Rent-an-Aventador: Exotic-car rental companies cater to client needs

For those who adore exotic sports cars but want to avoid the staggering depreciation, high maintenance costs and laughable insurance premiums required for ownership, there is a solution: exotic-car rental.

At its new Los Angeles airport location, Black & White Car Rental recently displayed its latest acquisition, a Lamborghini LP-700-4 Aventador to be used in a fleet that includes Ferrari 458s, Mercedes-Benzes and even daily drivers such as the Toyota Camry.

“Obviously this car isn't our bread and butter,” said Dan Darvish of Black & White. “But it's definitely something that no one else has. It appeals to a specific market.”

Darvish continues, “With the cost of a new Aventador selling from anywhere between $50,000 and $75,000 over sticker price [$387,000], and with an 18-month wait, people don't have to wait and can have this car tomorrow for a fraction of the cost.”

Despite being a fraction of the price of buying, renting the latest Lamborghini doesn't come cheap, either. But even at $4,995 per day (roughly 1 percent of total price), the Aventador apparently appeals to enough high rollers to keep it in service.

“We have a regular who has already booked the car for an entire month this summer,” Darvish said.

Rob Ferretti, chief operating officer of Gotham Dream Cars, a New York-based exotic-luxury-car rental operation, elaborates on why clients spend on renting over buying.

“We have people who will spend $60,000 to rent a car for an entire month because they don't want to deal with the headaches of ownership. There is a cost of convenience, and they would rather pay the extra instead of dealing with maintenance, repairs, insurance and the worry about resale values.”

Gotham offers clients its Dream Car Tour, a chance to drive up to six different cars from its fleet in a day.

“Most people just want the experience and to have the memories,” Ferretti said of exotic rentals and the Dream Car Tour. “Some use our service to determine if they want to buy one of these cars; it's like a glorified test-drive.”

And while a majority of clients are “one and done,”

according to Ferretti, both he and Darvish revealed that there are a small number of repeat clients who often will utilize their services to explore a variety of cars without the burden of purchase cost.

Others that just want what they want.

“We are looking to get a Bugatti soon,” Darvish said. “An overseas client of ours wants to have one for his summer in Los Angeles. I told him we have an Aventador, but he wants a Bugatti, so that's what we'll get him.”

By David Arnouts