In the grand scheme of things, and without going deep into the philosophical realm, ten seconds is an infinitesimally (That's 'microscopic' in American English. - Staff) small amount of time. I guarantee that most of you won't have even got to the end of this second sentence in ten seconds, and that's only a matter of reading a paltry 54 words.
Yet in less time than this, Kevin Huntley's '96 Supra will have launched him a quarter of a mile towards the horizon and on to almost 150mph - impressive by all means. But while covering a dragstrip in 9.865 seconds, Kevin's not strapped into a wafer thin, butt-clenching carbon/Kevlar bucket, he's sat in the comfort of a sumptuously trimmed Konig leather recliner with his stereo on. Whether he can hear it is another matter as the monstrous 945hp inline-six that sits just a couple of feet in front of him spits and snarls, while the four-inch titanium pipe that sits underneath him and pokes out the back is enough to wake the dead.
"I can't describe the sensation of a full power run on the strip, you really feel the Gs pulling at your face. I have to move the seat closer to the steering wheel so I can still reach the gearstick as you get pushed back into the seat so hard - it's absolutely incredible. It's what I imagine it must be like being strapped to a rocket and launched into orbit," Kevin laughs.
But this isn't a dick-swinging contest. It's not just about who's got the biggest motor or the best kit, it's about the man behind the wheel and his reactions, too. Let's look at the process: In 9.865 seconds, Kevin will have depressed and released the heavy-duty carbon clutch seven times and snatched the Stillway sequential shifter on three occasions. He will also have added between 20-30 minute corrections to the steering to keep his 945bhp missile on the straight and narrow.
Lastly after crossing the line he will apply the A&Z/Endless brakes fully to bring his Toyota back down to sub-warp speeds before he pulls off the strip, ready for another go.
When the chunky Mk4 Supra first rolled off the production line in early 1993, it was hardly a featherweight, lithe supercar. Kevin's low mileage UK-spec example came with leather seats, air con and the upgraded stereo package, tipping the scales for the lardy GT contender at around 3,615lbs. And with all the mods counted in, Kevin's now weighs over 3,747lbs, making his astonishing strip times all the more impressive. Sure, the Envy Performance boss pays lip service to the gods of lightweight performance with a carbon-fiber hood and tailgate and a Perspex rear screen, but these are as much stylistic changes as they are weight-saving ones.
"I'm not into full-on show cars. Up until quite recently I still used the car every day and it needs to promote my company - Envy Performance - so it needs to look as good asit can, but I still think about turning it into a full-on drag car. But it's an original UK six-speed and it would tug at the heartstrings too much to strip it all apart and starting cutting metal away just to get those extra tenths," Kevin adds.
"I've had the car for 11 years and it must have cost me over £150k (approx. $234,458) in that time as it's evolved so much. I've had serious money offers from across Europe for the car and it's always been too much of a part of me to sell it, but the time has now come and I don't get to use it enough so it's up for sale.'