I’m revved up on high Octane, and ready to talk Exotic. I’ve heard people ask, “What makes an automobile an Exotic?” Some people think being Exotic means the cars’ names have to end with the letter “I” but have an E sound, such as Buggatti, Lamborghini or Ferrari. Not at all. Let’s see how the dictionary defines the word Exotic. There are two main definitions for the term exotic 1) Of foreign origin or character; not native; introduced from abroad and 2) Strikingly unusual or strange in effect or appearance. Now because your average person identifies with definition #1 in terms of car culture, American car companies are not normally considered to be exotic. This is not the case. Definition #2 holds true in car culture as well, when it comes to Exotic vehicles. US companies such as Shelby and Fisker Automotive fit into this Exotic category in a very unique way, (which I will explain) along with foreign Exotic auto makers such as, Lotus and Maserati to name a few.
I want to clarify some terms, because a lot of automotive writers blur this line. I like to be as transparent and clear as possible when it comes to giving you the 411. There is a fine line between Exotic, Luxury and Super-Cars. There are vehicles out there that are Luxury cars but by no means are they an Exotic. Because you own a Mercedes E550 doesn’t mean you have an Exotic auto. (Sorry that E before 550 doesn’t stand for Exotic). You may be one of 30 people to own a Veyron Bugatti that goes from 0-60 in 2.2 seconds and does 264 MPH top speed. This does not necessarily classify as an exotic either. This would be categorized as a Super-Car. So what makes a car an Exotic? lt’s an amalgamation of Luxury and Super-Car technology combined to give the driver the joy of driving a refined, yet fast, street legal vehicle.
Let’s talk about the Aston Martin, which is one of my personal favorite exotic vehicles out there. The Aston Martin is one of those vehicles that are not so common on the roads and once you do come upon one you are sure to turn your head weather this car is in motion or parked. The Aston Martin is the infamous auto that agent 007 drives (Bond… James Bond). The Aston Martin DBS model is such a beautiful yet powerful machine. Its lines are refined and its interior exudes luxury. The DBS has a 6.0 V12 powerplant that goes from 0-60 MPH in 4.3 sec and has a top speed of 191 MPH. This vehicle has everything you would expect an Exotic vehicle to have including heated seats, Blue tooth capabilities, Satellite navigation, Organic electroluminent displays and Tire pressure monitoring system. It even comes with its own umbrella holster and signature Aston Martin umbrella for those sudden torrential downpours. Well what did you expect for $275,000?
It’s hard to mention exotic and not talk about the Italians. Makers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini have a long history of producing some of the world’s best exotic vehicles out on the road today. The story behind Enzo Ferrari is remarkable. As a child, from the early age of 12, he knew he wanted to be a race car driver. As a young man he worked for Alfa Romero where he came up with the Prancing Horse insignia. He left Alfa Romero to create his own racing stable. In 1945 Enzo Ferrari created the 12-cylinder engine that the company is famous for. In 1947 Ferrari drove the first 125 S out of the factory gates and the rest, as they say, is history. Ferrari vehicles are known and respected because they built their exotic brand from the bottom up. I could share with you horse power specs and cubic liters of engine displacement but that’s not all that Ferrari is about. Enzo Ferrari had an affinity with car racing. He also had a love for craftsmanship and high quality engineering. His company still follows these sacred guidelines even after his passing. These are some of the reasons why Ferrari only builds 300 or less of some of their car models a year. Each car is custom built, every stitch hand sewn and all components hand machine lathed. All this and more goes into every vehicle before a Ferrari badge is placed on its hood. Very impressive I must say. By the way, the waiting list for some Ferrari models are 2-3 years. (Get in line).
The Porsche 911 is a car that I consider to be one of the most highly visible exotics on the road. There are a lot more of them on the streets and in production than Lambos and Ferrari. But this doesn’t mean that they have settled on their standards for quality Exotic automobile refinement. The culture behind Porsche is the experience you get from driving one of their vehicles in the outrageous redline region, but feel that you are in a civilized refined environment. The Porsche 911 is modeled after a racecar that Mr. Ferry Porsche put together in 1964. This German engineered vehicle is astounding in its unique look as well as its performance.
I consider the US based Fisker Automotive company an exotic automaker for several reasons. They make cars that are refined and fast but as we learned from the dictionary’s second definition – strikingly unusual as well. They’re one of the few auto companies that make environmentally friendly fast vehicles. The Fisker Karma Plug in Hybrid does a top speed of 125 MPH and can go from 0-60 in 6 seconds. Those numbers are impressive for an Electric Hybrid. What’s even more impressive is the look of its exterior and interior. It sits lower to the ground than a Porsche 911 and its interior rivals that of the Space Shuttle Voyager. This is not one of those typical hybrid vehicles that look like it was designed by Erkyle. These autos are a beauty to look at. With the whole fiasco going on with BP and the oil spill in the Gulf, what better time to start thinking exotic green.
Although we just scratched the surface (yeah, that does sound harsh while talking Exotics) of this large topic. More important than giving you the details and specs of Exotics out there this article’s purpose is to give you a clearer understanding as to what an Exotic actually is. There is a razor fine line between Exotic, Luxury and Super-Car and sometimes a vehicle is all three. One thing that Exotics, Luxury and Super-Cars all seem to have in common are….the price tag. They all come with hefty prices. Keep shining we’ll meet at the crossroads.
I’m revved up on high Octane, and ready to talk Exotic. I’ve heard people ask, “What makes an automobile an Exotic?” Some people think being Exotic means the cars’ names have to end with the letter “I” but have an E sound, such as Buggatti, Lamborghini or Ferrari. Not at all. Let’s see how the dictionary defines the word Exotic. There are two main definitions for the term exotic 1) Of foreign origin or character; not native; introduced from abroad and 2) Strikingly unusual or strange in effect or appearance. Now because your average person identifies with definition #1 in terms of car culture, American car companies are not normally considered to be exotic. This is not the case. Definition #2 holds true in car culture as well, when it comes to Exotic vehicles. US companies such as Shelby and Fisker Automotive fit into this Exotic category in a very unique way, (which I will explain) along with foreign Exotic auto makers such as, Lotus and Maserati to name a few.
Let’s talk about the Aston Martin, which is one of my personal favorite exotic vehicles out there. The Aston Martin is one of those vehicles that are not so common on the roads and once you do come upon one you are sure to turn your head weather this car is in motion or parked. The Aston Martin is the infamous auto that agent 007 drives (Bond… James Bond). The Aston Martin DBS model is such a beautiful yet powerful machine. Its lines are refined and its interior exudes luxury. The DBS has a 6.0 V12 powerplant that goes from 0-60 MPH in 4.3 sec and has a top speed of 191 MPH. This vehicle has everything you would expect an Exotic vehicle to have including heated seats, Blue tooth capabilities, Satellite navigation, Organic electroluminent displays and Tire pressure monitoring system. It even comes with its own umbrella holster and signature Aston Martin umbrella for those sudden torrential downpours. Well what did you expect for $275,000?
It’s hard to mention exotic and not talk about the Italians. Makers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini have a long history of producing some of the world’s best exotic vehicles out on the road today. The story behind Enzo Ferrari is remarkable. As a child, from the early age of 12, he knew he wanted to be a race car driver. As a young man he worked for Alfa Romero where he came up with the Prancing Horse insignia. He left Alfa Romero to create his own racing stable. In 1945 Enzo Ferrari created the 12-cylinder engine that the company is famous for. In 1947 Ferrari drove the first 125 S out of the factory gates and the rest, as they say, is history. Ferrari vehicles are known and respected because they built their exotic brand from the bottom up. I could share with you horse power specs and cubic liters of engine displacement but that’s not all that Ferrari is about. Enzo Ferrari had an affinity with car racing. He also had a love for craftsmanship and high quality engineering. His company still follows these sacred guidelines even after his passing. These are some of the reasons why Ferrari only builds 300 or less of some of their car models a year. Each car is custom built, every stitch hand sewn and all components hand machine lathed. All this and more goes into every vehicle before a Ferrari badge is placed on its hood. Very impressive I must say. By the way, the waiting list for some Ferrari models are 2-3 years. (Get in line).
The Porsche 911 is a car that I consider to be one of the most highly visible exotics on the road. There are a lot more of them on the streets and in production than Lambos and Ferrari. But this doesn’t mean that they have settled on their standards for quality Exotic automobile refinement. The culture behind Porsche is the experience you get from driving one of their vehicles in the outrageous redline region, but feel that you are in a civilized refined environment. The Porsche 911 is modeled after a racecar that Mr. Ferry Porsche put together in 1964. This German engineered vehicle is astounding in its unique look as well as its performance.
I consider the US based Fisker Automotive company an exotic automaker for several reasons. They make cars that are refined and fast but as we learned from the dictionary’s second definition – strikingly unusual as well. They’re one of the few auto companies that make environmentally friendly fast vehicles. The Fisker Karma Plug in Hybrid does a top speed of 125 MPH and can go from 0-60 in 6 seconds. Those numbers are impressive for an Electric Hybrid. What’s even more impressive is the look of its exterior and interior. It sits lower to the ground than a Porsche 911 and its interior rivals that of the Space Shuttle Voyager. This is not one of those typical hybrid vehicles that look like it was designed by Erkyle. These autos are a beauty to look at. With the whole fiasco going on with BP and the oil spill in the Gulf, what better time to start thinking exotic green.
