By: Joe DeMatio | Photography by Glenn Paulina - Automobile Magazine
Palm Springs, California - Self-indulgence is a cherished principle of modern American life, whether it is expressed in the acquisition of material goods, the pleasuring of the flesh, or the wresting of power. After all, the convertible is the most self-indulgent four-wheeler: impractical, flashy, and, most important, the perfect platform for displaying one's wonderful self. So, we picked up a Jaguar XK8, a Mercedes-Benz CLK430, and a brand-new Lexus SC430 in Los Angeles and hightailed it over the mountains to Palm Springs. It's a place where they not only trim every shrub into submission and drape every wall with bougainvillea, they even rake the gravel in the medians. An ideal locale, then, to soak up some sun and consider the three similar--yet very different--philosophies by which these three cars help their wealthy owners get skin cancer. ) Lexus admits that in developing the SC430, which replaces the decade-old SC coupe, it benchmarked the XK8. The Jaguar made its debut in the fall of 1996 and is now a familiar fixture at country clubs, in Neiman Marcus parking lots, and anywhere... Source: www.automobilemag.com
