LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO SPYDER
The canary yellow Gallardo is one of the flashiest cars in the group, and it's also one of the most fun to drive. There's something special about a convertible sports car in sunny weather, and something especially cool about one that sounds and accelerates like this; the V10's beastly roar becomes especially intoxicating when it echoes off canyon walls, tunnels, or basically any hard surface nearby. The eGear six-speed paddle shifter isn't especially graceful, but in Sport mode it delivers quick, back-thwacking gear changes that reveal the car's rough edges. In a good way. In spite of its Audi-sourced interior parts, the Gallardo Spyder has a strong personality of its own, especially with the top down, the V10 wailing, and the massive Pirellis hugging the dizzying canyon roads. "I could get used to this," I think to myself shortly before abandoning the keys and preparing for exotic #4.
PORSCHE 911 TURBO CABRIOLET
I once owned a 1983 911 SC so I may be partial to Porsches, but it's hard to compare this $130,000 roadster to these exotics. Not only is it the most inexpensive of the bunch, it's also the most buttoned-down; it doesn't have the Gallardo's flash, the Bentley's luxury, or the Ferrari's audaciousness. What it attempts to do, however, it does quite well; it accelerates like a bat out of hell, sticks to the road like Krazy Glue, and rides surprisingly smoothly. Too bad the most practical supercar of the group becomes almost anonymous in contrast to all this hyperstyled sheetmetal. Though incredibly capable, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet isn't quite as involving as the Ferrari. Porsche 911 GT2s and GT3s take driver feedback to a whole new level, but the 911's twin turbos and all-wheel drive make it quite a bit more civilized—which is great for everyday driving, but not quite the stuff of out-of-reach supercars.
BENTLEY CONTINENTAL SPEED GT
Driving the Bentley last is like topping off a lavish meal with a sweet, rich chocolate bar. Its elegant lines may be tame when compared to the sportier exotics, but this grand touring machine cloaks some of the most opulent usage of wood, leather, and aluminum this side of the Orient Express. Whisk the windows up and this baby is as quiet as a vault; mash the heavy accelerator pedal and you won't believe how fast the speedometer spins; the Speed GT hustles its two tons of weight effortlessly and quietly. It might be easy to rack up speeding tickets in the Bentley, but its clubby interior and luscious exterior make breaking the law a surprisingly civil act. Needless to say, it's especially hard to return these keys, especially since it's the last car I drive before tumbling back to the reality of "normal" cars.
IN CONCLUSION
Most people either totally comprehend, or just don't "get" the allure of driving an exotic car. If you're the type of person that falls into the former category, you'll probably find this program's $1,500 fee a reasonable price to pay for the opportunity to sample the crème de la crème of the automotive universe. World Class Driving's selection of top shelf sports cars is excellent, and experiencing each one from the driver's seat allows for an unforgettable sequence of sights, smells, and sounds.
The flip side is that you can't control traffic around you, so your experience will depend largely on where you enroll in the program. The roads we covered in Malibu and Thousand Oaks were gorgeous, but on more than one occasion we got stuck behind slow moving trucks and lazily meandering sedans; not quite the ultimate way to sample a supercar. Competitors like Supercar Life hold their events at rented tracks, but their prices are significantly higher—figure about $5,000 for a day of driving. And they still have a lead/follow format to protect their vehicles from high-speed mishaps.
But if you live and breath exotics, World Class Driving might make your year. If you're reluctant to shell out the cash you can always pick up a Playstation 3, a force feedback steering wheel, and a copy of Grand Turismo V, but rabid fans of exotics probably know that the virtual experience can never compare to the real thing.
