations. The “ring west” began gently, with a gradual climb out of the valley and back into the mountains. A few miles along the road and straights gave way to sweeping turns that could be driven at speed. As we ascended further into the mountain, the sweepers tightened into sharper technical turns with thrilling elevation changes. The road continued for more than twenty miles of adrenalin-pumping turns and great vistas, finally ending at a quaint Pine Mountain village. In total, we completed over fifty miles of amazing driving that many would describe as an “enthusiasts’ wet dream.”

For someone who has yet to drive the ‘ring, we cannot say how well this stretch of road compares to its’ namesake, but the ride along “Nurburgring West” is definitely a gem among the many wonderful driving experiences Southern California has to offer. This is definitely a place worth visiting …and revisiting.

Until next time – keep it classy my friends!

Written by Matthew Smith and Mark Karpus – Photography by Studio 6 Speed

Thursday, April 26th 2012

Time for another all-you-can-eat night!! We’re going back to Light & Healthy Sushi (menu & map) because they are awesome. Since this meet is so last minute, we’re going to meet directly at Light & Healthy around 7:30pm and start ordering around 7:45pm. See you there!