Rolling Thunder Strikes the Rolling Hills Country Club as the SouthBay AutoClub hosts it’s July Gathering of Hypercars and Super Cars

Golfers on the driving range at the Rolling Hills Country Club (RHCC) had their warm up session interrupted by the thunderous sounds of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, and other super cars and hypercars as they entered the upper portion of the RHCC driving range for a Sunday morning showcase of some of the fastest and, in some cases, the rarest cars manufactured in the world.

According to Spencer Alvin, co-founder of the SouthBay AutoClub (SBAC), many of the SBAC members are from other regions of Southern California and do not realize the endless beauty the Palos Verdes Peninsula has to offer. The entire downtown Los Angeles landscape with the backdrop of San Gabriel and San Bernadino Mountains serve as a background for the event, not to mention the views of the beach cities and ocean as you drive along Palos Verdes Drive South.

Pagani

Arguably the most eye-catching vehicle on display was Pagani Huayra. In 1988, Horacio Pagani, the former the manager of the Lamborghini composites department, struck out on his own and created Pagani Composite Research. He collaborated with Lamborghini on several designs including the Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary Edition. In 1992, he took his designs to another level and constructed his own mid-engine mounted creation, the Fangio F 1 prototype, named in honor of his friend, Argentinian racer Juan Manuel Fangio. To complete his creation, he reached an agreement with Mercedes Benz to provide Pagani with their V12 engine.

When it came to creating the Pagani Huayra, Pagani drew the name from a language dating back to the Incas, Quechua. In the Quechua language, the god of the wind was named Wayar Tata and in Italian, Huayra is pronounced, ‘waira.’

Pagani’s Huayra won “Hypercar of the Year” in 2012. He was forced to limit his 2015 edition production because Mercedes AMG would only agree to provide 100 of their V12 engines.

The BC model is a tribute to car collector and Pagani’s first customer, Benny Caiola. The BC has a twin turbo charged V12 engine. Pagani reduced the overall weight of the vehicle by 50% by constructing it with a ‘carbon triax’ material. The reduction in weight combined with the V12 engine produces a higher power to weight ratio than constructing the vehicle with more traditional materials, which places the machine on the Top 10 List of Power to Weight Ratio Cars.

Pagani continues to install a single clutch 7-speed Xtrac sequential gearbox. The use of a single clutch gearbox instead of a dual-clutch gearbox allowed Pagani to reduce the weight of the clutch assembly by 40%. Pagani felt that the reduction in weight would more than compensate for any of the benefits the dual-clutch assembly would provide.

In addition to reducing the vehicle’s weight, the BC utilizes active aerodynamics. The system is able to raise or lower the front end of the car from the ground and operate a system of four flaps located on the front and rear of the car through a dedicated control system. The system monitors the car’s speed, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, steering angle and throttle position. The system then alters the height of the front end and activates the flaps to reduce drag and increase the downward force. Additionally, the aerodynamic body style and large rear wing combine to create over 1,100 pounds of downforce at 174 miles per hour which enhances its stability.

Pagani generally set strict limits on the of each model it produces each year, making them a much sought after item for collectors.

Jaguar

Another rare machine that drew the attention of spectators and owners was the Jaguar XJ220S. It’s design was based on the Jaguar XJ200 which was produced from 1992-1994. It was originally designed to compete with the Ferrari and Porsche at the 24 hours of LeMans. The original design was a V12 all-wheel drive vehicle. However, engineering and emissions requirements caused concerns and forced Jaguar to rethink the vehicle’s design.

Jaguar teamed with Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) to produce the XJ220C to compete in GT Class races and six of the XJ220S, street legal versions. Modifications included converting the machine from all-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive and the heavy V12 engine gave way to a twin turbocharged V6 engine. Other modifications included replacing the metal panels, except for the door panels with carbon fiber components. For aerodynamic purposes, a front-end splitter and rear wing were added to the design. With the smaller engine and the other modifications, the vehicle was capable of reaching 228 mph and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds.

Porsche

Several models of Porsche were on display, but it was the Porsche GT3 RS’s that were particularly eye catching. Although the body style is based on Porsche’s infamous 911, the GT3 RS takes this machine to another level of performance. The “RS” designation stands for “Rennsport” which translates to “Racing.” The GT3 RS predecessor models were designed to compete in the GT Daytona class pro racing series. The rear wing and wider body were incorporated into the design to increase control and stability.

The current models are built for racing as well as city streets and highways. The Electronic Damping Control System (EDCS) increases the car’s drivability on city streets and at high speeds. At low speeds, the EDCS adjusts the steering of front and rear wheels to increase its agility. At higher speeds, the front and rear wheel steering increases the car’s stability. Its 500+ horsepower engine goes from 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds and has a top speed of over 180 mph.

For the venting system design on the front end to cool the front brakes, Porsche turned to early space age research performed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the predecessor to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The vent intakes resemble those used on commercial and military aircraft. The vents have a slightly sloped ramp angle and curved side walls to create counter rotating vortices that improve performance by deflecting the slower moving air away from the vents and allow the faster moving air to enter the vents and cool the front brakes.

Ford GT

American supercar history was represented by two Ford GT’s produced for the 2005 and 2006 model years. The original car, GT 40, was made famous during the late 1960’s when it outperformed the perennial victor, Ferrari, in the 24 hours of LeMans, which was the focus of the 2019 film, “Ford vs Ferrari.”

The resurrection of the GT was a nod to Ford’s history and in celebration of their 100-year anniversary. The cars began production in 2004 and the last car rolled off the assembly line in 2006. Ford estimated it would build approximately 4,500 models. At the end of production approximately 4,038 were produced.

Originally, Ford wanted to name the car the GT 44, but Safir Engineering, a British company that built the GT 40 models in the 1980’s owned the trademark. When Safir Engineering ceased their production, they later sold the naming rights to a company in Ohio, Safir GT40 Spares, that sold GT 40 spare parts and tools as well as production designs. When Ford decided to return to producing the GT, they entered into negotiation with Safir GT40 Spares to regain the rights to the GT40 moniker. Despite their efforts, Ford and Safir GT40 Spares could not come to an agreement. As a result, Ford labeled their revived line as GT as they restarted their production line.

Microsoft executive, Jon Shirley, earned the rights to purchase the first of the newly resurrected piece of racing history off the production line at an auction at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for a price of $557,000.

Although the car bears a strong visual resemblance to its predecessor, there are a number of structural differences. The vehicle features a rear mounted V8 all aluminum alloy engine with a 6-speed manual transmission. The cylinder heads are a modified version of another Carroll Shelby inspired design, the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R.

The owner of the silver GT states, “Ford is in my blood.” He explains that his father owned a South Bay Ford dealership for 40 years. He sold the dealership when he retired, but his son has fond memories of his days growing up in the dealership and an affection for his Ford GT. He states he purchased the car at auction, and confesses that “It is a pleasure to drive.”

Faraday

Although many of the supercars and hypercars appear to be from the future, the all-electric all-wheel drive FF 91 built by Faraday Future (Faraday), was the only vehicle on the display that was a true look into the future of supercars and hypercars. Located in the City of Hanford in Kings County California, Faraday is looking to make an impact on the hypercar industry by introducing the FF 91 2.0 Futurist Alliance and FF 91 2.0 Futurist.

Both models combine the speed of a hypercar, the comforts of a sedan, and the convenience of a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The car offers the amenities found in many of the luxury cars, yet with its three electric powered engines providing all-wheel performance and 1,050 hp, it is capable of reaching 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds. It’s maximum top speed is approximately 155 mph and has a range of 381 miles.

Other luxury aspects include leather seats, lightning-speed internet connections, and an immersive audio-visual system. Additionally, facial recognition technology is incorporated into the vehicles operation. The dashboard features 11 display screens that offer approximately 100 inches of display featuring operating information, navigation, and entertainment. In the back, passengers are treated to zero-gravity seats and a 27-inch screen. The vehicle’s software offers several customized options and can be updated to address future technological needs.

On the performance end, the vehicle’s platform meets or exceeds crash safety standards and houses the modular battery system. The vehicle relies on artificial intelligence technology to control every aspect of the car’s performance and operation. The built-in technology integrates the propulsion, steering and braking.

The Faraday is producing 300 of the Alliance models which will be released before the conclusion of 2023. Faraday is anticipating the release of the Futurist models in the beginning of 2024.

It is accurate to say that this was an international event, super cars and hypercars represented a variety of European nations and North America. As the event wound down and the morning overcast skies gave way to scattered sunshine there was still the sound of rolling thunder around the grounds of the RHCC as these super machines and their drivers made their way across the southland.

Sports cars, Super Cars, and Hyper Cars:

Sport cars have an expansive definition which is based on handling, acceleration, speed, drivability, and racing capability.

Super cars are sometimes referred to as exotic cars. Although there is not a specific definition for super cars, they are considered street legal, high-performance sports cars. A growing definition includes the car’s ability to reach 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds.

Hypercars are defined by their level of performance. A hypercar is loosely defined as capable of reaching 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds or less and achieving a speed over 200 mph.

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Steve Tabor

This South Bay native’s photographic journey began after receiving his first 35 mm film camera upon earning his Bachelor of Arts degree. As a classroom teacher he used photography to share the world and his experiences with his students. Steve began his photography career photographing coastal landscapes and marine life. His experiences have led him to include portraits and group photography, special event photography as well as live performance and athletics in his portfolio. As a contributor and photojournalist, he has published stories about the people, places and events in and around the Palos Verdes Peninsula and beyond.

Interested in seeing more of Steve’s work, visit website at: www.stevetaborimages.com