Great Coffee and Amazing Cars

           I had never been to a cars and coffee meet up before. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive. I didn’t just go for the cars; I had to complete a journalism assignment for one of my classes. Therefore, I went around trying to interview people about the show, as well as enjoy the cars that were there.  To be fair, I went to Katie’s Cars and Coffee meet up in Great Falls, VA on three separate occasions. This is a summary of the vehicles that I saw and the overall atmosphere of the meet up.

            Katie’s Coffee House has an incredibly minuscule parking lot. This means that it gets extremely busy, even during the stretch of quirky weather. If you want to look at the cars, you’re going to have to go early. The meet up starts at 7 a.m., but I would advise getting there by 6:30 a.m. 

            If you like coffee, it’s a great place to go. They also serve some amazing muffins, croissants, and all-out breakfast foods. So if you’re not into cars, or if there’s not a lot in attendance when you go, grab a cup of coffee and a strawberry muffin.

         

          Now onto the best part, the cars. There were a lot of them, approximately 15. The cars ranged from restored antiques and supercars to regular, everyday vehicles. There was a meticulously restored Bentley Speed Six, along with two restored Chevrolet Corvette Stingrays. There were also restorations that have kept the tarnished look of the vehicle. Overall, it was great to see valuable antiques in the wild. 

    There were a plethora of supercars in attendance as well. There was a McLaren 12C, Lamborghini Gallardo and a SRT Viper. It was incredible to see cars that you read about in person. They’re the most popular cars at the meet up and draw the largest of crowds. 

The next tier of cars includes the step below supercars, the high-end sports cars. This group consisted of an Audi S6, BMW M6 and Mercedes S63 AMG. These cars were tastefully modified by their owners, which enhanced their uniqueness.

       

     The everyday cars are also at the meet-up. Surprisingly these are the cars that have the most potential to shock you the most. The majority of the owners have modified their vehicles to racecar level. In one instance an owner had modified his 1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra to the tune of 650 horsepower (hp). While these vehicles didn’t draw a lot of attention, their owners were the most captivating individuals to talk to.   

      The cars were great and so was the coffee. However, something must be said about the people that attend these meets. The owners may be rich, but they certainly are not humble. Flaunting, boasting, and peacocking are abundant throughout the entire duration of the meet. Owners will excessively rev their engines to draw attention, or drive like racers within the cramped parking lot. I didn’t mind the showing off that some of the owners did. When you have that much money, I suppose you’d want to show people. The one thing I did mind was the rude behavior by the owners.

The owners do not like to answer questions or talk about their vehicles, especially the exotic car owners. Exotic car owners flock to other exotic car owners to discuss rich people’s problems. I overheard a conversation about the renovation of a $700,000 garage floor. That’s right, that much money for a floor. The high-end sports car owners also congregate to themselves to discuss expensive clothing stores and to show off their pets. Since I am an inspiring journalist and a car junkie, I love to ask questions. I just love talking to people about cars. No one was really in the mood to talk. Maybe it’s me, I’m not quite sure, but all I can say is that the employees within the coffee shop are friendlier than the owners outside. 

              I love cars. Everything about them intrigues me. So when I heard that there was a huge car meet near me, I had to check it out. I was greatly impressed by the turnout of vehicles. There were cars that I had never seen and some that I have only read about. However, what killed it for me were the owners. They’re not friendly. While some of you reading this may not think that’s a bad thing, think about this.

Everyone has a coworker or friend, that’s constantly telling you about his or her expensive new vacation, haircut, or attire and doesn’t stop bragging about it. Those are the majority of people that attend cars and coffee at Katie’s Coffee House. It’s certainly a place to see some amazing exotic cars. But it’s not a place to share or discuss your love of cars. Katie’s Coffee House is home to one of the best car meets in Northern Virginia. Fair warning, if you show up, dress to impress and rent a supercar for the day. If you don’t, you’ll be scoffed at.