Road and track. They’re two different places, but they have so much in common. They can be fun to drive on and manufacturers often make models that can perform well on both surfaces.
For instance, take a look at the McLaren 570GT, which will come out late this year. The badge on its nose is enough to tell you what it can do on a race course. Its carbon fiber chassis, lightweight aluminum body, Pirelli P-Zero tires, and 562-horsepower twin-turbo V8 are there to prove it.
However, those two letters in its name clearly announce what the Sports Series Mac’s primary focus is: grand touring. It has a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system for staying informed and connected on the go, optional handmade luggage that can be stored in the 7.8-cubic-foot rear cargo area, and an available 12-speaker surround sound system by Bowers & Wilkins. According to McLaren, it’s “driven by a 14-channel 1280W amplifier that directs crystal clear music through two carbon fibre Rohacell sub-bass woofers, five Kevlar mid-range drive units, and five aluminium Nautilus tweeters.”
Listening to music is always a good way to pass the time on a long road trip, but opening the taps on an engine with almost 600 horsepower sounds like an even better one – literally.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
