Let's say you can easily afford to buy or lease a high-performance luxury car. Let's also say that you don't want the hassle of maintenance, insurance, and theft. And finally, let's admit that you tire of driving the same car all the time and crave a change. Here's the answer to your, uh, problems if you live in the Vancouver BC area... or even if you're an occasional executive/entertainer/sports star visitor who prefers to drive a unique automobile rather than a rental car special. It's called Empire One and it's an exclusive club in which the primary benefit is the opportunity to drive the car of your choice with none of the hassles of ownership. If one of the following can't make you happy, get a new wife. (No, I didn't say that!) Individual and corporate memberships are available, allowing access to this exclusive fleet:

Bentley Continental GT Speed
Audi R8 R-tronic
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
Nissan Skyline GTR
BMW M3 Convertible
Ferrari F430 Spyder F1
Porsche 911 GT3
Maserati Gran Turismo S
Range Rover
Supercharged Jaguar XF
Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Empire One's media people have offered me the opportunity to try one of their cars during my next visit. So which should I drive? That's not an easy choice because Vancouver, though a city built on hills and mountains that invite spirited handling on winding roads, has become saturated with traffic. I've driven supercars before and I'm an ex-racer (albeit in an prehistoric era) but the thought of maneuvering one of those expensive beauties between lanes of incompetent drivers on the Lions Gate Bridge has me nervous. So which one should I choose? A Ferrari or Lamborghini Gallardo (above) to get bragging rights or something slightly more conservative? Please use the Comments box below to offer your desperately-needed advice.

Photo: [Jordan Junck Photography]