Coffee, Cars and a Very Fast Morning

There is a specific kind of quiet in Santa Monica at 6:00 AM. Usually, the only thing moving is the mist coming off the Pacific. But on a Sunday back in January 2019, that quiet was broken by something much more mechanical.

I found myself standing outside the Fairmont Miramar at The Bungalow, nursing a coffee and looking at two cars that honestly looked like they had dropped in from another planet. We had a Koenigsegg Agera RS and a CCX ready to go.

I was not there as a journalist or a pro. I was just there as a friend. My old buddy Niklas Lilja was the one behind the wheel. If you follow the car world, you know he is the guy who sets the world records. To me, he is just Niklas, though having a world record breaking driver take you through Southern California traffic is a pretty unique way to spend a morning.

We were heading down to the OC Festival of Speed at the Auto Club Speedway. Being a passenger in those cars is an experience that is hard to put into words without sounding a bit dramatic. The CCX feels raw and alive while the Agera RS is this terrifyingly smooth feat of engineering. You do not just ride in them, you feel every bit of Swedish precision vibrating through the seat.

Looking back, it was not just about the top speeds or the carbon fiber. It was the absurdity of it all. Two Swedish ghosts were rumbling through the California sunrise while we caught up on life. By the time we hit the track, I was wide awake.

It is funny how certain mornings stick with you. Not because of the cool factor, but because of how lucky you feel to be in the passenger seat for the ride.