"What do you mean take it for a spin?"
I was cautious as I accepted this request, for starters I hadn't visited New Delhi in 7 years and I mean, it was a $300k Lamborghini.
"I have a bit of work to do, go for a drive, hang out, have fun."
I've never been more stressed in my life.
Disclaimer: I have an obscenely wealthy childhood friend who now lives in India. Deal with it.
If you never driven in a city before, there's two things you need to know: it sucks and you're bound to crash. At least in LA or NYC there are highways and open roads when you get OUT of the city. But when you're in India, there is traffic, and then some more traffic, and then finally when you're out of the city the roads are so bad that you might as well be in traffic. Sure there is the National Highway, and for portions it's a great road but then you'll see a pothole the size of a Polo and you realize, well yes, this is still India.
Still, while I see Lamborghini's daily, a rarely have chances to drive one, so I wasn't going to say no. This was probably the best Murcielago made too, LP670-4 SV with a 6 speed, none of that garbage flappy paddle stuff. An honest to good gated shifter and a clutch pedal, I was happy, happy, happy. Drove it out his house, got on the road and holy crap I was at 60 km/h before I realized what I was doing and BRAKE! Holy shit there's a Scooter merging in front of me! Pay more attention man, this is an expensive car.
I change lanes, err what I think are lanes because the lines drawn on the ground are just suggestions, you make your own lanes and rules. Ok, so I get a nice spot of road, drive like an Indian and gun it and merge back in front of those AutoRikshahs, ok...go for it! Got for it! Go for it! BRAKE! OMG THERE'S A CAR IN MY LANE DRIVING AT ME! This is a boulevard type road, meaning there are two separate sides. Why? Why?! Is there a car going the wrong way on the boulevard? And now he's yelling at me. Oh jeez, I need a stiff drink.
So I take a U-Turn and I drive towards The Imperial Hotel, somewhere where at least the Murcielago will feel at home among the Bentleys, Ferraris, and other high end cars. I drove the car 20km/h the entire way. I was too scared of anything happening to it to even enjoy the drive. I got to the hotel, had my drink and called my friend to pick me up, he sent a driver and drove me home.
When discussing the ride, he wasn't surprised when I told him how terrible a time I had. He told me that three times a year he ships one of his cars to Europe and drives it cross-continent to actually enjoy it. Kind of makes sense why all those Sheikhs and their children bring their cars to London every summer. And then he offered me something a little more fun...and a little more American:
You see them clogged up on the highways in the US everywhere you go and they don't look so exciting. But a pair of $40k each (after customs and taxes) Harley-Davidson Superglides are about as common as a Veyron in India. And seriously, it was the most fun ride I've had in a long time. Easily could go 70-100km/h in the side roads and byways and the sound! The glorious sound of an American V-Twin! In the US, when infested with obese geriatrics, they're just annoying but here I started to see why they love them so much.
Just one piece of advice, Harley's are heavy and you drop it don't pick it up from the right side, your hands won't be happy.
Driving a Murcielago in India is like Pissing on a Picasso