I've never been to Las Vegas before, but will be attending a work conference there next month, with some free time to burn. I'm not much into drinking or gambling, or Celine Dion, so what is a gearhead to do out there? I'm planning on the Carroll Shelby museum, and maybe an "exotic car experience" (though not at the racetrack with the Lamborghini fatalities last month). Any thoughts?
I don't know, actually, but when my son and I were there a couple years ago during SEMA, we saw a Lambo and a Ferrari stop traffic behind them, wait for traffic to clear in front of them, and then they gassed it.
I gotta say, it was cool to see (and hear!) a couple of exotics drag it out.
Indoor kart track
The former Imperial Palace Car Museum, now called The Auto Collections - The Auto Collections
If you have the time, rent a awd suv and head up into southern Utah. Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Capitol Reef, Grand Escalante Staircase, Navajo Lake, drive the Burr Trail, eat at Hells Backbone Grill in Boulder, UT, drive Cottonwood Canyon road. All the makings of a truly epic road trip!
bentwrench wrote: Indoor kart track
Definitely this. Fast Lap Racing is an indoor karting place not far off the strip that runs gas-powered carts. It's a big warehouse building and they open the dock doors on both ends, then stick huge barn fans in them to circulate the air. The karts are fast, the course is twisty and we left totally spent / thirsty / smelly / smiling. There are a couple of electric places there too but the gas ones were too good to pass up.
There's a Ferrari and Maserati dealership in the wynn, with a collection of nice cars in the basement. The old imperial palace cars listed above is pretty good with a really eclectic mix that they change out regularly.
Shelby-American store/shop/museum on the south end of the Strip. Ask a local :)
How about a visit to Count's Kustoms?
http://www.countskustoms.com/
EvanR wrote: Shelby-American store/shop/museum on the south end of the Strip. Ask a local :)
I was just there last week - also first time in Vegas. We walked down to Shelby from the Mandalay and took the tour. Definitely go there. Most of the cars in the "museum" aren't originals, they're the continuation builds, but they're still gorgeous. The guy giving the tour worked for Ford on the Mustang program back in the day and dealt with Carroll on the Ford side of the equation. Very cool. And it's free.
But don't walk, even if you're close. The nice pretty sidewalks turn into abandoned highway shoulder just past the old vegas sign (which was pretty unimpressive)
THe coolest IMHO was a replica of the original Super Snakes. Two were originally built, one for Carroll and one for Bill Cosby. You can find Cosby's review in his bit "200mph." That's a twin supercharged 427.
I have some pics, but Drop Box no longer supports hotlinking...so you don't get to see them.
EDIT: Some of the people at Shelby were on a Kounts Kustoms tour van - so apparently KK runs some kind of car-related tours you may want to check into.
gjz30075 wrote: How about a visit to Count's Kustoms? http://www.countskustoms.com/
I did this last time I was in Vegas and really enjoyed it. He has a great car collection. I plan to go again when I'm back out there in May.
How about an offroad track day?
GameboyRMH wrote: How about an offroad track day? http://www.vore.com/
This. Get some airtime in a trophy truck
The Las Vegas Speedway has just about everything automotive on or near their massive site. Nascar, 1/8 mile banked oval, drag strip, cart track, off road buggies, exotic's, 2 or 3 road courses, LS West will be there in May. SCCA, and OUSCA host events there too.
As for the exotic's on the strip, watch for a while and you'll see it's the same handful of cars being rented and driven down the strip all day, for a price you can be one of the many.
We have an autocross on April 9th at LVMS. what car handles best? Rental car.
Tom
Rent a car, drive valley of fire national park.
Drove it with my wife in a rented Elise. Was a lot of fun.
evildky wrote: As for the exotic's on the strip, watch for a while and you'll see it's the same handful of cars being rented and driven down the strip all day, for a price you can be one of the many.
Even the regular places like Discount and Enterprise rent them.
They rent by the hour, so you can get your buds to record you cruising the strip in an exotic on Facebook and then quickly return it.
Fr3AkAzOiD wrote: Rent a car, drive valley of fire national park. Drove it with my wife in a rented Elise. Was a lot of fun.
This! This is something I wouldn't get to do otherwise. I just google'd the Valley of Fire drive and it looks spectacular. Do you remember where you got the Elise from?
GameboyRMH wrote: How about an offroad track day? http://www.vore.com/
One of my former trackday buddies is a full time instructor there. It looks like a blast!
Cotton wrote:gjz30075 wrote: How about a visit to Count's Kustoms? http://www.countskustoms.com/I did this last time I was in Vegas and really enjoyed it. He has a great car collection. I plan to go again when I'm back out there in May.
I to did the same last year and agree with your assessment. Was also the only time in my life I shook the hand of a guy who is known as horny Mike.
icaneat50eggs wrote: There's a Ferrari and Maserati dealership in the wynn, with a collection of nice cars in the basement. The old imperial palace cars listed above is pretty good with a really eclectic mix that they change out regularly.
The Ferrari dealership is no longer at the Wynn. For some reason Ferrari pulled his franchise and now Towbin has the Vegas Ferrari dealership, which is off the strip. I don't think the Ferrari store is at the Wynn anymore either. A real bummer because I never visited the Wynn dealership, which I heard was really unique, always thinking I'd go next time I was in town.
@DocV the drive through Valley of Fire is very neat but the speed limit is on the low side. It is still an amazing drive but if you do it come back via Lake Mead National Rec Area via North Shore. This will give you a solid 60 miles of extra twisty bits. North Shore Road ends at Lake Mead Dr, you can go left and squeeze in some extra miles (this will bring you back via Boulder City) going right takes you back through Henderson.
While on North Shore Road if you have time take the ride down to Caville Bay as that has good twisty bits as well.
If you need some places to eat off the strip just let me know and I can steer you to some of the better foody places.
Tom
I go to Vegas twice a year and the things I loved doing (in ascending order) are Fast Lap Kart racing, Exotics Racing, Sky Combat Ace and Las Vegas Rock Crawlers. I have video of 3 of those things. The answer to your question is yes, I am actually driving the Lambo, flying the plane and driving the Jeep.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/HIsZko92FpM
Red Rock Canyon is a nice drive and hike as well and closer then Valley of Fire.
In reply to Sanchinguy :
I am going to Las Vegas later this month. I would like to learn more about this post. Did you drive this?
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