<scene> A semi rural, Central Valley bisecting, stretch of California state highway. The kind that has various farms or orchards on either side of the road, small roadside produce stand signs, the occasional errant palm tree reaching above the small, lived in homes or roadhouses that dot the road in between the small two gas station towns along the way. Perhaps something like, Hwy. 88, near Lockeford.
It is just past dawn, on a clear "winter" morning. The grass, where it exists is lush, dewy (almost frosty in places) and green from the winter rains, but the orchards and deciduous trees stand barren and stark. The roadway, normally two lanes (one in each direction), swells to four for the immediate area just before and after a small light at the intersection of another state route.
The camera is looking west down the road, with the intersection in the foreground, just high enough to catch the oncoming group of ten vehicles. It is a mix of cars and SUV's, most of them obviously destined for the Sierras and snow recreation (as noted by ski racks, packed cars, "4snow" type vanity plates, etc). The vehicles are moving at a reasonable pace, at or near the speed limit towards a green light.
We see the line of cars staying in the left lane as the road widens to two lanes. The left is the lane that stays constant through the intersection (the right lane merges back and ends perhaps fifty yards later, as indicated by road signs and the standard, large white painted arrows on the road).
The final two cars in the ten vehicle group are somewhat obscured by the oversized SUV's in front of them. There is a beat or two as these last vehicles enter the added lane area wherein one might assume the drivers are assessing if the right lane will stay clear. Then, you see the ninth vehicle make its decision, sharply pulling into the right lane and accelerating, hard.
The camera zooms in a hair to see the aggressive front of this ninth car, a black pearl, 2004 Subaru STI, complete with the stock oversized front air intake, rear spoiler and a Thule ski rack with 2 pairs of slightly used expert shaped skis mounted on top. There are two twenty or thirty something males occupying the front seats, wearing ski jackets.
The camera then switches to an overhead, slightly following view, catching the ninth car as it passes the seventh car, still accelerating hard. At this time, the last car now is also seen to take the right lane, and almost as quickly as the first begin accelerating past the line of vehicles. (Think about the overhead view you've seen in Tour de France coverage when the last rider in a sprint group begins moving to the front). This last car is black pearl as well, although a bit covered in road dirt (its been to the mountains recently, and hasn't been washed), a 2004 Subaru Forester XT, with a long and thin Thule "frontier" model box mounted on its roof rack carrier. Two thirty-something males occupy these front seats, sporting ski clothing, and the driver has shades on.
This camera angle tracks the two speedy black turbo scoobies through the intersection , after which the STI is seen to pass the leading car and move into the left lane. The Forester is passing perhaps the fifth car in line.
Switch back to a west facing leading camera view again (note the morning sun glinting off all the vehicles). The STI is stretching its lead on the pack, as the Forester is seen coming on hard down the right lane (left side of the camera view). The forester slides into the main lane comfortably ahead of the former "lead" car, and a few car lengths behind the STI *just* as the road narrows back down. Huge grins can be seen on both Subaru drivers' faces.
Switch to a tailing view, driver level (perhaps from the lead car?), where you can see the two black road demons continuing to pull away, kicking up a bit of swirling dust in their wake. You see the STI driver raise his left fist out the window in triumph, and perhaps you can make out the Forester driver responding with a raised left hand showing the "rock n' roll horns" inside his vehicle.
Subaru… "Driven by what's inside"… In this case: enthusiastic, thirty something East Coast transplants, on their way to further plunder epic snowfall at a bad ass ski resort, keeping the drive interesting by counting the cars they pass along the state highway. That would be eight in one fell swoop.
Kinda cool when you think parts of your life would make a good TV car ad.
