Day in the life of a supercar owner
Friday, July 24th, 2009
We’re a funny old bunch in Blighty. This is perhaps the only country in Europe where driving a Supercar can generate more sneers than anything else. There’s no doubt – especially considering the current climate – that the general reaction to, say, a £200K Lamborghini LP640 rumbling through our green and pleasant land often focuses on who’s actually driving it, and the subconscious hope they are lacking in some other department.
Let’s compare that to Italy, arguably home of the Supercar. I often have the pleasure of gunning one of the Lamborghini’s over the Swiss Alps to the little village of Sant’Agata Bolognese near Modena, home of Automobili Lamborghini Spa. Should I happen to meet another of Sant’Agata’s finest on the autostrada, the predictable wild gesticulations from the occupants never fails to raise a grin. Nor does the almost hysterical reaction from locals on seeing one of their own. Such bonhomie in complete contrast to good old England where a shaken fist is often the response.
But another of the troubles of owning a Supercar is that all eyes are on you, especially when trying to alight with dignity. Being a clumsy oaf, I have more than a few embarrassing tales of woe including one dating from just a few months ago, when I was nearing the front of one of those long silent queues waiting to pay in a fuel station. On reaching the till the attendant nodded at the black Aston Martin DBS I’d thundered up in, now parked next to pump 4 and asked ‘How much?’ Well used to this question I replied without hesitation ‘Oh about £170 grand’. ‘No’ he replied throwing me a nauseous look, ‘how much fuel did you put in it’?
I’ll save the worst till last though. Out with a friend in Leeds centre just recently, and this time ensconced in 6th Gear’s bright Orange Lamborghini Murcielago. I was persuaded by my passenger to park in a rare space outside a well known bar on Greek Street. As there’s almost no rear vision in these monsters, reversing isn’t exactly child’s play. The trick is to raise the upward opening door, perch on the sill, and lean far out to get a clear view behind. I’d almost completed this conspicuous manoeuvre with an audience gathering – and was feeling quite pleased with myself at getting it spot on. That was until my foot accidentally slipped from the clutch thereby propelling this carbon fibre weapon into the front of a Clio parked behind, all amid the cheers of aforementioned onlookers. It still makes me cringe now.
They don’t warn you about that in the manual….
Simon George
Simon George is a long standing contributing writer best selling car magazine ‘Evo’ and co-founder of 6th Gear, a Supercar Driving Experience company based near York. Covering well over 100,000 road and track miles a year in 6th Gear’s fleet he begins a series of articles on the trials and tribulations of owning and running Supercars..
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