With a top speed just shy of 200 miles per hour, and a price tag at about $200,000, getting behind the wheel of a supercar was just a dream. But, thanks to Exotic Driving Events and a surprise gift from Christine, I was able to live out that dream.
Exotic Driving Events is a company that gives regular people the experience of riding in and even driving expensive supercars. They have locations all around the country, and we were lucky to check one out just outside of the Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter.
I currently drive a Ford Fiesta. And not even the upgraded model that’s used for rally races. I have the regular goes-0-to-60-in-about-10-seconds and tops-out-at-100-miles-per-hour model. So when I was given the chance to drive a Lamborghini Gallardo 550, a really expensive car with the sole purpose of going really fast, I was super excited, but also super intimidated.
I wanted to see the car in action before driving it, so we got to the track a little early and watched some of the other novice drivers take the Gallardo (as well as a Ferrari) around the track, which was marked by orange traffic cones in a huge paved area next to the raceway. If I thought that watching the supercar in action was somehow going to calm my anxiety, man, was I wrong. Just hearing how loud the engine was and seeing how quickly the car accelerated was enough to have me thinking about walking away and driving home in my modest 4-door sedan.
But my ride had already been paid for, so there was no backing out. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. My brother-in-law had also been gifted this amazing but terrifying experience, and he was slated to drive the car before me, serving as a sort of crash test dummy. Talking with him after his ride, he emphatically urged me to be more aggressive than he had been, and not be intimidated by the power (and possible repair costs) of the Lamborghini. Fortunately we sprung for the optional Vehicle Protection Policy, so I wasn’t too worried about damaging it (although I’m pretty sure the policy didn’t cover the possibility of totaling the car). Still though, I was a little nervous.
Because of the power of the vehicle and the seemingly close proximity of things for me to run into at 200 miles per hour (walls, barrels, spectators), I expected to be fitted with all kinds of safety gear: flame retardant suit, racing helmet, wearable airbag, etc. But the instructor assured me that I had nothing to worry about. After a brief rundown of some basic instructions (right pedal = go, left pedal = stop) and tips on how to attack the course, I was ready for my supercar driving experience. Or so I thought. Somehow, I managed to stall out, which was embarrassing for two reasons: A) One of my first cars was a manual transmission and I pride myself on being proficient in driving a stick-shift, and B) The car that I was driving had an automatic transmission. Don’t ask me how that’s possible, I was too worried that I had broken a $200,000 car (something about optional manual shift-paddles). After being reassured by the instructor that the car was okay, I was once again ready to take off.
I can’t accurately describe how it felt to floor an engine with over 500 horsepower, but I’ll try. My body was instantly flattened into the seat, the force so strong that I was unable to move my head. Everything except for my right foot was paralyzed with a combination of exhilaration and terror. For a split second, I may have blacked out. And did I mention the engine? I was not prepared for the roar that came from under the hood. It was like a lion and a bear had a baby, and I was riding that lion-bear offspring, and it was PISSED. The fillings in my teeth were vibrating.
I managed to survive all 3 laps around the course, gaining confidence as I got (slightly) more comfortable with the car. But when I was done, it was time for me to swap seats with the instructor, and find out what the car was really capable of. Riding shotgun, I realized why they don’t have the instructor drive first, because I would have definitely tried to drive the car the same way he did: barely braking (if at all) around curves, and hitting triple digits on the straight-away (I can only guess, because I wasn’t able to see the speedometer, on account of my eyes being filled with tears of joy and fear (mostly fear)).
Despite the initial anxiety, driving a supercar was such a great experience that my brother-in-law and I designated that day to be Lambo Day, and decided that we would do it again every year on that day. Hopefully next time I’ll be able to take what I learned and really find out what I can do in a supercar.
For dashcam footage of my supercar experience, be sure to check out our Instagram account @pdadventure!
The down and dirty of it all…
Exotic Driving Events offers the otherwise rare opportunity to experience the high speed rush of driving a supercar with the reassuring guidance of a veteran driver. You can spring for the optional Vehicle Protection Policy if you’re worried about damaging the (very expensive) car. Best of all, for a little extra, you get a video of your driving adventure so that you can relive the excitement over and over again.
Memorable Moments:
Christine’s
- Joffrey stalling out
- The sandhill cranes hanging out near/on the track
- The look of excitement/sheer terror on Joffrey’s face when it was his turn
Joffrey’s
- Seeing another driver hitting and dragging a cone around the track and thinking “just don’t be THAT guy”
- Thinking I was going to Tokyo Drift around the turn and then going so slow around the turn I’m pretty sure I put my blinker on first
- Immediately wanting to go around the track again as soon as I was done
No Regrets! (except for maybe…)
- Not convincing my brother-in-law that we should wear Ricky Bobby/Cal Naughton Jr. jumpsuits (Shake and Bake!)
Where will your next adventure take you?
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