We found plenty of good friends and automotive eye candy Saturday at Mark and Laura Stielow’s annual spring car party in suburban Detroit.

 

What’s a car party, folks may well ask. Well, It’s a Motor City thing—like a lawn party or a cookout, but our way. Because this is Detroit and we’re all about the car biz, everyone brings their latest projects and the get-together becomes an informal car show.

Mark and Laura Stielow are the hosts of this great annual soiree. You know Mark as the builder and driver of an entire string of awesome, road course-capable Pro Touring Camaros, including Mayhem, Jackass, and Red Devil. Driving the Mayhem ’67 Camaro, Mark won the 2012 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in Las Vegas.

Mark Stielow with his latest Camaro project in progress 

However, at this moment we’re saluting Mark for the incredible gourmet hot dogs. Thanks to Laura and Mark for a super time. Here are a few of the cars and car people we met up with at his annual spring car party:

 

Lotus Elan and MGB roadsters

 

Car artist Murray Pfaff drove over with his incredible Imperial Speedster. Recent upgrades include a new fuel system and an all-weather convertible top.

 

Dino 246 Coupe

 

We spent some time catching up with John Heinricy. SInce retiring as director of GM Performance, he’s been busy racing in the Grand-Am series and SCCA and consulting in China and Russia.

 

Brian Thomson’s Chevelle SS looks like a mild street cruiser, but runs one of his world-beating LS engines. His company, Thomson Automotive, builds Eaton-blown Chevy small-blocks that pump out 900 horsepower and idle like stockers.

 

The Falcon F7 USA-powered supercar drew plenty of gawkers.

 

Cory Taulbert shows off the full-house ’40 Merc under the 25-louver hood of his black and beautiful Deuce highboy. The ’32 is so period-perfect it will bring a tear to your eye.

 

Tesla Model S

 

Corsa Exhaust founder Jim Browning gave us a briefing on his new company, Ultimate Headers. The premium pipes feature 321 stainless tubing and investment-cast flanges.

 

Here’s one of Mark Steilow’s famed Camaro builds, the Corvette LS9-powered Jackass, now owned by Charley Lillard.

 

GM Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser dropped by on his way to Indy to demo the new 2014 Camaro ZL1.

 

Gordon Rojewski brought this work in progress, a barn-find ’67 Camaro with 700 hp Corvette LS7 and Detroit Speed & Engineering suspension package. Gordon says he just might keep the patina look.

 

We couldn’t close without another look at Cory Taulbert’s superb ’32 Highboy.