Car shows are pretty fun, right? You pay a fairly reasonable price to see the latest and greatest from the world’s best auto manufacturers. On top of that, some manufacturers even let you get inside the cars and check them out on a more personal level. But, what if you could do more? How would you like to walk up to the Lamborghini Huracan at the next auto show and be able to not only sit in it but take it for a test drive on real roads? You might think I’m crazy for even mentioning it, but it could happen – if you go to the right car show.

Salon Prive is an exclusive car show that is held at Britain’s Blenheim Palace this year from September 1 to September 3rd. And, as is the usual case with things that part of the world, there is something special happening that we aren’t lucky enough to have here in the U.S.: test drives. Of course, don’t expect to just walk in off the street, hop in a Bentley, and take the ultimate test drive. Nope; a trip to this car show will cost you. How much you ask? Well, there are some pretty exclusive cars there, and the ticket price is £295 or about $394 at current exchange rates.

Now before you say I’m off my rocker at that ticket price, listen to what you get at that price. You get “full hospitality for the day, as well as pre-approved test drive requests.” That is a pretty vague description, so it’s safe to assume that test drive lists fill up fast, and are probably vetted for certain criteria, among other things. There will be a pretty decent list of cars there, however, so it might not be as hard to snag a test drive as you might think. So far, it has been confirmed that there will be a Tesla Model S and a Lamborghini Huracan there. Furthermore, it has been reported that cars from Abarth, BMW, Lexus, Bentley, Overfinch, and Morgan will also be there.

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Why it Matters

I have to say that this is pretty freaking awesome. Sure, it will set you back about $400, but you get the sit behind the wheel of some of the world’s best and most exclusive vehicles, and you have the chance to drive one or two of them too. Now if only we could convince the organizers to do that here in the U.S. to offer the same thing. I wouldn’t hold my breath, but it is something I would enjoy seeing as a more common thing at auto shows. Just think of how cool it would be to go to a car show and take the latest Ferrari or Bentley for a spin. I don’t know about you, but that would certainly make my weekend.