FEATURE STORY • NIGHTLIFE • ART+CULTURE • FOOD+DRINK • TRAVEL • STYLE

 

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
by Merlot

Teardrop headlights, touch screen dash, and a hard top that slinks into the trunk in twenty seconds flat are just a few of the perks the Lexus SC 430 coupe has to offer. Whether you're a CEO or a multi-millionaire rapper, this luxury coupe has got just about everything anybody would ever want in a car. Not wanting to dwell on the mechanics all that much, I decide to take it for a spin.

Easing out of the parking lot and cruising down the street to a waiting red light under the admiring eyes of watchful women, I discover that what they say must be true, people notice a man behind the wheel of an expensive car! Pumped full of confidence, I wait for the light to change then take the next turn hard. The powerful 4.3 liter, V8 engine responds casually, coolly, comfortably. Out of nowhere a car appears, so I hit the brakes. The four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) go into action and I barely feel a thing. Enough of this. Let's hit the highway.

"What's the fastest you've driven this thing?" I yell over the music. "280!" answers Pavel, eyes gleaming. Not bad.

Every sports car should have a serious sound system and I decide to test this one out. "How's the stereo?" I ask Pavel. "Very good," he says and switches on some soft jazz. "No no no," I say. I pull out a CD I brought along exactly for this purpose. Scientific fact: the only way to test the speakers' 'muscle' is by way of hip hop. Busta Rhymes rocks the car as I head for the fast lane.

There's a car in front of me, holding me back to a mere 110 kms/hr. I need to fly, soar, make a run for the border. Finally, he moves. My lane is clear in the distance, as far as the eye can see. I turn to Pavel and smile.

I give it some gas and feel nothing as I wind out the 300HP engine. Steering wheel smooth, ambient exterior noise nil, I wonder what's happened. I look down. The needle is hovering just over 180 kilometers per hour. Sweet. I give it a little more and hit 220 kmh before I realize it still feels as if I'm doing 120. Kinda dangerous. But kinda cool, too.

Knowing full well that if I don't stop now, I'll take this thing all the way to Slovakia, I make my way to the off ramp then head back home to the dealer. There's a bloodrush you get when driving a car that fast and it stays with you the rest of the day. You feel sharp. Powerful. Untouchable. Busta would've been proud.