In order to get all of you excited for the upcoming Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile races I have decided to share a few (okay tons) of photos that I took last year.  I didn’t plan on sharing these at first but I think it is important to show what sort of amazing cars come out of hiding for this event, especially for those who have never been to Laguna Seca for this weekend.

Enjoy the photos below of the Pre 1950 cars from last year.  I will have at lease two more posts with different groups of cars over the next few days.  Hopefully this will light a fire under some of you go over to ZONC.org to sign up for the Z Car Corral on Saturday August 15th.

Happy Thursday!!!

Follow the ‘read more’ for all the pictures.

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That’s right!!  Roughly three weeks from now on August 14-16th are the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca.  The best part of this weekend is the Z Car Corral, hosted by the Z Owners of Northern California (ZONC), where all our fellow Nissan/Datsun friends get to park together right along the track in a VIP parking area.

ZONC is currently offering tickets for the Saturday the 15th Corral event on their website.  I know that the flyer below says that the deadline has passed to purchase tickets but trust me there are still plenty of spaces available.

Cars from every time period and every marque are represented during the Historics weekend but this year promises to be extra special because Porsche is the featured marque of this year’s event.  Porsche cars are already set to represent one third of the race cars on the track and Porsche factory will be bringing out a few rare cars as well.  The new four-door Panamera will also be on hand for the the public to view.

If you are busy this weekend cancel your plans.  The Historics are well worth it.  We would love to have you join Z Car Garage and ZONC for this amazing event!!!

Link:  ZONC Website

Link:  Official Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races

ZCarBlog:  ZONC Corral at the Rolex Historics 2008

This upscale event took place back on June 28th and once again it did not disappoint.  This year we were invited to participate in a ‘Then and Now” display.  We brought a friends 240z to be positioned across from a new 370z.  One of the most amazing cars of the show though was right next to our Z.

In front of our friend Glen’s new R35 GT-R there was an 1973 Skyline GT-R (also known as the “Ken and Mary” Skyline) in near original condition with 40K miles on it.  According to the importer of the car, it has not undergone any form of restoration and has been in climate controlled storage for most of it’s life.  The reason that this second generation GT-R is so special is that they made only 197 of them, total in the world.  They are rare and extremely expensive.  GT-R Wikipedia (2nd Gen. skip)

A few other highlights of the show included a one of the most original and un-restored Mazda Cozmos known to exist, vast vintage police vehicle display, as well as a plethora of vintage and historic race cars.  I was also pleased to see beautiful examples of almost every model of Porsche ever produced, there were some beautiful cars with great racing heritage.

I encourage all of you to join us at next years show.  The people are nice and the cars are even better.  I hope you like the few pictures I have included here.

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Here are a few photos taken by one of our friends who attended the show with us.  Thanks Jim.  Enjoy

Back in March Infiniti released the Essence concept to the public.  The update in this story comes by way of a press release from Infiniti a few days ago saying that the car will be making an appearance at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.  It will be making the trip to Goodwood to celebrate the release of the European Infiniti G37 Convertible.  The most amazing part of the story though is that the Essence concept will be using all of it’s 600 hybrid-horsepower to muscle it’s way around the fabled Goodwood hillclimb course!!

What a sight it is going to be seeing this beautiful, sleek coupe make it’s way around the course.  If MotoGP wasn’t in town (and I had recently won the lottery!) I would have loved to make the trip over-seas for this event.  If you ever have the chance to go to the Festival, do it.  It is the best of the best in Motorsports’ past and present right before your eyes.  Visit the site below.

Here is the full Infiniti press release about the Essence:

NFINITI: ESSENTIAL VIEWING AT GOODWOOD

ROLLE, Switzerland (June 25, 2009) – The Infiniti Essence concept car, shown for the first time four months ago in Geneva, will conclude its pan-European tour at the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed. But Essence isn’t the only Infiniti to be making its UK debut. The luxury automotive brand from Japan will also be giving visitors to the Festival a sneak preview of the new G37 Convertible which goes on sale in the UK this September. Unlike Essence, unfortunately.

The Essence concept was created as a celebration of Infiniti and its 20 years history as a creator of performance cars. But equally it is an inspiring exploration into the brand’s future … one that includes launching in the UK. The dramatic design, technology and performance statement is a 600PS petrol/electric hybrid coupe with rear-wheel drive. It will be on display in Goodwood’s FoS-TECH pavilion and also on the famous Goodwood Hillclimb where it will perform in public for the first time.

Joining Essence on the Hillclimb – and later in the Sunday Times Supercar paddock – will be the V6 powered G37 Convertible in right-hand drive form, the first example ever produced. The car’s appearance at Goodwood will be particularly momentous for the two British Infiniti engineers who will drive it as they have worked on the Infiniti Europe project since it started. Offered in a choice of two comprehensively equipped models, both featuring a metal three-piece folding roof, the 320PS G37 Convertible has been designed without compromise to look as beautiful with the top up as it does down. Which is hopefully the position where it will stay for the entirety of the weekend…

Link:  Original INFINITI Essence post on ZCarBlog

Link: Official Goodwood Festival of Speed Homepage