Coffee Break

Malibu Cars & Coffee 

It’s 7:00 AM and the sun has just peeked over the Santa Monica Mountains. The last of the night fog is burning off in a beautiful fashion, clinging the the tips of the terrain below, succumbing to the California warmth. Mornings like this, calm and clear, make me thankful to live in such a place. 

Caffeine in hand, we head south towards the Malibu Bluffs Park. This is a tiny little parking lot to a park that overlooks the pacific ocean. It’s an intimate event, very quiet in Cars & Coffee terms. This is an exercise in quality over quantity. The main lot fills up fast and there isn’t much extra parking. 

Malibu Cars & Coffee routinely displays an incredible array of classics both rare, and just all around well kept cars. You get the occasional supercar or oddity here and there, but it isn’t the norm. I’ve seen cars here, that I’ve never seen before. 

I’ve been to this C&C multiple times, and each time I am wowed. From classic Volkswagens to Ferrari F40, this event is sure to keep your eyes wandering, and your jaw dropped. Like I said, quality over quantity here. 

Malibu Locals love their cars, and some attend the event religiously. There’s this one, very charming gentleman who always attends, and takes any chance he gets to talk to anybody about his S54 Z3 Roadster. Admittedly it is a wonderful looking example. I usually say a quick hello and let him reel friends in to learn about a car they may not know much about. 

Audi chose to launch the new RS6 Avant here, during Cars & Coffee, and temporarily named the day, “An Avant Event.” Avant enthusiasts from all over attended with an array of Audis, and were encouraged to do so. Across from the parking lot is a large grassy field making up most of Malibu Bluffs Park where two brand new RS6 Avants sit beautifully along the Pacific Ocean backdrop. A stunning Misano Red, and Daytona Grey roped off with a large Audi Sport logo sculpture placed beside them. Germany’s menacing family wagon has arrived. 

Everything about the new RS6 Avant oozes cool. I love a good wagon, but I’d never really considered them to be particularly sexy. Audi changed my mind, they really did a great job styling this car. Their new design language accentuates sharp lines where they want them to be, but keeping a certain level of roundness in things like the beefy flaired wheel arches. This makes the vehicle look more muscular as if the metal was draped tightly over its skeleton. I actually think they did so well, it sort of deems the RS7 somewhat irrelevant. It wears the look better. I talk with friends about proportions all the time, and if you’re going to do something visually lengthy and tall, it must also have a proportionate width as well. This thing looks R8 wide, and in my mind, no less interesting. Actually, I think I’d rather have the RS6 given the choice.    

I never thought a company like Audi would launch such an important car like the RS6 Avant at such a small event. But then again, given the beautiful yet impressive nature of the location, along with it’s usual crowd of deliciously maintained classics, all in a family friendly setting, it really makes sense as this avant could also someday be seen as a modern classic. 

Never does this particular event become too rowdy. Attendees, both owners and viewers are usually very respectful. It’s the type of event I’d love to bring my kids to, if I had kids. I imagine this is how the trend of these events was intended to be. Feel free to let us know about your favorite car events. Hopefully again soon we can all enjoy a little Cars & Coffee.