The Washington, D.C. area is one of the most diverse large metropolitan regions in the US. From Chinatown along H and I streets to the African-American heritage of Shaw and the U Street corridor, to the international embassies lining Massachusetts Avenue, it’s a true melting pot of languages, cultures, races, religions, and ethnicities.
D.C.’s car scene is just as varied. Every Saturday before sunrise, rain or shine, sleepy but passionate gearheads roll up to Katie’s Coffee House, just across the Potomac River in suburban Virginia, piloting everything from two-wheeled rockets to four-wheeled classics.
American icons like Corvettes of all eras, Cobras, numbers-matching muscle cars, and traditional hot rods share the lot with European standouts – Porsches, BMWs, MGs, Mercedes-AMGs, Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, and plenty of Lotuses, Lamborghinis, and McLarens. From the Far East come Nissans, Toyotas, Subarus, Hondas, and more.
As the sun comes up, the parking lot becomes a rich tapestry of color, exhaust notes, and engine architectures. You see carbon fiber next to 60-year-old sun-faded enamel, two and three wheels alongside four, vintage marques mixing with modern stanced JDM machines.
I’m happy to wake up at 5:00am to secure a parking spot and a cup of java, because Katie’s exposes me to technology and eclectic ideas beyond my own ‘tribe,’ showing that there are many ways to have fun with cars.
A few standouts from my last visit included a French racing blue 1926 Bugatti Type 35 with cast aluminum wheels, safety-wired fasteners, and cable-operated brakes; a LaFerrari hybrid supercar parked beside a Ford GT40; a menacing black 1968 Dodge Charger 440 R/T, just like the one the hitman drove in Steve McQueen’s classic movie, Bullitt; and a Nissan GT-R T-spec in shimmering Millennium Jade.
It’s the kind of scene best told through pictures.
