To some, Supercars are a gaudy form transportation. An arrogant display of wealth. To others, works of art…

The Supercar: It’s something anyone of any age can appreciate.

The design. The engineering. The way the engine and exhaust purrs – or roars – when you push on the throttle.

They are the culmination of the workmanship of talented individuals who dedicate their lives to crafting components that are then distributed globally. Now put more than 100 of these machines together (111 to be exact) and the appreciation factor goes up 110-fold. To some, Supercars are a gaudy form transportation. An arrogant display of wealth. To others, works of art.

But to the group who participated in the second annual Diamond Rally, it’s more than just a showcase of imported engineering or customization. It’s about a great cause. It’s for charity. I’m not going out on a limb when I say that car enthusiasts love to see amazing cars, regardless of context.

What’s more, it’s even cooler when a group of them travel together up one of the most incredible drives in the world: the Sea-to-Sky Highway. What started off last year with 42 cars quickly grew to three digits.  Each entering car chose a charity to raise funds for.

As the day was ramping up, the Brian Jessel BMW dealership in Vancouver was overrun with vehicles ranging from a 1957 Ford Thunderbird (it was quite the car back in the day, and still is) to the Lamborghini Aventador. Along with Nissan GT-Rs, Maseratis, Porsches, Ferraris, and more. Even the brand new BMW i8, which had yet to be driven on Canadian soil, broke ground and was the lead car in the day’s event.

The route would take us along the spectacular Sea-to-Sky highway, with a stop in Squamish and then the main rendezvous in Whistler. Fellow motorists were pleasantly surprised when they spotted the exotics driving beside them on the world famous road.

My ride?

The humble, all new, BMW M4. I say humble because I had nowhere near as much horsepower (this only generates 425) as some, or most, of my fellow drivers.

But what I did have was the “wow” factor. Clad in an extremely eye-catching Austin Yellow Metallic coat, she was quite the sight to see.

What made it even more special? It’s a 6-speed manual.

Unsuspecting admirers didn’t catch me overhearing their conversations including, “Dude, this one’s a stick. Awesome.”

Yes, some people actually talk like that.

Though it may not have garnered nearly as much attention as some of my fellow rallyers, it still brought smiles to people’s faces.

That’s what I think the event is all about.

So did the drive route.

Craig Stowe, Founder of the Diamond Rally and Canada’s own Luxury & Supercar Weekend mentions, “There is a new breed of supercar owners who are rallying together to individually raise awareness and money for the charity of their choice.”

He also comments that Vancouver is supercar crazy, and that there are more luxury and supercars per capita then any other city in North America .

“There is nothing like 111 spectacular cars rallying up the 99 highway to bring awareness to many worthy charities.

Visit Alexandra [dot] straub [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca” target=”_blank”>www.bmw.ca for more information on the 2015 M4 Coupe

Contact: alexandra [dot] straub [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca