“Tiramisu, right?”
The afternoon sun peered through the blinds, AC unit whirring in the window. A woman smiled behind her desk as a man stepped in her office.
“That’s me!” Tiramisu held out her hand.
“John-Horace Bruckner,” The man shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you in the flesh.”
“It’s always good to put a face to a name!” Tira plopped into her chair. “So tell me,” She crossed her legs, “What do you know about Contract Angels?”
“It’s a crime-fighting show set in sunny So-Cal,” JH sat down, “Starring vigilantes Elizabeth and Liza.”
“And I assume we both know the nature of your visit,” Tira sipped her coffee.
“Of course,” JH straightened his tie. “I’m here to discuss their wheels.”
“Now you’re not the first company rep to step through those doors,” Tira pointed to the opposing wall, “And there have been a lot of promising candidates so far,” She leaned back and smirked, “So hit me with your best shot.”
“As you know,” JH unlatched his briefcase, “I’m one of the senior engineers at ACZ Motor Company. We’ve reviewed your needs for the vehicle, and we’ve decided to offer a few examples of our latest L-4!”
“The L-4?!” Tira spit out her coffee. “The thing old ladies drive?”
1976 ACZ L-4
“You haven’t seen this L-4 yet,” JH wiped the coffee off his face and dropped a folder on her desk. “This is a far more capable machine than what you’re familiar with.”
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t show you the door right now!”
“It can crack 220 MPH.”
“Seriously?!” Tira grabbed the folder and stared at the sleek coupe. “How does it do that?”
1992 ACZ L-4 GT Dark Sun, front
“A 5.8L V16 tuned by yours truly, featuring forged internals, higher compression, less restrictive headers, and an all aluminum block.” JH grinned, “I put it on the dyno before I came over here today, and we’re churning out 600 hp.”
“With a turbo, right?”
JH’s grin widened.
“It’s an NA?”
“We wanted the throttle response to be immediate.” He chuckled, “The philosophy we have in the works sector is, ‘The driver should soil his pants when he steps on the gas pedal.’”
“Isn’t this an old platform?” Tira flipped through the pictures.
“We first launched the L-4 in ‘76, yeah, but the L-4 GT is relatively new. We wanted to crack the GT market back in the 80s, yet make the vehicle tough and affordable, which is a-”
“Principle ACZ has stood by since its founding, I’ve done my research.” Sunlight seeped onto the photo in Tira’s hands. “I seem to recall it not doing too well sales wise.”
1985 ACZ L-4 GT V16
“Why do you think we used the existing L-4 as the basis? We were successful enough to consider an upcoming replacement for the GT market. That’s how this model came about, the Dark Sun, the last hurrah for the model.”
1992 ACZ L-4 GT Dark Sun, rear
“Don’t tell me it’s still body on frame.”
“None of us would’ve let that slide for this car. We gave it a monocoque, wider tires, a VVT system borrowed from the Bella, and more aggressive aero. However, the ride is still comfortable and the car is lavishly equipped. We did not forget the car’s distant L-4 roots: Comfort and performance for the commoner.”
“At least you didn’t strip it out and make it a rat rod.”
“The L-4 doesn’t stoop to those levels. You won’t need to be a racing driver to enjoy this car.”
“The girls definitely aren’t, that’s for sure.” Tira scratched her head as she flipped through the photos, “I can’t believe this is an L-4.”
“Neither did the CEO when we showed it to him. We had to park a regular one next to it to convince him.”
The Dark Sun and its siblings
“And I see a spreadsheet here,” She sifted through the folder.
“Just some stats at a glance, stuff that the marketing team would rattle off to you with no sense of what the numbers mean.”
Tira nodded as the AC unit shut off, “Very impressive. It’s a strong contender for sure.”
“Of course,” JH said, “If you do pick our car, we’ll provide multiple examples for shooting and personnel for mending any damages incurred while filming. We can also arrange for a test drive if you would like.”
“We can schedule one over the next few days.”
“Or,” JH dangled a key from his hand, “I can show you what it can do right now.”
“You drove one here?”
“Yeah. It was smooth as silk.”
“Please tell me it has 4 seats.”
“Now why wouldn’t it? We built a grand tourer, not a supercar.”
“Let me call the girls,” Tira dialed her desk phone. “I’m sure you won’t mind them joining us?”
“Not at all,” JH grinned. “I’d love to hear what they think.”
1992 ACZ L-4 GT Dark Sun
Supercar performance delivered with comfort.
