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Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.

Take a closer look at Lamborghini's outrageous Veneno [w/video]

We couldn't pass up the chance to take a closer look at the outrageous Lamborghini Veneno. The ultra-limited-production 50th anniversary model looks downright lethal sitting under the lights of the Geneva Motor Show. Regardless of the 750-horsepower V12 lurking at the machine's core, the preponderance of vents, wings, splitters and fins means the hypercar can't help but look like it'll cut you for the fun of it. While most high-performance exotics are as much about what you can't see as what you can, the Veneno gets the ludicrous-loving 12-year-old kid inside of us cackling with joy.
We just can't decide whether this $3.4-million-dollar one-of-three hypercar is the hero or villain of our adolescent daydreams. Maybe both. Click through the detailed gallery for your best look yet at the latest bit of insanity from Lamborghini, and check out its official introduction video below.

Lamborghini has already pre-sold 700 Huracans

It's barely been two months since Lamborghini revealed the new Huracan. The latest ten-cylinder Raging Bull hasn't even had its public debut yet, scheduled to take place next month at the Geneva Motor Show (the same show where McLaren will reveal its new 650S and Ferrari the revised California T). But the Bolognese automaker has already managed to take a whopping 700 orders for the new supercar.
Not that the customers are waving their checkbooks sight unseen, mind you. Over the course of the past month, Lamborghini has been carting pre-production Huracans around the world for VIP clients, 700 of whom have put down their deposits.
To put that number into perspective, consider that in 2012 (the last full year of production), the factory in Sant'Agata built just over 1,200 Gallardos. Assuming Huracan production continues at the same pace, that means Lamborghini already has over half a year's worth of production spoken for. So if you want to get yours anytime in the coming year, you'd better get your deposit in lickety-split.