Car Club Blog

Fans of the 3000 mile coast-to-coast Gumball Rally in Dallas clustered around the W to catch a peak of some of the exotic cars driven by participants of this year’s rolling party serious road race.

Skateboarder Tony Hawk, ex-Bull Dennis Rodman and his playmate teammate are just a few of the celebs that put foot to accelerator in the 2009 Gumball Rally.

Hat tip to Terry Box from the Dallas Morning News for a good column on the Gumballers visit to the W. I hope they didn’t throw any of the lobby furniture into the pool. Crazy kids.

If you catch the Gumball fever, you can follow the race at the Gumball 3000 offical website. There are also some good exotic car pics on my favorite photo sharing website. The vehicle wraps and graphics for race are done by a UK firm called Raccoon. If you’ve ever wondered what a Buggati Veyron in chrome looks like, the Raccoon guys are your kind of people.

(Donkey Frog decked out to participate in the Gumball Rally.)

Puma is a major sponsor of the race so their Puma Motorsports also has some great images of the Gumballers in action. The race has a good page on Facebook with a huge Gumball 3000 photos from fans of the race. Tony Hawk bailed out before the race got to Dallas and a few of the Gumballers have run into smokey when they were traveling well in excess of the posted limits.

(Photo of Ferrari F430 interior by Josh Davis of Josh Davis Photography.)

I’m sorry that I missed the chance to see them at the W in Dallas, but maybe next year. Would love to have some pictures of the Dallas event to link to. If you’ve ever wished you could drive exotic cars like the ones in the Gumball, why not stop by Dallas TX exotic car rental company DFW Elite Auto Rental.com!

(photo of Dallas Ferrari rental by Josh Davis.)

We can put you behind the wheel of a Dallas Ferrari F430 rental or a delicious Lamborghini Gallardo rental for a day, a weekend, or a week.

Patrick Dempsey, known to fans of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy as “Dr. McDreamy,” will be reprising his real-life role as a racecar driver.  On Sunday, Dempsey is expected to race in the Verizon Wireless 250 Grand-Am Rolex at the New Jersey Motorsports Park.

For fans of exotic cars and Grey’s Anatomy, this is exciting news.  Dempsey’s hobby of auto racing has often made headlines and provided extra entertainment for fans.  The actor has participated in several auto races in recent years, including driving the pace car for the Indianapolis 500.

“I feel like a kid in the candy store,” Dempsey told the Grey’s Anatomy Insider before driving the pace car.

In addition to the Indianapolis 500, Dempsey has been involved in several other exotic car races.  He was a competitor in five out of the 12 Rolex Sports Car Series races in 2008.  Dempsey plans to compete in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans GT2 class race, where he will drive a Ferrari F430 GT.  That race will be held the weekend of June 13 in France.

(Ferrari F430GT at 2007 Le Mans. Photo taken by photographer Dave Merrett. See more of Dave’s photos in his Flickr photostream.  Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only.)

If you want to drive a Ferrari, you don’t need to be a famous movie and television star or a racecar driver.  Exotic car rental, exotic car sharing clubs, and automotive dream tours are all great options for regular people who want to drive an exotic car.

Owning an exotic car can be expensive.  There’s the high purchase price of the vehicle, often six figures.  Then there’s the cost of insuring an exotic car, the hassle of finding secure storage for exotic vehicles, and the expense of maintenance and repairs.

The race this Sunday will be the third out of 12 in this year’s Gramd-Am series.  Dempsey will be co-driving with Joe Foster, the leader of the Dempsey Racing team.

“W e only have five guys, but we work hard and laugh a lot,” the Gossip Girls blog report Dempsey saying. “Joe Foster leads the team and is my co-driver and without him and his ability to lead people, we couldn’t get it done.”

The team will be racing a Mazda RX-8 on Sunday.

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

It’s pretty cool to see Marcus Jordan, Micheal’s Jordan’s son, leading his high school team to a state championship. For the record, he had 19 points and five rebounds in the title game — according to the Chicago Tribune. (Monster dunk photo by Dave Hogg. See more of Dave’s photos on Flickr. Photo licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only.)

Catch a little of Marcus Jordan on YouTube.

I’m not a huge fan of professional basketball, but I have seen some of Michael’s highlights and watched plenty of championship games where he was the main attraction.

I knew he was an excellent golfer. What I didn’t know about Michael Jordan was that he is an avid car collector and owns about 40 European cars.

It must be pretty sweet for Marcus Jordan to be able to ask Dad for the keys to a garage that has more exotic cars than most exotic car clubs.

As the parent of a teenager, I think I might keep most of my prized car collection safely in car storage and just get the kid a good starter car like an Audi R8 or maybe a Porsche 911. The kid might like to drive a Ferrari F430.

DFW Elite Auto Rental’s Ferrari F430 F1 courtesy of Entrepreneur Gift Guide

Autoblog ran a story about Michael Jordan’s first American car being an Cadillac XLR-V. I used Google to search variations on Micheal Jordan car collection and couldn’t find out much about which exotic cars he owns.

Are there any Jordan fans out there who know which cars Michael drives the most? Which cars are in his collection? I find it hard to believe that he has never owned a Corvette or Ford GT before getting the Caddy in ‘06.

Just curious. He’s an athlete I have always admired.

Anyway, precocious means possessing faculties beyond the norm. Basically someone who is precocious is smart. As many of us who grew up with fantasies of a Lamborghini Countach lumber toward middle age, the precocious among us have found a new way to drive exotic cars without the six figure expense.

I’m talking about exotic car sharing clubs. They’ve been big in Europe since the late 1970s and have made the jump to this side of the pond in the last few years. Anyone with the exotic car driving itch, ought to consider joining a car sharing club.

There are several reputable car sharing clubs across the nation. There is Curvy Road in Chicago, the Van Horssen group in Phoenix, and DFW Elite Car Club in Dallas Fort Worth. The idea behind these clubs is to let members drive a variety of the world’s most desirable cars without the costs that usually come with being an exotic car owner.

With so may great six figure cars–cars like the Bentley GTC, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo–even those with substantial means can’t really afford to own them all. Car sharing brings like minded car aficionados together to share driving cars that they are passionate about.

DFW Elite Car Club is not a fractional ownership club, so no large outlays are required to join. For as little as $750 a month, you can put a dream garage with a dozen top-tier sports cars, luxury cars, and SUVs at your disposal.

The club even offers climate controlled secure car storage in Dallas for your ride while you are out enjoying any of the club’s cars. Why not be a little precocious and take advantage of the latest way to drive a Ferrari or other exotic dream car? To find a car sharing club near you, visit http://www.exoticcarclubs.com, an online directory devoted to car sharing clubs.

This blog post written by freelance web writer Eric Anderson. The opinions expressed are his own. Eric’s recent projects include web copy for a Montana vinyl graphics design company and a Tampa mortgage broker. He’s been feeling a bit precocious.

As a man who has occasionally hopped on the back of a Sears riding mower to re-tame the back 40, I can’t believe my complete ignorance of the sport of lawn mower racing. The only race I had first hand knowledge of was the one to get the lawn finished before the hottest part of the day.

Forgive me lawn mower racing aficionados, but I had no idea about what must be an amazing spectator sport. NASCAR is pretty big, but they ain’t got nothin’ on the USLMRA. That’s right: The United States Lawn Mower Racing Association.

Lawn Mower Racing picture by Peter Gene and licensed under Creative Commons attribution only.

They are for real and have a terrific tongue in cheek humor about the sport. Their slogan–”America’s grassroots motor sport”–is priceless. Check out the official website at http://www.letsmow.com.

The racing schedule has several large events and involves a chase for points in nationally sanctioned races. They even have a mowing video game for the X-Box. They have scores of sponsored drivers who take the sport seriously and race lawn mowers in various classes at speeds up to 60 MPH.

Photo taken by Bryan Burton and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only.

I’m thinking all this sport really needs to take off is a Danica Patrick to give it some sex appeal. The mowers are bladeless for all you sissies out there worried this is some kind of sick blood-sport.

Naw, just good clean family fun.

The Titans of the Turf don’t compete for fabulous purses; instead, winners receive only trophies and bragging rights. I hope the sport grows, but stays true to its bragging rights only format. So far the sport has avoided a major cheating scandal. The sport will certainly be growing because they have just signed a television deal with Fox Sports Net and the Outdoor Channel. I certainly hope that some of the sport’s bigger names don’t get all big-headed now that they are about to be T.V. celebrities.

Picture by Josh Davis of Fort Worth TX and used with permission.

For thrill-seekers who like to get their kicks on the asphalt, check out DFW Drive Your Dream.com. If you have ever dreamed of driving a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Viper, Porsche 911, or Audi R8, why not drive them all in the same day! This dream car driving experience was created by Fort Worth businessman Ron Sturgeon to appeal to those with exotic car driving fantasies.

A dream car driving experience makes an excellent gift for the man who keeps your front lawn looking sharp. For details on upcoming dream car driving tours dates, visit call 817.838.7368 or visit DFWDriveYourDream.com.

This story written by SEO content writer Eric Anderson. Eric’s recent projects have included copy for a vintage designer jewelry website and copy for a Lutz FL mortgage broker website.

Here’s a typical conversation I find myself in with my wife:

Wife:  I want to go to Club Med.

Me:  We just went on a Caribbean Cruise last week.

Wife:  Yeah, but this will be different.

Me:  Yes, because this trip will have to be entirely funded by hot checks (slightly chuckling to myself).

Wife:  Can we at least go to Florida?

Me:  Sure, it will just take a few less hot checks (still chuckling but getting nervous).

Wife:  Well, I AM getting a new purse.

Me:  Obviously, the 8 you already have are almost a year old (now considering odd jobs I can perform for extra cash).

Wife:  Exactly.

I think the U.S. as a country is having similar conversation right now.  Of course we still want all the cool stuff, but now is not the time to go on a spending spree.

It is against this backdrop that companies like Honda are poised to thrive.  Honda will thrive because they constantly overachieve given the price point of their cars.

The 2009 Honda Fit is a perfect example of this.  With a base price well under $20,000, you wouldn’t expect to much.  But you’d be wrong.  The 2009 Honda Fit features acceptable, if not overwhelming acceleration for a car that only sports 117 hp.

But there are many creature comforts like a 160-watt, four speaker stereo system, ergonomic seats, and fold-flat rear seating that allows the Fit to double as a miniature flat bed truck.  But perhaps the best feature, other than the price, is the 31mpg combined rating.

2009 Honda Fit image by L’eau Bleue on Flickr. Image licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only.

Now, if you just can’t shake your Ferrari tastes, I’ve got a guy that you can call.  No, not Dr. Phil, his name is Tom Warren and and he’s GM of DFW Elite Car Club. He has made a career out of sharing his love of exotic cars with those that don’t necessarily have the means to run out and stock their own exotic car garage.

Warren’s DFW Elite Car Club (www.dfwelitecarclub.com) in Dallas-Fort Worth allows patrons to buy points that can be exchanged for drive time with the club’s extensive exotic car collection.  With monthly plans starting at just $750 per month, many people who would otherwise be priced out of direct ownership can still find themselves cruising the streets in that Bentley they’ve always dreamed of.

Warren also manages an exotic car rental company (www.dfweliteautorental.com) and an exotic car tour company (www.dfwdriveyourdream.com).  But just remember, no hot checks!

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

Tom Warren knows a little bit about traveling in style. Warren is GM of three businesses that cater to clients who love driving the finest exotic cars.

Warren manages an exotic car club (http://www.dfwelitecarclub.com) that offers drive time in more than 20 exotic cars to club members. Their latest addition: a 2009 Audi R8!

This DFW car sharing club spares members the expense of direct ownership but not the thrill of driving a variety of coveted sports cars. No large up front fees, and a five to one member to car ratio.

Tom is also GM of a company that offers exotic car tours (http://www.dfwdriveyourdream.com) where participants speed through Texas roadways sampling 5 exotic cars for half or full-day excursions.

But despite the depth and breadth of his exotic car inventory, Tom can’t help you fly to your destination. “No, all of our automobiles stay on the ground. They may eat up a lot of asphalt in a short amount of time, but lift-off isn’t in the cards,” admits Warren.

For that you’ll need to check out the Moller M400 Skycar.

Moller seek to change the way we all view personal transportation. For years Moller has been in the business of developing personal vertical take of and landing (VTOL) vehicles.

Generally, the idea is that, eventually, you could simply walk out to your driveway, hop in your VTOL vehicle and jet off to, say, New Orleans for lunch and New York City for dinner and be home in time for the evening news.

Admittedly, there are technological and regulatory hurdles that have yet to be overcome. However, Moller intends to have a fully functional prototype of the M400 Skycar in the air by 2012 and for sales to begin within a few years thereafter.

Apparently, this idea is attractive to some consumers. Even with an initial estimated price tag of $500,000—a company spokesperson claims to have over 100 reservations for the FAA certified models.

The Moller M400 Skycar isn’t meant to function as a car, but rather as a personal aircraft. The M400 tops out at 35 MPH on the ground.

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

It is one of the seminal moments in one of the defining films of my generation.  The year was 1986 and the film was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The particular scene involved a distraught Cameron lamenting his loveless relationship with his father who, according to Cameron, loved his small collection of exotic cars more than he loved Cameron.
 
As any distraught son in an 80s John Hughes film would do, Cameron blew a gasket and took out his frustration on his father’s cherished Ferrari 250 California Spyder, eventually sending the classic Ferrari careening into a ravine 50 feet below its elevated garage.

Oops.

Car fans can take great joy in two things:  First, the California Ferrari destroyed in the movie was a replica and second, Ferrari is set to introduce a new California Ferrari very soon.
 
Surprisingly done just a few months prior to the Paris Auto Show, Ferrari leaked out several photos of the 2009 Ferrari California.  Special thanks to Matthew Phenix at Wired Blogs for the tip.

At first glimpse, the new Ferrari takes styling cues from the 612 Scaglietti, but don’t think for a minute that this car is just a cut and paste job.

For starters, the 2009 Ferrari California will boast the company’s first retractable hardtop.  And don’t think that just because the Ferrari California looks like art, it won’t perform like a Ferrari.
 
Word is that the newest front engined V-8-based Ferrari will boast 450-plus horsepower and get from zero to sixty in four seconds or less.  That compares extremely favorably to my Honda Civic’s 110 horsepower engine that requires a minute hand to clock!

“It has always been our experience that Ferrari doesn’t do anything half way with their cars.  A Ferrari’s performance is every bit as immaculate as their styling and our customers always cherish their time driving a Ferrari,” says Dallas small business consultant Ron Sturgeon.
 
Sturgeon operates an exotic car club in Fort Worth TX that allows its members to use a fully stocked exotic car garage at their whim.  By utilizing a tier points system with different levels of membership, DFW Elite Car Club provides members the exotic car driving experience at a fraction of the cost and hassle of direct ownership.

Additionally, Sturgeon operates a company that specializes in luxury car rental in DFW. DFW Elite Auto Rental.com helps car buffs to get their hands on luxury car rentals for weddings in Dallas, classic car rentals for Dallas high school reunions, trade shows or other business events.
 
Finally, Sturgeon oversees an exotic car tour business that treats participants to a full eight-hour day of driving five different exotic cars throughout Texas’ most driver-friendly roads.

“We’ve got several Ferraris, and knowing me I won’t be able to resist the new California model for long,” claims Sturgeon.  In the meantime, I’m sure his clients will find special joy in driving the newly arrived 2008 Lamborghini and 2008 Dodge Viper.  And I’ll keep hoping someone gives me a exotic car rental gift certificate from DFW Elite Auto Rental.

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. 

The F2007 is the fifty third single-seater built by Ferrari specifically to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship.The project, known internally as the 658, represents the Scuderia’s interpretation of the technical regulations that apply for 2007, with changes principally concerning safety, through the introduction of more stringent front and rear crash tests and the addition of a composite material structure to provide lateral protection to the sides of the driver.

These modifications have led to a significant increase in the weight of the car, in the region of just under ten kilogrammes.The F2007 chassis has been significantly modified when compared to the 248 F1. The design was revised to accommodate a new front suspension that represents a major conceptual innovation, mainly in terms of aerodynamics. The shape of the side-pods and their openings are also revised, based on modifications to the cooling system, which also implies exits for the radiators on the upper part of the bodywork, while the engine air intake is also substantially different. The car has a longer wheelbase than its predecessor. The rear of the car is much narrower, taking advantage of the more sculpted shape of the gearbox housing, which again this year is made from carbon fibre. The gearbox itself, which is still mounted longitudinally, is fitted with an innovative quick-shift system (seven plus reverse). The rear suspension is similar to that on the 248 F1, but a significant development programme is planned in this area, in order to get the most out of the system, based on making progress in understanding the behaviour of the 2007 tyres. The front and rear aerodynamic configuration is also expected to change considerably before the start of the World Championship. The position of the rear view mirrors seen on the 2006 car remains unchanged and the same goes for the exhaust system.

Mix five parts Bentley, one part Bugatti, one part Ferrari, and stir. Then dump your $356,000 exotic down the drain. What you see here is a Bentley Continental GT featuring a Bugatti hood and horseshoe grille shoved between Audi Q7 headlights, with Ferrari-like rear end grafted on for good measure. LEW’s 100-horsepower boost for the Conti’s W-12 can’t outrun this car’s ugliness. Unveiled at the Essen motor show, the car-called Big Bang-will cost European buyers 270,000 euro, or approximately $356,000