Want to feel alive? Got an itch to make your blood rush?
If you have a few extra thousand dollars to spend on your next vacation, here’s a thought. Spend that money on a nice set of wheels. Think exotic. Think fast. Think really fast. Think really exotic.
The world of high-performance, luxurious, exotic cars has arrived. The chance to cruise in the lap of luxury in an exotic car rental is at your fingertips.
Top five exotic car rentals
Need a car in London? Wanna speed around town? Check out Holders and take a look at the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, which is the fastest, the most powerful and most expensive legal street car in the world. Top speed for the Veyron is 254 mph. That’ll get your heart pumping!
The MP4 12C McClaren costs about $2,450 a day to rent in New York City from Gotham Dream Cars. Or if you want to travel in exotic style for the weekend, you’ll have to fork over $5,400. With a 600 horsepower, V-8 twin-turbo engine, this vehicle will travel 0-to-60 in 3 seconds.
Not to be outdone, Imagine Lifestyle Luxury Rentals in Miami offers a rental to let you live up to Miami’s hard-partying, luxurious lifestyle image. The Rolls Royce Phantom Couple goes for about $3,500 per day. Enjoy the sun shining down on your head and the wind in your hair in this convertible that has a V-8 engine that produces 453 horsepower under the hood.
Head to the West Coast and when in San Diego check out Prestige Rentals and a Ferrari California. This seven-speed, double clutch, sleek beauty will set you back $2,200 a day.
Looking for a different kind of Ferrari? Head north to Beverly Hills and Black & White Rentals to rent the Ferrari FF. For $2,800 a day comes with a 6.3 liter V-12 engine. You’ll definitely impress friends and strangers.
Traditional rental companies try harder
In dozens of other popular tourist destinations, there is a wide choice of many luxury vehicles that might be more affordable than the ones previously listed. And one of the more popular rentals comes from Porsche. If you’re willing to pay three to four times what a traditional rental might cost, then the Porsche Panamera might be the ticket for you. For instance, the Panamera in select cities starting at $355 per day. The Panamera can be found in cities such as Miami, Los Angeles and Las Vegas where the weather is typically good throughout the year.
Some traditional rental car companies have joined the exotic car rental business. In fact, Hertz first added its Prestige Collection in 2001, and today the Panamera is part of Hertz’s fleet.
Enterprise Rent-a-Car followed suit in 2005 and has invested in its own exotic line of vehicles in West Los Angeles. The move was met with such resounding success that Enterprise expanded into more than another dozen markets across the United States.
Bentleys, Lamborghinis and Ferraris are now available right next family sedans and economy cars at most major, metropolitan rental locations. Many of these rentals, such as the Hertz’s Porsche Boxster not only cost a daily rental, but users will have to pay for every mile driven. Rent the Boxster and Hertz will charge you 49 cents per mile. To rent a luxury vehicle from both the traditional rental company and the new agencies that offer high-end performance vehicles, the driver will need to provide the following:
* Valid driver’s license;
* Proof of comprehensive insurance;
* A copy of your driving record;
* A deposit, which could be as much as $5,000.
Shifting trends
According to GP Luxury Rental, “one of the more interesting reasons the exotic car rental business is taking off comes from the idea of young business people wanting to make a good first impression. Many believe that a high-end luxury car will boost their profile and give them cache in their business dealings.” These renters want to give the impression that they are successful in business and are doing well, research shows. These people want to be taken seriously and stand apart from others. Then there are people who rent to try to impress a member of the opposite sex. Still, some others just want a taste the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
