This month’s Paris Match features a great article on Ferrari’s latest masterpiece: the 458 Italia. Titled Ferocious Italian the article begins by setting the scene In Maranello, a charming town in the heart of Italy where Ferraris rule. This is the birthplace of the sports car maker and after years of peaceful reign, things are about to change:  new restrictions on noise pollution are being established. This marks the beginning of a new era, according to the writer, an era in which environmental concerns will shape the design of muscle cars. The Italia, however, has made it just in time and the familiar roar of its powerful V8 engine is still there, in all its glory.
 The article is full of technical facts about the impressive specifications of this modern marvel. For example, the 458 can accelerate from 0 to 62 mi/h in a mere 3.4 seconds and only needs 104.96 ft. to decelerate in the same range. The author gives us quite an exhilarating account of what it feels like to drive this lean machine. “Everything is so simple, so clear, so fast. It feels like being in a video game.” Some of its most notable features include a joystick baptized “il manettino” that, with a light touch of the fingertip, allows an unprecedented seamlessness in the gear evolution. Also notable is a revolutionary digital dashboard which presents the driver with a scaled drawing of the entire vehicle with color-coded swatches indicating the condition of the brakes, tires and engine.  It seems like the state-of-the-art 458 Italia has it all: style, substance and functionality. All I know is I am dying to drive one after reading this article. The author’s claim that “behind the wheel of this Ferrari, every driver becomes a racer” is just too tempting.

San Diego Prestige is giving away 4 complimentary tickets to the 54th Annual Los Angeles Boat Show taking place February 18-21, 2010 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Come in to our office located at 7736 Fay Avenue in La Jolla to pick up your tickets. This is on a first come-first served basis so hurry! Don’t miss the chance to see the latest advances in boat technology and design. Be the first to get a sneak peak at the 2010 models and accessories and get access to a large selection of motorboat and water sports gear at the event’s massive marine mall. The L.A. Boat Show is a perfect family activity for boat novices and experts alike. Check out the show’s website http://www.losangelesboatshow.com/ for more information and pop in to San Diego Prestige in La Jolla for your free tickets.

Last week my family and some friends decided to plan a celebratory weekend ski getaway at Big Bear Lake in honor of my birthday. When the torrential rain imposed itself over all of Southern California, we were glad we had an excuse to escape the wet spell that had plagued us for 5 consecutive days. Around 2:00 pm Friday afternoon we had packed our six-year-old twins, all of our ski gear and a cooler full of snacks in the company Range Rover Sport. Since we were a bit behind schedule and because reports of heavy snowfall and deteriorating weather conditions in the mountains were becoming more frequent, we were dreading the worst of drives. When we reached the base of the mountain, we realized the weather was just as bad as we had anticipated. The roads were covered in a 5 ft. layer of snow and we soon found ourselves in a white winter wonderland complete with low visibility, poor tire traction and dozens of abandoned cars peppering the pristine landscape.

After an hour of inching our way up the winding road to the resort at the back of a long line of slow moving SUVs that formed a strange motorcade resembling a giant caterpillar, we realized we were going to make it. Equipped with snow tires and chains our trusty Range Rover was succeeding where others had failed. As night fell we started our hunt for our rental down roads whose houses were hidden behind walls of snow. We were never able to find it and after countless U-turns and an interesting 1 mile journey in reverse, resorted to booking a hotel room. Upon check in, we heard from our friends who had left San Diego later that the roads were now completely closed off to the public. There were going to be no more cars allowed up that night. Even though we were disappointed our friends could not join us, knowing we were some of the last people allowed to enter the Bear’s lair made our accomplishment even more rewarding.

The next day was spent on the slopes all day and needless to say we took advantage of our ski trip to the fullest. Our ride home was smooth and uneventful. We were happy to return to sunny San Diego with stories of our skiing performances and a report that the Range Rover Sport, with adequate weather equipment, is a safe and reliable choice in the harshest snow conditions.

I made a pit stop at the cove to check out the rides on display at the Sixth Annual La Jolla Car Classic Motor Show. As I had expected, the sights were impressive and the event had a distinct early 20th century fair flair complete with an announcer on an red, white and blue banner-clad stage donning a straw hat. From what I was able to glimpse from behind the fence, my personal favorites were the black and bronze 1966 Shelby Mustang GT 530H and a James Bond-worthy 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Coupe. The vintage Porsches were also in my top 5 and it occurred to me they looked just like a cute vintage VW Beetle next to them. Some other highlights included two unusual Rolls Royces: a brand new 2010 Rolls Royce Cabriolet and a more classic model that features a bar integrated in the front fender!  Even though I didn’t actually attend the show, there were enough jaw-dropping cars to check out all around town including a fierce jet black 2000 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina and a 1985 Ferrari Testarossa both parked on Prospect St.

Symbolic Motors of La Jolla presented the latest addition to its fleet: an electric blue 2010 Lotus Evora. The new model boasts a 3.5L V6 making it a larger, more powerful evolution from its sister the V4 Elise. The event was the opportunity for industry professionals and motorsport fans to mingle. Some of the night’s highlights included meeting Ryan, Symbolic’s new manager and climbing in the Evora and experiencing its luxurious leather-clad interior.

The Sixth Annual La Jolla Motor Car Classic show is taking place this Sunday January 10, 2010 at the La Jolla Cove Park. You can come on down from 9 am to 3 pm for a look at some epic automotive gems. Entrants include vintage Aston Martins, Bentleys, Ferraris, Mercedes Benz, Porsches, and Rolls Royces among others. This year’s show is dedicated to the legendary racer Carroll Shelby and is sure to please all Mustang fanatics. While in the past the La Jolla Motor Car Classic has been held under frisky weather conditions, this weekend’s forecast is sunny and breezy. This will be a great chance to meet up with fellow car aficionados and simply enjoy a lovely Sunday morning stroll around the La Jolla cove. Save the date!

We have some complimentary guest passes for the San Diego International Auto Show. The pass admits two adults. The hours are from 10am to 9pm on Wednesday December 30^th and 10am to 7pm on Thursday December 31^st, 2009. Call San Diego Prestige today for a complimentary pass.

We’re pleased to announce the two newest additions to our fleet of exotic rental cars in the San Diego, La Jolla, Orange County, Los Angeles and Southern California area! Our line of Ferraris is very popular and we are constantly expanding our collection of cars from the Maranello, Italy based company to meet the demands of our clients – our latest edition is the company’s flagship, the 599 GTB Fiorano. Named after the company’s exclusive test track, the Ferrari 599 GTB is a superb performance car that develops an amazing 611hp thanks to its high-revving, naturally aspirated 6.0 liter V12 engine! If you have always wanted to experience the Prancing Horse firsthand, we can’t think of a better current model than the 599 Fiorano!

We have also added a car to our Rolls Royce fleet! While our current Phantom has proven very popular, especially for our chauffeur service, we found that some of our clients were looking for something a bit more exclusive that they would be at home driving themselves. The Rolls Royce Phantom coupe is just such a car. The rear-hinged coach doors make for dramatic exits whether at a wedding or at a black tie event, and the two-door layout gives the coupe a much different personality than its four-door sibling. If you want to experience the ultimate in luxury motoring, there is no other choice than the Rolls Royce coupe!

If you want to learn more about our newest Ferrari and Rolls Royce rental options in San Diego, Los Angeles and Southern California, contact San Diego Prestige today – we would be happy to speak with you!

We are launching Los Angeles Prestige!

We have been serving the greater San Diego area since 2005 but have found that many of our clients are actually from the Orange County and Los Angeles area. Though we appreciate our clients choosing San Diego Prestige despite the fact that they are in some cases 100 miles or more from our La Jolla office, we decided that to better serve them, it was time to expand! We will be launching Los Angeles Prestige in the near future to meet the needs of our clients in the L.A. and O.C. area seeking exotic car rentals and yacht rentals, and we’re looking forward to the venture. It’s an exciting time at San Diego Prestige; the holiday seasons will shortly be upon us, we’re launching a new branch of our company to better meet the needs of our clientele, and we’re in the process of getting some new and exciting cars! Stay tuned for more updates and a new website for L.A. Prestige!

By now I’m sure that you’ve all heard about our famous Super Car Tour, which takes place 2-3 times throughout the year. Our Super Car Tour is great for corporate functions and team building exercises, but unfortunately, the scheduled dates for this popular event do not always work out with our clients’ agenda. In such instances, we are happy to create special tours catered just for them, with the vehicles of their choice! Franck Danglard, CEO of San Diego Prestige and a devout driving enthusiast, will be driving up to Santa Barbara this weekend to map out a special tour for one such company in the Santa Barbra area that is looking to throw a unique and memorable team building event / holiday party for its staff. Though one might assume that Franck simply looks for the curviest road that he can find and calls it a day, he actually has to be mindful of many elements; road conditions, traffic conditions, topography, variety and an intuitive and easy-to-follow path are all elements that should be present so that the drivers have an opportunity to truly experience the exotic vehicles lined up for the tour. Stay tuned within the next few weeks for details on the route! If you’re going to be in the area, you just might see our Ferrari, Lamborghini and Mercedes Benz vehicle lineup pass by!