This past May marked our 3rd Mille Miglia while in Brescia. The Mille Miglia is a historical car race that begins in Brescia, loops down through Roma and returns to Brescia by way of Florence. The Mille Miglia is my favorite time of the year in Brescia as the city just comes alive with excitement. This year, my entire family was in town for the race. That’s right: Mom and Dad, Derek and Katie, Mark and Dana all under one roof with a single full bathroom. Let the good times roll!
On Wednesday night, we took a lap around the city seeing some of the show cars on display. Not cars for the race, but cars that the manufacturers want you to see. Mercedes broke out the F800 concept car. The door handles were flush with the door panels. Press them in to release the handle, pull to open the door. Take no action, and the handle automatically closes itself. The rear doors looked like they were suicide doors, but they actually slid alla minivan style.
Mercedes F800 = Awesome
Not to be outdone by Mercedes, Bugatti brought a Veyron. If you haven’t heard of the Bugatti Veyron, let me paint a picture. 1,000 horsepower, top speed of over 250 MPH, and a price tag of over $2,500,000.
Dream car...
There was also a Bentley, Jaguar XKR, Audi R8 Syder, and Porsche 911 Black Edition. But who cares??!! There was a Bugatti Veyron!
Thursday was the start of the race and we headed to our usual spot. Right in a curve where the cars usually fly by. This year, a number of rowdy teens were staked out in the middle of the road. As every car would pass, they would slap the drivers high fives and yell, “VAI, VAI, VAI (GO, GO, GO)”. This also included the drivers of scooters and bicycles. When modern cars came by, they’d try to get the car to stop, and encourage the driver to put the hammer down. A couple of Ferrari drivers obliged, and it was awesome. The first driver fish tailed to start and probably scared the living daylights out of spectators 100 yards down the road. The second guy was a bit brighter, telling the kids he’d let ‘er rip if they would step back a bit. Below is a video of the kids—albeit, very blurry—encouraging a driver to put the hammer down. He didn’t, but you get a feel for the excitement. Of course all good things come to an end, and the local police staked out our corner; thus, ending the kids’ enthusiasm.
Below are a few photos of the classic cars.
BMW Row
Old Bugatti
A Triumphant Katie upon finding a Triumph
