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Exotic Car Club News & Tidbits
Mast Farm Inn, Club Ferdinand & AMA Superbike Team Up
The world famous Mast Farm Inn bed and breakfast will play host to three lucky fans courtesy of Club Ferdinand when they attend the AMA Superbike Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals at Virginia International Raceway, August 17-19.
In addition to lodging at the Inn before and after the races at VIR, the three lucky ticket buyers will each be given the use of a Club Ferdinand Porsche for the weekend. read more at Racing World
Luxury Reporter on Exotic Car Clubs
The concept of fractional ownership is definitely not limited to holiday home ownership. In recent years, the popularity of fractional car clubs and fractional yacht ownership have been growing, for the same reasons that have made fractional ownership of vacation homes so popular – convenience, access to a larger selection of assets, and the financial benefits of sharing capital and maintenance expenditure.
There are eight or so exotic car clubs in the United States, some of which offer an equity share and some of which have a charge per use. As with real estate, there are options for access to a single car or a range of luxury cars. read more at Luxury Reporter
Consumer’s Guide to Fractional Car Clubs
In the last couple of years, fractional car share clubs (also referred to as “exotic car clubs”) have become increasingly popular, as they provide car enthusiasts with a compelling alternative to renting or owning exotic cars. read more at Forbes
Fractional Ownership of a New Rolls-Royce Phantom is No Longer a Mystery
Published June 27, 2007 Uncategorized Leave a CommentAfter discovering the popularity and affordability of car sharing while visiting Europe, owner Craig Steele offers memberships in Extreme Car Share. This new model of ownership is not limited to plush exotic vehicles. The company also offers corporate memberships.”Extreme Car Share is the country club for car people and is devoted to its members living out their dreams in the fast lane,” Steele says.
Fractional ownership lets the business professional or homemaker drive the supremely comfortable Rolls-Royce Phantom without the hassles or costs of cleaning, storage, maintenance or depreciation. Until now, the hand-rubbed wood veneers, supple leather and the whisper quiet cabin have spoiled few. Now, with car sharing available in California, many can indulge in the “lifestyles of the rich” by buying a fractional share. That means splitting the cost of ownership with others. read more
Are you looking for that perfect gift for your special someone? Look no further. A membership to an exotic and luxury car club is a gift that no man would return.
Most of the exotic and luxury car clubs have memberships of all levels. The memberships are based on how much you want to drive a car.
You can research the clubs in your area and the types of cars they offer by going to www.ExoticCarClubs.com. There you will find a directory of the car clubs with their web sites.
Let your fingers do the typing and in a short amount of time you can find the perfect gift.
Exotic Car Club News and Updates
Heavenly Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph Awaits at DFW Elite Car Club.com
A Seraph, to readers of the Old Testament, is a six-winged angel. Among luxury car aficionados, however, the word has an entirely different meaning. It refers to the final model of Rolls-Royce made at England’s famous Crewe manufacturing plant from 1998-2002. read complete story
Exotic Car Club News Recap
Published April 16, 2007 Exotic & Luxury Car Clubs , Luxury Lifestyle 1 CommentFind the latest news and happenings for luxury and exotic car clubs at the Exotic Car Club blog. Below is a snippet of the stories. Click the link to read the story in full from it’s original source.
Experience Versus Ownership from the Wealth Report
For the rich, ownership used to be everything.
Ten years ago, no self-respecting multi-millionaire or billionaire would have been caught dead in a rented car, rented house or rented boat. What was the point of being rich if you couldn’t own your own status symbols?
Now, a sea change is sweeping through the luxury world in the form of fractional ownership. It started with jets, then moved to plush vacation homes (rented by destination clubs) and automobiles available from exotic-car clubs.
Club Otto, A Car Club For Boston Drivers (from Luxist)
I’ve seen car clubs in New England but not one in Boston. The Otto Club offers Bostonians the chance to get in on the exotic car action. The Otto Club is named after Nicolaus Otto who built the first practical four-stroke internal combustion engine in 1876. The club was founded in 2005 by John Caron, a former tech exec with a love of European exotic cars. The club offers cars such as the Ferrari 360, Aston Martin DB9 and the Maserati Quattroporte.
DreamShare: Spreading Exotic-Car Love
Have you ever wanted to own an exotic car but didn’t want to deal with the stratospheric cost, high repair bills and constant worry about dings? If so, there’s finally a way. Starting at $9,000 a year, you can join the DreamShare club in New York City or Miami. As the name implies, it’s basically a timeshare for exotic cars.
Gotham Dream Cars, Dreamshare Program
I recently received an email from Noah of Gotham Dream Cars that they have a new program known as DreamShare. The company, which rents out exotic cars, now has a membership program. Like other programs, they use a points-based system with several levels of membership which equal different amounts of driving time. The Platinum membership for $9,000 offers 20 driving days, the Titanium for $18,000 gives you around 45 days and the Elite membership, for $27,000 gives you three months worth of driving time.
Performance car club launches in Greenwich
GREENWICH – Velocity of Greenwich is now offering Fairfield and Westchester county residents a new way to experience the thrills of driving the world’s most finely engineered performance cars without the drawbacks and costs of ownership. Velocity of Greenwich has launched the first performance car club in Greenwich and is now enrolling members. The club has two locations: 249 Railroad Avenue in Greenwich and at 11 Putnam Avenue in Port Chester.
Gotham Dream Cars launches DreamShare exotic car club
The East Coast premium rental car company, Gotham Dream Cars, has just launched its own “Exotic Car Club” program called DreamShare. The program is offered through the firm’s NY and Miami locations, and offers drivers a chance to sample supercars and exotics without the hassles of ownership like depreciation, storage concerns, maintenance costs and the like. And really, for $300-$450 a day, who wouldn’t love to have a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston Martin or Bentley available for a weekend trip to the Vineyard? Feeling a bit more patriotic? You can choose the Ford GT or Corvette Z06 then.
Exotic Car Time Shares Give You Temporary Luxury
Yes, you too can drive a Lamborghini around for the weekend. Or a Ferrari or a Corvette or an Aston Martin. It’s all part of the Exotic Car Club program DreamShare, which is offered in two locations, New York City and Miami.
This Easter Weekend This Rabbit is Living Life in the Fast Lane with Extreme Car Share
A fast V10 engine, 520 horsepower, traveling 0 to 60 in less than four seconds and a top speed of 196 miles per hour, the Lamborghini Gallardo is a diamond in the rough. However, equaling the price of some houses most car enthusiasts are prevented from experiencing the luxury and thrill of ownership. That is, until now.
A fast V10 engine, 520 horsepower, traveling 0 to 60 in less than four seconds and a top speed of 196 miles per hour, the Lamborghini Gallardo is a diamond in the rough. However, equaling the price of some houses most car enthusiasts are prevented from experiencing the luxury and thrill of ownership. That is, until now.
The DFW Elite Car Club is like having a garage full of sweet rides and plenty of options. Vehicular boredom is a common affliction. Sometimes the drivers tire of the cars they once loved after a mere two hours stuck in traffic, let alone two months of commuting.
Chamber Presents Customer Service Awards
Another comment tells of a weekend a couple will never forget, due in part to Deschamps and Siano leaving them the keys to a Porsche one morning, so they could “experience the Blue Ridge Parkway in luxury.”
DFW Elite Car Club Sets Its Sights on the Texas Exotic Car Club Market
Dallas-based DFW Elite Car Club joins the ever expanding fractional car club industry. They claim to have a large and varied car inventory with member access to Hummers, Land Rovers, Porsches, Corvettes, Vipers, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentleys, and the new Rolls-Royce Phantom. Also, they believe their 5:1 member-to-car ratio is the lowest among US exotic car clubs.
This week, there was an article by Robert Frank, a senior writer for the Wall Street Journal and the author of “Richistan: A Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich” . In his article he discusses the advantages and disadvantages of fractional ownership. The article focuses on cars, yachts and homes. Below is a copy of the post. You can also read it and comments that have been made at http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2007/04/09/experience-versus-ownership/#comments.
I invite you to share your comments on fractional ownership of exotic cars. Give us your view points.
April 9, 2007, 11:58 am
Experience Versus Ownership
For the rich, ownership used to be everything.
Ten years ago, no self-respecting multi-millionaire or billionaire would have been caught dead in a rented car, rented house or rented boat. What was the point of being rich if you couldn’t own your own status symbols?
Now, a sea change is sweeping through the luxury world in the form of fractional ownership. It started with jets, then moved to plush vacation homes (rented by destination clubs) and automobiles available from exotic-car clubs.
The next wave in fractional ownership? Yachts. Evan Roth, of BBR Partners, the New York multi-family office, sent me this article by Shelley Emling in the International Herald Tribune about YachtPlus. The U.K.-based company is building a fleet of 10 yachts to be sold off in fractional pieces. Each of the 132-foot long boats will be divided into eight shares sold for $2 million each. (For those about to get out their calculators, that works out to $121,212.12 a foot.)
In the article, Han Verstraete, chief executive of YachtPlus, says that the rich no longer prize ownership. They prize experiences.
“My typical customer will have three real-estate assets and perhaps also do some sharing of jets,” he says. “The yacht experience is the experience these people are seeking next.”
The article also quotes James Lawson, senior research director at Ledbury Research, saying that “many wealthy people are looking for driving lessons organized by Ferrari, cooking lessons by celebrity chefs, and exclusive travel and holiday experiences. Experience is becoming more important than ownership.”
This is the common sales pitch from all fractional companies. Why own when you can co-own? Why deal with the hassles of finding a plumber for your house in Cabo, repairing the transmission on the Ferrari, and hiring your own pilots when you can let someone else do it and still enjoy the ride?
It’s a reasonable argument — up to a point. Today’s wealthy do indeed value experiences as much as things. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to share the cost of their things. Fractional ownership is likely to keep growing as the ranks of wealthy and affluent explode. But the industry will have to overcome three major hurdles:
1. The Christmas-Vacation Effect. Tanner & Haley, the first destination club, went bankrupt in part because all of its members wanted to be in the same vacation spots at the same times. So the company had to rent homes to accommodate the unexpected demand. Fractional ownership is based on the premise that all owners will want to use the asset at different times. But, inevitably, they all want to use their toys during peak holiday times — Christmas and New Year, Easter break, and August. When all eight owners of the YachtPlus yacht want to use the boat for the first two weeks in August, what happens? (Even rigorous scheduling and point systems leave people disappointed.)
2. The Wealthy Don’t Like to Share. These are people who have worked hard for their fortunes and are used to getting top treatment. They like things their way. Fractional yacht-ownership has run into trouble in the past because owners typically want their own kind of boat, crew service and trip itineraries. Can you imagine eight multi-millionaires trying to agree on flatware? (Another potential sticking point is YachtPlus’s yachts — while innovative, they look a bit like floating VW Beetles.)
3. Economics. In the end, fractional ownership is only as strong as the partners. What if you buy a boat with eight people and two end up bankrupt? What if the company selling the shares suddenly finds itself in dire straits (a la Tanner & Haley)? While fractional ownership may spread the costs of ownership, it also expands the pool of risks.
And as renting and chartering becomes increasingly popular for top cars, yachts, planes and mansions, co-owning starts to look less attractive. Maybe I’m wrong. But fractional ownership looks to me like it has the potential to combine the worst of both worlds — the price of ownership combined with the personal costs of sharing.
Fractional companies, I welcome your thoughts.
SPRING FEVER: BMW TURNS UP THE HEAT WITH DRIVING SCHOOL UPGRADES
Published April 12, 2007 Blogroll , Exotic Cars Leave a CommentSPRING FEVER: BMW TURNS UP THE HEAT WITH DRIVING SCHOOL UPGRADES
Calling all Enthusiasts – New ’Real Roads’ and ’Other-Roads’ Tracks among Key Enhancements
Spartanburg, SC – April 12, 2007… Spring is in the air at the BMW Performance Center and Performance Driving School with updates to existing courses and exciting new driving school offerings. Additions include a track extension adding a different dimension to the high-performance M School that rivals popular race tracks, an "other-roads" course to showcase the capabilities of the X-5 Sports Activity Vehicle, and the return of BMW on Location. A totally new complement of motorcycle courses will also debut later this summer.
"The updates and improvements we’ve made to our numerous offerings this year will captivate the customer. There’s something for everyone – BMW owner or not," says David Trimble, manager of driving programs and events for the BMW Performance Center. "High performance courses like the M School simulate race track driving while teaching advanced car control and safety skills. Our other-roads track enhancements are phenomenal with gravity-defying angles that will dispel the myth that a luxury brand like BMW isn’t made to get dirty."
In with the New: Exciting Upgrades for 2007
The ultimate driving experience has gotten even better with the extension of the track at the BMW Performance Driving School, already known for its course that can be configured 35 different ways. The new 1.5 mile long track offers a half-dozen more configurations with a true race track feel that allows for more high speed approaches and slower technical turns simulating a multitude of driving conditions.
The newly revamped other-roads course will be included as part of the two-day school offerings this spring. At 1.4 miles long with more aggressive sections at 34 degrees and higher, the new course teaches drivers the safest approaches to difficult-to-navigate terrain and shows off the extensive capabilities of the X5 vehicle.
Based on its popularity in 2006, BMW on Location, the traveling program that brings the BMW Performance Driving School to the backyards of enthusiasts has plans to go back to the California Speedway this fall. In addition to California, dates are being scheduled for early September in Chicago. The "On Location" driving school teaches exercises ranging from accident avoidance maneuvers and car control skills to more advanced exercises including skid pad, autocross, and high speed lane change and slalom courses.
In addition to the new driving school updates, programs such as the Performance Center Delivery will continue throughout 2007. The complete experience provides an introduction to the BMW brand and heritage. During a one-on-one session with a knowledgeable BMW delivery specialist, owners receive a personalized and thorough introduction to their vehicle. Every aspect of the BMW ownership experience is reviewed, from vehicle warranties and maintenance to safety features and controls. Following an in-depth overview of their BMW, owners receive a hands-on driving session. The package is complete with a visit to the BMW museum (subject to availability), overnight accommodations at a local first class hotel and dinner for two.
Gift certificates are available for each driving program. For more information, pricing and to reserve your seat behind the wheel at BMW Performance Center Driving Schools, call 888-345-4BMW (4269) or visit http://www.bmwusa.com/bmwexperience/performancecenter
This Easter Weekend This Rabbit is Living Life in the Fast Lane with Extreme Car Share
Published April 7, 2007 Exotic & Luxury Car Clubs Leave a CommentA fast V10 engine, 520 horsepower, traveling 0 to 60 in less than four seconds and a top speed of 196 miles per hour, the Lamborghini Gallardo is a diamond in the rough. However, equaling the price of some houses most car enthusiasts are prevented from experiencing the luxury and thrill of ownership. That is, until now.
Newport Beach, CA (Vocus) April 5, 2007 — A fast V10 engine, 520 horsepower, traveling 0 to 60 in less than four seconds and a top speed of 196 miles per hour, the Lamborghini Gallardo is a diamond in the rough. However, equaling the price of some houses most car enthusiasts are prevented from experiencing the luxury and thrill of ownership. That is, until now.
Extreme Car Share, one of the fastest growing exotic car share club programs in the United States, is now offering a new membership option which extends flexibility and affordability to car enthusiasts. The new membership option allows members to use cars from the collection one weekend every other month.
Sports car rental companies offering the same vehicles rent for as much as $3,000 per day. Extreme Car Share provides the benefits of ownership at only a fraction of the cost.
Think of it like a country club for car enthusiasts, offering its members a thrill beyond just a weekend sports car rental. Exotic car share clubs are growing rapidly in popularity. The growth is stemming from the benefits offered to members. Benefits include rotating through the fleet of exotic and ultra luxury vehicles throughout the year and the privilege of full ownership, without the hassles or costs of cleaning, storage, maintenance, depreciation or having to clean out your savings account.
“If you’re contemplating buying a sports car, you should seriously consider membership in a car club. Anyone who knows of the pain felt from depreciation, taxes and license fees, not to mention, astronomical service costs to own one of these amazing cars, a program like Extreme Car Share can be a smart alternative to drive some of the greatest exotic and ultra luxury autos,” says Craig, founder of Extreme Car Share. It certainly makes sense. To some, the thought of spending $212,000 on a Lamborghini Gallardo or stopping by a dealership to pick up a $249,000 Ferrari F430 without first trying it out is absurd. However, these are just two of the cars that rotate each month giving thrills to the members of Extreme Car Share. Before you rush out to buy that shiny red Ferrari, consider the ‘smart’ way to ownership. When you buy a membership in an exotic car club you are buying a collection.
About Extreme Car Share:
Extreme Car Share is not a sports car rental company, but rather an exotic car share club providing its members’ time behind the wheel, driving a collection of exotic and ultra luxury vehicles from Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Rolls Royce.
Press Contact: Craig Steele
Email: craig @ extremecarshare.com
Website: www.extremecarshare.com
Rent Exotic Cars Network Achieves Record Results in February
Published March 21, 2007 Blogroll , Exotic & Luxury Car Clubs Leave a Comment
March 21, 2007 – North Richland Hills, TX – February was a record-breaking month for the website of Rent Exotic Cars Network. “Since the launch of the directory in June 2006, we have seen a steady increase in visitors to the site. In February, we broke our record with over 5700 unique visitors to the site and close to 12,000 actual page views,” states Cheryl Lyman, owner of CS Publications, publisher of the Internet directory.
“We attribute much of the success to the value of our content to the consumer, our ongoing marketing efforts and the support of our advertisers.” In February the Wall Street Journal discussed the Rent Exotic Cars Network in their article “He Said She Said” and mentioned one of the featured sponsors, Vegas Exotics."We have received excellent exposure on Rent Exotic Cars.net. It has been a wise marketing decision to advertise with them. We are the main page advertisers in two of their regions. On the page for Nevada, Vegas Exotic Rentalswww.vegasexoticrentals.com) and the Illinois page,Chicago Exotic Rentalswww.ChicagoExoticRentals.com).
The article in the Wall Street Journal featured our Nevada location and caused a spike in visitors to our site. One of the extra services CS Publications offers is sending special customer requests to us. None of the other directory services do that," states Moe Mustafa, president of Vegas Exotic Rentals and Chicago Exotic Rentals.
“We are constantly monitoring the stats for our directories and making changes as needed. One area we watch is how long people are staying on a page and the drilldown of their visit,” states Lyman.
Several advertisers of Rent Exotic Cars Network have also experienced positive results from the directory. Mark McNeil, of Premier Luxury Rentals, states, “Working with Cheryl and CS Publications has been a positive move for Premier Luxury Rentals of Pennsylvania. We’ve experienced a substantial increase in traffic since joining their directories several months ago. I would highly recommend any luxury or exotic rental agency subscribe to their services for consistent quality leads.”
Michelle Figueredo of Bling Bling Exotic Car Rental says, “Personally, having our company advertised in rentexoticcars.net has improved our sales dramatically. We receive many calls from prospective clients daily and are very happy with Cheryl’s customer service. I recommend all car rental companies join her directory. Your sales will increase significantly!” Ron Sturgeon, owner of DFW Elite Auto Rental.com is also a satisfied directory advertiser. “We’ve seen steadily increasing traffic and closed deals with customers referred via our directory listings,” reports the Fort Worth-based entrepreneur.
In the last six months, several new exotic and luxury car rental companies have opened. Denver’s new exotic rental car company, Altitude Dream Cars, has benefited from the directories.“I’ve already seen quite a bit of traffic from Rent Exotic Cars Network as it is now, and I’ve been looking at all of the tie-in technology you guys have put in place,” states Shane Cooper, president of Altitude Dream Cars.
Customers can visit the directory Rent Exotic Cars Networkat www.rentexoticcars.net.Other directories in the network can be viewed atRent Luxury Carswww.RentLuxuryCars.net), Exotic Car Rental Bizwww.exoticcarrental.biz), Exotic Auto Rental USwww.exoticautorental.us), Exotic Car Clubs www.exoticcarclubs.com).
For more information on the Rent Exotic Cars Network, contact Cheryl Lyman, webmaster and president, CS Publications, phone: 817-764-0419, E-mail: webmaster@rentexoticcars.net.
Exotic Car Clubs - Fractional & Share Membership 
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