Even though it only premiered in July of this year, the Caffeine & Exotics event of Atlanta, Georgia, has become one of the hottest monthly automotive events in the Southeast. The event was founded by Bruce Piefke, an Atlanta native and a 25 year veteran of the event production business. C&E is a spinoff of the hugely successful Caffeine & Octane event held in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. Caffeine & Exotics is held at the Lenox Square Mall in Buckhead, the city’s most affluent area of town, on the third Sunday of each month February through November.
“As the economy made a strong comeback in Atlanta, demand for space at Caffeine & Octane, had car owners arriving at 4:30AM to get the best spots,” said Piefke in a phone interview. “I knew that many of the exotic car owners were just not willing to get up that early on a Sunday morning. I was optimistic that if we held an event a little closer to town, where space could be reserved in advance, we might be able to attract 40-50 great cars to start. The very first event attracted 185 exotic cars and it’s been a sellout every month since.”
“We typically have 30-40 cars on a waiting list.”
There are a myriad of reasons why so many people come out to the C&E event each month. Every private owner accepted into the event is treated as a VIP. This means, in addition to the reserved ‘double space’ for his or her car, they are served complimentary hot coffee and a continental breakfast inside an adjacent upscale restaurant that is turned into a private club from 6:30 am-11 am. Only owners, their guests and sponsors are allowed in the VIP lounge.
For those 5,000 spectators that attend each month, they are presented with a collection of cars that is second to none. Manufacturers like Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Mercedes, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lotus, BMW, Tesla, Ford GT and Nissan GTR are all well represented. Different cars are featured on the red carpet at the center of the show each month. This month it will be the new BMW I8.
The C&E event will be held between February and November, making this month’s event the last of this season. If you happen to be in the area, or are willing to make the trip out to Buckhead this weekend, the event will be held this Sunday, Nov. 16, from 8-11 a.m. and will be back again in February. For more information, visit: CaffeineAndExotics.com or on Facebook at Facebook.com/CandECarShow.
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