The Barret-Jackson car auction is arguably one of the most impressive and expensive car auctions anywhere. Every year in January, Barret-Jackson heads home to hold it’s auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. This January I had an opportunity to attend Barrett-Jackson 2011 yet again. This makes my 3rd year attending Barret-Jackson in a press capacity. As always, the auction did impress. The standards of vintage Chevys. Fords, BMWs, Mercedes, and Porches; all intermixed with exotics such as Austin-Healey, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Bugatti. Making the most impressive site at the show the two Bugatti Veyrons side by side one original and one Super Sport. Nothing puts your own lack of personal finance into true perspective like almost $4 million dollars worth of cars, in only 2 cars.
As usual, Ford and Chevy were present and trying to pitch their latest models. Most notably were the Chevy Volt, Ford Taurus SHO, Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, and the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon. Not exactly apple to apples here when test driving thee cars. With the short 1/8 of a mile demo track some shone, and some floundered. Incidentally this was the same course that the Bondurant drivers were giving hot laps in Bondurant Corvettes around. That is an experience everyone must try.
With the Volt, well there is not much to say except that it handles like a brick. The batteries are primarily to blame with this problem, but it’s almost as if Chevy didn’t bother putting a suspension on it at all. For upwards of $40,000 I would expect the car to handle at least as well as my Saturn ION. Unfortunately it did not. It did however take me all the way around the 1/8 mile track on batteries, not much of feat in and of itself but I coulnd’t even guess how many times that day it had gone around that track.
Next is the Ford Taurus SHO. Ford is a brand that has really stared to step things up, far quicker than the other domestic competition. I was over all impressed with the performance and handling of the SHO. The interior was luxurious and well made, almost like a Lincoln. That is not where the similarities end how ever, the SHO did get an almost Lincoln price tag as well at over $40,000. Which in itself would not be such a bad thing, except that the Lincoln version f the car, the MKZ is almost the same price comparably loaded. Then you get into the fact that other performance sedans are available with better performance at that price point, such as the Cadilac CTS.
The last cars to impress are the two new versions of the Cadillac CTS-V, The Coupe and the Wagon. These are two cars that were built to impress, more than ample power with the 550-HP super charged Corvette LS-7 motor. The ever impressive Cadillac VMR suspension means the play time and taxi your kids around time are separated by the push of a button. Now all of this was expected of the CTS-V Coupe, being a coupe version of the already existing CTS-V Sedan. How ever it was really the handling and power of the CTS-V Wagon that made me take notice, this is one Wagon I would not be afraid to drive around town; since this 550-HP wagon has enough get up and go to take most anything that tries to make fun of you!
Now, on the the real reason any of you visit here, the photographs. Mostly Super Cars and Promo Models, but that’s all you really need to pay attention to at Barret-Jackson. Unless you buying or selling that is.
[Gallery not found]By: Joshua Ferguson, Editor and Photographer, Chutography
