Hybrids have come a long way. They’ve moved beyond the realm of money-saving appliances into full-blown sports car territory. This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance served as proof of how accepted such machines are by huge names in the world of motorsports.
Roger Penske, whose Team Penske competes in the NASCAR and IndyCar series, and Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, took delivery of their BMW i8s at the high-society automotive gathering. Another buyer of the $135,700 Bimmer, chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller, hosted a special dinner for his fellow customers at BMW’s villa. The list of other people who put money down on the 357-horsepower plug-in coupe includes the CEO of a home products manufacturer, a wealth management professional, and the founder of a hospitality and entertainment company.
A Concours d’Elegance Edition i8 was auctioned off by Jay Leno and Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO of BMW of North America, over the weekend. The one-of-a-kind two-door, painted in Frozen Gray Metallic and furnished inside with Dalbergia Brown leather, ended up fetching $825,000.
“Proceeds of the sale made by Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, will go to the Pebble Beach Company Foundation, which raises funds for Monterey County youth and distributes grants spanning the arts, athletics, environmental sciences, educational organizations and community programs.”
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.
