With the Super Bowl — and the super-rich — coming to Tampa, we'll be seeing a lot more super-cool cars zipping around town in the next few days. Maseratis, Ferraris, Lamborghinis . . . All of a sudden we're feeling major car envy and reconsidering that liberal arts degree. But it turns out not everyone driving a spiffy car is among the super-wealthy. Some are just everyday people, splurging on a luxury rental.
"Anyone, from a CEO of a large corporation to political people to someone who just saved enough for it" can enjoy the thrill of the ride, says Rodger Cook, managing partner at Tampa Bay Dream Cars.
Clients often include tourists and famous people. (Cook wouldn't give us any names, but he says regulars include baseball players. "The Yankees are in town," after all.)
About 60 percent of the renters are locals, Cook says, and many are just regular people with regular jobs.
Some people rent a specialty car for special occasions, including weddings, birthdays, class reunions, anniversaries, graduations, or for a special night on the town; others rent one to impress a potential business client, or as a prop in front of their store, to draw the attention of new customers .
"It's a fun thing to do, a fun thing to get anyone," Cook says. "Absolutely the perfect gift for any car enthusiast."
No doubt about that. But fun doesn't necessarily come cheap.
Riding in style
The Tampa company, which has been in business for four years, has seven cars in its fleet. Here are two of our favorites:
Maserati Gransport Spyder: We'll definitely turn heads. This super-sporty (0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds; speeds up to 175 mph) dreamy car rents for $550 to $599 a day or $2,795 a week.
Ford Street Rod:Bright yellow, inside and out, this 1933 model rents for $275 to $299 a day or $1,695 a week.
If these are out of your budget, Cook suggests the entry-level luxury car, a Lotus Elise, for $999 a week.
Better yet: Refer friends. For every five referrals that result in a rental, you get one free dream car for the day.
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