I have to be honest with you, I wasn't really looking forward to driving this car!

It's not that it's a bad car or anything, far from it. In fact, as with every Lexus on the planet, the vehicle rides and drives like a dream. No, the trouble which I had, was trying to figure out who I was going to get to don the chauffeur's hat whilst I enjoyed the rear passenger compartment, because after all, that's what this car is really all about.

After checking that Toyota had no objections to someone else driving the vehicle, I asked my wife if she would perhaps care to pilot the Lexus. Now Er-indoors, as I like to call her, might well have been born during the day, but it obviously wasn't yesterday, because she declined my kind offer. Actually, I don't believe that she saw it as a friendly gesture on my part at all. In fact, I'd relate her response to you but unfortunately there could be youngsters reading this!

Plan A down the drain, I moved onto plan B, and made a quick phone call to a good friend of mine...Hey, Simon, how would you like the opportunity to test drive the top-of-the-line Lexus? You would? Great, but could you maybe wear something a bit smart, after all, it is a $146,000 vehicle. Can I suggest that nice black suit which you wore to your friend's wedding last year, which not only looks good on you but would also enable you to feel more like the actual owner of a fine vehicle like this? Trust me, mate, this test-driving lark, it's all about becoming one with the car!

Of course, I made no mention of the chauffeur's headwear at this point because I had devised a cunning little plan to work that in somewhere later!

"Good to see you Simon, so what do you think, is that a nice car or what?"

Powered by a 5L V8 Hybrid system which enables the vehicle to glide away from the lights, yet, when required, it can accelerate like a rocket ship. Not only that, but it consumes fuel like a V6, so it gets the votes of the Green Party too! Can't be bad, eh!

Of course, to truly appreciate the graceful power and refinement of this machine, you'll need to sit up front undistracted by anything around you. I tell you what, I'll just pop in the back seat and keep as quiet as a mouse. That way you'll get the true feeling of owning a vehicle like this.

Off we went and true to my word, I kept perfectly quiet in the back seat. Mind you, that wasn't exactly easy for me, because I not only had my favorite comedy show playing on the rear DVD player, but thoughts of Simon happily chauffeuring moi around town almost brought me to breaking point. It was all I could do to stop myself from bursting out laughing.

Never mind, I held it in and sat back to enjoy the ride, and what a pleasant one it was. Honestly, I felt like a superstar back there! In fact, every now and then whilst sitting at the lights, I'd raise the electronic rear and side window shades just to make the drivers next to us wonder who was in the back of this luxury limo.

Could it be Mr. Clooney? Was Brad Pitt in town? Of course, occasionally I would lower the shades just as we pulled away leaving them thinking, who was that fine distinguished looking chap? (Ok fair enough, I used a little journalistic license on that last bit!)

Obviously, not too many people recognized me. In fact, if I said one, that would be a bit of an exaggeration.

I didn't care anyway, because I was having the time of my life. I now knew how those important VIP's felt when they rode around town in their chauffeur driven limousines. Of course, I didn't have all the benefits that they enjoy because when I referred to Simon as "James", he just gave me a blank stare as if I'd gone crazy.

Not to worry because in my personal limo, the Lexus LS 600HL Exec I had more toys and pleasure items than most celebrities ever get to enjoy in their Mercs and Bentleys. My ride was fitted with electronic memory rear seats, which not only reclined enough for me to take a short nap, but also breathed hot and cold air through their pores to keep my body at the perfect temperature whilst I slept.

Upon waking, I decided to relax and listen to some music. In fact, using the rear audio controls, I skipped through the channels and even explored the vehicle's inbuilt hard drive system to see what previous passengers had enjoyed. I tell you, I don't know what kind of journalists typically borrow these Lexus press vehicles, but their taste in music is a little suspect, if you know what I mean!.

Bored with that, I decided to go back to my Monty Pythons DVD and perhaps enjoy a gentle massage at the same time. No, we had not picked up a young therapist, this Lexus actually has a massage feature built into the rear seats, and not just one but two types!

Settling on the Shiatsu massage, I lay back and let the world of the underprivileged pass me by. It was then that I got a tad peckish, so out came my cucumber sandwiches (with the crusts cut off, after all, I am British) and a fine bottle of banana flavored milkshake. It would have been champagne, but I wasn't sure how the open liquor laws went, and besides, James, (I mean Simon), might have heard the pop of the cork.