Is it that time of year again? Indeed, as we approach less than a month out from the much-anticipated 2019 Australian Grand Prix in mid-March, the traditional season-opener since 2011, the paint has barely just dried on the newest iteration of each respective team's racing machines. There has been a few rebrands this season, with the likes of Alfa Romeo (formerly Sauber) and Racing Point (formerly Force India), a few radical livery changes, and of course the retention of a certain Rosso Corsa machine (guess who). In terms of mechanical changes, 'evolution' rather than 'revolution' is the theme for most cars, with only relatively minor rule changes coming into effect. Check out the new looks and driver lineups below so that, come the Aus GP, you can tell your Red Bull from your Toro Rosso... 
(Images courtesy of each respective manufacturer)

It has to be said that the previous generation of Aston Martin Vantage, as good as it looked and sounded, was becoming prey in the supercar arms race. Whilst Porsche, Ferrari, Audi, and McLaren moved relentlessly forward with their respective model lines, it always seemed that the previous generation of Vantage was being held back by its dated infotainment systems, single-clutch 'SportShift' gearboxes, and classic yet ageing looks in need of a refresh.

​That isn't to say that the previous Vantage wasn't a brilliant car; the swansong GT12 and GT8 proved to be two of the purest and most brutal cars produced. Indeed, the previous Vantage had been in the Aston lineup since 2005, and with a number of iterations, versions, and evolutions, it became obvious that there was only a certain amount of facelifting and rejuvenation it could undergo before it was well and truly obsolete.

​That's where the new Vantage comes in.  

This is Part II of the Melbourne Car Spotters Monterey Car Week Full Recap: Auction and Event Coverage, and Our Favourite Snaps. We'd highly recommend reading Part I: New Car Reveals here, so you're in the know about what's on the horizon in the car world. 

Monterey Car Week. A week in late August circled in every car enthusiasts' calendar. If you don't know what 'the week' is, picture this: those cars you normally only see in a museum (or don't see at all), like Ferrari 250 GTOs and McLaren F1 GTR Longtails? They clog the streets of Monterey, California, like Corollas and i30s do down Chapel Street on a Saturday morning. 

Essentially one of the most significant weeks in the global motoring calendar (up there with Goodwood Festival of Speed, Le Mans 24h, and the Monaco GP), the week comprises events, club gatherings, the much-anticipated RM Sotheby's Auction, and the storied Pebble Beach Concors d'Elegance, to name a few attractions. The most exciting part of the week is that a whole host of unicorn-rare cars come out of the woodwork to participate in the festivities - seeing one of these cars on the road is almost too good to be true, but in the numbers you can see in California it's something else to behold.     

It’s got to be one of the biggest clichés in the performance motoring industry, doesn’t it? ‘The fastest production car around the Nürburgring’ – a phrase that car manufacturers the world over strive to be able to plaster over their marketing collateral. The thing is, does it really mean anything? To be the fastest car around the 21km, 154 turn German circuit is by no means a small feat. Being able to wrestle a car around the aptly named ‘Green Hell’ requires a perfect recipe of aerodynamics, power, lightweight, tyre compound, track temperature and conditions, fearless driver, the sun and moon to be perfectly aligned; the list goes on. The very existence of hours and hours of ‘Nürburgring crash’ footage on YouTube comprehensively documents the risks involved when taking this track head-on, and how it will spit you out into the armco at a moment’s notice if you fail to respect it. 

​This blog is dedicated to the fabled circuit, as well as the most recent car to be crowned the coveted ‘Ring King' – the 2018 Porsche 991.2 911 GT2 RS. ​(Note: this is not a sponsored post)