A couple weeks back I was able to attend the American Le Mans Series race at Lacuna Seca. It’s one of the two events that I have made a part of my life for the last 10+ years and it’s usually the only time I get to hang out with my siblings since we are all living in different places. This year’s event was just as exciting as every year but there was one thing off the track that I hadn’t seen before, the McLaren MP4-12C. This car is simply beautiful. Although you could say that it’s overpriced comparatively speaking, after seeing it in person, getting a ride or drive in one of these has definitely been added to my Bucket List.

A few weeks ago, as I was making my annual holiday rounds through Northern California, I was able to catch up with one of my friends that lives in the South Bay, Silicon Valley, area. Making a visit for lunch turned out to be much more than anticipated, as my friend’s boyfriend is a mechanic for Tesla Motors at the Menlo Park location. Adding to the awesomeness of catching up with friends, we made a stop at Tesla before heading to grab a bite to eat at Schaub’s in Palo Alto (also highly recommended).

Tesla is orgasmic combination of hippie meets car guy for me because the cars are obviously eco-friendly but they’re also true sports cars.

My expectations for the Tesla Roadster has been clouded with all sorts of naysayers but I think the car is beautiful and I’m all for saving gas money anytime I can. The design is rumored to use a basic Lotus chassis but after talking to John Scalmanini, one of the Product Specialists at the Menlo Park location, saying that a Tesla is just a fancy Lotus is kind of like saying a Chip Foose designed car just wears a fancy paint job.

I haven’t ridden in a lot of high-end sports cars before, in fact my experience is pretty limited when it comes to ride-alongs. I’ve spent more time in cars designed to roll low and slow, and high-revving front wheel drives than any exotics. I have been in some pretty torque heavy “American Iron” that will snap your neck back however.

To say that the Tesla throws you back in your seat is the understatement of the century. It isn’t a neck-snapping feeling like most cars, but rather, your entire body is thrust back into the leather bucket seats uncontrollably…and almost silently. The sound of the Tesla is so minimal compared to traditional motor vehicles that it seems to increase all of your other senses in a way that is truly indescribable. Not only do the seats hug you but the carbon fiber strewn about throughout the interior makes it feel that much more exhilarating to see the tachometer and speedometer launch upwards as you accelerate. 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds is a beautiful thing and I highly suggest finding a Tesla dealer to experience it.

Thanks to my brother for the images.