Engines were roaring louder than the lions at Big Cat Habitat on April 5.
The exotic animal sanctuary hosted exotic cars for Sarasota Cars and Coffee Gone Wild.
Punta Gorda’s Chet Kitchen brought a special McLaren to the show. The car itself, a 2024 McLaren 750S Triple Crown edition, is only one of 60 to be produced.
The edition was rolled out to celebrate McLaren’s 60th anniversary and its “Triple Crown of Motorsport” achievement, which includes winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1974, the Monaco Grand Prix in 1984 and 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995.
However, Kitchen bought the car to celebrate a victory of his own.
“I went through stage 4 cancer twice,” he said. “I told myself if I beat it a second time, I’m going to get something special.”
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This 2024 McLaren was Chet Kitchen's gift to himself for beating stage 4 cancer.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Kay Rosaire, founder of Big Cat Habitat, shows off her own wheels at Sarasota Cars and Coffee Gone Wild April 5.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Big Cat Habitat adds exotic cars to its exotic animal exhibits April 5 for Sarasota Cars and Coffee Gone Wild.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Bradenton's Jackson Morgan brings Parrish's Angelina Rogers to her first Cars and Coffee at Big Cat Habitat April 5.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Exotic cars are roped off like animal exhibits at Big Cat Habitat April 5.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
William and Laura Hamby step away from their 2024 Italian Huracan Tecnica Lamborghini to pet a sloth. Danielle Rosaire is holding the 1-year-old sloth.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Dash is a 1-year-old sloth. Sloths have extra vertebrae in their necks, which gives them a wide range of motion.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota's 5-year-old Phoenix DeMars likes animals, while his brother likes cars.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Sarasota's 9-year-old Sage DeMars loves cars, and his brother loves animals. Mom Brittany DeMars says Cars and Coffee Gone Wild is the perfect mix.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
Jazlyn Ocampo, project manager at Big Cat Habitat, holds Toby, a 2-year-old red ruffed lemur.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
A white tiger draws a crowd.
Photo by Lesley Dwyer
John Kenyon lets Sarasota's Shari Muska hold a hypomelanistic American alligator.
Lesley Dwyer is a staff writer for East County and a graduate of the University of South Florida. After earning a bachelor’s degree in professional and technical writing, she freelanced for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Lesley has lived in the Sarasota area for over 25 years.
