Interesting you say that - when I was trying to get a drive of a Focus RS, the first place I called up told me, point blank that "they dont do test pilots" and that I wouldnt be able to drive one without putting down a deposit. I said that was ridiculous to ask someone to spend £26K on a car without driving it first, he told me to like it or lump it.
Called the second garage up and got "We dont do test pilots ........", at that point kinda lost it at them, pointing out that I had a test of a GTR lined up in two days and had been out in a 997C2S and a Lexus IS-F the day before, and a 996 Turbo the day before that. I asked them what the justification for Porsche letting me drive a 75K car but Ford refusing on one thats only worth a third of the money ........ suddenly they did give tests and would this afternoon be OK sir?
Same with me would barely talk to me till they spotted my car which at the time was the then new Honda civic ex with all the bells and whistles on, my m8t drives 50 miles out of his way to get his ST looked at by a ford garage he trusts lol
To be fair they must get a lot of 'test pilots' wanting to take an ST out, I know they shouldn't think everyone is going to be one but you can understand it. Would you go on the Jeremy Kyle show and expect to be treated with any degree of respect?