TrackWorthy is thrilled to team up with one of its partners, Seen Through Glass! Sam, of Seen Through Glass fame, is visiting the West Coast–primarily southern California–from hometown London, England. Over the next couple of months, TrackWorthy and Seen Through Glass will take the Los Angeles area by storm, spotting, reviewing and driving some of the hottest sports cars on the road today.
Keep checking back here for the latest photos and videos of our escapades, and please tweet us or drop us a comment if there’s anything in particular you’d like us to cover. We’ll do our best to oblige!
Sam departs his London abode, Los Angeles-bound, but not before flipping-off the feline. He flies 10 hours and gets bored. He takes an Uber from LAX to West Hollywood spotting a few sweet rides along the way. And he gives us a tour of his charming new digs for the next seven weeks.
Sunrise. Coffee. Cars. Beautiful, exotic cars. Does life get much better?
Running on pure excitement and adrenaline, Sam shows his usual fantastic energy despite departing at 5 A.M. after the first short “snooze” he’s managed in seventy-two hours.
His destination? Malibu Coffee and Cars — a sunrise gathering where exotic car-owners proudly exhibit their toys, chat, caffeinate for the day ahead and grab some fresh waffles. Check out the awesome variety that Sam was able to capture whilst working on his tan:
She may not be as raw as a GTS, or as mean as her rear-wheel sister. And you may have to explore her throttle a bit before you find yourself fighting hard against g-force. But, once you hit about 3,500 rpm, her horses are at your command. And then there’s her growl. Her deep, ominous, omnipresent, gurgling growl that elicits goosebumps and adrenaline. Meet Sam’s daily driver for his California trip: the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet.
Sam reviews his go-to car for the next seven weeks, shares his honest reactions to its drive and “useability” while giving us a small taste of LA’s magnificent scenery. He also nearly melts in SoCal’s scorching mid-September heat. Good thing the top has a “closed” position too.
Sam feels inadequate and depressed. Not usual sentiments for a YouTube celeb who gets to spend his days driving and filming awesome cars. But that’s what often happens when one passes through Beverly Hills. The neighborhood boasting the densest wealth population in the United States humbles poppers and princes alike.
However, what bruises the pride makes for a superb spotting location! Even in California, more yellow emanates from Lamborghini and McLaren skins than from sunlight in this hood. Join Sam as he spots myriad epic rides on the gilded streets of Beverly Hills.
More car spotting – this time in a BMW M4, with the help of native LA YouTuber, Effspot. Although the boys explain why car spotting is so tough in L.A. during the week compared to other major cities, they catch glimpses of a few pretty impressive rides, including an Aston Martin DB10 in an alley and a McLaren 570s with a massive rear wing!
Sam describes the Corvette Z06 as “America’s Supercar,” and most enthusiasts will agree. With 650 horses, 650 lb/ft torque, a well-balanced feel, an aggressive yet tasteful design and a relatively low price-tag, the Z06 deserves its many accolades. It’s the quintessential American sports car, and ‘merica should be proud.
And then there’s Damian Gryzelko’s green satin monster. With his modifications, a car that was already at the upward threshold of controllable power goes mental. 750 hp, 800 lb/ft of torque. And it’s loud. Very loud. Eardrum-popping, GoPro-busting loud. Even when it’s just cruising.
Although slightly daunted at first, Sam has an absolute blast tearing through the California mountain roads, shattering nearby windows with every rev, and shifting through this puppy’s gears–its auto rev-matching is sublime.
But does Sam agree with Damian’s bold assertion that this Chevy deserves mention in the same sentence with a Ferrari 488? You’ll have to watch to find out…
Meet Sam’s carbon-clad, astonishingly-quick ride for the next two weeks: the 2017 Cadillac CTS-V. Don’t let its size, in-car WiFi or copious alcantara mislead you — this 640 b.h.p. monster is seriously track-worthy. Over the coming weeks, she’ll star in several exclusive TrackWorthy videos, and she’ll gallop up and down nearly the full length of the Golden State!
In a TrackWorthy exclusive, Sam of Seen Through Glass drives the beastly, brand new, 640 bhp 2017 Cadillac CTS-V around the Los Angeles area. As he tears up the roads, he reflects on the differences between American versus European driving.
Sam travels south of Los Angeles to Newport Beach where he enjoys his best spotting of the trip yet. Porches, McLarens, Ferrari, Lamborghinis and, the pièce de résistance: a spectacular Pagani Huayra Tempesta!
Although Sam doesn’t spend as much time with the Dodge Viper ACR as expected, he does manage to lay eyes on myriad other impressive, overpowered track-worthy cars…
In this first episode of a brand new series, Sam meets Dyllon and his family’s eclectic collection of cars.
Inspired by MTV Cribs, #DrivewayGoals features Sam meeting owners, collectors and dealers to investigate the tantalizing cars in their driveway. Sam discusses the highlights and shortcomings of each car with the owners and, hopefully, even gets to go for a quick drive.
In this episode, Sam meets Dyllon from San Diego, CA. Together with his family, Dyllon owns a wide range of cars including a 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S Silver Rose Edition, a BMW i8, V8 Vantage (Dyllon’s personal car), Bentley Continental GTC and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Centenary Edition.
Additionally, Sam and Dyllon spot two TrackWorthy cars: the Ferarri FF and a Bentley GT.
Sam talks about some interesting features he has discovered in the Cadillac CTS-V since he has had it. One is secret, one is annoying, one is also secret, but also really cool, one is rather paternalistic, quite literally, and one is particularly good for drivers who tend to nod off…
Sam heads north to Monterey’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Pirelli World Challenge. But he doesn’t just take any old road to get there; he treats himself to road trip on California 1. Big Sur, big seals, big mountains and a big sea, there’s so much to take in that Sam nearly forgets to refuel!
The experience as a whole leads Sam to conclude: “California was made for road trips!”
Sam’s at Monterey’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Pirelli World Challenge! In addition to capturing some of the excitement of the qualifying and getting more exercise than he bargained for, Sam also manages to spot a couple of road-legal beauties at the track.
Aliso Viejo, California. Early.
More coffee, more cars. Well, actually, less coffee, more cars. More Mustangs, more Ferarris, more Bimmers, more Audis, Mercedes, Lambos, Acura, and more. Much more.
Sam is too distracted and excited by the torrent of hot, track-worthy cars pouring into the parking lot to waste precious spotting moments on the black elixir of life this morning. Instead, he shifts right into gear.
Sam hits up a RIDICULOUS Piazza GT event in Westlake Village. The collection of TrackWorthy cars here is insane, and two Lambos make a ton of noise as they rip out.
Sam returns to beautiful Carmel, California, which he deemed to be home of “the best car spotting in the world” back in August during Car Week. But is Carmel really “car spotting heaven” year-round?
Sam, the high-roller that he is, rolls out of Vegas in style to pay a visit to Lake Mead National Park. He’s with Gotham Dream Cars on their Exotic Driving Tour for a spectacular drive that he won’t soon forget. Oh, and part of the Exotic Driving Tour is that he gets to drive several exotic cars…
Sam hops into a beautiful Corvette Z06 convertible, first to meet Matt Farah of the Smoking Tire to participate in a podcast, and then to zip down to Palm Springs for some R&R. And zip he didn’t. Even with all of the Z06’s horses, a tolerable 1.5 hour drive became a torturous 4 hour crawl. Thank you L.A. rush hour…
The Corvette Z06. The quintessential American super car. Supermodel looks and top marks for crowd appeal. Superb handling. A sublime soundtrack that reverberates its quad exhaust so violently that it threatens avalanches and rock-slides when driving near mountains. A 6.2L V8 engine that blasts the beast from 0-60 mph (0-100 kph) in 3.1 second. And it has that special power to put a smile on the driver’s face.
Who could possibly turn all of this down?
As Sam drives the Z06, a load of undesirable characteristics present themselves. Loud, clicking paddles that are “embarrassing” in their cheap feel and sound “ruin the whole experience.” Moreover, the gearbox is slow compared to the competition. And, there’s the unforgivable engine overheating.
Are the drawbacks deal-breakers? Would Sam still pick the Corvette Z06 over its competitors? Spoiler alert: yes they are and no he wouldn’t.
Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire teaches Sam how to drive the majestic, winding canyon roads on the outskirts of L.A. And not just in any car. In a brand new Aston Martin Vanquish. I’d call that a very good day at the office.
TrackWorthy and Sam from SeenThroughGlass take a magnificent Aston Martin Vanquish to a remote road in the California canyons to film some content with YouTube star Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire. In addition to capturing Sam’s first impressions with the Vanquish, we capture some of what goes into making the epic content that ends up live online!
For the video with Matt Farrah, check out our post here.
Panoramic ocean views. Winding turns. Canyon walls that are ideal to resonate the athletic exhaust symphony that roars from the 567 horsepower, V12 British powerplant of the 2016 Aston Martin Vanquish. Welcome to Malibu, California’s Encinal Canyon Road.
Sam of Seen Through Glass scoured the road maps of southern California in search of the perfect route for the Vanquish. And there were lots of options. Ultimately, he settled on this gem to showcase Aston Martin’s spectacular V12 Vanquish. Perfect either for cruising with the windows down to take in the cool ocean breeze, or for more athletic driving, the route, like the car, is sophisticated, refined, thrilling and truly something to behold.
Sam turns down driving a Lamborghini Huracan because he got a more enticing offer: spending the day behind the wheel of a Ferrari F12berlinetta!
Sam finally gets the opportunity to review a true, ‘merican “straightline machine,” the Dodge Challenge 392 Hemi Scat Pack Shaker. With its mean, American presence and its “angry” 6.4 litre v8 with a shaker hood, the massive rumbling monster makes anyone behind the wheel feel mighty like Dom Toretto in The Fast and The Furious.
How does it stack up against other modern muscle cars? Can it get around corners? Does it have the character that one expects? What’s the interior like? What driving settings are optimal? Most importantly, is it fun to drive?
As usual, Sam of SeenThroughGlass gives us a spirited, entertaining and honest review of his all American time with this all American car.
Sometimes, crashing can be a good thing… Following up on word of a secret Lamborghini Aventador meetup in Orange County, Sam finds himself in an epic situation!
Sam from Seen Through Glass hits up Topanga Supercar Sunday where he combs through the massive collection of exotic cars to find his five favorites. Some classic, some TrackWorthy, he has good reason for each selection!
Sam flies from Los Angeles, California to Seattle, Washington to explore the City of Goodwill and some of its highlight destinations in a striking, orange Lamborghini Huracan. His first stop? You guessed it: Starbucks! But this time, not just any Starbucks. Sam hits up the original of the coffee empire at the famous Pike’s Peak Farmers’ Market!
Sam makes the most of his day in Seattle with the Huracan. He hits up Beecher’s Mac and Cheese shop, tests the Lambo’s sport suspension on a cobbled street, tests the limits of his fear of heights up the Space Needle, and visits a romantic waterfall (surrounded by great driving roads).
A very excited Sam departs San Diego for a drive through desert to the Grand Canyon. He’s in the company of three beautiful young women, “Modball Girls,” who help him review the “Go Mango” orange Dodge Charger Scat Pack that he’s in for the drive. The car does 0-60 MPH (0-100 KPH) in the mid-four second range, and its 6.4 liter V8 produces 485 horses. Modball model, Eliza, will tell you, the Charger will help make any girl’s day “lovely.”
Open roads, open space, open throttle. Prior to getting lost at a hotel, Sam shows us what a day is like on the Modball Rally as he drives his Dodge Charger Scat Pack from the magnificent Grand Canyon to Las Vegas. Along the way, the group picks up a couple of very impressive additions to the rally as they marvel at the wondrous Hoover Dam.
Sam shows up at the airport in a stunning Lamborghini Huracan Spyder to pick up his mate, Paul Wallace, from Supercars of London in style!
Paul cares not that there’s no space for his bag — he gladly uses it to protect his clothes from drool as he enjoys his first rays of California sun coupled with some restless Italian horses.
Sam is not pleased when he discovers that Paul Wallace (Supercars of London) has rented a BMW M3 to drive down Las Vegas for SEMA 2016. Although Sam admits that the M3 is both very quick and pleasing to the eye, convincing him to admit any deep positive sentiment for the car is an uphill battle. For Paul, however, the M3’s comfort, visibility and performance make it a winner.
Sam and Paul Wallace (Supercars of London) visit SpeedVegas to track some TrackWorthy Cars. For those who may not know, SpeedVegas is a theme park for car enthusiasts in Vegas. It’s a track complete with a stable of supercars for customers to rip around a circuit. Needless to say, it’s a little more expensive than Disneyland. And Disneyland ain’t cheap.
Under the tutelage of an expert driver, Sam properly thrashes a yellow Ferrari 458 around the track. After, he decides to dole out some revenge on Paul as he places Paul in a Mustang GT500’s passenger seat for a surprise drift ride.
As many of you will recall, in an earlier episode, Sam visited Orange County, specifically Lamborghini Newport Beach, and was rewarded handsomely for the trip. Today, Sam returns to the OC where he attends another Lamborghini Newport Beach event. Rare exotics abound, including the highly-coveted McLaren MSO HS.
Sam also bumps into fellow YouTuber, The Stradman, who shows up fashionably late in his questionably fashionable bright purple Lamborghini complete with custom roof-rack. Yes, a roof-rack on a Lambo.
When Sam Fane (SeenThroughGlass) first plants himself in the quintessentially loud, orange on orange Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 Spyder, he admits that he would sooner drive a Ferrari or a Porsche than a Lamborghini. The Huracan’s low, compact design doesn’t quite suit his height, and Lamborghini’s average decibel level and ostentatious looks attract too much attention.
However, the longer he spends in the driver’s seat, or cockpit–Sam describes the interior highly reminiscent of a fighter jet–the wider his smile grows.
Read the full article here.
Sam (Seen Through Glass) and Paul (Supercars of London) show what it’s like to spend 24 hours with a red, 464 horsepower, 2017 Cadillac ATS-V. Throughout their day, they showcase some local L.A. activities, sample some typical L.A. foods and spot some pretty impressive rides, including a Bugatti Veyron!
Sam (Seen Through Glass) races Paul (Supercars of London) up Runyon Canyon in L.A. Sam has a slight advantage: a Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 with 560 horsepower and a 5.2L V8, while Paul has only his feet. However, Sam has to navigate the infamous West Hollywood traffic; Paul has a straight–albeit quite steep–shot to victory…
We recently put Sam Fane (Seen Through Glass) in a brand new 2017 Cadillac ATS-V sedan, and he was certainly a fan. In terms of size and power, the ATS-V compares to the BMW M3 and M4. A twin turbo V6 producing 464 base horsepower rockets the car to 100 kph (60 mph) in 3.8 seconds and keeps it accelerating to a top speed of 304 kph (189 mph). Of the experience exploring the ATS-V’s throttle Sam explains, “…it’s like a roller coaster: you just hold on for dear life!” Listing myriad positives and very few downsides, Sam gives the Cadillac ATS-V a huge thumbs up!
Sam (Seen Through Glass) spends his last night in L.A. cruising around Beverly Hills in a 2017 Lamborghini Huracan Spyder with Paul Wallace (Supercars of London) and spotting some impressive cars, including a McLaren MSO 570S and a purple McLaren P1!
Sam Fane (SeenThroughGlass) has a special affinity for cars featuring the famous prancing horse of Ferrari, so it should come as no surprise that he was beyond excited to get behind the wheel of Ferrari’s newest mid-engine family member, the 2016 Ferrari 488GTB.
Revolutionary in that it is the first modern-day Ferrari to favour a twin turbo engine over a naturally aspirated alternative, the 488GTB sounds, feels and performs so brilliantly that we have nearly nothing negative to say about it.
As he’s a Brit, it should come as no surprise that Sam Fane (Seen Through Glass) could barely contain his excitement when he found out that he’d be getting behind the wheel of a 2016 Mustang Shelby GT350. You see, Europeans love American cars. And the Shelby GT350 is no ordinary American car. Rather, it’s a re-tuned, perfected version of the iconic American sports car: the Ford Mustang.
The tuned engine, which revs to just above 8,000 RPMs–very rare for a naturally aspirated V8– produces 526 horsepower capable of launching the car to 100 kph (60 mph) in 4.3 seconds. Drivers are also excited to find that, despite the high redline, and befitting of an American muscle car, a good amount of power is available low in the rev range. However, the car really starts coming alive above 4,000 RPM. Even more impressive than the stats, however, is the incredible soundtrack of the V8, “which… makes the car sound the part.”
Read full article here.
PHOTOGRAPHS and VIDEOS © Copyright 2016 TrackWorthy Group Ltd.
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