You always remember your first — and in the land of automotive firsts, they're few and far between. But today, I was the first automotive journalist to turn the key, push the clutch in, and rev up the most expensive production Camaro ever: The $54,995 — hey, that includes $900 shipping — here at the LA Auto Show.

Oh yes, that's 580 horsepower burbling at my foot and under that beautiful carbon fiber hood insert affectionately known as "the mohawk."

I was also the first journalist — and by firsts, I was told no other journalist has had this opportunity — to turn off the traction control of the ZL1. Oooh! How exclusive!

We're talking an unbelievable beautiful vehicle with the visibility of a German bunker with the top down, no one should ever turn off the traction control. (However, I do think Chevy is actually doing a good job of dressing up that dash with a slick suede insert.)

So now, the car is started, the engine is revving and I'm going to be the first person to pick up a woman, as I give the blonde a nod of my head and she jumps into the passenger's seat. (OK, so she's a colleague, and by pick her up, I actually meant, asked her to get in and check out the car.)

So all there's left to do is drive.

Clutch in, give it a little gas and feel the power start to surge. Top speed is 184 mph — there is no electronic limiter, just gravity and air. I asked a few people at the Chevy event in Los Angeles, the day before the LA Auto Show, if the ZL1 can go faster in places like Denver. They weren't sure.

So I grab the suede-covered steering wheel and back up a good six, maybe even eight feet.

Then I'm told to get out. Workers were getting ready to take it over to the big show tomorrow.

So I wasn't the first journalist to get shorted on a drive. But I will return. Oh yes, I will. And right now, I'm the only one who can say that.

Scott is the auto critic at The Detroit News. He is ridiculous. Follow him on Twitter: