Need for Speed: the Classic Car Club Experience

For most men, we are primal creatures who thrive off cranking up our testosterone. There are usually two things that really get us amped: sports (playing or watching) and fast cars. I was lucky enough to experience the latter through an “Autogasm” trip up to Bear Mountain with the Classic Car Club of Manhattan.

Classic Car Club (CCC) of Manhattan is a three-floor hanger space where you become a member and drive the cars. Sounds simple right? The catch is, these aren’t just any old cars. The name is called Classic Car Club for a reason. The cars provided for the trip ranged from Porsche GT3, BMW M5, BMW i8, Alfa Romeo, Lamborghini Huracan to a McLaren. The trip started off at the CCC for a quick breakfast and do’s and don’ts regarding the cars. The Do’s: driving fast and the Don’ts: don’t crash the cars! We were assigned to our cars leading up to the destination but that didn’t mean we were stuck with the specific car the whole time. The goal was to provide each person the chance to drive or be driven in each of the cars provided. I decided to share this experience with the man that introduced me to cars…my father.

As we opened the doors to the BMW i8, he got behind the wheel and I had the playlist ready. The GT3 was the lead and the rest of the cars followed along the highway. It was a sight to see. Fast cars and music pouring out of the windows was something out of a movie. However, more was to come. On our way to the first pit stop, you can see how peaceful Bear Mountain is. The water was blue, the air was fresh, and the sounds of horsepower sung through the forest. The roads were ours for the taking. We sped through, hit corners and push the speed limits on all the vehicles. 2 hours and a few pit stops to change cars and drivers later, our stomachs started to roar louder than the cars. It was time to head back.

We drove back to CCC location for lunch and it was nothing short of amazing. everyone shared stories over salmon, burgers, beer, and cocktails. Everyone has their opinion on which car was better or more functional than the other. However, we all agreed the best way to fully appreciate a car is to get behind the wheel.