Festivals of Speed

What’s in a name? Pebble Beach, Cavallino Classic, French Quarter Frenzy. Even if you’ve never been to those events, their names conjure images of the world’s most amazing automobiles. But what about the Festivals of Speed? Have you ever been there? What does that name manifest in your mind? We had the opportunity to attend this year’s Festivals of Speed, which is a celebration of those things that propel us down the road, through the air, and across the water, both in style and at a blistering pace. And the name says it all.

Our adventure began on Thursday, 9 October 2008, when we were dressed and pressed for cocktails at Luxautica. Luxautica, a pioneer in a growing trend of private car clubs, let their private member lounge play host to the evening’s soiree. Their facility, a clubhouse on steroids, is the quintessential VIP hangout. Whether you’re waiting for your car to be prepped, or you just feel like loafing about, the lounge and cigar bar are tailored to suit even the most epicurean connoisseurs. The two-story sanctuary is, for many of us, a dream home. A sterile, ground-floor, overgrown museum-like foyer accommodating some of the world’s rarest exotica; and a carpeted second floor, littered with plush leather sofas and recliners, big screen televisions, WIFI, and drink-bearing hostesses. If Thursday evening was a preview of what was to come, then we were certain we’d died and gone to heaven.

Friday was a free day; perhaps a chance to soak in the intensity of Luxautica’s party the night before. We were left to our own devices, enticed by the opportunity to get a taste of Orlando. But all that Orlando has to offer wasn’t so easy to see. The event’s host hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, was something of a paradise – like a grown-up Disney World. Architected with a majestic passion and attention to detail, it’s not simply a hotel; it’s a getaway. It’s not a place at which you simply stay; it’s a place where you could literally spend an entire vacation. Golfing, fly-fishing, eco tours, a spa, and the finest array of dining choices a resort could offer. Southern Florida has the Everglades – but northern Florida has the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes.

Joe Sabatini, president of the Festivals of Speed, caters to the enthusiast, and to the reality of man. We didn’t have to wake up at dark:30 in the morning to get ready for the next day’s events. Saturday we were able to sleep in. It can be difficult to enjoy a car event – or any event – when you’re running on just a little sleep. But Joe knows how to organize his event so that attendees are well-rested and, in turn, his event is so very well-received. With a Saturday night schedule, we had Saturday afternoon to ourselves. Parked in front of the Ritz-Carlton was the only car we brought. Some people – Michael Fux, for example – brought a fleet of the most jaw-dropping automobiles after which one could only hope to lust. His collection is a hand-picked, made-to-order caravan of stunning European lines, curves and colors. His choice of materials, contrasts and final assembly are a veritable dedication to the sybaritic freedom enjoyed by the discerning collector. We felt we gave ourselves the short end of the stick by bringing only one car; but it wasn’t just any car.

The turnout of cars was rare, unique, broad, beautiful, stylish and representative of an event name like the Festivals of Speed. To our surprise (and elation), ours was the only Koenigsegg – a 2008 model CCX. Liveried in blue with a blue and cream leather and Alcantara cockpit, we stood alone in our proud representation of Swedish sports cars. And since we had time to kill on Saturday afternoon, what better way to show the world what Sweden’s von Koenigsegg has accomplished than by giving rides? The CCX is an infectious car, drawing a crowd much the same way magnetic poles draw iron filings. People stick to the car, pacing around it, fondling it with their eyes until the force wears off. The sound of 806 twin-supercharged horsepower through a Swedish V8 is unique and quite the attention-getter. Starting the ignition is like activating a human Gravitron. One young lady, Jenna from Wealth TV, was excited at the prospect of getting a ride in this magnificent super car – that is, until we actually took off. Her screams almost drowned out the howling, guttural roar emitted from the Koenigsegg’s center exhaust pipe. But the smile that emerged upon our return was just the first of many we saw that afternoon.

Saturday night’s Luxury Lifestyle Jet Port Reception & Motorsports Collection – wow, that was a mouthful – was an event bereft of nothing and, quite frankly, deserving of such a long-winded name. How else do you describe, in so few words, the regal presence of the epitome of luxurious and exotic motion. I say motion because it evokes a far more visceral feel than mere transportation. Transportation is reserved for things like the Long Island Rail Road leaving Penn Station, and the Monorail that shuttles back and forth between Disney and various hotels. But motion is the raw base upon which jets, speedboats and sports cars are built. The point-A-to-point-B mentality is scraped off and swept to the wayside when the design, construction and purpose of these machines is conceived. Ideas like cup holders and ergonomics are replaced with opulence and aerodynamics. They are everything to which the mundane and mass-produced are unable to aspire. And it is these facets that were so elegantly celebrated on Saturday night. Jets, the pinnacle of flight; speedboats, the pinnacle of marine cruising; and sports cars, the rarest and most gleaming of road jewelry.

Sunday morning continued where Saturday night left off: a gathering of, and an appreciation for, the cars that brought us all together. On the grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, the Festivals of Speed came to a close with a concours that shared and rejoiced in the commonalities and diversities yielded by each entrant. The speed that is associated with the cars after which we so fondly lust is also a representation of the style, beauty, craftsmanship and power that are along for the ride. It is in all of these nuances that owners revel every day, by driving and exploring and sharing and living with and through these cars. But together, owners and enthusiasts alike can all come together annually, and relish in these things together …in festivals dedicated to speed.

When judging had ceased, and after ballots were cast, awards were bestowed. We were once again left wondering, “What’s in a name?” The People’s Choice for Best In Show for 2008 had an unusual name of Swedish origin: Koenigsegg. And now it is officially written in the annals of history, that the Festivals of Speed recognizes the Koenigsegg as one fit enough to join its ranks in celebration of something it so perfectly embodies.