Two days, seven supercars, 4,000 hp: The ultimate driving experience

After spending time winding along California’s Highway 1 in the spartan Japanese road rocket that is the Nissan GT-R, luxuriating in the Teutonic splendor of the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster was heaven, and surely nothing like the rough beast up next, Lamborghini’s race-ready Performante.

Now, the next sentence here should read: and then I woke up.

But this was no dream. Rather, I tagged along on a one-day mad dash from Napa Valley to Santa Monica in seven supercars organized by Driving Xllence, one of a growing number of companies catering to folks who like their five-star vacations to include road time in some of the world’s finest automobiles.

Judging from the dozen clients on this abridged version of the company’s standard two-day California drive, which runs between $6,500 and $7,500 per couple with three nights lodging, customers range from those who have exotics in their garages but want to try other marques, to those who earn enough to sample the dream but not own it.

“The driving experience has to be in line with the product being driven” says Driving Xllence CEO Jean Paul Libert. “If you’re going to spend good money to drive supercars, that time should be as unforgettable as possible, organized by people who really appreciate motoring. Not just a few hours on a track, but real driving adventures with like-minded enthusiasts.”

Libert’s background is in both the commercial and driving sides of racing. He spent years negotiating corporate sponsorships in Formula One as well as racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which led to a friendship with endurance driving veteran Didier Theys, who serves as Driving Xllence’s director of driving.

The big day dawned rainy in Napa, causing the parade of absurdly competent automobiles - which also included the Lamborghini Aventador, Audi R8 Spyder, Ferrari 458 Italia and McLaren MP4-12C - to crawl across the Golden Gate Bridge. Somewhere around Monterey the clouds parted and the speeds picked up. On the snaking coastal route by Big Sur, gaps between tourist rental cars were exploited with neck-snapping glee. Only a few times did Theys’ voice squawk to life on the walkie-talkie he wielded inside his Chrysler 300 pace car, warning of highway patrolmen lying in wait.

Decades ago, hopping in a car with 500 or 600 horsepower would have demanded an FIA license and a lack of sanity. Today, with automatic transmissions and NASA-like safety features, the only way to really get in trouble is to forget you’re not Didier Theys and start taking turns way too fast. That’s a long drop to the ocean.

Owning even one Ferrari would be a thrill, but flogging seven state-of-the-art machines without worrying about whether you’ll need new tires or a five-figure tune-up is wildly liberating. Some impressions from behind the wheel, in the order I drove them:

Lamborghini Aventador

6.5-liter V12, 700 horsepower, 11/17 miles per gallon city/highway; $376,000

There are lots of ways to describe “crushing disappointment,” but heading my list of late is drawing this top-of-the-line Lambo out of the gate, in time for a painfully dull, rain-snared plod through San Francisco traffic. Nonetheless, there is lots to enjoy even at slow speeds. An evolution of the Murcielago, the Aventador boasts an even more alien-craft shape that’s just this side of Transformers. Inside, the virtual dash is dominated by the tach, actual speed relegated to a small digital readout. The car’s F1-derived suspension and carbon fiber monocoque combine to make steering inputs immediate, while the seven-speed single-clutch transmission - in auto mode - kicks down with satisfying throttle blips each time your foot grazes the brake pedal. Given some open, dry road and this could have been an encounter for the ages.

Pro: Nothing quite as beastly on the road today

Con: A daily driver only if you live on a racetrack

Nissan GT-R

3.8-liter V6, 530 hp, 16/23 mpg; $89,950

Go from the most expensive car in this group to the least and you’re bound to suffer some culture shock. But once you get over the pedestrian interior, the Nissan’s purpose makes itself clear with one look at the 220-mph speedo. It’s both comfortable and screamingly fast, which is likely why a number of folks on this trip announced that at home they proudly park one next to their less street-worthy exotic. The recently tweaked GT-R now features revised engine mapping and a new exhaust that account for the car’s 450 lb-ft of torque. And there’s something delicious about how the mighty Nissan can run with these exotics while saving enough to buy a nice house in the Midwest.

Pro: A genuine wolf in sheep’s sheetmetal

Con: Many prefer looking like a wolf