ALL REVVED UP
he word “exotic” within the term “exotic cars” gets its
name because they are a completely alien phenomenon
to most. But for a lucky few, the most exotic of cars, the
ones that trump the performance and value of any other
road-going vehicle, hit the heart in a special place. In
March, Xaverian’s Car Club visited Audrain Automobile
Museum in Newport with their moderator, Mr. Joe Sotelo (theology
teacher), to feast their eyes on the museum’s recent exhibit, “What’s the
Super in Supercars?”
Whether it’s reviewing recent automotive developments, learning
about the maintenance and mechanics of car modifications or ownership,
or just debating the pros and cons of the most specific corners of the
industry, Car Club is a place of conversation for Xaverian’s automotive
enthusiasts. And for the dozen students who attended the trip to Audrain,
it was our good fortune to experience some of history’s most fabled cars.
From the $20+ million 1994 McLaren F1, a car whose owner has trekked
the three-seated, 618 horsepower, six-speed manual hypercar between
Florida and Montana numerous times, to the Lamborghini Reventon
Roadster, an ultra-rare (one of 12), carbon fiber bodied menace of a car
owned by Ralph Lauren, the students in Car Club took in an array of
machines that they will most likely never experience in the same place
again. In all, the exhibit featured 16 cars and one bike, representing a
variety of manufacturers and eras in automobile history from the 1960s to
today—a collection worth more than $100 million. Getting up close and
seeing these vehicles in the flesh is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most
people, and many of my fellow students were left speechless.
The stories behind each vehicle made for interesting conversation and
they gave perspective to how these cars are maintained and owned. Take
the black 2003 Ferrari Enzo for example. It’s a car that is older than most
of the Car Club’s members but still has less than 60 miles on the odometer.
Shameful, I know. But that number is somewhat justified by its rarity, being
just one of 12 black Enzo’s ever made and only one of the remaining six
which haven’t been totaled. Or take the ultra-limited 2005 Mercedes-Benz
CLK DTM AMG. There’s a car where only 100 were ever produced, whose
owners were on a VIP invite-only allocation list, paying roughly $300,000
for the original purchase. The CLK DTM packs a 5.5 liter supercharged V8
producing 574 horsepower through a five-speed automatic transmission with
paddle shifters. It’s electronically limited to a top speed of 200 mph, a number
that could undoubtedly be much higher without the restriction, and a 0-60
mph time of just 3.9 seconds. Audrain also featured the infamous Porsche
Carrera GT, the idolized Ferrari F40, a more modern McLaren, the 620 R, and
of course a certain Xaverian-colored 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sky View.
In short, the exhibit was performance car nirvana, and I consider myself
lucky to have seen it.
Te Xaverian Car Club was particularly impressed with this Xaverian-colored 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sky View at the Audrain Automobile Museum.
PHOTO BY BRENDAN COLIN ’22
Brendan Colin ’22, Communications Corps, Reflects on the Car Club’s Trip to the Audrain Automobile Museum
8 www.xbhs.com