Although it's a week long, it's called The Monterey Weekend because the bulk of the activities take place on the final Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and most attendees arrive Thursday, as I did. This past August my father and I drove up from L.A. in a black RX-8 we scammed from Mazda, and the trip couldn't have been better. The RX-8 and central California's twisty two-lane roads go together like booze and bachelor parties, and the RX-8's high-speed stability proved as impressive as its thirst. We hit 129 mph and several gas stations on the way.