<WOB>My Worst Nightmare

["Greg Koenig" <gregk@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

There are 3 cars in this world I dream of driving rapidly in.  A Euro M3
SMG, a McLaren F1 and any V12 Ferrari.  Tonight, I crossed off the second
car on that list (I'm 2 for 3) under the most unnerving circumstances.
Nitya and I were over at Stanford European for a midnight job (he was
removing his "Illegal" exhaust).  In drove there latest sales car, an 89
Ferrari Testarossa.  They just got it at an auction and it had yet to be
inspected (as they do with all cars before sale).  I asked my friend in
sales if I could drive it, and he said "Sure, as long as I go with you." 
So, we get out on the road and I notice something about the throttle
sticking a little.  It was reving up to a certain RPM and then stating
there, even if I got off the gas.  Tap it (in this car, tapping the throttle
is like leaving an M3 at WOT in neutral for about 10 seconds, the revs just
SCREAM up!) and the revs would go back down.  We lived with it till the next
stop, jabbed the throttle a couple of times and it seemed to be ok.  We
revved it a couple of times just to make sure (well, that and to impress the
gaggle of attractive ladies across the street) and all seemed Ok.
We turn down El Camino, and I shift to second.  The salesman tells me to
stab the throttle.  Not really to go any faster, just to feel what it like
to have an Italian V12 kicking you in the ass.  Unfortunately, this time,
the throttle got stuck wide open, as we head right for a big intersection. 
Humm...
Well, so I throw in the clutch and the binders.  I don't know what speed we
were going (nailed about 6k in second gear, so it was pretty quick).  I
locked everything up with about 70 ft to spare before the intersection of
Page Mill and El Camino (a big intersection in Palo Alto).  Amazingly, the
thing came to a halt about 3ft short of running into cross traffic.
Most of the techs at Stanford were outside the shop waiting for the TR's
return, and all of them heard the incident and saw the tire smoke (there
were billows of it).  A Testarossa is a nice car, but the M3 can kill it
under braking any day of the week.  Other then that, it is one of the few
cars in the world truly deserving of the title "Rapid"  Too bad I am both
too tall and wide, otherwise, I think I would go pick one up... (or not)

Greg

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