The Nurburgring Nordschleife has long been a proving ground for automobile manufacturers, with companies vying for the fasted production car lap record for bragging rights. Not too long ago, a sub- 8 minute lap was all it took to be King of the Hill, but that has all changed now. Though the merits of Ferrari’s claim to the 599XX being a “production car” may be debatable, the performance is not! Quite simply, the performance of the Ferrari 599XX is incredible!
Last week, Ferrari test driver Raffaele De Simone piloted the monster around the “Green Hell” - all 14 miles and 150 plus turns - in just 6 minutes, 58 seconds! The sub 7- minute lap closes in on what old Group C cars ran in the 1980s and is faster than many racecars run today at the annual 24 Hour race! Needless to say, Ferrari has put its flag in the ground and claimed the Nurburgring for itself, and it will probably be awhile before another manufacturer can come close to the lap time set by the 599XX! And even if it really isn’t a “production car” per se, who cares to be honest! The car is mind blowing!
If you would like to get your hands on the street legal version of the Ferrari 599XX, we offer a variety of Ferrari models in our rental fleet! Please refrain from trying to set any lap records though while driving our cars; Southern California has some great roads, but they are best enjoyed at legal speeds!
We recently returned from a short trip to Hawaii, and though it could have lasted longer, boy what a trip it was! We were hoping that we could find a Magnum, P.I. tour while on the island, but that turned out to be a more difficult task than we had anticipated, so we ended up making our own! Unfortunately, we were unable to find any wealthy and reclusive authors to hire us on as Head of Security, so we had to settle with renting an open top sports car and a nice beach front house for the weekend! Not quite the same as working for Robin Masters, but similar enough for our tastes! Plus, we weren’t shot at, chased down or assaulted by any faceless villains, so we can’t complain!
Like Southern California, Hawaii is perfect country for a convertible; the weather is spectacular and the views from the coastal roads are to die for! In fact, let us offer our recommendations if you have never been or are planning on going back to Hawaii in the near future: rent a convertible! One person who seemed to be heeding our advice (or at least we would like to think so!) was George Clooney, who we saw touring the island in a Corvette! Though we may have opted for a Ferrari or Aston Martin ourselves, we can’t fault the man for his choice. With classic American styling and a large V8 under the hood, a Corvette is definitely not a bad way to get around Hawaii. And Ferrari 308s, despite their popularity with Magnum, P.I., are becoming harder and harder to find these days, so that clearly wasn’t an option!
San Diego Prestige is proud to be featured in the March issue of the brand new Dream Villager, a sister publication to Dream Homes Magazine. Read the article now!
With the Geneva Motor Show and the New York International Auto Show behind us, we at San Diego Prestige cannot wait to see the new 2011 models later this year. Some of our favorites from the Geneva show include the breathtaking Porsche 918 Spyder and the revolutionary Ferrari HY-KERS concept car. This gem ushers in a new generation of elite hybrid sports cars which is good news for us all. We also loved the Cayenne S Hybrid and the BMW 335 both featured at the New York International Auto Show. We look forward to see the Mercedez-Benz SLS and the Audi R8 Convertible hit the roads in late 2010. In the meantime, car lovers, take a look at these cool slideshows by the New York Times and go ahead, drool.
Last Wednesday as I was driving our Maserati Gran Turismo back to San Diego from Los Angeles, I got to thinking how amazing my life is. You can find me on any given day whizzing by on the freeway in a beautiful masterpiece of automobile engineering: Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, you name it, I’ve driven it. So back to my morning ride in the Maserati. I’m feeling adventurous and decide to have a little fun. I lightly tap the 6-speed manual shift paddle into a higher gear and effortlessly reach 90, 100 and then 115 mph! I cruise there for what seemed like a few minutes but was probably only a few seconds before slowing down to a lower pace. I arrive at our office in La Jolla feeling energized and cheerful. When I sift through the mail, I find my colleague’s $350.00 speeding ticket. The sight is sobering and I let out a sigh of relief that my mischievous little acceleration has gone unnoticed.
Ever dreamt of walking down the red carpet? San Diego Prestige has the ultimate gift for the Hollywood glamour girl or boy. We are offering VIP event packages that combine exotic and sports car rentals with tickets and backstage passes to exclusive TV and Cinema events, awards shows and after-parties. This May treat yourself and a loved one to an unforgettable night in the company of such world-renowned super stars as Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Edward Norton, Samuel Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow at the premiere of Paramount’s Iron Man 2. You will be chauffeured to the event in Los Angeles in our sumptuous Rolls Royce Phantom and enjoy a star-studded night and first class status.
We are now offering exciting VIP event packages featuring exotic car rentals paired with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to attend awards shows, movie premieres or primetime TV shows. Stay tuned for new exclusive entertainment offers from San Diego Prestige.
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.
