[MysteryTrain]

On a recent thread, Cranky was lamenting loss of Cobra uniqueness due to the ever growing population of road going Cobras. That and a post by CowtownCobra about seeing an F40 got me to thinking about exciting sightings of rare cars on the road. I am the automotive equivalent of a birdwatcher. I memorize makes and models of all years. I pride myself on identifying cars on the road from a distance, and I get a charge from spotting rare and exotic cars. I'm not talking about seeing these things "in captivity" (auto shows, dealerships, etc.) I mean spotting them in their natural habitat, in the wild. In other words, out on the street, being driven by their very lucky owners just like the rest of us in our Dodges and Toyotas.

Birdwatchers keep lists of every species of bird they've identified in the field. The rare birds are the most quested after, and I apply this mentality to my car watching obsession. Call me a freak.

Being in LA has afforded me quite a few great car watching moments. My first Countach sighting was very memorable, but I'd have to list my top three:

3. I saw a white Testarossa Convertible (Stramann conversion, I think) on Woodman Ave. getting on the 134 freeway in Sherman Oaks. This may have been the same car Road & Track put on the cover of a late 80's edition of Exotic Cars. Don't see that everyday.

2. F40, Foothill Blvd., LaCanada. So surreal to see on the road next to all the SUVs and Hondas, I almost didn't believe what I was seeing.

1. Lamborghini Miura on Tampa Ave. in Reseda. Going the opposite way from me on the road, the driver just ripped into the V12 and let her sing. I broke my neck trying to get a good look as he blurred by, but the windshield rake of a Miura is unmistakeable and unforgettable. I caught enough details and burned them into my memory that later I discovered the car I saw was an SV "Jota" conversion owned by Nicholas Cage. The SVJ's are the rarest of all Miuras, so I doubt I'll ever top that one. Especially given the celeb owner and the dramatic fly-by.

Honorable mentions to Lynn Park's vintage 427 street Cobra (I wouldn't have known it wasn't a replica except I'd seen the car in a local show once), and double spotting of a Murcielago AND a Saleen S7 driving in tandem on a congested 210 freeway through Pasadena.

What have you guys got? Did you ever almost swerve off the road trying to get a better look at some fantastic or rare car like other people do to you when you go by in the Cobra?

MT