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06-11-2011, 09:21 AM
Expensive pleasures! Haha!
The Straits Times
Nov 6, 2011
$182 for 15 minutes in a Lambo
Experience the adrenaline rush of driving a supercar or riding a Harley-Davidson at a lower price tag
By Natasha Ann Zachariah
It is not the destination but the journey that matters, as the famous saying goes. And two companies here are taking it to heart by providing luxury rides in supercars and on Harley-Davidson motorbikes at relatively easy-on-the-pocket prices.
Ultimate Drive is one such company that gives fans of luxury sportscars a chance to play pretend. It offers customers either a Ferrari F430 F1 Spider or a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and they can opt to drive the car themselves or be driven in it. The fully automatic cars come with an F1-style, paddle gearbox, which is semiautomatic.
Frenchman Marc Griot, 49, who owns the company, says it costs about $4,000 a day to rent a Lamborghini from regular car rental shops.
But at Ultimate Drive, which started offering rides in December last year, customers can opt for a 15-minute ride, with a driver, for $182.40. And some happily shell out $588 to self-drive around the Formula One circuit and expressway for one hour.
Mr Griot says that at least half of his business comes from Singaporeans and time slots are booked solid, especially on weekends. 'It's a dream for many people to get in one of these cars, but they can never afford to do so. The car costs $1 million to buy and much more to upkeep. In comparision, $182.40 is quite reasonable to a lot of people for that short experience.'
The company, located in Marina Bay Sands and at the Singapore Flyer, is also attracting a young crowd due to its comparatively relaxed rules on driving these hotrods. Here, drivers need only be 21 and above and have two years of driving experience with a recognised driving licence.
LifeStyle found two other car rental companies that lease out supercars and have stricter requirements for their minimum all-day rentals. Ace Drive, which leases out cars such as Porsches and a Maserati, requires drivers to be between 25 and 65 and have at least three years of driving experience. At Luxe Car Rental, which has a fleet of supercars including a Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bentley, drivers who want to drive cars in the 'exceptional' category have to be at least 30 years old and have driven for five years.
Still, Mr Griot sees a lot of people who try to bend the rules, from passing off expired driving licences to not fulfilling the minimum age requirement.
'There are always people who try their luck because they are desperate to get behind the wheel. But we never make an exception because we don't want anything to happen to them,' he says.
Real estate agent Tristen Lai, 35, who owns a more commuter-friendly Peugeot car himself, has already gone for three spins in Ultimate Drive's mean machines.
He says: 'It's a huge commitment to own a supercar. What I really want is the experience of driving such a car without having to maintain it. It's just much cheaper and it's all very safe with an experienced driver riding with you.'
Such joyrides are expanding beyond supercars. BigLoudRides, set up by two Finnish men in July, offers Harley-Davidson enthusiasts without a motorcycle licence a chance to hop on for a scenic passenger tour and be part of a convoy of loud, revving machines.
The company, based in Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade, does a heritage road tour and a night city tour, as well as overnight trips to Malaysia. Those with a proper bike licence and are older than 27 can take the bikes out on their own for 24 hours for $219, while those without a licence will be assigned a driver. Guided tour packages start at $350 for four hours and include a meal and helmet rental.
For now, says co-owner Juha Kuntola, most of the requests for tours are from tourists, though they are getting more inquiries from Singaporeans for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
The 41-year-old, who has been in Singapore for six years, says that people want to try out the rides because of the 'bad boy image' that the Harley-Davidson motorcycle has.
'When you ride a normal bike, no one really takes a second look. But ride a Harley and suddenly everyone's interested to know who you are. There's definitely some ego-boosting involved.'
For Ms Gina Yong, such tours are an opportunity for non-licensed Harley lovers like herself to get on one, if only for a short while. She signed up for the city tour last month.
The 40-year-old, who works at Microsoft, says: 'You get a carefree feeling and I do like the attention that people give us when we travel as a convoy. It's different seeing Singapore from the back of a Harley as compared to sitting in a car.'
natashaz@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royalty on the road
It is a general consensus that drivers of supercars are a showy lot, revving their engines at every opportune moment and attempting to break the speed (and sound) limit every time they hit the open road.
But after getting behind the wheel of a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder (above), though for just 45 minutes, I can't blame them.
It was not so much about gunning the car down the expressway, though the power behind the acceleration was very impressive, but more about being seen in automated bling.
With the top down, and knowing that I was driving a much-coveted car, I tried to catch the eye of fellow road users hoping to snare some jealous stares.
Strangely enough though, none of them, in particular the men, would look me in the eye. I wonder why.
Pedestrians turned their heads when they heard the loud engine as I changed gears or they did a double take to check out the car, and driver, when it stopped at the traffic lights. I was so chuffed - mission accomplished.
Similarly, I felt a little bada** when riding pillion as part of a convoy of five Harley-Davidsons. It was my first time ever on a motorcycle and if I was going to defy my parents who are against me getting on a motorcyle for safety reasons, I was glad to be doing it on an iconic bike.
I suited up in a biker's jacket, jeans and a helmet - I hoped I pulled off the biker chick look (above) well enough not to look like I was a newbie at this.
The ride itself was exhilarating - you slide left and right, the wind is in your face and you almost want to stand up and yell 'I'm the king of the world' a la Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Titanic.
Thankfully, I didn't ruin the group's street cred by being cheesy, but maintained some decorum throughout the two-hour ride.
A large part of the fun was hanging out with real bikers - people who hold regular day jobs but live to ride their Harleys - at a real biker bar, Handlebar in Sembawang.
Riding up to the bar, the pub grub and swigging beers over conversation made for a good night out.
I am definitely game for more - if only they will tell me how they avoid that sore butt syndrome from riding so long.
The Straits Times
Nov 6, 2011
$182 for 15 minutes in a Lambo
Experience the adrenaline rush of driving a supercar or riding a Harley-Davidson at a lower price tag
By Natasha Ann Zachariah
It is not the destination but the journey that matters, as the famous saying goes. And two companies here are taking it to heart by providing luxury rides in supercars and on Harley-Davidson motorbikes at relatively easy-on-the-pocket prices.
Ultimate Drive is one such company that gives fans of luxury sportscars a chance to play pretend. It offers customers either a Ferrari F430 F1 Spider or a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and they can opt to drive the car themselves or be driven in it. The fully automatic cars come with an F1-style, paddle gearbox, which is semiautomatic.
Frenchman Marc Griot, 49, who owns the company, says it costs about $4,000 a day to rent a Lamborghini from regular car rental shops.
But at Ultimate Drive, which started offering rides in December last year, customers can opt for a 15-minute ride, with a driver, for $182.40. And some happily shell out $588 to self-drive around the Formula One circuit and expressway for one hour.
Mr Griot says that at least half of his business comes from Singaporeans and time slots are booked solid, especially on weekends. 'It's a dream for many people to get in one of these cars, but they can never afford to do so. The car costs $1 million to buy and much more to upkeep. In comparision, $182.40 is quite reasonable to a lot of people for that short experience.'
The company, located in Marina Bay Sands and at the Singapore Flyer, is also attracting a young crowd due to its comparatively relaxed rules on driving these hotrods. Here, drivers need only be 21 and above and have two years of driving experience with a recognised driving licence.
LifeStyle found two other car rental companies that lease out supercars and have stricter requirements for their minimum all-day rentals. Ace Drive, which leases out cars such as Porsches and a Maserati, requires drivers to be between 25 and 65 and have at least three years of driving experience. At Luxe Car Rental, which has a fleet of supercars including a Lamborghini, Ferrari and Bentley, drivers who want to drive cars in the 'exceptional' category have to be at least 30 years old and have driven for five years.
Still, Mr Griot sees a lot of people who try to bend the rules, from passing off expired driving licences to not fulfilling the minimum age requirement.
'There are always people who try their luck because they are desperate to get behind the wheel. But we never make an exception because we don't want anything to happen to them,' he says.
Real estate agent Tristen Lai, 35, who owns a more commuter-friendly Peugeot car himself, has already gone for three spins in Ultimate Drive's mean machines.
He says: 'It's a huge commitment to own a supercar. What I really want is the experience of driving such a car without having to maintain it. It's just much cheaper and it's all very safe with an experienced driver riding with you.'
Such joyrides are expanding beyond supercars. BigLoudRides, set up by two Finnish men in July, offers Harley-Davidson enthusiasts without a motorcycle licence a chance to hop on for a scenic passenger tour and be part of a convoy of loud, revving machines.
The company, based in Orchard Hotel Shopping Arcade, does a heritage road tour and a night city tour, as well as overnight trips to Malaysia. Those with a proper bike licence and are older than 27 can take the bikes out on their own for 24 hours for $219, while those without a licence will be assigned a driver. Guided tour packages start at $350 for four hours and include a meal and helmet rental.
For now, says co-owner Juha Kuntola, most of the requests for tours are from tourists, though they are getting more inquiries from Singaporeans for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries.
The 41-year-old, who has been in Singapore for six years, says that people want to try out the rides because of the 'bad boy image' that the Harley-Davidson motorcycle has.
'When you ride a normal bike, no one really takes a second look. But ride a Harley and suddenly everyone's interested to know who you are. There's definitely some ego-boosting involved.'
For Ms Gina Yong, such tours are an opportunity for non-licensed Harley lovers like herself to get on one, if only for a short while. She signed up for the city tour last month.
The 40-year-old, who works at Microsoft, says: 'You get a carefree feeling and I do like the attention that people give us when we travel as a convoy. It's different seeing Singapore from the back of a Harley as compared to sitting in a car.'
natashaz@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Royalty on the road
It is a general consensus that drivers of supercars are a showy lot, revving their engines at every opportune moment and attempting to break the speed (and sound) limit every time they hit the open road.
But after getting behind the wheel of a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder (above), though for just 45 minutes, I can't blame them.
It was not so much about gunning the car down the expressway, though the power behind the acceleration was very impressive, but more about being seen in automated bling.
With the top down, and knowing that I was driving a much-coveted car, I tried to catch the eye of fellow road users hoping to snare some jealous stares.
Strangely enough though, none of them, in particular the men, would look me in the eye. I wonder why.
Pedestrians turned their heads when they heard the loud engine as I changed gears or they did a double take to check out the car, and driver, when it stopped at the traffic lights. I was so chuffed - mission accomplished.
Similarly, I felt a little bada** when riding pillion as part of a convoy of five Harley-Davidsons. It was my first time ever on a motorcycle and if I was going to defy my parents who are against me getting on a motorcyle for safety reasons, I was glad to be doing it on an iconic bike.
I suited up in a biker's jacket, jeans and a helmet - I hoped I pulled off the biker chick look (above) well enough not to look like I was a newbie at this.
The ride itself was exhilarating - you slide left and right, the wind is in your face and you almost want to stand up and yell 'I'm the king of the world' a la Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Titanic.
Thankfully, I didn't ruin the group's street cred by being cheesy, but maintained some decorum throughout the two-hour ride.
A large part of the fun was hanging out with real bikers - people who hold regular day jobs but live to ride their Harleys - at a real biker bar, Handlebar in Sembawang.
Riding up to the bar, the pub grub and swigging beers over conversation made for a good night out.
I am definitely game for more - if only they will tell me how they avoid that sore butt syndrome from riding so long.
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