. I turned right onto an extended freeway ramp, that empted onto a newly completed, strait as an arrow, concrete four-lane, with nice wide manicured shoulders, having an additional 10 miles of the very same laying ahead and little traffic, I decided to open it up a bit 
. Remaining in the right lane, I stepped-down. The newly installed Mina exhaust’s low purr, quickly grew into a growl and the car roared to life! Gently pressing me back into the seat, it was a wonderful note and placed a very wide smile on my face. When I finally peeked down, the needle was approaching the 100 mph mark and climbing; the cars responsiveness was a very beautiful thing 
.Ahead about a half-mile or so laid a single SUV type, with two-bobbing heads in it. Rapidly approaching this barrier to my increasing alacrity, I lane change was nessesary. Signaling first, we moved into the next lane over, with foot still resting comfortably on the firewall. Glancing down the needle was now approaching the 140 mark
; as I approached the other vehicle, without any notice, not that notice would have helped matters nor would I have even began to see a turn-signal light at that speed; it suddenly began to merge left, into my newly acquired lane 
! There was no apparent rhyme or reason for it, this driver had a perfectly good-open lane to enjoy without anything whatsoever in its path. Interestingly, this occurred at the very instant I began passing it and here it came!The XK8 was squarely beside and dwarfed by this SUV, I Looked up & over into the SUV‘s window, seeing both the drivers mouth and eyes wide-open frozen in astonishment
. Completely surprised by the impending broadside but proceeded with the lane change anyway 
. Either she had not anticipated my arrival so quickly, did not see me for the blind spot or simply never bothered to look left. Just before we traded paint, with only inches between us, I panicked and yanked the wheel left without the luxury of time or experience to consider the consequences 
. The answer was distinctive and instant; tipping her nose just a bit, the front right corner dug-in and the rear followed, sounding out a very impressive snarl, the XK8 leaped to the left. I will never forget the sound that particular bite of those stock tires made that day, promptly heading us in a new direction, away from the SUV, now occupying our lane . This maneuver did save the paint but presented a brand new exciting matter for both car and driver. Standing tall and sturdy was 5’ piece of concrete, serving as a medium-wall, about 10 degrees off dead center, it demanded most of the field of view of the windshield, at least in this drivers mind, we had less than 80’ to work this thing out . I then jerked the wheel back right. The left front corner, tipped slightly and the now reminiscent, sort commanding shrill from her paws screamed out sharply, once again! When I finally opened my eyes to view the results… we were traveling at 90 mph, on the far left shoulder of this highway, in a perpendicular line to the medium-wall, which now laid about 3’ away from this driver’s door 
. Did I mention the front left seat was little wet now!:oops: … with the driver mostly under control now; the car, with me in it, fluently merged off the left shoulder back on to the highway, into our well-deserved lane. When squarely in front and well ahead of the beast, that necessitated this unanticipated and agile maneuver, I raised my hand with a proper salute for the courtesy shown 
. In good turn, she rolled down the window and replied . Indeed, what a lovely Sunday afternoon ride it was, in such a wonderful automobile
! Cheers.
! I was just so impressed with the "responsiveness" of the 8 at that speed, had too share it with those who should appreciate it. I would have never anticipated nor experienced the cars capabilities, without the application of some reliable “male-egotism” leading the way. When I turned the wheel, the car turned, no questions asked. I must confess; I rolled an MGB much earlier in life