You know the type, folks...fellas that own 4-cylinder Japanese cars all hopped up to look cool and sound like they're fast. Their cars may even be pretty quick. Neon lights in strategic places, cool paint jobs, wings here and there, straight-through mufflers, blinged-out wheels, and so on.

Well, one night, three of them, looking for all the world like the real-life version of the "Delinquent Road Hazards" from the movie "Cars", were at the stop light. Green light comes, they take off like mad hornets, making all sorts of noise. I happen to be driving my 2003 S600, with the 5.5L twin-turbo V12 (M275) engine; my car is bone-stock, which means it's not loud. Driving sanely, I eventually catch up to them at the next stop light. They're revving their engines and making all sorts of noise. One looks over at me asking if I wanna go. Feeling a bit playful, I shrug my shoulders and say, sure, why not?

I've got my engine already revved up to 1800 RPM, which happens to be max torque for the M275 engine. Also, this engine type is naturally torquey anyway. Remember also, stock S600's are not loud, so they can't really hear what I'm doing. :-)

Green light comes. I leave these kids breathing my exhaust fumes. They're not too far behind me, but they're behind me. Next light (red) comes up, I slow down, we get to the red light, and their jaws are to the ground. They roll down their windows, and say, "OK, you got us, what is that car?" With an aw-shucks sort of manner, I tell 'em what it is, and they acknowledge the situation with thumbs-up signs. They apparently can respect a sleeper when they encounter one. They then make the right turn to where they're going, I keep on my way home, and all was well.

All in all, a fun little moment. And it's a reminder to all that a 15- to 16-year-old W220 is not necessarily to be underestimated. :-)