Category: VALT Stories
-
Six Questions with Sreten of M539 Restorations
Words and photography by Vijay Sankar (@pink_helmet) When Jason Cammisa decided to host an impromptu meetup with the beloved creator of M539 Restorations—Sreten—we didn’t have to think twice about showing up. Nor did 100 or so others who flocked to that tiny corner of San Rafael on a day’s notice to exchange pleasantries with the […]
-
BMW Z3 M Coupe: The Weird And The Wonderful
All images are from a recent BMW Z3 M Coupe reunion photoshoot held in the Bay Area. Thanks to Rich (@dasblaushu) and the rest of the M Shoe owners for making this gathering happen. Words and photos by Vijay Sankar (@pink_helmet). … Some of the most interesting cars ever made have taken form without express […]
-
The Lamborghini Miura Experience
Words and photography by Vijay Sankar (@pink_helmet) … A solid wall of thunderous wails echoed through the woods lining the Fairfax-Bolinas Road. Flocks of birds were dislodged from mountain sides at the arrival of the exhaust note rocking their world. As much as the visual presence is iconic, the noise of the Miura precedes it. […]
-
BMW E60 M5–The Power of Ten
There is electric throttle response throughout the rev range, and it makes peak power at its manic top end near 8000 RPM. It punches well low in the rev range, but boy does it pay to rev it out to the climax. The motor hits so hard at the top after a linear climb through the tach that it feels like it would almost do a wheelie. In M Mode, the individual throttle bodies make the pedal razor sharp, dancing to millimetric movements of your right foot. It’s breathtaking and intoxicating to embark on the journey from 4000 to 8250 RPM. And it sings with an induction note that makes NA BMW engines from the era so memorable. Every single time.
-
Tales from The California Automobile Museum
VALT Stories is a series that brings together car culture tales worth sharing from the Bay Area. This series embodies everything from photo essays on notable cars to selected narratives of the stewards of automotive enthusiasm in the community. … Gabriel Ionica serves as the Communications Coordinator at California Automobile Museum in Sacramento. He is […]
-
BMW ///M is Still Alive and Well
In search of the soul of BMW, we found that there are still palpable signs of life at the M Division that excite us. You just need to be open new experiences. khj Words and photography by Vijay Sankar (@pink_helmet on Instagram) Caveat: The photos are those of a base M2, but my driving impressions […]
-
The Sights from Golden Gate Cars & Culture
Photography by Tiny Darkroom on Instagram; words by Vijay Sankar Explore and/or purchase many more images from the event at this link. The Bay Area car community is richly diverse in ways that are hard to encapsulate under the roof of one event. The cars, the drivers, the restorers, the artists, the curators and the […]
-
How the Original Acura NSX Changed the World
The NSX is a culmination of the visionary methods of Honda that have led the way in automotive innovations over the decades, democratizing safety, reliability and fun for the masses. It feels, sounds, smells and drives very much like a Honda, and in the best way possible.
-
HIGHLIGHT REEL: VALT CARWEEK 2021
To everyone who made it out to our partnered event with Peninsula Cars & Coffee – thank you! We had a blast. Check out some of our coverage below, and head on over to our youtube so you can subscribe for more content like this in the future. See you all this weekend on Solano […]
-
We Have a New Format for Talking Cars!
Check out the new format on our interview with Jason Woods from Chasing the Apex. We had a ton of fun with this one folks, so give it a watch and be sure to sub to our channel for more videos in the future. Cheers!