My office faces the parking lot of one of Monterey's major hotels - it's a favorite of auto enthusiasts because it's a nice place and they can park their cars outside their rooms. At the moment, the lot is filled with Ferraris, Lambos and their ilk. It's also headquarters for Aston-Martin Club. (Boy, those new David Browns are nice!)

So today I go outside to run an errand - the hotel lets me park my mildly-modded Berlina S in their lot, it's nice cuz I can keep an eye on the car - and there is a little group of guys checking out my car, craning their necks to look inside (top is down of course). One of them asks me in a heavy (Republicans should maybe stop reading here) French accent if "thees ees you car?" I tell him yes, it is.

"Best sports car buy in the world," he says, and then, with lots of gesturing, proceeds to (I think) explain the car to his buddies in French. Then he introduces himself to me and it turns out he is with Scuderia Ferrari and has something to do with Ferrari's new F1 car, which will be demo'd at Laguna Seca on Sunday. Meanwhile, the group has grown larger and I find myself showing the S to exotic car folks who are saying things like "rear wheel drive! wow!" I guess their tastes are so rarified that S2000's aren't even on their radar. Anyway, lots of smiles and and approving remarks for our car from the Billionaires Club!

Anyway, it was a Kodak Moment. And I think they were sincere, not just trying to make the guy with the Hershey Bar budget feel good. Thought you'd like to know!

 

More likely Italian accent. Why do think that would offend Republicans?

 

That's totally awesome. I'm almost scared to drive my car around town now that all the Italian Cars are in town, but it's nice to know that they respect the S. How cool.

PS. Where do you work in town? Which S is yours?

 

Would you expect anything less? Best sports car for under 100K

 

Classy folks.

 

way to represent our car

 

I bet the guy was saying "This car defiantly kicks the 350Z's ass" in french.