Elite Auto Rental Blog

The Detroit Auto Show, which begins January 16, 2010, will feature the newly redesigned Ford Mustang.  For exotic car fans, the Mustang has always been a respectable domestic standby, but this redesign may make it a true exotic vehicle.

The 2011 Ford Mustang is expected to receive a full remodel, including a new 5.0-liter V8 engine, capable of producing 412 horsepower.

Those stats may put the new Mustang on par with exotic cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo or Bentley Continental.

According to Autoweek, Ford engineers achieved the impressive performance by giving the engine room to breathe.  The new design features an aluminum engine block, and vertically-placed air intake ports.  The car also features a pair of stainless steel exhaust headers, providing even better air flow.

Wondering about the weight of an engine this size?  The new Mustang’s V8 engine weighs in at only 430 pounds.  That’s 20 percent less than the previous 5.0-liter Mustang’s engine.

Most of the weight reduction is due to the materials used.  The aluminum block and composite components cut the car’s weight.

Anyone who has driven an exotic car knows that decreased weight can mean increased thrills. If you haven’t experienced the adrenaline rush of sitting behind the wheel of a high performance automobile, you can do so without the expense of owning.

Owning an exotic car means finding secure car storage, affordable insurance, and a qualified mechanic.  With these other alternatives, all you have to do is drive.

You can participate in an automotive dream tour.  These tours are designed to give you an exceptional automotive experience.  Over the course of a few hours, you can drive five super sports cars over some of the most secluded roads in the hills of North Texas.

Another option is exotic car rental.  You can rent the car of your dreams for a special occasion like a wedding, anniversary, or class reunion, or you can just rent an exotic car for the weekend.

For hard-core exotic car fans, the best option is joining an exotic car club.  You’ll have access to an entire garage of incredible vehicles, and you can use points to drive the exotic car of your dreams.

The new Mustang will be displayed at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, specializing in web content and technical writing.

Wondering what to get the exotic car enthusiast in your life?  If you have the space and the budget, a Mustang pool table could be the perfect holiday gift.

The table, which is designed to look exactly like the lower part of a 1965 Ford Mustang, would make a great centerpiece for a game room or family rec room.  The table was originally produced with a Poppy Red exterior, but it is now available in a variety of colors to suit your tastes and décor.

Built using a regular pool table frame, the body of the Mustang pool table is made from solid fiberglass.  Actual molds from the 1965 Mustang were used to create the car chassis.  The top of the table is regulation sized and made from slate and felt.

The Mustang pool table is accented with chrome bumpers, wheels, a Mustang insignia, and real working headlights and taillights.  The body is finished with high quality auto paint and a protective clear coat.

At just under $15,000, the Mustang pool table costs more than five times as much as a real Mustang cost in 1965.

If you think Santa may have trouble fitting the Mustang pool table down your chimney, another great option is an automotive dream tour from DFW Drive Your Dream.

Dream tours give exotic car enthusiasts a chance to drive several incredible automobiles.  Participants get to drive cars like the Bentley GT Coupe, the Ferrari F430, the Audi R8, and the Porsche 911 Cabriolet.

At $697 per person, the 2,000 horsepower automotive dream tour is a great deal, and right now, when you buy one tour, you get 20% off the price of a second one.

If you still need ideas for the exotic car fan on your list, why not consider an exotic car club membership?  Perfect for people who love to rent exotic cars, these memberships provide access to an entire garage of amazing vehicles.

Exotic car rental, exotic car clubs, and automotive dream tours all present alternatives to owning an exotic vehicle.  Many exotic car owners complain that it is difficult to find secure exotic car storage and affordable insurance.

With so many gift options for exotic car fans, it may be hard to make a decision!

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, specializing in web content and technical writing.

While it won’t win any races against a Lamborghini Gallardo or other exotic car, the new Toyota Sienna minivan redesign includes a full style overhaul and impressive new figures for fuel economy.  Toyota’s minivan redesign will be one of the big debuts at this year’s L.A. Auto Show.

An ailing auto market has had a major impact on the type of vehicle featured at the auto show this year.  While exotic cars like the Rolls-Royce Ghost, which retails for $245,000, still have a place at the show, the focus is obviously on small cars and minivans like the Toyota Sienna.

In fact, many high-end carmakers won’t even be preset at the L.A. Auto Show this year.  After a year of fierce competition and dismal sales, several exotic car manufacturers, including Maserati, Ferrari, Bentley, and Lamborghini, will be staying home to lick their wounds.

“We had no North American [product] launch, so we decided not to go,” Ferrari spokesman Matteo Sardi told the L.A. Times. “But we value the show, so we’ll definitely be back.”

In the case of this year’s L.A. Auto Show, the absence of the exotic car manufacturers gives regular car companies a chance to shine.  And according to reviews, the 2011 Toyota Sienna stands out from the rest.

As a nod toward the market’s current values of frugality and fuel economy, Toyota has designed the Sienna with a standard 2.7-liter, 4-cylinder engine.  The V-6 will remain an option for consumers, but this new 4-cylinder offers an improvement in fuel economy at 26 miles per gallon on the highway.

Debuting the redesigned Sienna at the L.A. Auto Show represents an aggressive marketing move for Toyota and draws admiration from some car enthusiasts.

“It’s a very straightforward way of doing things,” Dave Thomas, senior editor at  Cars.com, explained the L.A. Times. “A Toyota Sienna minivan? That’s not the type of thing you would normally debut at the L.A. Auto Show. It’s certainly not a sexy car, but it’s a big deal for Toyota.”

Some exotic car fans may be just a little disappointed at the absence of many of the big names.  Despite exotic car ownership hassles like getting an Azle TX insurance quote or finding secure car storage, we all fantasize about driving a Bentley.  Those who wish to indulge the fantasy can find an excellent exotic car rental directory at http://www.rentexoticcars.net.

Luckily, most exotic car manufacturers are not ruling out their attendance at next year’s auto show.

This year’s L.A. Auto Show runs from December 4 through December 13.

Kate Miller-Wilson is an SEO web writer and a professional freelance writer.  To view more of her work, please visit her website.