The Best of 2014: Original Films

A lot happened in 2014, from the legalization of marijuana in Colorado to the beginning of normal diplomatic relations with Cuba. Of course, all of the really big happenings and news had absolutely nothing to do with us. But in our little nook of the universe, we did manage to have an awful lot of fun. We drove the McLaren 650S, grilled up a pin-bone sirloin and put on some fancy new cologne — and that was all in, like, one afternoon. (We also explored everywhere from Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail to the Highlands of Scotland.) So to remind ourselves of the year that was, and to share all that our crew has seen and learned, we’re doing a retrospective on the year’s best stories, from buying guides and product tests to photo essays and original videos. These are the 14 best original videos of 2014.

Scuderia 120

Go full screen, crank the volume and sit back. | Gear Patrol x Lonelyleap

By Gear Patrol x Lonely Leap: There’s a particular theater to motorsport. The howl of a race exhaust, the aromas of hot metal, the gritty dust of tire soot. And that’s for spectators. Step beyond the yellow line into pit row and things get far more visceral. And though we could’ve droned on in paragraphs about what it’s like to be face-to-face with theatrics of racing Ferraris, we figured it best to report this story through the medium of film. Read More »

2014 Tour of California

By Bradley Hasemeyer: We took our espresso stateside this year, catching the Giro d’Italia on television and showing up in person for the 2014 Tour of California, where we shot this video while riding along in a support car. Read More »

Racing In The Sky

Sung Han

By Sung Han: Twenty-five minutes off the Strip, in Nevada’s stark desert, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway lacks its city’s famed opulence — but not its verve. A fresh energy ran through the massive 131,000-seat complex, though no NASCAR racers throttled up around the 1.5-mile asphalt track. Instead of staring down, everyone in the grandstands looked to the sky. We captured all the excitement and power of the world’s fastest motorsport on film. Read More »

Behind The Wheel of The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante

By Bradley Hasemeyer: Aston Martin has been putting cars on the racetrack, in movies and on teenage boys’ walls for more than 100 years; no wonder even people who don’t care about cars can recognize them in an instant. The 2014 Aston Martin Vanquish Volante was just another crown jewel begging to go for a drive. Read More »

A Visit To The Superbowl of Horse Racing

By Bradley Hasemeyer: Ask any casual fan what the Superbowl of horse racing is and they’ll answer the Kentucky Derby. Pose the same question to a member of the horse racing community and they’ll point to the Breeders’ Cup. We were invited to experience the scene for ourselves during the 30th anniversary of the lauded event at historic Santa Anita park, California’s oldest race track. At the end of the day about $24 million changed hands and we came back with a film. Read More »

Traversing Bolivia

Sung Han

By Sung Han: Bolivia’s 424,164 square miles make it the 28th largest country in the world. Those square miles are also some of the most biodiverse in the world, with ecosystems ranging from tropical rainforests to dry valleys to stepped savannas. It rises from just 230 feet above sea level to higher than 21,000 feet at the peak of the extinct stratovolcano Nevado Sajama on the country’s western border. And we were there to challenge a wide swathe of it all. Over nine days we covered 1,240 miles, not conquering the big country but merely surviving it, creeping along some of the most dangerous roads in the world one grueling mile at a time. Read More »

The Hunter-Gatherer Chef of the Scottish Highlands

Sung Han

By Sung Han: There’s fresh, well-prepared food, and then there’s having a meal with Chef Tom Lewis of Scotland’s Monachyle Mhor. We spent the afternoon foraging, butchering and cooking to come away with one of the best meals on the British Isles. Read More »

Molding the Future at Mercedes-Benz’s Advanced Design Center

Bradley Hasemeyer

By Bradley Hasemeyer: Since 1990, Southern California has been home to the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Center, where around 20 designers have been planning, sketching and living the company’s future. We stopped in to get a glimpse of what’s to come. Read More »

The Rarity of Driving a 350 Horsepower Volvo

Damn the meatballs, bring us the Polestars | Sung Han

By Sung Han: When Swedish tuning company Polestar got ahold of 750 Volvo V60 wagons and S60 sedans the result was invariably going to be good but we couldn’t imagine the extent until we were hurtling through southern California on our way to The Los Angeles Speedway. Read More »

GP Short: Coachella

By Bradley Hasemeyer: Goddammit, you missed Coachella again. Bradley Hasemeyer, recognizing your FOMO, made the quick 130-mile journey from LA to Coachella Valley to capture the iconic music festival on nothing but an iPhone 5 and the iPro lens kit. Read More »

A 50 Year Tradition in Pizza

Sung Han

By Sung Han: One Wednesday afternoon, a couple of us decided to trek over to one of New York City’s favorite eateries across the river in Midwood, Brooklyn: Di Fara Pizza. Read More »

Driving the Most Controversial Ferrari in History

To Dino or not to Dino. | BH

By Bradley Hasemeyer: Featuring a slew of firsts, the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 was wrapped in controversy, failed in sales and has been looked down upon by aficionados for years. Today there is a resurgence in the interest of this ill-fated groundbreaker. We talked to one proud owner to find out why. Read More »

How Bourbon is Made

By Sung Han: We toured 12 distilleries in a five-day blitz, asking everyone we met to walk us through the bourbon making process. Here, you’ll find all of the steps that go into making America’s unique take on whiskey. Read More »

The Joys of Driving A 27-Foot Hotdog

Relish-ing its place in Americana. | Bradley Hasemeyer

By Bradley Hasemeyer: We drove the Wienermobile, and it was awesome. Read More »

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