Favorite Car Towns

[MPWR]

What is your favorite car town?

This is a discussion I've been having with a friend, and inspired by Willimo's pavement thread I thought it would be a fun one to have here.

Where do you like to go to see cars? Where is your favorite 'car culture'? If you had your choice of a place to hang out or walk around for an afternoon or evening, where would it be? Not an event (Goodwood, Pebble Beach Concours), but a destination- a place where you could go any day of the year, and realistically expect to see some cool cars.


My personal favorite car town is South Beach Miami. Whatever else you might say about South Beach, it is a fantastic place to go to see cars. I only make it there once every couple of years for a day or an evening, but it is a practical guarantee that I there will be something cool out cruising. It is the one place I have ever seen a Veyron (I nearly choked on my sushi). But the best part about car watching in South Beach is that the car culture there is practically universal- anything and everything can be seen there, and it all looks like it belongs. European super exotics, American muscle classics, VIPs, donks, hooptys, hoodrides, choppers- EVERYTHING.

So where are your favorites? (I'm particularly curious about places outside the US- Italy, Japan, the UK?)

[BVC500]

Either Miami, where I lived for three years, or LA or SF. Seems to me that people in warmer, fancier climates appreciate their cars more and are more expressive in their color choices. Plus, you get to see more exotics. A couple times I was driving on I95 and an Enzo or Veyron would pass by.

[ZoomZoomMX-5]

I haven't been there, but I'd love to walk around Monaco. They get all the best stuff first...you'll likely see more than one Veyron, several LaFerraris, etc.

Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood always had some cool cars at all times, also Rodeo Drive. Haven't been to South Beach.

[bradfordian]

Canal rd bradford, khanny who makes the wheels and what not has khan design on canal rd, live like 10mins or so away.so I always wander what cars I am going to see, aston, porsche, ferrari, his car park usualy hosts a few super cars when the weathers right.carrera gt, cali ferrari, ford gt, astons,veyron, lambos.

[MPWR]

Monaco seems like it should be a good one- probably the world epicenter of exotics. And Hollywood should definitely make the list.

Where in San Fransisco? It seems like a good place to enjoy a cool car, but I don't remember seeing many (not that I've been there much).

[bigfrit]

Dubai, most definetely, supercars are like vw golfs around there.

Also, Maranello is a mecca for Ferrari fans, should visit that some day.

[stratos75]

I like Monte Carlo.

[BVC500]

Maybe not SF proper, but north and south of the city, like Marin County and Silicon Valley.

[JimboCO]

Newport Beach, CA

[MPWR]

Hey, wow- BVC500, ZoomZoomMX-5, and bigfrit! Awesome, who else can we dig up from the old crowd?!

I went to Maranello a few months ago. Toured the factory, saw the track, did the museum. But the town itself didn't offer a lot of car watching. Munich however was pretty great.

Dubai and the Emirates certainly have more than their share of exotics (at the Ferrari plant, they said that if they got an order for a car trimmed in gold and diamonds, it was going to the Emirates). But yet, somehow I'm not feeling building a model of a street there....

Please keep them coming, though. I really do have a compelling reason to ask. Details forthcoming soon.

[MPWR]

Never been there, but I could certainly believe Newport Beach. And Sunnyvale seems like it certainly should have a cool car presence (but last time I was out there for work, I hardly got to leave Moffett Field).

[rallymaster]

Some towns from France South coast are known for having impressive cars parks.
Some talked about MonteCarlo of course, but Cannes (especially during movie festival) or also Saint-Tropez would offer spectacular sports or historic cars views too.

For the true fans there is also a Bugatti festival each year in september in Molsheim (eastern France), historic town of Bugatti brand. Veyron is built in Dorlisheim, Molsheim touching village where Ettore Bugatti has his tumb which is honored during festival, all cars going from Bugatti park to Dorlisheim Cimetery in a great procession (only 2/3 km but it's a special thing to see so many oldies and so modern and exclusive Veyron cars among them).
Some Veyron unboard experiences are to win during the weekend and one of the winner has the chance to take place in the Veyron opening the procession.

If some are interested I can try to take a few pics from the area, but it's impossible to see the Veyron factory other than from behind the fences around it.
Bugatti park and hotel are a bit more visible.

Having been in Paris a few time I can also say that Champs Elysées are always a place where to see some great car crossing the roads, and a few other places in Paris, near most famous palaces should be concerned too.

[willimo]

Surprised no one said Tokyo yet. I kinda have a thing for tuned up Japanese cars (surprise!) and it's a huge, rich city so there would be the occasional exotic treat. There is almost always crazy underground racing going on there. From what I understand, and it's admittedly through a car-guy-who's-never-been-there lens, their car culture is amazing. Everything from those tuners I love so much, to weird spins on American muscle, bosozuka, silhouette racers, those crazy motorcycle gangs, to weird boxes and even kei cars. Its all cool.

...and funnily enough, the pavement I want to replicate is from Tokyo (I think. Close enough, I would guess).

[MPWR]

Originally Posted by willimo

...and funnily enough, the pavement I want to replicate is from Tokyo (I think. Close enough, I would guess).

It's funny that you should say Tokyo. I think you win a free sample.

[Harry7]

Walking in the streets of Central London, from Mayfair, Knightsbridge, South Kensington etc., its like being in a super-cars motor show, I have never seen more Ferraris & AMs gathered per square mile anywhere else in the world. I'd placed my second vote to Miami also, as I happen to spend a lot of time there every year. You see all kinds of cars. From Bugatti's to macho-styled Trucks.