Drive Your Dream Blog

If the Internet age has taught us anything, it’s that it’s possible to have what seems out-of-reach.

You can wear couture.
You can drive a Bentley.
You can live like a movie star—if only for a day.
You just have to be creative in making it happen.

Websites like Bluefly.com and RevolveClothing.com offer couture and high-end labels at your fingertips and sometimes at a fraction of the retail price. Some of the brands offered at Revolve Clothing include Catherine Malandrino, Betsey Johnson, Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana, and La Coste.

And shipping is free if you are anywhere in the US.

With websites making couture clothing accessible to the average person, it’s only natural that people who love the finer things would want to drive the finest of cars. That’s where exotic car rental comes in.

Afer all, when you step out wearing Galliano, you just can’t roll in a Honda Accord.

“Owning an exotic car can be really expensive,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas Texas exotic car rental business. “To a six-figure purchase price, add maintenance, gas, storage, and insurance and it’s no mystery why that aspiring auto enthusiasts find driving their dream car is out-of-reach,” says the small business consultant and author.

Exotic cars like Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Ferraris aren’t on the lot at Hertz, but a growing number of businesses cater to those who want to experience driving a dream car.

Whether you crave the raw power of the 600HP 2008 Dodge Viper or the refined driving pleasure of a Bentley GTC, you can rent a sports car in San Antonio or any other city. Finding a reputable agency that specializes in performance cars is easy using an online directory of exotic car rental companies such as the one at http:www.rentexoticcars.net.

Featured on NBC’s Today Show recently, Revolve Clothing also offers a way for aspiring fasionistas to afford clothes that may once have seemed out of reach. The Revolve Style Blog keeps visitors current on the stars and their latest fashion statements. Many of the items that the stars are spotted wearing can be acquired at a discount from Revolve.

If you see a favorite star sporting something delicious, you just may be able to have it delivered. “If you really want to give yourself the star treatment, DFW Elite Auto Rental in Dallas can help you get a car that suits your style perfectly,” says Sturgeon.

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

Whether you drive a Bentley or a Beetle, car insurance is expensive. In fact, over the life of a car, a typical driver spends about $7,000 on car insurance. This expense is much higher for those with poor driving records or those who own exotic sports cars.

Regardless of what you drive, you may be able to save money by shopping harder for your next auto policy. For some reason, most people don’t comparison shop for car insurance, even though the price charged for comparable coverage can vary significantly.

The consumer watchdogs at Consumer Reports advise drivers to lose their reluctance and comparison shop at least once a year for car insurance.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is a good place to start. Their site includes a free guide to understanding and shopping for auto insurance. In addition, the association page has links to help consumers find information about firms offering auto insurance and determine if they are licensed in the state.

Smart consumers can also lower their automotive insurance costs by factoring in insurance costs when buying new or used cars. A vehicle with a better combination of safety options or a stellar crash safety record may be less costly to insure. A call to your insurance agent for a quote before you sign the paperwork can avoid a costly surprise.

Exotic car fans have found an interesting solution to rising auto insurance costs. Instead of purchasing a single dream car, they are joining exotic car sharing clubs. In fractional ownership clubs, the costs of insurance are shared among the several owners. In some other exotic car sharing clubs, members do not insure the cars because the club owns them.

“The initial price of an exotic car is just one piece of the puzzle,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas exotic car club. “On top of the MSRP, a potential exotic car owner has to consider maintenance, depreciation, storage, and insurance.”

Few people drive an exotic car as their daily driving car, so the costs per mile driven can be quite high. Members of car clubs that have the club own the cars share the experience of driving a collection of the best performance cars in the world without worrying about maintenance, insurance, storage or other costs.

“We see a lot of people who don’t want to hassle with insuring an exotic car,” says the small business consultant and car club owner. “It’s just too much trouble and expense, but they still want to drive a Ferrari, Bentley, or Aston Martin occasionally,” insists the proprietor of the Dallas exotic car sharing club.

“Membership in the DFW Elite Car Club is a great way for experience driving them all,” says Sturgeon. To find an exotic car club in your city, visit a directory of exotic car clubs at http://www.exoticcarclubs.com.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a freelance writer living in the Twin Cities. She regularly contributes stories about exotic and luxury cars to our blogs. Visit her website or email her for information about her freelance writing services.

Shown here are the latest spy photos the 2010 Toyota Prius, sporting what looks to be a significantly redesigned front end. Both longer and wider than its predecessor, the new Toyota Prius is playing host to rumors that have everything from a station wagon to convertible variant in the works. While we’re not sure about either of those predictions (especially with Toyota’s hybrid lineup scheduled to grow with entirely new models), what we do know is that the new Toyota Prius hybrid will eventually be built at Toyota’s new U.S. assembly plant, currently under construction in Mississippi.

The next-generation Prius is expected to be bigger dimensionally from the outgoing car and will probably get a new, 1.8-liter engine with some 100 horsepower on tap. Combined horsepower (engine and electric motor) should push past the 150 mark from 110 today — all while increasing fuel economy from the current car’s 48 city/45 highway numbers.

Other speculation has the new Prius featuring solar panels on the roof to power such accessories as the air conditioning system, as well as to help charge up the hybrid’s batteries. The new Prius is expected to retain the current model’s nickel metal hydride batteries for the time being, though it could make the switch to smaller, lighter lithium ion batteries later in the production run after the new batteries have been tested on a new plug-in hybrid model set for 2010 release.

Currently, dealers are selling out of Prius models worldwide in the wake of the recent spike in gas prices, prompting Toyota to bump production by 70 percent and build 480,000 examples annually when the new version hits the streets. Toyota is also building two new battery plants in Japan with partner Panasonic, in hopes that it will keep up with growing demand for hybrid automobiles. Eventually, Toyota hopes to be selling 1 million hybrid vehicles per year, globally. It has sold some 1.5 million Prius models since the car’s 1997 inception.

Look for the third-generation Prius hybrid to make its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, with production models hitting showrooms both in Japan and the U.S. later next year.

Except you’re getting way better mileage: On the freeways, humming along happily at 70-80 mph, the C220 CDI returns close to 40 mpg. Crawling through stop-start London traffic the equal of L.A.’s notorious 405 freeway crawl, or anywhere in Manhattan at 5 pm on a weekday, it still manages 25mpg, automatic transmission, air-conditioning, and all.

The Mercedes-Benz C220 CDI proves there’s no question an average fuel consumption of 35 mpg by 2020 is technically achievable in a reasonably sized sedan, albeit at a price (remember, this thing is basically C350 money). But it also suggests a lot of us are probably going to be driving very differently in 2020, too. With cars like this, our roads could become a much gentler place.

Nothing Mini offers cuts through the cuteness like John Cooper Works. The JCW version returns in coupe or Clubman form, with two fewer ponies from the new, twin-scroll turbocharged aluminum 1.6L engine versus the old supercharged iron block.

Now integrated within Mini, like BMW’s M, JCW builds the cars at the factory, eliminating dealer-installation fees. For just under $30K, you get a JCW Challenge car for the road, featuring more robust engine parts, including new pistons. Compression ratio is 10.0:1, down from to 10.5:1 to reduce knock. New turbo housing is made of a stronger material. This allows JCW to turn up boost from the Cooper S’ 0.9 bar to 1.3 bar. BMW’s Dynamic Traction Control and Dynamic Stability Control are adapted for FWD, but the smoothest way around a twisty road is to turn them off and rely on the new electronic locking rear differential.

It’s less edgy than the old JCW without that car’s full-chat supercharger whine. Big dual exhaust pipes make the new engine’s sound its best feature, though, a burbly drone with occasional little backfire-pops between shifts. The sport suspension is stiff, but equal-length half-shafts can’t stave off torque steer when the turbo momentarily blips torque up to 207 lb-ft. Power out of a second-gear right-hander, for example, and you get a quickly corrected wheel-jerk to the left. Defenders of the Dodge Caliber SRT-4, to name one, will claim import bias, but somehow, front-drive performance aficionados will accept the torque steer as part of the JCW’s rascally personality. Guess there’s still a lot of cute left, after all.

The winner of the $125 million dollar Mega Millions jackpot bought his or her ticket in New Jersey, though lottery officials have not yet reported the name of the town where the winning ticket was purchased.

The New Jersey winner, although the only one to match all numbers and the Mega ball, was not the only winner in Tuesday’s drawing. Eight other tickets matched all numbers except the Mega ball, including one winning Texas lottery player. The Texas winner received $250,000, just $25,000 more than the MSRP of a Lamborghini Gallardo.

(Photo by freelance photographer and entertainment writer Sean Claes. See more of Sean’s photographs on the Kyle, TX Daily Photo blog. )

Since some of the Texas lottery winnings would have to go to Uncle Sam, chances are even winning the lottery wouldn’t give you enough money to buy a Lamborghini. However, there are a few other options when it comes to driving your dream car.

Besides the initial investment to buy an exotic car, owning a dream car can be another added expense. Exotic cars can be costly to maintain, insure and store. Those costs are part of the reason exotic car rental has become so popular.

“A lot of people in DFW prefer to rent a Lamborghini, rather than to deal with the expense and hassle of owning one,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas TX exotic car rental company. “When even matching all six numbers in the lottery doesn’t give you the cash to buy your dream car, you have to get creative to find ways to drive it,” insists the entrepreneur and small business consultant.

In addition to exotic car rental, car clubs for exotic vehicles present another option for driving that Lamborghini or other elite car. Members of car clubs share an entire garage of exotic cars like Ferraris, BMWs, Mercedes, and of course, Lamborghinis.

“One of the best things about car clubs,” says Sturgeon, “is that you don’t have to commit to a particular car. You can play the field, drive a Lotus Elise one weekend and a Dodge Viper the next. It’s the ultimate option for people who love cars but don’t want to limit their driving to just one.”

Options like exotic car rental and exotic car clubs, as well as automotive dream tours, give the rest of us non-lottery-winners the chance to drive our dream exotic car without shelling out the cash to buy an expensive vehicle.

The current Mega Millions jackpot is $12 million dollars, and the next drawing will be held on Friday.

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

Celebrities don’t just get chauffeured from party to party, many of them actually own, take pride in, and drive their own vehicles. Some of the cars celebrities drive are exactly what you’d figure, others are rather surprising. Check out this list of celebrities and their cars (we offer this list as a sampling, not an exhaustive list).

1. Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony drive an Aston Martin DB7 & Lotus Elise
2. Ryan Gosling – Drives a black Toyota Prius.
3. Pierce Brosnan – Owns an Aston Martin Vanquish.

4. Verne Troyer – Drives a custom Mercedes CLK.
5. Janet Jackson – Drives an Aston Martin Vanquish.
6. Simon Cowell drives a million dollar Bugatti Veyron.

7. 50 Cent – Drives a Rolls Royce Phantom.
8. Charlize Theron – Tools around town in a Range Rover.
9. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie drive a BMW Hydrogen 7.

10. Jessica Simpson – Drives a white Escalade.
11. Julia Roberts – Drives a Toyota Prius.
12. Kevin Costner drives an Audi Q7 and Audi S8.

13. Matthew McConaughey drives a Lincoln MKX
14. Amy Winehouse drives a BMW 7 Series.
15. Kristen Cavallari – Drives a BMW 3 Series Coupe.

16. America Ferrera – Drives a Toyota Prius.
17. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have a Bentley Continental.
18. Xzibit Drives a Lamborghini Gallardo.

19. Jerry Seinfeld owns a whole bunch of Porches.
20. JaRule – Drives a lime green Lamborghini Murcielago and Maserati Spyder.
21. Samuel Jackson drives a Maybach 57 S

22. Leonardo DiCaprio – Owns a Toyota Prius..
23. Mary Kate Olsen drives a Porsche Cayenne.
24. Paris Hilton – Owns a Mercedes Benz SLR

25. Colin Farrell - Drives a black Ford Bronco.
26. Kirsten Dunst – Drives a trendy Toyota Prius.
27. Justin Timberlake – Drives a white Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

28. Kate Moss – Drives around London in her vintage MG.
29. Ice-T– Drives a red Bentley convertible.
30. Ryan Seacrest – Drives around in an Aston Martin.

31. Shaquille O’Neal – Owns an H2 and Rolls Royce Phantom among others.
32. Missy Elliott – Drives several cars including an Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, Rolls Royce Phantom and Lamborghini Gallardo.
33. Jeremy Piven – Drives a Ford Bronco.

34. David Beckham – Drives a Cadillac Escalade.
35. Jim Carey – Drives a Mercedes S-Class.
36. Wyclef Jean – Drives a $350,000 Pagani Zonda C12-S, a Ferrari 360 Spyder, an F1 McLaren and a Mercedes G-500.

37. Josh Duhamel – Drives a Chrysler 300C SRT-8.
38. Seal drives a Ferrari.
39. Fergie – Owns an H2.

40. Madonna – Drives a Maybach 57.
41. Tom Cruise – Drives a Porsche 911.
42. Benji Madden – Owns a 1950 Ford Shoebox.

43. Tyra Banks – Drives a Lexus SC.
44. Kate Walsh – Drives a Range Rover Sport.
45. Britney Spears – Drives a Mercedes SLR McLaren and a CLK.

46. Pete Wentz – Drives a Range Rover.
47. Matthew Perry – Drives a Porsche convertible.
48. George Clooney – Drive the two seater electric Tango 600.

49. Kim Kardashian – Drives a Black Bentley Continental GTC.

50. Sienna Miller – Drives an Audi TT

Bonus List: Homage to Jay Leno

Jay Leno is perhaps the most thoroughly car-loving celebrity there’s ever been. Below we’ve included a collection of just some of his greatest vehicles:

Jay Leno’s Ariel Atom

Jay Leno’s Bentley Speed Six

Jay Leno’s Jaguar XK120M

Leno’s 2009 Nissan GTR (This is #1 on our 2008 most lustable list.)

Jay Leno’s Stutz Bearcat

Jay Leno’s Tesla Roadster

A sneak peak at the everyday sports car from Lotus.

BY JAKE HOLMES, PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARPIX AND THE MANUFACTURER
July 2008