Car Club Blog

Website helps match women and their cars

Ladies, you can forget the guys and take complete control of your car-buying process. A new website, CarTango.com, is the internet’s first female-centric website specifically designed to help women find their perfect automotive match, at the best possible price.

Check it out: The site helps women:

— determine the best car for their needs

— locate that car via new and used inventory listings

— communicate anonymously with dealers about their available cars

— invite dealers to compete for your business

CarTango Inc. founder Daniel Osborne says women buy half of all cars, and influence 80 percent of the other purchases. Check it out: CarTango.com and let us know your thoughts.

And if buying is not what your wanting to expense out for then try joining a Car Club. That is owning without cost of owning. One great Car Club you might join is DFW Elite Car Club. They offer one of the largest car sharing garage around. You can find everything from Aston Martin to Rolls Royce.

The Federal Reserve met on Wednesday and cut a key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point.  This cut affected the Federal Funds Rate, or the percentage rate banks use to loan money to one another.  After Wednesday’s cut, the Federal Funds Rate is now at 2%, down from 5.25% in September.

“I am glad to see the Federal Reserve taking action to lower interest rates,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a business specializing in luxury car rental in Dallas, Texas.  “They have a tough job right now fighting inflation and the threat of a recession.”

Even though the rate cut is likely to affect home equity lines of credit and even some adjustable rate mortgages, we may not see much immediate change in rates for fixed mortgages and other fixed loans.  Auto loans, which are usually a fixed rate, usually take at least two weeks to adjust to a rate cut.

“In this economy, people are less and less likely to run out and buy that Lamborghini Gallardo or Bentley GTC,” says Sturgeon.  “Besides the high cost of buying an exotic car, even owning one can be hard on the pocketbook.”

Since it may be a while before auto loans drop in conjunction with the Fed’s rate cut, there may be a marked increase in the rental of exotic cars.  Other options for driving exotic cars are also becoming increasingly popular. 

Car clubs are one of those options.  Exotic car clubs allow members to share an entire garage of amazing cars, giving them a chance to drive a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, and a Bentley in the course of a month.  Owning a single exotic car does not offer that kind of variety.

“Exotic car clubs are a great way to drive your dream car without taking on the debt of a new car loan,” says Sturgeon.  Learn more about the car sharing concept at http://www.dfwelitecarclub.com. Find a club in your city by consulting a directory of exotic car clubs, such as http://www.exoticcarclubs.com

There may be some negative effects associated with the Fed’s rate cut.  Experts are concerned about rising inflation, and many predict that the Fed will meet again to raise rates later this year.
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.

I will be the first to admit that I’m not on the cutting edge of things, especially where technology is involved.  My five year old frequently helps me navigate eBay and Amazon to see the toys he’s interested in.

But in my typical better-late-than-never style, I’ve have discovered www.woot.com.  For those that are less informed than even me, Woot is a website that offers limited amounts of highly discounted goods.
 
These goods can be anything from vacuum cleaners to MP3 players.  The trick is that once the number of items offered for that particular day are gone, it’s over for the day.  To enhance the drama, Woot doesn’t tell its viewers how many items are remaining.  So if you see something you like, you better jump on it, or it could slip away.

Fortunately, I took my own advice today by purchasing the Magellan Maestro 4200 portable GPS unit.  Unfortunately, I am a typical male in that I love cars and driving, but I am all too often not totally sure of where I am going.  And yes, I would rather jam a flaming spear into my eye and stop and ask for directions.

That’s why I am confident that Woot just enhanced my driving experience by about 1000%.  This got me to thinking, if Woot can enhance my driving pleasure on the micro level, why not on the macro level?

Imagine logging on to Woot in the morning and seeing an Aston Martin Vantage offered for an insanely discounted price, like “just” $90,000.

OK, I know that this is not the way the world works, but hey it’s fun to dream.  The good news is, however, that there actually are ways to enjoy driving exotic cars for pennies on the dollar compared to direct ownership.
 
Perhaps no one is better at providing exotic car experiences at affordable prices than Texas’ Ron Sturgeon.  An incurable entrepreneur and author, Sturgeon also finds time to operate several exotic car businesses.

Perhaps the most intriguing is his Dallas Texas exotic car club.  “We allow our members to drive our full garage of exotic cars for far less than it would cost to own and maintain just one of them,” says Sturgeon.  The true beauty of the club is that once a member gets tired of driving one of the exotic cars, they can just swap it for one of the many other exotic cars.

Another of Sturgeon’s exotic car companies is a Fort Worth, TX exotic car rental agency.  This business allows customers to rent an exotic car or truck by the day or for the weekend.  The company offers rotating internet specials as well as discounted special event packages for things like proms and weddings.

Finally, Sturgeon oversees a fantasy car driving tour company that allows car enthusiasts to drive five exotic cars for up eight hours through scenic routes throughout Texas.  These tours are a great way to share an incredible driving experience with other car fans and are great alternative for corporate team building.

It’s good to know that Sturgeon picks up where Woot leaves off.

 
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.

Rather than hold her wedding in the White House, first daughter Jenna Bush, 26, plans to wed fiancé, Henry Hagar, 29, in a simple outdoor ceremony at the first family’s Crawford, Texas ranch. The wedding, planned entirely by Jenna and first lady Laura Bush, will take place on May 10.

Jenna Bush’s wedding details are slowly trickling out as the big day approaches. Now, only a little over two weeks from the event, we know that Jenna will wear a specially-designed Oscar de la Renta wedding gown and that the ceremony will be at 7:30 pm. Some details, such as the couple’s selection of luxury wedding transportation, have yet to be revealed.

“Wedding transportation is a big deal,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of an exotic car rental company in Dallas, which is only about two hours north of Crawford. “Having the right chariot for your special day is a great way to show personal flair.”

The first step to selecting the right wedding day transportation is to consider the theme and feel of your wedding. Would it be better to rent a classic convertible, get a luxury car rental for added sophistication, or drive an exotic car like a Lamborghini for some hair-down fun.

The advice of your wedding planner can be extremely helpful. He or she will likely know some of the rental car companies in your area that have distinctive cars to rent for weddings. If you happen to be in Dallas-Fort Worth, feel free to pay us a visit at DFW Elite Auto Rental.com.

Another excellent resource for finding agencies specializing in wedding car rental is the internet. For example, rentexoticcars.net is an online directory of exotic car rental companies. The growth of the luxury car rental market makes it a lot easier to find a business that rents exotic cars than it was even a few years ago.

Although we don’t know what Henry Hagar and Jenna Bush will be driving for their wedding, we do know the bridesmaids will be wearing dresses inspired by native Texas wildflowers. The dresses will be cocktail length and will be in seven different colors and styles. Jenna will be attended by 14 bridesmaids. Her twin sister Barbara will be her maid of honor, wearing a long gown specially dyed grayish blue to match her eyes.

The wedding guest list will be limited to 200 people and will include only family and close friends. The ceremony will be followed by a seated dinner and dancing.

“We wish first daughter Jenna best of luck in planning what is sure to be a beautiful Texas wedding,” says Mr. Sturgeon. “I’m certain it will be a terrific day for the President, Jenna, and the Bush family.”

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.

I have worked in a bunch of different places in my career–everywhere from your generic retail and office settings, basketball camps, landscaping crews, and even in the federal government.

A scant few of these jobs gave me the luxury of an administrative assistant. However, as I’ve gotten older and managed to convince enough of the right kind of people that I actually know what I’m doing and can bring value to a situation, I have earned the the luxury of having a great administrative professional working for me.

It took me about 4 minutes for me to become totally, completely, and hopelessly dependant on that person. This being the case, I have come to appreciate Administrative Professional’s Day as a real opportunity to demonstrate my gratitude.

Sure, I used to roll my eyes at the thought of all of these throw away holidays that seemed to be just an excuse to extort lunch or flowers from someone. Now, I actually look forward to going a little over the top to give my administrative professional a pat on the back.

I understand that most people go the boring route and take their assistants to lunch or get them a store bought cake. But it really doesn’t take much to add a little pizzazz to even mundane ideas.

For example, how about taking your administrative professional to lunch driving an exotic car? The little extra effort might go a long way in making your assistant feel special and highly valued. Plus, let’s not forget the perk that YOU get to drive an exotic car for the day.

“People rent luxury cars in Dallas for weddings, graduations, anniversaries–all types of special occassions,” says Ron Sturgeon.

Sturgeon is an entrepreneur who operates a family of exotic car businesses. One of his businesses, DFW Elite Auto Rental (http://www.dfweliteautorental.com) specializes in short-term rentals of exotic cars for business or social occasions. With everything from rental SUVs capable of transporting the whole office to sleek exotic sports cars, DFW Elite Auto Rental.com can help you find the perfect car for any occasion.

Sturgeon warns, however, that getting a taste of a high-end exotic car can be addictive. “It’s rare that we only see our customers only once,” laughs Sturgeon. With an Dallas TX exotic car club that allows members to enjoy all the benefits of exotic car ownership at a fraction of the cost and aggravation of direct ownership, and an exotic car tour company that allows drivers to test five exotic cars on an eight hour tour through scenic settings, Sturgeon has all of the needs of exotic car fans covered.

And don’t forget the best reason to go a little overboard for Administrative Professional’s Day, Bosses Day is just around the corner!

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 developers of a new community aren’t looking to please PGA fans with world-class golf. The 1.5 MPH of a golf cart is just too slow. These developers are gunning for clients that are more comfortable at 150MPH.

These real estate developers are planning a new community in North Carolina geared to satisfy motor sport fans, High Rock Raceway.

Here’s how it will work.  A 2.15 mile paved racetrack will weave throughout the developed area in a serpentine fashion that will allow for plenty of opportunity to test the redline.  What’s the big deal? After all, there are plenty of racetracks where amateurs can get in some drive time.  None like this, promise the developers of the new community.

There are current plans for about 120 condos (over 80 have already been sold) with direct track access, so that motor sport enthusiasts can open their garage and take a run around the racetrack.  I say “motorsports” fans because motorcycle racing will also be a featured event at High Rock Raceway.

Nor will the development be aimed only at those for whom racing is a hobby. Part of the new NC development will be dedicated to providing a home for small- and medium-sized motor cycle and auto racing teams, complete with facilities for business headquarters. 

“It is nice to see motorsports enthusiasts being catered too in such a large scale way,” says Ron Sturgeon.  Sturgeon, a Texas-based businessperson knows a thing or two about catering to the car enthusiast.

Sturgeon operates an exotic car rental company in Dallas-Fort Worth that seeks to provide customers with the opportunity to drive the latest Lamborghini Gallardo or a wicked 600HP Dodge Viper. 

Sturgeon started his Dallas luxury car rental company by drawing on the numerous performance cars in his personal paddock. “I’ve always loved exotic cars and I’m excited to have the opportunity to share the exotic cars that I love to drive with other hardcore petrol heads,” said Mr. Sturgeon.“

“Dallas-Fort Worth has something similar in concept to the NC development in our Motorsports Ranch,” says Sturgeon. “I expect to see more of these track-centered developments appearing in cities where fans of high performance driving live and work,” says the Dallas commercial real estate developer.

In addition to the exotic car rental business, Sturgeon has started a car sharing club in Dallas called DFW Elite Car Club. “With so many of the best driving cars in the world—the Ferrari F430 F1, the Lamborghini Gallardo, the Bentley GTC—having prices around the 200k mark, exotic car sharing is a great alternative for the person who wants to drive a variety of the best cars in the world regularly,” says DFW Elite Car Cub GM Tom Warren.

To learn more about the car sharing club in Tarrant County, visit DFWEliteCarClub.com. To find a car sharing club near you, check out an online directory of car clubs at www.exoticcarclubs.com. 
To learn more about the High Rock Development, visit www.racehighrock.com. 

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.

If you’re a fan of Uma Thurman in movies like “Kill Bill” and “Gattaca,” you’re going to love the commercial she shot for Pirelli P Zero tires. The 8-minute film is called “Mission Zero” and features Uma Thurman and a yellow Lamborghini Gallardo.

In the film, Thurman is chased by a slew of heavily armed assassins. The movie includes some incredible chase scenes, and it really shows off the handling of the Gallardo.

Although most of us won’t ever need to elude a slew of hit men, we can drive the exotic car featured in the Pirelli film. Even though the price tag for a Lamborghini Gallardo is in the range of $200,000, exotic car rental companies offer customers the chance to drive cars in the Gallardo’s class without the hassle and expense of ownership.

Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas, Texas exotic car rental company, is a big fan of the Lamborghini Gallardo featured in the film. “It’s a thrill to drive,” says Sturgeon of the Gallardo. “You can see how a Gallardo handles in the film, but to understand the adrenaline rush, you really have to drive the latest Lamborghini Gallardo for yourself.”

Exotic and luxury car rental companies and exotic car sharing clubs are increasing in popularity as more and more Americans decide they want to experience the thrill of driving an exotic car. And it’s hard to get more exotic than the Lamborghini Gallardo that Uma Thurman drives in “Mission Zero.”

The Lamborghini Gallardo is a masterpiece of automotive engineering. This exotic car is capable of going 0-60 in four seconds, and it boasts a whopping 520 horsepower engine. Add the fact that its available in a spyder and draws admiring glances from other motorists and supercar enthusiasts, and you have a recipe for the ultimate driving experience.

If you’re looking for an exotic car rental company in your area, check out www.rentexoticcars.net, an online directory of exotic car rental companies. There’s bound to be a Lamborghini Gallardo for rent somewhere near you.

“Driving the Gallardo is the experience of a lifetime,” says Sturgeon. “Everyone should try it at least once.”

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.

Forget the years and years of tradition and history, forget the controversial viewpoints and statements, forget the priceless spiritual connections, some people are just as fascinated by the Pope’s ride as they are by the man himself.

Euphemistically known as the “Pope Mobile,” the automobile that transports the pontiff on his endeavors is shrouded in lore and is the subject of great interest in its own right. 
As it turns out, there have been several different versions of the Pope Mobile over the years. 

For example, Pope John Paul II cruised around in a Polish-made FCS Star truck.  There have also been modified Mercedes-Benzes and Fiats.
 
One thing that all of these various Pope Mobiles have in common are extreme safety enhancements.  Some of the most notable features include bulletproof glass and bombproof parts.
 
Unlike the special armored cars that transport American politicians and dignitaries, the Pope Mobile must accommodate the Pope addressing large crowds.  To facilitate this, some Pope Mobiles have been designed as open air vehicles with a protective class border enclosing the Pope.  Think of an empty fish tank.

Still other Pope Mobiles are fully contained with a sort of built-in room in the back that allows the Pope to stand and address his audiences.
 
Many interested car/Pope enthusiasts have visited Pope Mobiles like the modified Land Rover that is on display (ironically enough) at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas. 

For those looking to take a Pope Mobile on a spin, it may prove to be an insurmountable challenge.  “We have exotic cars, we have very difficult to find cars, and we have some armored cars, but no Pope Mobiles,” chuckled Ron Sturgeon.  Sturgeon, a millionaire businessman and car fanatic collects exotic cars and operates several exotic car businesses. 

Sturgeon’s Dallas exotic car club, exotic car rental agency, and exotic car tour company specialize in meeting the sometimes extreme demands of their clientele.  But even Sturgeon has his limits.  “They don’t exactly make Pope Mobiles available at auctions,” continued Sturgeon. 

Still, if you want to have feeling of cruising down the street in an armored Hummer, Sturgeon’s got you covered.
 
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.

Rick Popely, writing in the Chicago Tribune, reports that with the increased pressure of a downtrend in the economy, more and more car buyers are choosing to buy used cars:

“In a slowing economy rocked by increasing prices for staples such as gasoline and food, the willingness to spend on big-ticket items took a dramatic turn in March, when new-vehicle sales plunged 12 percent from a year ago, confirming skittishness among consumers and pointing toward more difficult days ahead.  This is shaping up to be the worst year for vehicle manufacturers in at least a decade, and analysts don’t see a return to form until 2010 at the earliest.”

Although luxury car brands tend to feel the pinch a little less during a downturn, the awareness of costs have been driving changes even at the top of the car market. For several years, car enthusiasts in Dallas with a desire to drive the latest exotic cars have been doing it in a financially sound way: by joining DFW Elite Car Club.com, a car sharing club in Dallas-Fort Worth dedicated to luxury and high performance cars.

“With an increasing variety of exotic cars costing well over 200k, it makes sense for those with a passion for driving the best cars in the world, to join a car club,” says Tom Warren, General Manager of the two-year-old DFW car club. An excellent online directory to exotic car clubs (http://www.exoticcarclubs.com/) can help you find a car sharing club near you.

“I don’t believe that the economic downturn will cause the typical Lamborghini Gallardo buyer to consider a used one,” says Mr. Warren. “The high cost of maintaining such cars and the value of the dealer’s coverage that comes with a new exotic car makes a new 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo attractive to those who might otherwise buy a used one,” says the Dallas car club executive.

“We’re very fortunate to have a clientele that appreciates that value of the innovative products that we have created for car enthusiasts throughout Texas,” says Mr. Warren. “Our full day exotic car driving tours continue to sell out in Dallas, Austin, Houston, and San Antonio,” reports Warren.

DFW Drive Your Dream tour participants get a chance to drive five supercars in a single day. For upcoming tour dates call 214.247.4700 or visit http://www.dfwdriveyourdream.com/

The trend toward used vehicles isn’t doing anything to help the ailing American automakers, says the Chicago Tribune article.  “New-vehicle sales were down 8 percent in the first quarter, to 3.6 million vehicles, and J.D. Power predicts calendar year sales of 14.95 million, the lowest since 1995. Power’s original forecast for 2008, issued in December, was for 15.7 million sales.”

Read the rest of this story by freelance writer Kate Miller Wilson on our exotic car rental news page.

 

All right, perhaps my title is a bit of a lark.  I figure that I’m allowed with it being April Fool’s Day and all. But the truth is that there is a large segment of our population who just can’t leave things alone.  They are serial tinkerers. 

Within this class of tinkerers, there is a further breakdown.  There are those who go big and those who opt for smaller, quirkier tinkerings. 

An example of the latter crew would be the folks at Golden Eagle Bike Engines (www.bikeengines.com/larrybike.htm).  These guys specialize, amongst other things, in making engines that attach to bicycles that do the pedaling for you. 

The units can get the bike up to around 20 mph and are gas powered, yet very efficient.  There’s even a group of tinkerers who think that buying a specifically manufactured bicycle assist engine is too conformist.  That’s why they make their own Weed Wacker Bikes. 

That’s right, people make Weed Wacker Bikes.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for increasing transportation efficiency and getting out of yard work, but I’m not sure if those two goals should be combined.  I’m just saying…

As I mentioned earlier, there are also tinkerers who take their ideas big.  Consider Ron Sturgeon.  Like many, Sturgeon loves exotic cars.  Unlike many, this Texas entrepreneur did something about it. 

Sturgeon owns and operates several exotic car businesses in Dallas-Fort Worth. 

There’s the Dallas-Fort Worth TX exotic car club that allows members to access a full garage of exotic cars without the cost and aggravation of direct ownership; the exotic car rental agency that allows customers to choose from dozens of hard-to-find exotic cars for daily rental and even offers daily internet specials;  and the exotic car tour company that allows participants to spend eight hours cruising through some of Texas’ most beautiful scenery behind the wheel of five different high performance cars. 

Sturgeon is constantly tinkering with his own car collection and ways to better serve his customers.  “Exotic cars may be the centerpiece of our businesses, but we’re devoted to giving our car sharing club members and Dallas luxury rental car customers better than expected service every day,” states Sturgeon. 

When I asked Sturgeon if his collection included any self-propelled bicycle weed wackers, he just smiled and said, “I don’t think Ferrari has made any of those yet.” 

Alas, I guess I’ll just have to head to Home Depot instead. Read the rest of the story by freelance writer G.D. Gregory on our luxury car news page.