HNT(28) Overdrive

I was out on the road pretty often this summer. On one occasion I needed to rent a car to get around for the day and then later drive through the night to the closest airport for an early morning flight back to Philadelphia. I was walking out of the rental office towards my reserved mid-size economy car when I suddenly came upon a brand new, fire-engine red Ford Mustang GT convertible. I wheeled around and went back to ask the agent how much an upgrade would cost. When she said it would only be $10 more I jumped at the chance.

During the day I had been driving in stop-and-go city traffic. The 400+ horsepower V-8 engine growled under the hood as it was forced to practically idle at speeds around 40 mph. The motor finally came to life once it had the chance to fully open up on the long, straight drive to the airport. I was a little shocked when I looked down at the dashboard and realized that my speed had already shot up to around 90 in less than a minute.

I eased back on the gas and then experienced one of my most enjoyable car rides ever. The top was down and a bright, full moon and countless stars formed the roof overhead. The warm summer air swept over the top of the windshield past my face and filled the night with a constant, low hum.

After almost thirty minutes without any other traffic on the road, I wanted to see how the Mustang handled at higher speeds. I gripped the wheel tighter and my foot steadily sank down lower on the accelerator. The pitch of the engine climbed to a full roar as the needle climbed higher and higher on the speedometer. I kept my foot pushed down on the pedal as my speed crept up past 90, and then I pushed even harder in order to see what 100 felt like. My body became pressed into my seat as the lights along the road began to flash by in a neon blur. The sense of unbridled speed was totally exhilarating.

I reluctantly handed back over the keys once I arrived at the airport for the flight back home. I had planned on driving my 8-year old car for several more years, but now I think I just might have to speed up that process. The open road is calling.