Scott Bowen
Because it hurts to drive a boring white sedan
America might have invented “car culture,” but there’s a strong case to be made for lusting after European luxury. And while possession may seem the obvious goal, the duration of that possession is always relative. So ask yourself which is better: owning a Maserati you can never drive? Or driving a Maserati you could never own?
More and more car aficionados are exercising the latter option, through rental agencies that specialize in luxury auto and high-end driving clubs. Across the country and abroad, fleets of the newest, sweetest rides—Ferraris, Aston Martins, Audis, Lamborghinis—are available for all, at a price—without the hassles of garaging, maintenance and repair. Exotic car rentals are often the first step, followed by car clubs. In these automotive versions of the members-only country club, well-heeled car enthusiasts pony up initial membership payment, and then annual dues—in exchange for the keys to a cadre of top-end vehicles...
Because it hurts to drive a boring white sedan
America might have invented “car culture,” but there’s a strong case to be made for lusting after European luxury. And while possession may seem the obvious goal, the duration of that possession is always relative. So ask yourself which is better: owning a Maserati you can never drive? Or driving a Maserati you could never own?
More and more car aficionados are exercising the latter option, through rental agencies that specialize in luxury auto and high-end driving clubs. Across the country and abroad, fleets of the newest, sweetest rides—Ferraris, Aston Martins, Audis, Lamborghinis—are available for all, at a price—without the hassles of garaging, maintenance and repair. Exotic car rentals are often the first step, followed by car clubs. In these automotive versions of the members-only country club, well-heeled car enthusiasts pony up initial membership payment, and then annual dues—in exchange for the keys to a cadre of top-end vehicles...
Scott Bowen Because it hurts to drive a boring white sedan America might have invented “car culture,” but there’s a strong case to be made for lusting ... more
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1
Luxe of Italy
When in Italy, rent Italian. Luxe of Italy might not have the biggest fleet around, but they've got a line on the greatest luxury cars of Italy, including several 2008 models—five top Ferraris, the four hottest Lamborghinis and Masarati's Gran Tourismo and Quattroporte. A week of racing the Policia in a Ferrari 430 Scuderia goes for $28,000 ($13,700 for three days), while the Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 Roadster costs $29,000 for seven days of outrunning everyone ($14,400 for three days). An added plus: Luxe works with most top hotels in Italy and can easily deliver to you wherever you're staying.
The Siena to Bologna leg of the Mille Miglia (keep in mind the road race is May 15-17, 2008)
2
Diplomat Rentals, Las Vegas
Say you're taking some clients to an afternoon lunch meeting at the Bellagio and you want to wow them into submission. That's where Diplomat's hourly rates for a number of exotic cars come into play. Their Maybach 62, Lamborghini Murcielago Spider, Bentley Flying Spur, Rolls-Royce Phantom and the wild-looking Campagna T-Rex can be had for a four-hour minimum, usually. The rest of the fleet covers you for longer drives, with 2006 Porsche 911 Carerra S going for $450 per day, and the Ferrari 360 Spider going for $1,500 per day. Diplomat offers a number of deals on three-day rentals.
Route 147 east to Route 167 through the Lake Meade National Recreation Area; also Route 15 north to Route 93 north to the Desert National Wildlife Refuge
3
DFW Elite Auto Rental, Dallas
Zipping around Dallas and Fort Worth, look like you come from new-oil money in your Bentley Continental GTC convertible ($1,650 per day, weekends). For old-oil money, rent a 1955 Mercedes 300SC Cabriolet ($1,250 weekend rate). In addition to the Aston Martins, Dodge Vipers and Corvettes, Elite Auto Rental also has one of the most unique, smarty-exotic cars around: a 1959 BMW Isetta. With this gem, you'll look like a rich kook, with or without the oil money. (For the record, it's actually a very reasonable rental.) The agency offers a frequent renter points system, as well as vehicle pick-up and delivery.
Dallas to Granbury, Route I-20 West to 377 South to East Pearl St.
4
Chicago Exotic Rentals
When you feel like riding large, Chicago Exotic Rentals offers some pretty reasonable deals on bigger vehicles. The 2007 Hummer H2 goes for $275 for a day; a 2007 Cadillac Escalade ESV is $300 per day ($750 for three days). For a bunch of thrills all at once, Exotic Car Rental offers what it calls the Chicago Exotic Car Tour: For a one-day, $900 rental fee, a driver can take five top cars (a Ferrari and Aston Martin among them) through a pre-set driving route in and around Chicago, changing cars at designated stopping points every half hour.
Lake Shore Drive south (Route 41) from Grant Park to Rainbow Beach
5
Beverly Hills Car Rental, L.A.
Beverly Hills Car Rental, L.A.
Hollywood to Venice Beach, via Hollywood Blvd. to Vine St., Wiltshire Blvd., Rodeo Drive, then Sunset Blvd. to Pacific Coast Highway/Ocean Blvd.
6
Auto Boutique Rental, Miami
Auto Boutique can deliver a vehicle to any location from Miami to Palm Beach and provide a Florida SunPass (at an additional charge) so that you can zip through the ubiquitous Miami toll plazas. For vacationers with kids and luggage, the weekly $2,400 for the supercharged Range Rover Sport is a nice deal; couples may opt for the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, at $2,700 per week. For showing off your clothes, tan and Botox, the convertible BMW M6 is a nice ride for $1,600 for a weekend. Some exotic car models require a deposit on a credit card if an authorization of $5,000 charge or more is sought.
Crawl the Art Deco District from 6th to 15th Street, or jump on the General MacArthur Causeway (US 41/Florida A1A) across Biscayne Bay for a look at Miami's skyline, then to the end of Key Biscayne
7
Elite Rent-a-Car, Across Europe
Because Elite has agencies all over Europe, they can deliver a car to just about any spot. Top-shelf models have higher age requirements: A driver must be 30 years old to rent an Audi R8 ($1,900/three days) whereas an Audi A5 coupe driver must be at least 25 ($578/three days). Elite's fleet is pretty big—around 350 vehicles—and you can probably find what you want.
A8 autobahn
8
P1 International, Australia
Australia's P1 International stays hard on the cutting edge; they have the only Ford GT in the country, two of the first Audi R8s to arrive in Oz and one of only a handful of Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradales. With a joining fee of US$4,100, the top-level $34,500 membership gets a driver 1,000 annual usage points. A lower-end car, such as the Lotus Exige S, takes nine points for a Friday to Sunday reservation. A top car—the Stradale, for instance—takes 45 points for a weekend drive. With locations in Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast, P1 offers members "track days" in which they can take their car to a course for professional driving instruction.
Cruise the beaches in Maroochydore and Coolongatta, then down the Gold Coast Highway to Moreton Bay
9
The Otto Club, Boston
Founded in 2005 and named after automotive pioneer Nicolaus Otto, the Boston-based club has four tiers of exotic and luxury cars in a fleet consisting of a number of Maseratis, Audis, Ferraris, Aston Martins, and, soon, the coveted Mercedes SLR McLaren. Otto charges no joining fee, and the top-tier membership, the "Nero" level, is $34,000, availing a club member of 50 days of use the vehicles and access to the private clubhouse. Cars can be delivered to the driver, and personal memberships allow for unlimited mileage. The club is soon introducing the Otto Card, a debit card that allows for flexible pay-to-play use of the fleet.
Kancamagus Highway through White Mountain National Forest from Lincoln to Conway, New Hampshire
10
Écurie25, London
London-based club Écurie25 groups its cars into four categories scaled to the level of demand, giving each car a point value (higher in summer and on weekends). With a $1500 joining fee and $20,000 annual membership dues, a driver is spotted 600 annual points; these points are then spent on various cars, depending on availability. A three-day, summer weekend rental of a highest-rated car, such as an Aston Martin DBS, costs 150 points. A "two-day birthday present to yourself" of a Lamborghini Gallardo can be as low as 20 points. Ecurie25 says that drivers should get an average of 40 driving days per year, but that's taking into account some weekday rides during the winter period of October through March.
London to Thaxted, M11 north to A120 east to B1051; then on to Saffron Walden and Clavering
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/luxury/car-rentals-story.html ]
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