We had left the main group of Audi R8s and were heading west. Fast. Somewhere on the border of Nevada and California, late of Las Vegas, heading for Death Valley. It was one of those roads you get in this part of the world: bullet-straight to the horizon, then a crest, then...
In our case, a state trooper coming the other way. So we’re in California, after all. I felt – how can I put this? – something of a tightening somewhere a chap would not want to be feeling such a thing, a primeval instinct to put distance between danger and your chances of fulfilling your biological obligation to the next generation.
Nor was I comforted by the fact that he was not at the side of the road with a speed gun. Only the night before in the lobby of some fabulously tasteless hotel, I’d been warned the law in this part of the world came with dashcams that could detect the speed of cars coming towards them.
The state trooper blasted past, almost as fast as a single expletive shot from my lips. Instantly my passenger leaned forward to look in the exterior mirror on his side, while I watched the one in the car.
And it was very impressive, as good a handbrake turn as I’ve seen executed at speed on a public road. Yes, that road was straight and wide, but so too was his Crown Victoria and he still spun it entirely within its own length, selecting neutral, flicking the steering, yanking on the bar, reselecting drive and jumping back on the gas with the aplomb of a seasoned pro. The only way I’d have been more impressed is if he’d got the lights and sirens going at the same time. But no: he waited until he was straight for that. “I think you’d better stop,” said a doleful voice from across the aisle. No shit, Sherlock.
He parked behind us, got out and slowly donned his big hat and obligatory Aviators before walking languidly over to us.
Window down. Contrite face. Don’t get out of car. Resist urge to say: “What seems to be the matter, officer?” Try not to think of the pocket- sprung mattress and Egyptian cotton you’ll soon be swapping for a concrete block and bloke with a spider tattoo across his face as a roomie.
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I spend a lot of time in Italy - Lake Garda to be precise. The R8 became a normal, but not common, sight when convoys of them, usually a dark colour, all with Ingolstadt registrations would use the western lakeside road. Think back to the opening sequence (in reinforced concrete tunnels) of 007 Quantum of Solace.
Ah yes, Quantum of Solace, a movie without a single Audi R8...