When `pretty please' isn't enough

Close, so close.

Somehow, I talked my way into the barricaded area but no matter how much I pleaded, I couldn't get behind the wheel of the red Ferrari California 599XX ($2 million).

"It's too expensive," said Sergio, the salesman. "If I let you sit in the car, everyone will want to." He pointed to the swelling crowd outside the roped-off area.

Could he at least open it for me to take a peek? No, he said. I was crestfallen, close to tears. The salesman wavered, telling me I could visit the dealership any time and even snooze in the red beauty if I wanted.

But this was my assignment: to go incognito to the AutoShow, find the most expensive cars and get behind their wheels.

How hard could that be?

Think Louvre and Mona Lisa.

High-end cars are locked, and the showstoppers are roped off. You can look but not touch and you certainly can't sit inside.

I knew it would be tough, especially since I didn't look like I had a million dollars in my bank account – hell, I don't even have expensive boots! (Boots are giveaways to salespeople quietly assessing your buying capabilities, according to a newsroom tip.)

All I had was a smile, and charm.

After the rejection from Ferrari, my next stop was car paradise – Lamborghini, where two sleek black cars were displayed behind a barricade as people took photographs from some 10 metres away. A baby-faced salesman seemed easygoing. I felt emboldened.

I pointed at the Murciélago, the two-door sports car ($415,000).

"Can I get a closer look?" I asked.

He shook his head. The car had been sold and the owner wouldn't appreciate an open-door policy, he claimed.

Two brush-offs in a row?

I lingered. Finally, he told me to come later and he would see what he could do, but when he wouldn't promise a chance behind the wheel I knew it wasn't worth a return visit.

Ashamed of my failure, I was ready to go home for a good cry but Star photographer Andrew Wallace, who had been quietly trailing, nudged me ahead.

We walked by the Harley-Davidson booth where kids climbed all over bikes as salespeople watched. I was in a skirt but I clambered over the Fat Boy Low ($22,000).

A little less grouchy, I went to the next stop: Mercedes.

People milled around at least a half-dozen unlocked cars, which were smudged with fingerprints; one even had a scratch.

Those didn't interest me. I liked the red SLS AMG coupe ($198,000) – it was on a rotating stage and off-limits. It looked to die for.

"I'm very interested in that car," I said. "I just took a close look at the Ferrari California."

Just then, Cam Woolley, CP24's high-profile reporter, walked in with a cameraperson. Without so much as an excuse me, the salesman rushed over and took him to the enclosure.

I fumed.

Another salesman noticed me scowling. Very smoothly, he guided me to the less expensive black S400 Hybrid ($105,900).

It was a good-looking car but after a close-up with the Ferrari, nothing else could pass muster.

I slipped behind the wheel.

The feel of new leather and chic styling – I loved it.

"Why should I buy this and not a Bentley?" I asked. (I don't even know what a Bentley looks like and there wasn't even one at the show.)

"Because it's a hybrid and it's economical," he said. Since when did a car that costs $105,900 get to be considered economical? My long-suffering Kia Sephia, which I bought pre-owned for $3,800 two years ago, is economical, dude.

I thanked him and moved on.

The Jaguars and Land Rovers were next door, and all were locked. I spied a burgundy SUV on a platform.

About a dozen of us admired the Range Rover Autobiography ($103,850). Steve, one of the key keepers, instantly nodded when I said I wanted to get in.

It felt perfect.

The leather upholstery came from the "very best hides" and there was more of it than I had ever seen in a car. Even the floor mats were edged with leather.

This is the car for me if I ever win Lotto 6/49.

Steve hovered as I sunk deeper into the leather. "You are the first person I've let inside," he said. "You had a glazed look."

He informed that many cars, even the million-dollar ones, used to be unlocked until some years ago when thieves struck and made off with thousands of dollars worth of knobs, sticks and even floormats.

What they couldn't take, they slashed or punctured.

When there aren't enough salespeople to keep an eye on each car, companies or dealers keep the cars locked, Steve explained.

Fair enough.

I had found the set of wheels I wanted – and could probably never afford – and it was time to leave.

Not so fast, a voice in my head said. What about BMWs?

I don't know a BMW from, say, a Lexus. But my brother-in-law has a BMW, off-limits to everyone else – mostly because he doesn't trust anyone with it.

I had to get behind the wheel of one – a better and more expensive one than his.

A sleek silver 760i ($195,000) was in the BMW showcase. It was unlocked; I climbed in. The interiors were in an off-white shade with dark panelled wood. The car that's the price of a condo was exquisite.

Ten minutes later, a salesperson knocked on the window. I stepped out sheepishly and she handed me a business card. "You should come for a test drive," she said. "It's a smooth drive."

I will, and one of those photos is coming your way, brother-in-law.

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