Feature: A Day in the Life

Basem Wasef

02/01/2008

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.
The understated driving experience ends when the Porsche 911 Turbo rolls up. The car’s all-wheel drive enables it to snake through the pylons without drama, and once the turbo boost builds to its 480 hp peak, the flat-6 offers loads of propulsive power.

The supercar tour eventually returns to Italy, this time in a red Ferrari F430. With the steering-wheel manettino set to "race" and its mid-mounted V-8’s 483 hp hot to trot, the Ferrari offers yet another unique driving experience. Turn-in is so crisp compared to the others in this group that steering input must be severely toned down; the immediacy of the throttle response demands a delicate right foot, and the car does everything you ask, sometimes even what you’re thinking of asking.

While not all supercars are so clairvoyant as the Ferrari, they each exhibit personality traits that lend character and charm. Back-to-back driving also reveals insight into each car’s ergonomic and design peculiarities. As car control exercises yield to California Speedway’s infield and banked outer course, the cars invite yet another layer of analysis, this time via decreasing radius turns, sharp left-handers, and the 130 mph straightaway. Laps alternate between rides with professional instructors and drives following pros in the same type of car, which enables participants to take in pointers before going solo. Breaks in the action bring out the inevitable shoptalk regarding which paddle shifters work best, which car’s handling is stickiest, and of course, which of the supercars is ultimately the most desirable.

A day spent sampling exotics overloads the senses, and as the driving sessions come to an end, participants gain an appreciation for the nuances of each vehicle. Whether you’re here to comparison shop for your next car, or revel in the lack of law enforcement or traffic, Supercar Life offers a unique opportunity to drive at speed in the relative safety of a track.

Now this is living.

Supercar Life, 877.420.0090, www.supercarlife.com