Autobahn
On Saturday, betwixt Red Patton's & my return from Civil War Days & The Guy's arrival for a game of Risk!, I took Red Patton to Ziggy's, one of Grand Blanc's cultural touchstones. As ever, I had a scoop of Superman ice cream & we discussed a great many things, including the prospects for the soon-to-be-released motion picture Man of Steel, promoted in no small part by my chosen flavor of ice cream. As we departed, I turned the Lumi, the Distaff Son of the Mousmobile south instead of north, intending to show Red Patton a little more of Grand Blanc, though without a specific plan of what sights to highlight. As we motored southward on South Saginaw Street, I espied a bizarre looking motorcar ahead. I overtook it without altering the Lumi's speed & read the chrome badge attached to the machine's rear right haunches: "Testarossa." Sweet merciful crap, it was a Ferrari Testarossa! I decided immediately & unashamedly to follow the Testarossa for some little way. I turned the Lumi onto Perry Road behind the Ferrari & followed her to Atlas Township, a few miles down that road. 'Twas both a rare opportunity to see a Ferrari in the wild & that much longer to spend in conversation with Red Patton. Win-win.

This Week in Motorsport
Treasured readers, we are less than a fortnight from the 90th anniversary running of the grand prix of endurance, the 24 Heures du Mans! This week, the first photographs have emerged of Porsche's new-for-'14 L.M.P.1. It is difficult to explain how excited I am for Porsche's return to competition for the overall win; I have lapped up Porsche's nostalgia-themed propaganda & am eager for more. I am also delighted by yet another example of the automotive industry's use of dazzle camouflage on prototypes & test "mules;" to one of my historical bend, such unconventional, deceptive paint schemes always call to mind the dazzle camouflaging of ships during the Great War. Behold!



New for this year's edition of the twice-around-the-clock race is the new L.M.P.2-class Alpine A450. Of course, it isn't really an Alpine (now a joint venture 'twixt Renault & Caterham)—the chassis having been built by Sigmatech & the engine being a Nissan, perhaps the most common engine choice in the P.2 ranks—but it's still nice to see a revival of the Alpine name, a return of that name to the hallowed ground of the Sarthe, & a French race car in proper bleu de France national racing colors. Behold!



Plus, of course, Le Mans prototypes are amongst the most beautiful racing machines ever devised by Man. Le Mans! Le Mans! Le Mans! It's almost here!



The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Peacocks, "We've All Seen Better Days" from It's Time for The Peacocks (T.L.A.M.)