Even Cars and Coffee is going virtual thanks to COVID-19
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As I'm based in DC, I tend to go to the cars and coffee events at Katie's Coffee House in Great Falls, Virginia. In 2015, I got to take this Audi R8 V10+ along—you can check out the review here.
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You never know exactly what you're going to see, and you need to get there early to get a good parking spot. Otherwise you might have to park next to a dumpster like this poor Stanley Steamer.
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I'm humming the theme to The Prisoner. Are you humming the theme to The Prisoner too?
The first car I truly lusted after, and I've still never driven one.
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I don't know if this is the Subaru turbo-engined replica that lives in the area. I'm pretty sure it's not a real 550 Spyder, but if it is, I'm sure someone will let me know in the comments.
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This is definitely a replica Ford GT40, but that doesn't make it any less cool. You'll note this is the second car with its engine exposed—that's a thing you do at cars and coffee.
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Oh hello there, messers Gurney and Weslake.
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You rarely see exotic cars driving around in the DC area, despite the extremely wealthy suburbs that surround us. But sometimes they turn out for cars and coffee.
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One freezing December morning, there was a Ferrari F40. But it was parked next to something that got even more attention.
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This red Mosler is a Canadian supercar designed for GT racing. Except almost all the GT racing series banned it from competing. Anyway, you don't see them very often.
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It's not all supercars at cars and coffee. in fact, it's mostly not supercars. This BMW driver takes the aerodynamics of his wing mirrors extremely seriously.
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OK, there are still supercars.
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This Dodge Viper ACR can go around the Nordschleife in seven minutes and 12 seconds. But can you?
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A four-wheel drive Mk2 Golf Country Syncro? Yes, why not.
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Hello Mr Gurney, hello Mr Weslake—I think we met back in 2015? How nice to see you again two years later.
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Yes Kitty, I'm crying, too.
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Other Alfa Romeos also appear.
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Call me nuts, but I adore the Plymouth Prowler.
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Here's that Golf Syncro again, a year after its first sighting.
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I've a big soft spot for mk2 Golfs.
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I admit I only took this photo to troll my friend Justin, who works at Audi.
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This is not the same 550 Spyder from earlier.
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It would have been cooler if this was a Smart Crossblade, but I don't think any were ever imported to the US.
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This hot rod had a Ferrari V12 engine in it.
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Hello SM, we meet again.
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This is the only picture I took of the Lotus Esprit Turbo, but I mainly go to look at the cars with my eyes (and have a coffee), not to take pictures.
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I'd love one of these with an electric powertrain
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Those seats look uncomfortable unless you're on track.
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Apparently the early Dodge Vipers, which have a reputation for being tree-seeking missiles, are quite tame on modern tires. Yes, that is a wrapped McLaren 12C in the background.
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And yes, it does say McLovin in the McLaren font. At least it's not as bad as the Audi R8 I saw one time with Supreme stickers on the rear bumper and on one sill (but not the other, which made it even worse).
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No complaints about this Honda NSX, though.
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This car was owned by a big Senna fan.
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A really big Senna fan.
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Why else would he have Senna's helmet in the car?
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At cars and coffee you'll mostly see young dudes taking pictures of cars that belong to other young dudes.
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A couple of years ago, there was a whole posse of modified Corvettes. I failed to get photos of the LED illumination inside some of their wheel rims.
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Did you know that Canadian hockey player and coffee shop man Tim Horton met his end in a massive crash when he flipped his DeTomaso Pantera on a highway after drinking half a bottle of vodka? Now you do.
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This looks like a relatively common Lexus LS400, but the eagle-eyed will spot it is in fact a Toyota Celsior. I wonder if Stan Lee had one?
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If you're going to buy yourself a new vintage Porsche 911 because your wife did the hard work of having a baby, It's particularly gross to tell people it was your "push present."
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The Petersen Museum in LA, like many museums these days, has shut its physical doors and moved online to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. For the past eight years, the museum has also been the host of a weekly "Cars and Coffee" meetup on Saturday mornings, and it's not about to let a bit of social distancing get in the way of that community-building. So it's moving cars and coffee online, too, opening up the event beyond the normal catchment area of people who can drive to Wilshire Boulevard early on a weekend morning. All you need is your car and a phone that can record video.
"Our Breakfast Club Cruise-Ins have become an integral part of the Los Angeles car community over the past eight years. We didn't want to stop the tradition this month because of the pandemic, so we had to get creative to keep it going and also make it more inclusive than ever before. We look forward to seeing the stories from enthusiasts all over the globe and sharing their passion in a way that unites us all in spirit even while we are standing apart," said Petersen Executive Director Terry Karges.
Bring your own coffee
The idea is pretty simple. You need to record a 20-30 second video of your car; the inside, the outside, the engine, then start it up—the usual stuff you see at Cars and Coffee. Here's an important bit: the videos have to be in landscape orientation. Then host the video (on Dropbox, Googledrive, or YouTube), and submit that link to the Petersen via its website. They'll do the hard work of editing everyone's submissions together, and the first 90-minute compilation will be published on the museum's YouTube channel on April 26 (so submit yours by 10am PST on April 24 if you want to take part in the premiere). The Petersen will also hand out awards, including a people's choice award that you can vote for once the video goes live. Everyone is responsible for getting their own coffee, however.
It's a fun idea, and it's easy enough to do from the comfort of one's own driveway or in splendid isolation (although if you're going to film inside a garage, make sure the garage door is open before you start any engines, please).
As I'm carless these days, I won't be able to take part, but I raided my phone for some of the highlights (and lowlights) of the DC area cars and coffee meets in the gallery above to get you in the mood. And if you want to share supercars, stupid cars, or other weirdness you've seen at your local cars and coffee meets over the years, please post them in the comment thread.
Listing image by Jonathan Gitlin
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