Coastal Star writer Rich Pollack test-drove a Porsche 911 Turbo. BELOW: Drivers take to the road
in the Waldorf Astoria Driving Experience in a McLaren MP4-12C (front),
a Ferarri 458 Italia (center) and a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Photos by Joe Skipper/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
There are cars that speak to you, that tell you when your door is open, where to turn as you navigate unfamiliar terrain and when a call is coming in on your cell phone.
Then there are the cars that roar, letting their motors do all the talking — or, given the opportunity, the screaming.
These are cars only a few ever get to drive and they include exotics like a McLaren MP4-12C, a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Now, the circle of those lucky enough to get a taste of what it feels like to be behind the wheel of three powerful vehicles — including a couple priced beyond that of an average three-bedroom home with a two-car garage — is expanding ever so slightly, thanks to the Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences.
Brought to you by the people who own the iconic Boca Raton Resort & Club, the driving experience provided 35 hotel guests — who each plunked down a cool grand last month — a chance to take a tour of South Palm Beach County while driving cars that can hit top speeds of over 200 miles per hour and when properly punched can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 2.8 seconds.
Also getting a chance to take these fast cars for a three-hour spin were a handful of journalists, including yours truly, who — after signing a series of waivers and learning that we would be on the hook for the $7,500 deductible should the unimaginable happen — got to take turns driving each of the vehicles.
Guiding us on our journey — which took us from State Road A1A to U.S. Highway 441 and from Boca Raton to West Palm Beach — was retired race car driver Didier Theys.
Surprisingly patient for a man who has won twice at Daytona, stood on the podium at Le Mans and won the 12 Hours of Sebring, Theys gave each of us a one-on-one overview of the vehicles we were about to drive. For most of the folks in our group, this was the first chance we had to drive cars that most can only dream of taking out on the open road.
First up was the McLaren, a car many of those who posed for photos with the vehicles outside the Boca Resort & Club had never seen before. With its butterfly — or vertical — doors open and its sleek look, the McLaren has the sportiest appearance of the cars we drove.
It may also have been the most powerful. Pulling out of the hotel’s parking lot, the McLaren kept wanting to go, creeping forward the second the brake was released.
As we headed out on Palmetto Park Road to 441, our co-pilot for the first leg of the drive — Stuart Foster, marketing vice president for Waldorf Astoria — kept encouraging us to “punch it” to feel the real power of the McLaren. Fearing flashing blue lights in the rearview mirror and ever mindful of the $7,500 deductible, we kept our need for speed in check.
We did, however, manage to get the McLaren into sixth gear. Although we were in the mid-90s speed range, it felt as though we were only traveling at half that speed.
Later, Foster would get behind the wheel of the McLaren and give it that 0 to 60 “punch” as he whipped past a slow-moving truck.
It quickly became obvious that he wasn’t as worried about the deductible as we were.
As he drove, Foster explained that the Waldorf Astoria Driving Experiences, a pilot program being held this year at six of the company’s premier resorts, were designed to emphasize the heart and soul of the Waldorf Astoria brand — that it is an unforgettable experience.
“What we’re doing is creating a memory that is unforgettable and that will bring guests back,” he said, adding that the program is likely to expand next year.
Certainly for us, the experience truly was unforgettable.
Of the three cars we test drove, each had its own strengths and appeal. The McLaren had the power, the Ferrari had the sound and the feel of a true race car while the Porsche 911 Turbo had the ride and the comfort of a car you could easily drive on your commute to work or on a weekend drive.
While none of these cars will talk to you, they are all cars you will talk about once you’ve had the opportunity to put them through their paces.
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