Elite Auto Rental Blog

I thought Ford was a little bonkers when they made fibers for car seats out of soybeans, but those crazy cats at Warwick University in Merry Old England have done Ford one better. The project is the work of three brilliant engineers at Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Center. Rumor has it that if you find the golden ticket, you can get a tour of the factory where this exotic car was made.

(Photo Credit World First Racing)

They’ve managed to build a Formula 3 race car that runs on chocolate. “The dark chocolate is way better than milk chocolate as a fuel. But you have to be really careful not to accidentally use Hershey with almonds,” said a source close to the project.

(Ferrari F430 photo by Josh Davis, Fort Worth exotic car photographer. All rights reserved.)

“We had mishap with Hershey with almonds that ruined the fuel injection system on the racer and set us back several months,” stated the eco-racer’s design chief. Damn the interns.

Exotic Car in Chocolate Makes UK Sun

According to the U.K. Sun, the car has a steering wheel made of carrot fibers, a body made of potatoes and seat foam made of soybeans. Supposedly, it’s very healthy to drive. The chocolate exhaust fumes are not only carbon neutral but they also leave a deliciously tasty scent behind. The car can do 145 miles per hour and the developers would like to see their eco-friendly car and some of its technologies adopted by leading racing teams such as Ferrari and McLaren. I think they might have better luck looking for sponsors at Droste or Mars or Hershey or even Haagen-Dasz.

If you’ve been good and eaten all your vegetables, why not reward yourself with something a bit more sensible? How about renting something capable of 145 miles per hour that isn’t made out of your favorite characters from the Veggie Tales…

Dallas Exotic Car Rental: A Reward for Eating All Your Veggies

Check out a bevy of mouthwatering performance rentals from Platinum Exotics, a terrific Dallas, TX supercar rental company…  Sure you can’t eat carbon fiber side blades, but renting an red Audi R8 in Dallas TX is a hellava lot more appetizing that a spin in the latest eco racer…

This post written by web content writer Eric Anderson. See more of this web writer’s work at PDQWebCopywriting.com. Eric’s recent web writing projects include content for a Montana custom vehicle wraps company and a Tampa mortgage broker and a web page about Dallas Ferrari rentals.

Thanks to our pals at Just Luxe (http://www.justluxe.com) for the tip on new owner survey of the best luxury cars of by the grand poppy of consumer magazines.

Part of the reason the Consumer Reports car surveys are so well regarded is that the take great pains to remain independent of the companies that make the products they test.

They have a well deserved reputation for objectivity because they accept no sample products. They buy everything they test anonymously.

At any rate, CR surveyed 424,000 car owners and asked if they would buy the current car they own again. (Based on factors that excluded the financial woes of the automaker…)

To get a nod, at least 4 out of 5 current owners had to be willing to buy the luxury car again. To get the magazine’s lowest rating less than half of current owners had to be willing to buy again.

The luxury cars that earned top marks in Consumer Report’s survey were the V8 versions of the Lexus LS and the Mercedes Benz S Class.

Get the full scoop and see a nice slideshow of the best performing cars in a good post by James Rothaar, a freelance writer and owner of Just Luxe.

Take a peak also at their fine story about our Drive Your Dream exotic car driving experiences in Dallas Fort Worth and throughout Texas.

See the full results of the Consumer Reports Owner Satisfaction Survey.

There can be little debate that the current world-wide energy crisis is changing the automotive industry. Look no further than the 2008 Smart Fortwo Pure as proof.

The diminutive two-seater looks like something a dozen clowns would hop out of during the course of a circus more than something you would see putting around boulevards in Dallas or any other Texas city. However, with ever increasing consumer consciousness of emissions and increasing gas prices, super economy cars are actually gaining a foothold where Hummers and Navigators once roamed.

The 2008 Smart Fortwo Pure will seemingly stick to the gameplan of the prior models. You will still get the same 38 mpg and incredible “parkability.” However, the 2008 model will be a little more appointed in the luxury department (Smart cars are made by Mercedes after all).

But the real news coming out of Smart is that they plan on releasing an all-electric version of the Fortwo Pure. No official date has been set, but it looks like 2010 is the target.

The all-electric Fortwo Pure will reach maximum speeds of around 70 mph and travel a little over 70 miles on a single charge. A full charge will require eight hours plugged in to 230V outlet. It is worth mentioning that a four hour charge will render the car capable of 80% of its range.

The popularity of the Smart Fortwo and other similar cars further demonstrates that consumers are taking the environment and their budgets more seriously these days. Even performance car junkies are finding ways to be budget and environmentally sensitive, while still enjoying the exotic car driving experience they love.

“We get a lot of people who can’t justify, for many reasons, owning a high-performance automobile,” states Ron Sturgeon, proprietor of a slew of businesses serving diehard petrolheads. “Our businesses help our clients maintain their connection with exotic cars without having to worry about all the hassles that come from owning and maintaining them.”

Sturgeon’s exotic car club, for example, allows members to purchase a specific amount of drive time that can be used to access the club’s extensive exotic car garage.
Similarly, Sturgeon operates a company the specializes in exotic car rental in Fort Worth TX. This business is ideal for the businessman that may need the occasional “wow” car for a special client or social occasion, but still wants to drive a more sensible car for the daily commute.
This Dallas classic and luxury car rental agency offers a broad selection of exotic cars and offers internet and Dallas wedding car rentals.

Finally, for those who are looking for an exotic car fantasy driving experience, Sturgeon hosts half and full-day exotic car tours. These tours allow participants to sample five exotic cars throughout Texas’ most scenic roadways.

The increased popularity of both Smart and Sturgeon’s businesses shows that people may be practical, but they are never going to forsake their love of fine cars.

Written by G.D. Gregory. If you are interested in having me write stories for you or seeing my portfolio, please contact me at ggpsu@yahoo.com.

As the first blockbuster romantic comedy in years, the Sex and the City movie is getting a lot of attention. Based on the popular HBO TV series, the movie picks up four years after the show ended, showing us turning points in the lives of its four main characters: Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha. But the movie is more than just a showcase for flawed female characters and high fashion; it also gives us a glimpse of some great exotic cars.

“I first heard about the film in August last year,” Ferdinand Froning, the head of Mercedes’ Entertainment Liason Office in Los Angeles, told the Telegraph. “I’ve a friend who was a PR for the project and they wanted to work with us. This is so influential, it’s the same cast as the TV series, the same crew, Sarah Jessica Parker is executive producer, we just had to be linked.”

[Photo Credit New Line Cinema for both images.]

Mercedes appearance in the film reflects the company’s real life sponsorship of New York Fashion Week. They also worked out a deal with producers to feature Mercedes automobiles in many of the scenes. Mercedes has also launched a cool minisite dedicated to the film.

“Product placement is a great way to expose people to a car brand,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas exotic car rental company. “Some people may choose to buy a Mercedes based on the company’s film exposure. Others will choose to rent a Mercedes and avoid the hassle of owning an exotic or luxury car.”

Exotic, classic, and luxury car rental may indeed get a boost from the film. Sex and the City is all about brands. Carrie wears Manolo Blahniks. Samantha famously sacrifices her integrity to get a Hermes bag. Charlotte had an engagement ring from Tiffany and Co. And you can bet Miranda’s business suits don’t come from the nearest Dress Barn. If the girls drive the lastest Mercedes, women everywhere will want to do the same.

However, wanting to ride in a Mercedes and actually plunking down $90,000 for a luxury car are two very different things. Most of us just don’t have the bankroll to run down to our nearest Mercedes dealer and drive away in the new Mercedes SL500. That’s where exotic, classic, and luxury car rental comes in. You can afford to splurge on those Manolos and still drive the exotic car of your dreams.

“I’m sure the film will be a major influence,” says Sturgeon, who also owns a Dallas exotic car club and a company that provides automotive dream tours. “Exotic car rental is a really popular alternative.”

Froning told the Telegraph that product placement is a delicate art. “If you are too blatant, the audience will realize it is a commercial,” he said. “You have to trust the director and the creative people.”

Only time will tell whether Mercedes sales and Mercedes rentals will increase due to the exposure they receive in Sex and the City or on their Mercedes minisite dedicated to the film.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

New and VERY LIMITED Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren 722 edition. Get’em while they’re hot, for they are in a very limited supply, 150 to be exact.

A little bit of history here; back in 1955 Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson won the Mille Miglia in a MB SLR that they, in a sense, created the trademark for MB: 722. Why the odd number? This was the team’s starting time in the race, 7:22AM, thus the huge red number painted on their car. So now the car maker has given this same number to a limited edition of the old SLR, the McLarren built SLR.

If you don’t own one, you can be one of the few, the proud, and the “about $1 million less in my bank account” group. Actual cost is about $480,000, plus figure getting here to the US and paying the luxury vehicle tax and so on, will tally up to right around that $1 million mark.

They will be painted Crystal Antimony Grey and come with unique 19″ alloy wheels that are painted black. Drive train  is an impressive 5.5L supercharged V8 which is hand=built in the AMG engine shop in Affalterbach, generating 650HP and boasting a 0-60 speed at 3.7 seconds! Top speed is reported to get up to about 210Mph.

Interior, bucket-type seats are upholstered in leather/Alcantara which are made to provide outstanding lateral support. Combine this with Lamborghini-style doors and a sleek aerodynamic body and you have one helluva ride!