Driving Beyond Your Means Posted on June 5th
The only way most of us ever get close enough to look at, let alone touch, an exotic sports car or a six-figure luxury sedan is at an auto show – and at that many of the priciest models are often roped off to avoid the commoners’ oily fingerprints.
But driving some of the finest vehicles on the planet isn’t necessarily limited to only the fabulously wealthy. Savvy automotive enthusiasts are able put themselves behind the wheel of some pretty heady rides, from Corvettes to Porsches, and even Bentleys and Lamborghinis, on what is otherwise a modest stipend.
One way car lovers with a bit of money to burn can accomplish this is to join a club that provides access to various upscale cars. At least in theory it works like a vacation-home timeshare – members buy the right to drive one or more vehicles for select periods of time over the course of a year’s membership. Maintenance, insurance and pick-up/delivery are usually included, which makes “owning” an exotic car even easier.
The Internet makes it easy to locate car ownership clubs in your area, and most offer multiple plans to fit a range of budgets. One of the largest, Curvy Road (curvyroad.com), maintains fleets in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Miami.
It’s not cheap, with annual fees starting at $12,000 for four weeks’ use (in one- or two-week increments) in addition to a $5,000 annual membership fee. Still, for the cost of an economy car, members can drive otherwise unattainable models like the $340,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom and the $498,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.
Similarly, the Atlanta Driving Club (atlantadrivingclub.com), assesses a $1,500 initiation fee, with annual membership plans that run from between $6,000 and $16,000 according to the number of “points” purchased. The number of points necessary to secure a given model – which include some of the world’s costliest sports cars – are computed based on the model, the day of the week and month of the year requested and the number of days specified.
For those who want to fulfill the billionaire-esq dream of driving several exotic high-performance cars over the course of a day, albeit under controlled circumstances, World Class Driving (worldclassdriving.com) holds such events at various locations in or near major cities year-round. Limited access to five world-class automobiles, including the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet and Ferrari 599 FTB costs $1,495.
Another way to get behind the wheel of a top-shelf sports car– perhaps even a bona fide racecar – on the cheap is to enroll in a high-performance driving school. Various entities conduct classes at motorsports venues across the country that can both help sharpen one’s driving abilities and fulfill any number of automotive fantasies. Best of all, most of them supply the vehicles.
One of the nation’s largest schools for speed, the Skip Barber Driving/Racing School (skipbarber.com) conducts myriad driving and racing courses at 36 separate venues across the country. Beginners can take a one- or two-day high-performance class piloting autos like the Porsche 911 and Porsche Cayman coupes, while aspiring Indy Car and Formula One drivers can choose from multiple skills-building sessions in open-wheel racecars. Courses start at $795.
Offering courses in driving safety, high-performance driving and flat-out racing, the renowned Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving (bondurant.com) holds court at the school’s own facility adjacent to Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix. Courses run from $250 to $5,850, with supplied vehicles including the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS street cars and Formula Ford race cars.
As if that’s not enough vehicular testosterone for you, the Track Time Racing School (tracktime.com), based at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., will put you behind the wheel of a NASCAR-style stock car for as little as $350. If you’re content careening through the curves as a passenger, you can go for the ride of your life for just $99.
Yet another tactic is to rent an exotic auto when you want to turn heads and indulge yourself one day or a weekend at a time. Upscale car rental is becoming increasingly popular these days, particularly in tourist destinations for those who want to vacation like high rollers. You’ll find such rental companies listed in your local phonebook and they can also be found on the Internet.
For example, with six locations in and around Los Angeles – including Beverly Hills, of course – Midway Car Rental (midwaycarrental.com) stocks a wide selection of ultra-luxury rides that includes the posh and performance-minded Bentley Continental GT coupe. Renting one will set you back around $5,000 for a two-day joyride, but that’s still over $170,000 cheaper than actually buying one to impress the former homecoming queen at your next high school reunion.