Paris Hilton has joined the ranks of rabid holiday shoppers busting their asses to grab gifts for their loved ones…loved ones being herself, that is. Yes, the heiress has taken a fancy to the new Rolls Royce Ghost, leaving her Barbie-inspired Bentley Continental GT at the dealership overnight while she contemplated her potential pricey purchase. Hey Paris, if it is that big of a decision, why not just rent our Rolls Royce Ghost LA or any exotic car rental LA when you feel like it?
Well with the number of zeros in her bank account, I assume she will not wake up delirious with cold sweats should she decide to go ahead with the purchase. Her custom pink Bentley set her back approximately $200,000, and the Rolls Royce Ghost comes attached to a lofty $300,000 price tag.
Luxury auction house Christie’s certainly knows how to rev up engines, as in the exotic car rentals and more that often end up on its chopping block. But now the good people at Christie’s are offering up something on the sexy side, in the form of centerfolds, art and photographs and life-sized plexiglass sculptures from the Playboy of Hef’s prime! Come to think of it, Hef’s prime seems to be permanent, he is way cooler than 007 and all of his Aston Martin rentals put together.
Now that I have your attention, the rare centerfold auction will be held December 8th, 2010, and will offer the nude and naughty figures of Playboy celebrities of years gone by, including Paulina, Elle, Brigitte (Bardot and Nielsen) and a Marilyn or two. Yum.
After an extremely successful first summer open for business in Chicago, Imagine Lifestyles is proud to announce a new showroom and warehouse opening soon in Lincoln Park. It seems all the pretty ladies, ie. Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Bentley would prefer to sleep comfortably next to each other, and we have no problem with that at all. The new space will be conveniently located right off of 90/94 providing our clients and new customers with easy access to the new showroom and is a perfect way to view our fleet of Chicago luxury rental cars.
Looking at this eyesore-extravaganza makes me wish Bentley, or whoever is responsible for this monstrosity of a custom paint job, had the heart to tell Paris Hilton NO. Has anyone ever done that, by the way? I can only assume that she did not get to color enough Easter eggs as a child. This would never survive as a luxury rental car, so I shudder to think of what will happen to this Bentley once Paris tires of it. Speaking of tires, scope the rims she has on it, ouch.
Pam Anderson Jag
Up next we have the luscious Pamela Anderson! Oh and the Jaguar is not too shabby, either. Anderson is always on top of her game, and I like the classic white Jag, it will go with anything, unlike Hilton’s pitiful pink Bentley.
The upscale vibe of one of the hippest and exclusive club-boutique hotels in London, the Soho House, continues to spread across the States. The Soho House luxury hotel has already exported its classy act to New York and to Los Angeles, and now, Miami makes three.
The Soho Beach House has opened on the site of the historic art deco Sovereign Hotel and is a collaboration between Soho House founder Nick Jones and designer Martin Brudnizki. I can already imagine the luxury rental cars Miami style that will frequent the valet at Soho.
The Ferrari California supercar and the Bentley GTC seem to be bumping heads (better than bumpers) in the luxury car competition department. While it is largely a brand preference issue, it cannot be denied that both Bentley and Ferrari are targeting new markets, Ferrari rental markets and Bentley rental markets.
So who wins in the Ferrari California Vs Bentley GTC? Let’s examine both exotic and luxury rental cars.
Many people are satisfied with driving or renting a standard car from a top-rated automaker, but others crave the experience and image only an exotic car or luxury car rental can provide. Before making the big decision, it is important to consider the hidden costs of owning a luxury car, as you may prefer to rent one!
Among the top 5 hidden costs of owning a luxury car are:
Higher taxes. When you own a luxury car, you will incur not only the steep initial cost of purchase, but get slapped with a large sales tax. This is because the sales tax is the same for any vehicle purchase, and measured by a percentage of the vehicle’s price tag, which will be astronomically higher for a luxury car. Before investing, you may want to consider how much cheaper it will be to simply indulge in a luxury rental car on special occasions.
Insurance costs and risks. While sales tax is the same percentage for standard and luxury cars, insurance rates differ. Exotic and luxury cars come with a higher insurable risk, and insurance companies bill accordingly. Before you buy that Lamborghini, Ferrari or Aston Martin, check with your insurance agent to find out how much your monthly insurance bill will jump, you may be astounded. A properly insured Ferrari F430 rental is less of a headache should you have a fender-bender…or end up in a situation like the photo to the right! One accident to your luxury car decreases the resale value grately.
Bugatti Veyron, one of the fastest supercars on the planet, is perched to take the Indian markets by storm. As soon as October 28th, 2010, Bugatti will begin to sell their luxury cars in India, inspired by the recent success of luxury cars in that market. So far, before sales have even begun, there are two buyers lined up.
Luxury car brands Bugatti, Bentley and Lamborghini are all owned by Volkswagen, and will all be distributed by Exclusive Motors to the Indian market. Bugatti is often the favorite, a truly spectacular sports car. The latest Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is capable of reaching speeds of approximately 168 miles per hour, nailing the 0-60 mark in around 3.2 seconds. The Veyron is rumored to be the current fastest car under regular production. I wonder how many exotic and luxury car rentals Bugatti plans to make available to the Indian market.
With the increasing chatter about the Chinese and Indian markets being the new luxury market leaders, there certainly is plenty to discuss. Now Bugatti is giving us a bit more to talk about, by bringing the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport to India. But will the Indian market be interested in investing in a $3.6 million dollar supercar, the fastest and most expensive car in the world, to drive on predominantly poorly maintained, single-lane roads? There are multi-lane roads available in areas, but they are often just like the photo above.
By contrast, India is also where the world’s cheapest car, the Tata Nano, originated. I suppose you could say India has come full circle! Bugatti will now be joining the ranks of other exotic and luxury car rental brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Bentley, Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche, who are all trying their luck in these emerging markets. For some reason I am thinking of the infamous western ‘Goldrush’.
While luxury cars represent less than 1 percent of the total Indian market, it has grown 10 percent per year, with positive projections for future growth. The target consumers for the Bugatti are the new kings of India, the 69 individuals who form the largest group of dollar billionaires outside of the States. These people, and those who already own luxury cars but crave something flashier to flaunt are the ideal audience for a supercar of this caliber.
While the company seems hopeful, the fact remains that the Bugatti Veyron’s $3.6 million dollar price tag is almost four times more than any other exotic vehicle sold in India, and that includes the ultra-luxe Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Maybach. True to luxury car marketing strategy, only 150 units of the Veyron will be produced, which should work in the company’s favor, revving up that exclusive appeal.
But I am still curious who would want to drop $3.6 million on a car that will spend the majority of its life in bottleneck traffic and ricocheting between potholes? I recommend a Bugatti-hovercraft for the Indian market.
This is no joke, luxury carmaker Bentley is in a position to recall 596 cars due to its famous “flying B” metal emblem. It seems the metal emblem on some models does not retract, which could potentially injure pedestrians in the event of an accident. What?
Yes, it seems that if the bedazzled logos fail to retract properly, it increases the risk of injury to a pedestrian. So I am picturing this risk, and it seems it would essentially impale said pedestrian, decreasing their chances of survival. I suppose the Bentley hood ornament does have the potential to become a projectile, but highly unlikely. I think someone has too much thinking time to come up with that scenario, though I am not the expert in luxury car crashes.
This risk has been taken seriously by Bentley, who is in the process of recalling 596 Arnage, Azure and Brooklands models from2007 through 2009. Ouch. Bentley will replace corroded emblems, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.
No accidents or injuries have been reported thus far, and Bentley will begin the process of replacing the hood ornaments on the $200,000 plus luxury cars and Bentley rentals starting September 27th according to NHTSA. As for the hood ornament supplier (yes, there is one apparently), they have stepped up and taken steps to prevent corrosion, adding grease to prevent water from accumulating inside.
Fun fact: Bentley is owned by German automaker Volkswagen, who also happens to own Bugatti and Lamborghini.
ow much your monthly insurance bill will jump, you may be astounded. A properly insured 
Bugatti is often the favorite, a truly spectacular sports car. The latest 
