The following piece appeared in North Shore Magazine, for which Matt served as Editor:
My Lunch with Gallardo
By Matt Robinson
As soon as I pulled into the gravel driveway of Countryside Offices in North Andover, I knew I was in trouble. But this was the kind of “trouble” you get into when presented with an ice cream sundae at a table where everyone else is on a diet.
In other words, I was going to like this!
The reason for this “trouble” was impossible to miss – bumblebee yellow and as low and slick as a snake’s belly, the Lamborghini Gallardo looked fast even when standing still.
Sucking up my salivation, I walked into the office to meet my host and copilot, John Caron of The Otto Club (www.ottoclub.com).
With an office that was dotted with posters and models of all sorts of dream cars, it was clear that Caron was a true enthusiast.
“These cars do things you can’t do in a Honda,” he suggested. “But not everyone can afford them or even wants to.
Much like the new trends of fractional ownership for planes and boats (see main story), the Otto Club offers members the opportunity to drive luxury automobiles without having to pay for them outright.
“We want to take the cars off the poster,” Caron explained, “and put them in your driveway.”
Speaking of “driveway,” John– Let’s go!
As soon as I closed the long, sculpted door, I was surrounded on all sides by pure automotive genius. From the control panel in front of me, which could have been that of a jet fighter, to the roaring engine behind, this car was all…car.
Gingerly crossing the busy street, Caron flicked the paddle shifter (the car also came with an automatic mode, but really…) and I was thrown back into the two-toned leather seat with a whiplash smile.
“This is a great on-ramp,” he said to me as we approached the highway. “I’d do it at [speed removed to protect the guilty], but I’ll spare you.
“Don’t spare me!” I smiled.
I’ve gotta say– There’s just something about taking an on-ramp at [deleted] mph!
After lunch, it was my turn. And though I started out in automatic, eventually, the lure of the paddles proved too strong.
“This is amazing,” I said through grinning teeth.
As I clicked up and down, the panther behind me roared in approval, and one by one, the cars ahead of us became the cars behind us.
To quote the Duke boys – “Yeeeeee-ha!”
