What to expect with an exotic car rental
I have been to Vegas several times and have never been disappointed. It seems to get better every time, but this goes back to trying new things. One year I had a conference and I asked my best friend from high school to come with me after the conference was over. We planned to hang out and talk about the “good old days,” but the problem was that we were going to rent an exotic car in Vegas. I was a little excited, but really had no idea what to expect. I looked online, found a company, called and asked a few questions, and before I knew it, I got a call that the car was waiting for me downstairs. It was a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder in the beautiful Ithica Green (Neon for color challenged) convertible. This was the best time I have had in Vegas to date and I highly recommend it. So if you are looking for an exotic car rental in Las Vegas, consider the following:
1. Take a look at the competition
Several cities have exotic car rental companies, but Las Vegas is probably home to more than any other, as it’s the “Disney World for grown-ups,” where thousands of thrill-seekers come to live it up and spend it all. Well, they may not have intended to spend it all, but how do you think they built the Bellagio? With stiff competition for your hard-earned money, a better deal often comes along for exotic car enthusiasts. With a few phone calls and browsing the web, you’ll find that some offer a deal on a few select cars, while others offer a discount if rented during certain hours. Others will entice you by offering an hourly rate instead of a daily rate. When a car can be rented for $1,000 to $2,800 for 24 hours, maybe just 5 hours is enough! You may also be surprised to find that you can save several hundred dollars on some cars simply by choosing a different company. Same car, same power, lower price…go figure. I love competition!
2. Read the fine print
For any exotic car rental in Las Vegas there is a mileage limit. This is meant to keep the miles low and thus the cost of maintenance low…or lower as they are never “low”. The mileage limit varies from 50 miles per day to 150 miles per day. Each mile traveled over the limit will cost you $1 to $3.50 EACH MILE! So don’t think you’ll drive to Los Angeles and back without spending a lot of cash! You will also come across a cancellation policy. Some are more lenient than others, so if you think you might have to cancel, find out your policy. Some will charge you the full rental rate, while others will cap you at $500. Big difference, so check it out. Since the policy will refer to 48 hours or 72 hours before the rental time, you need to know what time is considered your rental time so there is no discussion about the time.
3. Insurance, claims and other fun details…
Yes, you should call and tell your insurance company that you are planning to find an exotic car rental in Las Vegas and take a casual turn. All exotic rentals require you to have car insurance and will verify it. But they will not verify that your insurance is adequate. I called mine and I have wide coverage. If I wreck a $450,000 Lamborghini Murcielago and it costs $300,000 to repair, they will fix it after I pay my deductible. If I run into another Bat (what are the chances? Oh, I forgot, in Vegas, that’s actually a pretty good shot!) and it’s my fault, they’ll only pay out up to $100,000 and the rest is on me. Not likely to happen, but check your own risk meter and ask the landlord about supplemental insurance if they offer it. Also, the rental company can go after you for “incidental claims,” such as lost income. If you fix your car and it takes 2 weeks, then you will have lost 2 weeks of income from that car. Most likely, that cost is not covered by your policy. If you are concerned about any of these issues, ask if they have a supplemental policy, or ask your provider if they will provide a temporary add-on to your policy. It doesn’t hurt to ask.