I have been to plenty of cars and coffee events before. You get a coffee and head down to the local meet-up spot and ogle over cars for an hour or two, then head home and get on with your day. However, the saying “Everything’s bigger in Texas” isn’t just about the capitol building. Austin’s Cars and Coffee is on an entirely different level than I ever expected. Graciously hosted at America’s aptly named and only dedicated Formula 1 track, Circuit of the Americas. Looking for some car culture, I decided to see what Austin’s car scene was all about.

When I arrived, I was anticipating the normal lowkey type of cars and coffee. Usually a couple of people to help park cars and a few “No burnouts” signs. This however was different. I joined the queue of about 150 cars with what seemed like miles of cones. The event was split into two sections, Domestics and Imports. Naturally, being in the GTI, I parked in the imports section. There were 10x the number of people I thought would attend. I started my walk and quickly realized that Austin is definitely a strong contender for car enthusiasts. Not one the sheer volume, but the diversity of the cars that were there. For example, there was a mini sub-section with about 15 R33 Skylines. I personally had never seen one before, but I sure got my fix real quick. I made my rounds looking at the cars for about an hour and then noticed there was a large group of people under a tent with some vendors around it. I decided to go check it out and see what the fuss was about.

To my surprise, there were some food trucks serving breakfast tacos and coffee. The local police had a booth with some cop car demos, and there was a Topo Chico booth with some free water and merch. But what really caught my eye was the 15-foot-tall TV airing the French Grand Prix. All of the people were watching the race. I thought, “How meta is this? An F1 race watch parting in the parking lot of an F1 circuit”. I ended up staying for a good portion of the race and got to chat with some of the attendees about the race. I had expectations in my head, but nothing of this caliber. Does it get much cooler than a live Formula 1 race surrounded by Petrolheads and their cars? I certainly didn’t think so. But, it turns out it does get better. As I made my way up the hill into the domestics lot, I heard the roar of the go-karts. Even though the race circuit was closed, the go-karts were very much open. I, unfortunately, was not able to take one for a spin as they were booked up for the day with all of the people there, but I learned to plan ahead next time. As soon as the 2023 calendar is posted, I’m getting my reservation. 

I planned to go to all of the events this year as there were only 3 planned. I am hoping 2023 brings more events. Having my first experiences with the Portland Cars and Coffee in Oregon I felt underwhelmed with the event cadence. In Portland, they run every Saturday, rain or shine, no matter what. I got pretty spoiled, so I won’t dock Austin too hard. As a whole, I think this is the best cars and coffee event in the country. I am certain there are larger events or more expensive/rare cars, but no one can touch Austin’s layout and venue. Literally hosting the event at a Formula 1 circuit is cool enough on its own, but add in tacos, go-karts, and live racing on TV. What more can you ask for? I hope the event returns next year and that there are more of them. If you ever find yourself in Austin on the weekend, pray there is a cars and coffee and get yourself over the track for a good time.