Every Thursday night, I go to a mate's workshop. He runs a racing team and designs and builds cars - has done so for 30 years now. His Lordship knows him too.
Anyway, the whole thing is funded by a friend of his who is something of a wealthy individual to say the least. The bloke with the money is like the patron funding the artist's studio and the workshop is his project where our man does his thing. Strange setup, but that really is how it works. The Patron is rich enough to do this as a hobby.
Thursday night, I arrived to be told that The Patron is coming over with his new car.
And so he did.
Brand new with 200 miles on the clock, there it was in a lovely and subtle dark grey metallic.
He traded in his F430 to buy it.
Nothing less than a brand spanking new Gallardo LP560-4. £147, 000 plus options - he had added ceramic brakes and alcantara trim.
I know I'm only involved on the extreme periphery of motor racing, but it is fun to meet such blokes.
Today I fixed the sticky handbrake on my eight year old Golf.....