by Marcella Ortega
Daily Lobo
Last Thursday, I was in the newsroom when Harrison Brooks busted out the door and said he was on his way to test-drive cars.
Before I continue, let me get you acquainted with Brooks.
Brooks is the Daily Lobo's 20-year-old photo editor who drives fast and collects parking tickets. Anyway, I asked if I could go with him. This was an opportunity of a lifetime - it's funny enough when he drives his own car. I don't care about automobiles, and Brooks knows that.
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After making faces that insinuated he didn't want me to go, he said,
"I guess."
So, fast as the wind, we were off to the 2007 New Mexico International Auto Show at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The place had more than 300 cars, trucks and SUVs. We met with a couple of car dealers, and they let us choose which cars we wanted to test-drive.
Brooks went with a 2007 Corvette C6. I was ready to put my life on the line, but Brooks told me I couldn't ride with him because it was a two-seater, and the salesman needed to supervise.
So, I decided to drive an economy car. It was a 2007 Nissan Versa. The salesman, Vic Martinez, said the car cost $12,500 for a base model and $18,500 fully loaded. He said that depending on how the financing is set up, someone would have to come up with about $1,500 to get one. At first, I thought the car was really lame, but as I drove, Martinez started showing me all the little gadgets. The coolest part was the intelligent key. It's impossible to lock the key in the car because of a device called a proximity sensor. The key will also start the car without being in the ignition. The car also had Bluetooth compatibility, which means you can program your cell phone to the stereo so you won't break the law.
After we the drove cars, we went inside and looked at concept cars. DeeDee Taft, a Spin Communications representative, said the purpose of a concept car was to look into the future of automotive design. I liked the Ford Reflex. It was silver, and the interior was beige and red. The inside had a '60s-meets-future design to it. The seats were made from recycled Nike shoes. It even had a matching futuristic car seat.
Brooks was all about the Cadillac Sixteen. He gazed at it and said I was looking at a $6 million car. He gave me a brief history of the Cadillac Sixteen and told me some rumor about Jay Leno offering $12 million for it. Then, and I can see this in slow motion, Brooks asked me to take a picture of him next to it. This was a moment to remember because Brooks doesn't think I can take pictures, and the artist takes his craft very seriously. After I captured the moment, we left.
Though I didn't get to experience Harrison's high-speed adventure, the car show was an educational experience. Thank God for Mr. Brooks and his love of the road.
