Hertz brings back rent-a-racer program with Dream Cars

In 1966 -- at the dawn of the horsepower wars -- Carroll Shelby made a deal with the Hertz Corporation to produce a line of Shelby GT350 Mustangs for rent. Later, the cars would be refreshed and repurposed for sale as GT350-H models.

Just as the horsepower wars have returned, so has Hertz' rent-a-racer program.

The Hertz Dream Car selection includes the Chevy Corvette and Camaro, Ford Mustang GT, and supercars such as the Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911, Bentley Continental GT and SRT Viper.

The top tier, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, go for $1,500 per day. That's more than you'll pay for an econobox per week, but not even close to the joy you'll get from taking one of these cars on the road sans supervision.

The Porsche Boxster goes for $395 per day while the Audi R8 and Vantage cost about $1,000.

"The Dream Cars experience extends from special reservation channels to being greeted by a Hertz representative at the airport terminal, to a rental vehicle in pristine condition,” said Hertz Chairman and CEO Mark P. Frissora. “We ensure the travel experience with a Hertz Dream Car will be unforgettable."

Range is limited to 75 miles per day, with each additional mile costing anywhere from 49 cents to three bucks. Insurance is not offered -- you're on your own -- and we didn't see the rental agreement, but we're pretty sure it'll include a stipulation about keeping the dream cars off the race track. Not to say that you shouldn't -- in fact, quite the opposite -- but we won't be held responsible.

All of the pickup locations are currently in Florida, but Hertz says it plans to introduce the service in 35 American markets including Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego.

Check out the Hertz Dream Car page for more info.

By Jake Lingeman