But do watch the clip. Because for two minutes, we all get to live vicariously through the man in the caddish hat who just wants to feel the open road—even if it costs his friend a transmission.
We all have a friend like Kramer. The guy who thinks a "test drive" means bouncing the tachometer off the rev limiter. The guy who believes the "check engine" light is a mere suggestion. He represents the chaotic id of every driver who has ever wanted to floor it past a state trooper. seinfeld kramer test drive
The car begins to shake. The rearview mirror falls off. The hood begins to flutter like a butterfly in a hurricane. Kramer, looking less like a driver and more like a bobblehead in an earthquake, shouts over the din: But do watch the clip
Kramer’s reply is legendary: "Well, you gotta get it out on the highway. See what it can do." What follows is not a test drive. It is a psychological horror film from the passenger seat. The guy who thinks a "test drive" means
Kramer merges onto the highway, his hair acting as an anemometer. The Saab’s engine whines. The camera cuts to the speedometer:
Jerry, making the first of many mistakes that day, asks: "You’re not going to test drive it, are you?"
There are great car chases in cinema ( Bullitt , The French Connection ). There are heartfelt car scenes in drama ( Field of Dreams ). But then, there is the Kramer Test Drive .