Mexico is again one of those amazing countries from South-America that is doing great. There are more and more exclusive cars in the country. A good reason to talk with one of the biggest pages in Mexico about car culture and more.
Especially in Europe, Autogespot and car spotting has become a big and well known hobby. What about Mexico? Is the car spotting scene well known?
Well, exotic car spotting culture it's barely new to the mexican people, it started about six years ago and it has been rising since then. At the beggining we started taking pictures with cellphones, now we have worked to get better equipment such as DSLR´s. Nowadays we are about 20 mexican spotters who spend weekends trying to get the more cars in the mexican scene. Exotic cars are never easy to find. On a normal spotting day we get around 10 cars, while on a good day we´re able to spot around 20-30 exotics, definately it depends on the weather. Thanks to our Facebook fan page and our Instagram account, we've reached more automotive fans, so this hobby will be on the rise during the next following years.
In every country privacy and cars is an issue. How is dealt with this in Mexico?
It was a little bit difficult at the begining because of the insecurity we have in Mexico, so owners/dealers were worried about their custumes and this new culture, so they asked us to erase license plates and faces of every single picture we upload. That's why there are just a few pictures at Autogespot. In Mexico, most of the cars have bodyguards, so we use to ask them if we can take pictures of the cars, usually they let us. On the other hand, some owners are very friendly with spotters, they stop the car or wave the hand so we can get better pictures, some others don't.
How is car photography in Mexico? Is car spotting just about making a picture of a car, or does it go way deeper?
Mexican spotters are very devoted to this activity, we always try to get the best image of the scene. Some spotters like to get detail pictures, while some others like pictures of the full car with the mexican environment. However, most of us prefer to do street spotting rather than dealer spotting. Trackdays, are very exciting days cause people takes their best jewels, also roadtrips are very fun cause we go wherever the cars are. This year Mexico will be hosting a Grand Prix, so we are very excited, many people will take their cars to it so we have a lot of expectation for that day.
What kind of spots in Mexico are the best to spot? Could you tell us something more about that?
Spotting is done mostly in the 3 major cities of the country (Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey), certainly Mexico City is the best place to find nice cars. The best places are fancy restaurants, highways during the weekends or holidays, gas stations in the wealthy parts of the city. Polanco is the best place, there´s where the big dealers are located such as Ferrari & Maserati, Aston Martin, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley, Rolls-Royce and BMW, also its where the fancy designer shops are located as well as gourmet restaurants. So that´s the place for excellence. Actually, there's a place where there's always at leat one exotic parked, we know that place as "Monaquito" (Little Monaco).
In every country, certain cars are very popular. Which cars are in Mexico very popular? Do you see many tuned cars?
BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are very popular in the streets of Polanco, also Porsche has selled lots of cars during the last years (765 units in 2013 and 975 in 2014 according to the AMDA data). Also muscle cars are in the heart of the mexican drivers, there are lots of new Mustang's, Camaro's and quite a few Challengers. When talking about tuned cars, mexican owners prefer to leave the cars just as they arrive, but we have spotted couple of Cayenne Mansory and TechArt, Mansory G-Class, some Novitec Rosso (F430's, 458's and a F12), Lorinsser S63 AMG, Vorsteiner M3, just to mention. Other cars just change the exhaust system and wheels, being Innotech, HRE and ADV1 the favorites. We're having a boom in the matte colors, looks like people its trying to give a new look to the cars putting them in matte.
For one the car is just something to travel in, for another person it reflects their status. How do people in Mexico feel about this?
Owning an exotic depict status or love, it depends on how the owner wants to show off. Mexico have couple of big collectors which have owned interesting cars for several years or decades so it´s about their passion and love for them. People who owns lots of cars are gentle to spotters, seem to share the same passion we have about cars, while people who only have one exotic sometimes tend to be rude.
Does there exist something like a mexican petrolhead? How would you describe such a person?
Yes, absolutely! It's like a language just some people can understand. No matter economics or social condition, when a petrolhead it´s found certainly a long talk its to be done. Remember a California owner who parked his car and let us get inside of it. Petrolheads usually exhort spotters to keep studying to get a fancy car one day.
Do you have some proper roads for driving? Can you tell me something about them?
Unfortunately, most of the streets are not in good conditions, they have the well known "baches" which are big holes in the pavement, or big speed bumps (when I say big, it´s that they are very, VERY BIG). However in the wealthy areas they have better asphalt.
Does Mexico has big car-events?
Yes. Mexico is hosting this year the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Of course we have the well known La Carrera Panamericana which happens every year in october. Also events like the Rally Maya, Gala Internacional del Automóvil or Concurso de Elegancia are very waited events by each of us.
What do you expect the coming years? Do you think there will change much in comparison with the current situation? Do you expect more exclusive cars?
The next years will be critical for the spotting community, more new members are been included in the spotting teams and we are leaving a new generation of spotting guys who will continue this beautiful activity always keeping the security and privacy. We hope more acceptance and less roughness of some dealers, because this is just a culture about passion and love for cars. Of course we expect the arrival of more and more exclusive cars. McLaren and Lotus has just arrived officially to Mexico so its a great jump to get a new variety of cars. What we´ve noted it´s that every year is better than the year before, so surely more exclusive cars are on its way.
What kind of supercars can you already find in Mexico?
Since Ferrari was the first official exotic dealer in Mexico, most of the cars are Ferrari. According to the different spotter pictures there are at least, 2 288 GTO, 2 F40, F50, 2 Enzo, 9 LaFerrari were confirmed. Other special editions such as 5 599 GTO, 5 SA Aperta, 10 Scuderia Spider 16M, 2 SuperAmerica . Tons of 458´s (around 50 coupé, 40 Spider, 10 Speciale and 3 Speciale A) and 10 F12´s. While Lamborghini, has been spotted 2 rare Miura SV´s, 1 Countach, 2 Murcielago LP 670-4 SV, around 60 Gallardos, 20 Aventador and about 15 Huracan. Aston Martin opened its dealer in February 2014 and since then they have selled 30 units. Before the opening of McLaren dealer, around 10 cars were spotted most of them been MP4-12C or 12C Spider, dealer is planning to sell 20 cars per year, there is no P1 but a P1 GTR could be possible if someone gets interested on it. Other interesting cars that have been spotted its a red candy Koenigsegg CCX, 2 Bugatti EB110, 4 Maybach, 6 Phantom, 6 Ghost and 1 Wraith, 1 Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, 5 Porsche 918 Spyder, 3 Carrera GT, 3 SLS AMG Black Series, 2 SL 65 AMG Black Series, 4 CLK DTM AMG, 5 SLR, 2 Stirling Moss, 1 MC 12, 10 Mastretta MXT, 3 VÜHL 05, 1 Veyron, around 80 Bentleys, 5 Tesla Model S, 10 BMW i8, and so on. A few years was spotted a Pagani Cinque Roadster but seems the car is no longer here.
Maybe you can tell us something about cool projects you are working on with Autos Exóticos en México?
Yes. Our Facebook page is growing very fast, so we decided it was time to build and launch our official page. Work it's been doing so it can be done as soon as possible. Of course Autogespot will be the first to know it, also we would like to thank you for this interview. It's very important for us to spread the spotting culture in our country.
With many thanks to AutosExoticosMexico
