Feature: A Day in the Life
February 1, 2008
I tear down california speedway’s
front straightaway at 130 mph in a canary-yellow Lamborghini Gallardo, two car
lengths behind another Gallardo’s screaming exhaust pipes—twenty cylinders’
worth of raucousness reverberating against concrete. A few pulse-quickening
beats later, I react to the leading car’s glowing red lights and jam on my
carbon-ceramic brakes to slow for a chicane. Despite the urgency, I am not
racing: I am a participant in Supercar Life, a day-long driving program that
lets drivers experience five track-ready supercars.
Short of fronting seven figures for an eclectic stable of
high-end sports cars, there are few ways to explore the performance envelopes of
an Aston Martin DB9, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz CLK63
Black Series and Porsche 911 Turbo back to back in a controlled environment.
Entrepreneur Jan Otto chose to capitalize by creating Supercar Life with partner
Jonathan Kanter. Though the company specializes in track-based experiences, the
titles on their business cards read director and producer, respectively. "You
could say I’m a founder," says Otto, "but I feel this is an event that I
direct."
Hotel accommodations, ground transportation, a welcome dinner,
and catered meals at the track are included in the $4,990 tuition—participants
are only responsible for showing up at the venues, which include Moroso
Motorsports Park in Palm Beach, Fla., Homestead Miami Speedway, and California
Speedway.
The vehicles, the show’s headliners, are chosen as deliberately
as for any Hollywood production. "This is a debate we have all the time," Otto
says. For instance, a Maserati GranTurismo was deemed too much of a grand tourer
to qualify as a bona fide supercar. Even those that make the cut are
occasionally substituted when the need arises. One ex-participant, the
Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG, had such a voracious appetite for brake pads that it was
ditched from the lineup. Its replacement, the CLK63 Black Series, is arguably
the most track-ready production AMG vehicle to date—a car Otto knew he had to
have in the fleet. There are two of each vehicle on hand, a redundancy that
proved wise when a brake issue removed one of the DB9s from the event.
The course, limited to 15 drivers, begins with a chalk-talk session outlining the rules of engagement. While apexes
and vehicle weight transfer are discussed, Supercar Life is by no means a racing
school. Traction control systems remain enabled, and apart from slalom,
acceleration, and braking exercises, a lead/follow format ensures that an
instructor in the car ahead maintains a spirited, but not overly aggressive
pace.
Like shiny bottles in a wine tasting flight, the cars are lined
up and idling as friendly coordinators direct participants to climb aboard for
each set of laps. First up for me: the aforementioned Gallardo, an all-wheel
drive, mid-engine Italian that boasts a 520 hp V-10 powerplant. Following the
Gallardo I hop into the CLK63 Black Series, the most unassuming car of the
group. Though its DTM-derived bodywork is bold, it does not compare to the
Gallardo—until you drive it; the Benz’s dynamic performance is so satisfying
that it quickly becomes the underdog you want to root for.
The Aston Martin DB9, the next car in my lineup, creates a bit
of cognitive dissonance; leather and wood line nearly every interior surface,
and from its crystal starter button to its relatively upright posture,
everything about the DB9 whispers "gentleman’s sports car." Though its 450 hp
V-12 roars, an attempt at the slalom is a bit of a shock; compared to the
Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz, the Aston’s front end doesn’t want to bite, and
the 2-ton car feels like it would rather take the I-15 to the Wynn, not the
curves around California Speedway.
advertisement
