I guess it’s not a surprise for anybody that I am kind of fascinated about garages – that’s because I personally dream of something like a “house-garage”, and it’s something amazing when you discover that you’re not the only one crazy enough to imagine that – others do that too.
We’re talking about art & design, and don’t get me wrong here, but I can prove my statement with hundreds of art exhibitions which are reflecting on how beautiful this mechanical art can be. I write this article for that category of readers who see more to their car than a simple object used for moving from place to place. I talk about those of you who have chosen the car that fitted perfectly with your soul and personality.
To be honest, I am not surprised that this house won Architectural Digest’s Design Driven contest for best garage in 2009 , was already used in some commercials for Maserati, etc. Why is that? Because it was built especially for the car, the design, its patterns and image. The owner – Holger Schubert – took his childhood dream – a classic ’84 Ferrari 512 BBi Berlinetta Boxer, and built his house around this car – yes, as funny as this sounds, Holger practically transformed his house – that’s also his office – into the ultimate living space (well, at least for every automobile enthusiast).
Let’s say something about this superb Ferrari – a pure Italian blood, designed by Leonardo Fioravanti (who’s guilty for other Italian legends like Daytona, F40, 365 GT4, 288GTO, etc.). It was born between 1974 – 1984,when it was replaced by the famous Testarossa. The 512 BBi is a collector not only because of her looks and performance, but also because only 1,007 units were ever built.
4.9 liters mid-engine, on a flat-12 displacement, developing 380 HP & 451 Nm torque, the cherry-top of the Berlinetta’s weight – 1,500 kg.
The house – an old ranch house located in Brentwood – Los Angeles, was redesigned to match the car, the tones, colors and style – everything was reconsidered. But how do you get the car inside and then back on the streets, as this Ferrari is on a daily base use, not being kept as a museum piece?!? Hogler built a bridge between the house and the road, that features a hydraulic ramp on one end – basically, the car is not turned on when he’s leaving the house, but pushed outside by the ramp.
It’s not only a superb, unique, award winning project – but also quite bit of expensive – Hogler paid no less than 1,5 million dollars for his stunning idea. But in the end, it’s not about money, but satisfaction and the smile that’s written on your face when you see that you have accomplished a dream – your dream!
“I enjoy driving the car on winding roads – where it’s not about speed, it’s about being in the right gear, shifting up, shifting down, really getting a feeling for the car”.
courtesy to petrolicious.com for the video and photo gallery
