More Shows: Rancho Santa Fe Motor Club and Cars&Coffee Aliso Viejo

Rancho Santa Fe Motor Club  3rd Annual Beach Bash

I brought the Nomad Sport to the Beach Bash held at the Rancho Santa Fe Motor Club.  This club is a great storage solution for folks with nice cars and the need for storage.  This was their 3rd annual event that was held the week before Monterey car week.  The Nomad was in good company.

This was the first longer trip in the Sport and the lack of side panels allowed more air ingress.  That was most welcome in the heat.  Driving home, in the eve, was very comfortable as I had brought a jacket with good wind protection (CA evenings can be cold).

Cars & Coffee: Aliso Viejo

I woke up early on Saturday to head over to Cars & Coffee Aliso Viejo.  This event was one of the splintered events that came from the 'original' C&C event.  Another is held at the orange county fairgrounds but I must admit, I like this venue better.  This one has trees and some foliage to 'soften' the experience.  I'm not too keen on the car shows that are held in wide open parking lots.  The Aliso Viejo show has really grown and the selection of cars was excellent.  Hundreds of cars and many more enthusiasts.  The Nomad was a great hit.  

5am means minimal traffic on Ortega Hwy.  Yes!

My friend and Ariel owner, Rahul, saved me a spot near the front of the show.  I was parked between a Cayman GT4 and a '06 Lotus Exige.  Nice company!  The following pictures were all 'snatched' from the C&C Aliso Viejo Facebook page.  I forgot to get any pictures as I was answering non-stop questions.  I was also happy to meet car designer Freeman Thomas - who was very excited about the Nomad.  

The drive to and from this event allowed me to push the car on Ortega Hwy.  This twisty bit of highway can get traffic laden which naturally reduces the fun.  On this trip, I probably enjoyed about 30% of the road without restrictions.  The Sport really is designed for these roads,  Ortega was repaved a few years ago but there are still some bumps that can upset cars that are too stiff.  The acceleration is excellent and you are never left feeling like you need more in the canyons.  It pulls hard in more than 1 gear.  I imagine with even stickier rubber - like a R-compound - this car will be even more unstoppable.  Frankly, the stock rubber was perfectly fun and I did not really find myself wanting more stick.  Heel and toe needs some work as the brake pedal is a bit too high.  I'm really enjoying the 'door-less' feel that you get with the Nomad.  The A pillar does impede some forward visibility on tight left hand turns but you get used to it fairly quickly.