As a thank you to all of the people that follow us on Instagram, TikTok and elsewhere we decided to give something back to our car community. We’re blessed here at Safe Auto to be able to see and transport Porsches, Lamborghini’s, McLaren’s and just about any car you can think of everyday. That said, most people rarely see these cars, much less get the opportunity to drive them. We decided to give a select group of random followers the opportunity of a lifetime during our Safe Auto Supercar Giveaway to not only see some of these cars up close, but to drive them as well for 6 hours through the scenic Niagara countryside courtesy of our friends at GTA Exotics.
At Safe Auto we participate in a lot of events. Like, all of the events actually. Did you hear about a car show, race day, or cruise? Odds are we were there. And after the fact we hear a lot of people feel left out, so we decided to hold a month long Instagram contest, randomly choosing winners and invite them to participate in the best exotic car rental experience this side of the GTA.
What a pleasure it is to drive a car. An even better experience is driving a purpose built sports or supercar. What could top that? Putting the pedal to the metal in someone else’s car! Powerful ponies, raging bulls, American super-muscles, JDM hero’s and super-hybrid, German gentlemen-racers, and well majored English thugs. All the heroes present and accounted for.
GTA Exotics will rent you a seat for a 3 or 6 hour experience driving through backroads. The company started when the owner Stew decided to purchase a Viper and rent it out on days he wasn’t using it. One viper turned to two, and turned into a fleet which evolved to a back country driving tour in some very special vehicles.
Our day at the Safe Auto Supercar Giveaway started early on Saturday. We showed up a bit early to get the lay of the land. When you pull up to the main office its not what you think. It’s actually not an office so much as it is a mansion. With e helipad and a full sized fountain at the tip of the circular driveway. Yes-helicopters and supercars. With more than 20 beauties lined up around the lot our 5 winners arrived. We saddled up after a safety orientation.
—Brief aside: when driving any car at any speed, safety first. Seriously. Going fast is fun but do it in a controlled setting. Also, dont crash other peoples cars trying to hang the tail out like your Chris Harris. Be a bit more Canadian than you think you should when pedalling another mans 488.—
GTA Exotics has done this for long enough their system is well refined. Each driver picks a car and sits next to a copilot. Every 30 minutes you swap seats, have a giggle, give the next driver some advice, then carry on. Every hour is a car swap. We started in the back with the new C8 Corvette because I wanted to finish driving the new Acura NSX. After a great day of driving and frequently conferring with our contest winners here’s a quick review of all 6 cars we drove.
The Cars
The C8 corvette: I don’t care who you are the centre console is ignorantly designed and not at all accessible. Having said that, its is a driver focused mid engine performance coupe. The new drivetrain placement gives the Corvette a totally new level of balance and cornering capability. Which we tested heavily. The 8 Speed Tremec dual clutch transmission is smooth and one of the fastest out there. The C8 Corvette is easily the new benchmark for performance at the sub 6 six figure mark, but not the favourite of the group.
The Ferrari F8 Tributo: 708 hp twin turbo V8? Hells yes. The all-black mid-engine luxury missile is easily too fast for the road. Not because it has too much power but it puts the power down so aggressively that it can’t keep traction. We kept the car in “sport mode” all day and even in this setting it wanted to break tires all day. Was it fast? Absolutely. Comfortable? At all almost all speeds, yes. And very drivable. But it becomes uncontrollable for the uninitiated at half throttle. This car needs to be driven with eyes wide open and a fast foot for braking.
The Porsche GT3 RS: This car is a love letter to every little boy who ever wanted to drive a race car as their daily. Until you stop working out and focus most of your time on work and or family only to develop a dad-bod. The GT3 RS has kept Chiropractors flushed with cash for the last decade, easily. Having said that, the drivability at the limit was sublime. This vehicle (with all of the safety settings on) makes every ham-fisted dope with more bravery than brains look feel like a GT class LeMans winner. The exhaust is deafeningly boomy, but only when its on. I can understand why so many people feel it’s the perfect car.
The Lamborghini Huracan EVO: That’s right-EVO. The top trim Lambo available at the time. Al wheel drive, 631 hp, 5.2 V10. Yeah baby. This this screams and sings and shouts to the 8500 rpm limiter. A playboy middle finger to Ferrari from its inception, it does the same thing as the F8 but differently. The power is smooth being naturally aspirated but still hits hard. A great middle ground between the Porsche and the Ferrari we drove. Thankful for the safety systems in the car as my copilot decided to brake late, almost all day. Loved this car.
The McLaren 720S: Wow. Just F*****g wow. It does everything a Ferrari does but better. A lot less drama when you are foot to the floor with. It lacks drama in a way but when you look at the speedo you are immediately going to jail. The Ferrari by comparison is a handful, and I’m convinced the McLaren will trample it in all tests except for braking. I didn’t expect it be so fun or the experience to be as visceral, and it over delivered on all aspects. This thing is a total thug of a car when giving it 10/10. So be careful, and keep the driving assists on, but enjoy it all with the top down. Love the dynamic rear spoiler too. Very race stuff.
The Acura NSX: The new one. Not the Ayrton Senna developed vehicle of the 90’s. I was truly most excited to drive this one. It’s an underdog that over delivers performance. Yes, a bit expensive for all the interior and styling is a bit boring, but the hybrid systems paired with the twin turbo V6 punches above its badges weight. It doesn’t feel as sharp as the McLaren, as unmanageable as the Ferrari, or sound as good at the Porsche. Saying it is boring isn’t right. But it is actually a mix of all of the other vehicles we drove. Not over whelming but surprising, not a teleported but bogglingly quick. It feels distinctly Japanese-better engineered with lesser quality materials. I think the price for the product has left it over looked, and I agree. But the performance is really a great over all super car.
The Conclusion
A big shout out to the Safe Auto Supercar Giveaway for putting us in these great vehicles. And massive thank you to GTA exotics for taking care of us. The staff are knowledgeable when it comes to vehicle driving and their individual personalities while wheeling. They had a very refined plan, ever changing driving route, and such an easy system. Starting at $379 Canadian for the 3 hour and $549 for the 6 hour, its worth every penny. Great gift, team building experience, or driving a bucket list car. Contact GTA Exotics for a backroads jaunt you wont soon forget.
And don’t forget Safe Auto Canada is the #1 Choice in Vehicle Transport and Storage in Toronto, Canada, and North America wide.
