24 Jun 09
Powered by a 6.4-litre V8, the Cadi is surprisingly quiet as it fires up. The distinctive V8 burble is muted by swathes of metal and the fact that the exhaust is about 20ft away from the driver.
Apply a little throttle and Ecto-1 drifts lazily into action. Responsive it is not. Like tilling a barge, any manoeuvre requires a degree of forward planning. Nevertheless, once the steering has caught up the turning circle is pretty impressive and with a head of steam built up there's more than enough grunt to give the cross-ply tyres something to worry about - hence the charismatic 50s squeal.
Sprawled across the front bench seat, I'm starting to feel an affinity with Ecto-1. Despite its ridiculous size, lethargic approach to making progress and desire to go in a straight line regardless of which way the steering wheel is pointing, it's still a surprisingly easy car to drive. Weighing more than three tonnes, it quickly becomes apparent that a forceful approach is a waste of time. Instead, it requires a more laid-back technique.
The massively over-assisted power steering encourages a one-handed driving style and the uprated brakes make the car lurch like a bathtub full of ectoplasm if applied too vigorously - you have to be gentle with the pedal.
And don't start getting too urgent with the throttle either: the vehicle accelerates at the same steady pace regardless of how hard you plant your right foot.
