Gallery: The cars are the stars in Forza Horizon .

From the Daily Mail:  Gallery: The cars are the stars in Forza Horizon

Forza Horizon Demo now available
Players can experience the fictional Colorado of Forza Horizon, driving a sampling of cars from Horizon’s stellar line-up across a variety of different event types – from Horizon Festival events taking place on the dusty dirt roads to a climactic street race that find players winding up, around, and over the architectural marvel that is the Finley Dam.

Players who download and play the Forza Horizon demo and then purchase and play the full game online will receive a specially designed 2013 SRT Viper GTS.
 Download the Xbox Live demo of Forza Horizon here

There is also some live action to be had, begining with #EscapeTheGrid, a full throttled four day road trip starting on 23rd October, with 10 supercars competing in a series of challenges en route France to the UK. The convoy will begin their journey at the Paris Forza Horizon Gymkhana competition, and end at Top Gear Live in Birmingham on 26th October, where the winning car will be announced and six of the vehicles will be put on display in the supercar gallery.
Furthermore, fans can interact with and follow the cars by using #EscapeTheGrid hashtag on Twitter. You can also vote for your favourite car on the XboxUK Facebook page. To learn more, visit www.xbox.com/forzahorizon starting 8th October.
Forza Horizon will be available in the UK on 26 October in a Limited Collector’s Edition (£59.99 ERP) and a Standard Edition (£49.99 ERP), both available for pre-order now.

UK: Car review: Classic Car Club

From the Guardian:  Car review: Classic Car Club

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Car review: Classic Car Club

Car clubs offer a great way for non-millionaires to go riding in a Roller, E Type or Mercedes 280SL

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• • Emma John
  • The Observer, Saturday 6 October 2012

Emma John in her 1968 Merceded 280SL from the Classic Car Club.

I am driving through London in summer. There is no traffic. The sun is out, the roof is down, and a bus driver who has been edging aggressively close leans out of the window and says: "Madam, I like your car!"
Every part of this scenario sounds false. And yet, thanks to the Olympic summer, it was true: I had uncovered actual pleasure in cruising through the city. It might have had something to do with the transport-chaos scare stories that havecleared the roads of congestion quicker than a vat of Vicks. Personally, though, I put my happiness down to the 1968 Mercedes 280SL I was driving.
I had taken possession of this serene soft-top from Nigel at the Classic Car Club, which houses a batcave of beauties just off the Old Street roundabout. Nigel's stable stretches from vintage Rolls-Royces to modern sports cars; members pay a joining fee and an annual subscription to take them out. It's an (expensive) haven for petrolheads, but they are welcoming to the ingenue like me, who just wants to purr around in something stylish on the odd weekend.
Nigel led me past a Lotus Elan and an E Type to the more amenable touring car he had picked out for me. With its angular body and wide grille, this was a car that looked as smug as I would feel driving it.
I was given a few words on its quirks and asked to "take it slow". Oh-so-gently, I put my foot to the pedal. I went nowhere. I inched the pedal downwards. Still nowhere. Old cars: tsk. Nigel walked over. "You're in neutral."
In a vintage car, I needed a suitably old-fashioned destination. I headed for the South Downs, and for the Old Railway Station outside Petworth. This is a former station converted into a B&B, with the added charm that you can sleep in 1920s luxury in one of the lovingly restored Pullman carriages that grace its sidings. As I pulled up outside, a man in his 50s leaned out of what must once have been the ticket office window. "280SL!" he called out, the oddest greeting I've been given. "Automatic or manual?" "Automatic," I replied. "Ngh," he grunted. "Shame. Very rare to see a manual."
It transpired that Gudmund Olafsson, the Icelandic proprietor of the Old Railway Station, was more of a car enthusiast than a trainspotter. He talked me through my shining silver steed's good points (reliability, comfort) and bad (tricksy roof mechanism, rubbish as a getaway vehicle). Then I set out for a short tour around the countryside – a picnic on the Downs, some rubbernecking at the racecourse and a quick stop for a photo outside the Goodwood estate, spiritual home of classic cars. It was a showery afternoon, so I became adept at getting the roof on and off and secretly hoped this would catch people's attention. In fact, the car got far more glances when I wasn't in it. It sat there, all pleased with itself in car parks, attracting a swarm of interest – men too polite to touch, hovering over the chassis, peering through the window.
I decided I didn't mind being my car's sidekick. I was standing straighter. I was developing a demure smile. I even caught myself sashaying. This new sophistication was, of course, temporary – even a full membership of the Classic Car Club would only get me kitted out like this once a month. But it could be addictive.

The Classic Car Club has branches in London and New York (classiccarclub.co.uk). Membership costs from £1,555. The Old Railway Station (01798 342346, old-station.co.uk has doubles from £92 including breakfast

 

MS: Cruisin' the Coast kicks off with large crowds and lots of classic cars

From GulfLive:  Cruisin' the Coast kicks off with large crowds and lots of classic cars

GULFPORT, Mississippi - Cruisin' the Coast filled every nook and cranny of downtown Gulfport earlier than expected Sunday morning. Though the View the Cruise event wasn't scheduled to begin until 2 p.m., Cruisers filled the main street by 10:30 a.m., and by noon almost all the parking spaces designated for the event were full.
"We've got everything plugged up," Len Krapcha, volunteer with the Mississippi Coast Watchers said.
Krapcha, whose club specializes in antique military vehicles, said the 16th annual Cruisin' the Coast started smoothly with smiling faces and 22 volunteers.
"It's easy when you've got good people just here to have a good time," said Krapcha.
Sandra McKiernan of Vancleave arrived at View the Cruise at 11:30 a.m. hoping to get a good spot for her 1955 T-Bird. McKiernan and her husband own 4 classic cars, and they've come to all 16 Cruisin' the Coast events.
"This is our week," said McKiernan. "It gives us a chance to enjoy each other's company, to talk about classic cars."
McKiernan is part of the Coast Cruisers team, and she said she looks forward to Saturday night's "megacruise," where her club will fill the parking lot of Edgewater Mall and give away prizes.
Curtis Smith of Porter Texas stopped to look at McKiernan's light-blue T-bird, and asked her how much it cost. After hearing the price, he exclaimed "You stole that car!" McKiernan laughed and told the story of how she found her dream car by accident in Gautier. "This is the car I've always wanted," said McKiernan.
Smith, who's visiting the Gulf Coast with his son and his parents this week, came in a 1960 T-Bird for his 4th year of Cruisin' the Coast. Smith began restoring cars with his father as a boy, and he and his son are continuing the tradition as they fix up a 1963 Falcon Ranchero.
"We love coming down here to look at all the beautiful cars, and getting ideas for our own cars," said Smith. Smith is excited for tomorrow's Long Beach Parade for cars 25-years-old and older.
The parade starts at 5:30 p.m. and will roll from Long Beach High School. Krapcha and his crew are also excited about tomorrow's parade. "It's not all work," said Krapcha.
He and the Mississippi Coast Watchers plan to parade through the Armed Forces Retirement Home on Tuesday.
Fold out chairs dotted with umbrellas lined the streets of downtown Gulfport as car enthusiasts gathered around their favorite vehicles on Sunday at View the Cruise.
Larry and Debra Reach of Mobile, Ala., spotted a car from their past on the streets of downtown Gulfport, a bright green 1953 Chevrolet.
"We actually owned one of these," said Larry Reach. "This was our transportation." The Reaches have been to about 6 Cruisin' the Coasts, and plan to come back next year.
A small crowd formed around Danny Davis' neon orange 1969 Camaro, as car enthusiasts traded tips and tricks for caring for classic vehicles.
"You're always working on them, tweaking them out, and getting them up to your standard" said Davis, who has been coming to Cruisin' the Coast since 1999. "It's just absolutely super. The cars, the people, the weather, it's wonderful."
Owner of a 1949 limelight green Mercury Allen Cole of Bay St. Louis thinks "this will be the biggest year yet," for Cruisin' the Coast.
Philip Jones of Baton Rouge, La., was looking at the "unusual" car, and said this is his first time back to Cruisin' the Coast since Hurricane Katrina.
"It's really coming back," said Jones.
Leon and Denise Hagwood wanted their 1981 Corvette to represent the spirit of the Gulf Coast. It's special paint job includes the Biloxi lighthouse, casinos, shrimp boats and dolphins.
Many folks stopped by took take photos of the car, and the couple even had offers from people looking to buy the car from them.
Danny Royals and his daughter Danielle stood roadside as cars poured into View the Cruise on Sunday, and took pictures of their favorites.
"This Sunday is the best event of the whole week," said Danny Royals. "It's perfect." 

 

CA: Under the hood: Classic car show is Sunday

From Coastline Pilot:  Under the hood: Classic car show is Sunday

About 185 classic cars will line the Festival of Arts grounds and adjacent property for the ninth annual Laguna Beach Classic Car Show this weekend.
There will be 28 different classes of vehicles from different time periods or manufacturers at Sunday's car show, hosted by the Laguna Beach Rotary Club.
Classes include Jaguar sports cars and Healy sports cars, along with American and foreign cars manufactured as early as 1931.
A Model-A will be featured at the event. Harry Bithell, chairman of the show since its start in 2003, said the Model-A is unique in that it won the rare Henry Ford Award.
For the first time, a 1931 Cadillac Coupe will also be on display. Bithell said the car just completed a three-and-a-half-year restoration, and there are only four such models in the world.
The car show, which Bithell expects to have more than 1,000 attendees, will also feature a variety of food trucks.
"This is one of the finest shows in California," Bithell said. "People will see cars at the [Laguna Beach Classic Car Show] that they wouldn't see at other shows."
Admission to the car show is $10 for adults, $3 for children younger than 12, and free for active duty military personnel with ID.
A portion of profits from this event will go toward the Rotary Club's annual effort to donate to local charities.
The car show will also be prefaced by a "cruise" down the coast from San Clemente to Costa Mesa on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The cruise is scheduled to end at Mercedes Benz in Laguna Niguel.
coastlinepilot@latimes.com
Twitter: @coastlinepilot
If You Go
What: Laguna Beach Classic Car Show
When: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road
Cost: $10 for adults, $3 for children younger than 12 and free for active military personnel with ID.
Information: http://www.LagunaBeachCarShow.com.

 

Vintage cars, fanatics Rally for the Lane Motor Museum

From the Tennesseean:  Vintage cars, fanatics Rally for the Lane Motor Museum

Vintage car fanatics got a chance to drive their dream car down scenic roads, like the Natchez Trace, on Saturday during the Third annual Rally for the Lane fundraiser event for the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville.
Classic car enthusiasts were allowed to "rent" a vehicle from the collection of vintage cars at the Lane Motor Museum and drive that car to Columbia, TN and back, helping raise money for the museum.
The drivers will stop for lunch at at the Mt. Pleasant Grille before heading back to the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville for a behind the scenes look at their rarely-seen collection of cars in the basement of the museum.
"It's such a neat collection of cars and how often do you get a chance to go to a museum and take the stuff out and play with it," Ed Krenz said.
Krenz traveled all the way from Wisconsin with his brother for the event. It is their third time participating in the Rally for the Lane and getting the chance to drive a vintage car of their choice.
"It's always fun to talk to other people at lunch and then at the end of the day and find out what their day was like too. I'm just enjoying the whole experience."
The money collected helps to defray the costs of owning, housing, restoring and maintaining the over 330 cars in the museum's collection.
"It is one of the most unique collection of automobiles that you will ever see," Franklin resident and vintage car enthusiast Doran Edwards said.
"There are some cars here that you will never see anywhere else in the world."

 

Gleaming classic cars draw crowd at cruise-in

From Statesman Journal:  Gleaming classic cars draw crowd at cruise-in

Grill-to-grill gleam beneath sunny skies.

That was the scene Saturday at Macleay as car aficionados cruised in from around the valley and beyond to take part in the Flywheels 27th Annual Macleay Cruise-In.


Warm weather and spirits ensured a hearty, festive turnout of both classic cars and appreciative viewers. Attendees range from toddlers to old timers as the several-acre field behind host Macleay Country Inn filled up with 163 hobby vehicles, many immaculately conditioned under the TLC of owners possessed by vehicular fervor.


A beer garden and barbecue also proved popular, while the country inn served a full midday crowd and the adjacent Macleay Country Market greeted a steady stream of drink and snack seekers.

“They always put on the barbecue and beer garden over there, and they kept it open until Monday,” said Flywheels organizer Bob Noble. “Since they already had the beer garden, they decided to add the motorcycle show.”


The motorcycles pull in today to take place of the classic cars. Organizer Chris Bryant said he expects to see about 100 on hand between noon and 5 p.m.



“This is the ninth year with the motorcycles,” Bryant said. “Depending on the weather, I’d say we’ll get about 100 bikes. If we get this kind of weather, we may get more.”


Blue skies and comfortable temperatures were ideal for this event, which is conducted by the Silverton Flywheels and hosted by Macleay Country Inn owners Jerry and Danny Miller. The Millers purchased several acres directly south of their inn, affording the event’s growth.


“When I first started coming to this, there were only cars in this area,” Noble said, referring to the late 1990s while gesturing to the modest area between the inn and the adjacent fire station. “There were only about a dozen cars then. As you can see, there are a lot more, and it’s going good.”


Noble said the car entries, which vied for trophies among classics, hot rods, cool rides, muscle cars, trucks and chicks choice, primarily came from around the valley, but there were some from the Vancouver, Wash., area and one 1957 Ford pickup that came in from Lakeport, Calif.

Hot Rods and Hot Dogs serves up classic cars at show in Chicago

From Examiner.com:  Hot Rods and Hot Dogs serves up classic cars at show in Chicago

For the classic car enthusiast, the 2012 Hot Rods and Hot Dogs show in the parking lot of The Vienna Beef Company at 2510 N. Damen Ave. on Sunday, September 23, was an event not to be missed. Owners and admirers came out to see classically restored and tricked out rides that appealed to both the purist and to the person who likes a little bling with their wheels. Everything from an Avanti to a Rolls Royce, Mustangs to Chevys, and several trucks and jeeps, as well as a few of indeterminate origin had admirers inspecting paint jobs and interiors, wheels and engines, and chatting up the owners to find out more about the car. And to further set the mood, music from the Shirelles, Bobby Vinton, The Supremes, and other 60’s groups filled the air and had more than a few singing along as they reminisced about days gone by.
There’s something about a classic car show that has us waxing nostalgic. These cars bring back memories of drive-in theaters and soda fountains. Some may have thought about how they had worked hard and painstakingly saved to purchase their first car. Others may have remembered how they carried home their firstborn child from the hospital. Whatever the memories they evoke, there is an emotional bond between people and their cars: unlike a house or almost anything else you purchase, your car often is a reflection of who you are or who you want to be.

View slideshow: Classic cars are the order of the day at Hot Rods and Hot Dogs Car Show in Chicago

Most of the cars that were shown are of another era, another generation, a different time. They are of a time when Detroit was king of the auto industry and everything was big and bold and heavy. A time when bumpers were made of chrome and gas mileage was not even measured. These cars - the Buicks, the Chevys, and the grandaddy of the big luxury cars, the Cadillacs, ruled the road. When you drove down the street in your Caddy, people stopped and looked. You were envied and admired...you had made it. There were more Chevys than any other model at the show...probably because we all wanted to ‘see the USA in our Chevrolet." And the owners of these cars have restored them meticulously, showcasing their beauty and allowing those of us who love these cars and remember when they were common sights to take a trip down memory lane. Even the owners who are not of the generation where the car was king have a healthy and loving respect for these motorized chariots. These cars are gems of the automotive industry and have inspired a generation of new cars - the PT cruiser and the HHR to name two. But the day of these mansions on wheels is over, and so the classic car buff loving owns and maintains what will never be again.
And not to slight the European car makers, there were plenty of those cars being shown as well; a red Avanti, a while Rolls Royce, an Aston Martin. Back in the day owning a foreign car was rare and those that did own one were usually wealthy and thought to be quite sophisticated.
Hot Rods and Hot Dogs is more than a chance to show off your car. It is a place memories are revived and car lovers meet to pay homage to an industry that once ran the world, fed a nation and took us to places in class and style.