The Cars of Tom Cruise’s “Night and Day”

Classic and exotic cars play an important role in Tom Cruise’s latest action venture, “Knight and Day.”  In fact, some of the vehicles may even steal scenes from the movie’s headline actors.

Pontaic GTO image

Pontaic GTO image by BK1 Bennett on Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution No Derivative Works.

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz star in this summer blockbuster about a secret agent and his unwitting accomplice.  The movie features action, adventure, romance, and laughs, but one of the real highlights of the film is its selection of exotic cars.

In the movie, Diaz’s character specializes in restoring classic cars, and there are several spectacular car chase scenes throughout the film.

Here are a few of the major automotive players:

  • 1966 Pontiac GTO – This car, which is owned by a collector and was loaned out for the movie, has been preserved in brand-new condition.  The Martinique Bronze exterior and Parchment interior are in perfect shape and were not harmed in the movie.
  • 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix – While we don’t get to see this car being driven in film, the blue 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix provides some important details for the plot of the film.  The movie provides a rare glimpse at this collector muscle car.
  • BMW Z4 – During the car chase scene set in Spain, Cruise is behind the wheel of a silver BMW Z4.  The rear-wheel drive sports car outmaneuvers several Smart Roadsters, which are in hot pursuit.
  • Smart Roadster – If you think the Smart Car is adorable, you should see the Smart Roadster.  This little convertible amps up the style without removing any of the cuteness.
  • Mercury Grand Marquis – Along with several SUVs and a couple of motorcycles, the Mercury Grand Marquis was wrecked as part of a chase scene.  In one exciting sequence, Cruise’s character jumps from an overpass onto the Grand Marquis, destroying the vehicle.

Whether you go for the movie’s car chase scenes and special effects or for a glimpse of Cruise behind the wheel, you may have mixed feelings about the film.  According to Moviefone.com, both users and critics are giving “Knight and Day” three out of five stars.

Regardless of the cinematic quality of the film, exotic car enthusiasts are sure to love the automotive eye candy.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing.  She writes about cars, crafts, genealogy, and insurance.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Terrafugia Transition Captures Imagination in DFW and Beyond

When you think of an exotic vehicle, the sleek lines of a Ferrari F430 or Porsche 911 probably come to mind.  While these beauties are sure get autophiles excited, they don’t quicken the pulses of civilian aviators the way that the Terrafugia Transition does.

Terrafugia at Google HQ

Image of Terrafugia at Googleplex licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Image work of Mark Warren.

The Terrafugia Transition is aiming to take flight as the first production light aircraft that is road legal.

The FAA recently approved the Terrafugia Transition as a light aircraft.  The vehicle features retractable wings, which allow it to function as an airplane or a road vehicle.

The company classifies it as a roadable aircraft, not a flying car.

On the ground, the front-wheel-drive Terrafugia Transition can travel at normal highway speeds and gets about 30 MPG burning regular unleaded.  The car seats two with plenty of space for cargo.

At 1,430 pounds, the vehicle is technically too heavy to be classified as a “light aircraft,” but its fight test earned it that classification.  The manufacturer says that the Terrafugian Transition’s additional weight is due to the necessary road safety features like crumple zones and air bags.

The goal of the Terrafugia Transition is to provide a versatile option for pilots who are grounded due to inclement weather or who want to make legs of their journey without taking to the sky.

With an anticipated price of $194,000, this specialty vehicle won’t be replacing your Honda, but it’s not intended to. As a niche product, it’s expected that the Terrafugia Transition will do well attracting civilian aviators.

“I wish them well with a product that is exciting for their target client,” said Ron Sturgeon, owner of a variety of automobile insurance quote websites and a Fort Worth-based luxury car storage company.

Wondering if you are qualified to drive a Terrafugia Transition?  According to the product literature, prospective owners of the vehicles can earn a SportPilot license in less than 20 hours by taking a course designed for Terrafugia Transition owners.

Getting the classification as a light sport aircraft reduces the amount of time owners of the vehicles must invest to get licenses to operate the vehicle. However, most buyers are likely to be already licensed pilots.

When these vehicles arrive in DFW, they certainly will get a look see by many pilots and by people intrigued by the possibilities of a roadable plane like the Terrafugia Transition.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance web content writer, who specializes in search engine friendly web content, editing, and technical writing. Her recent projects have included content for a Tampa FL SAT tutor and a Fort Worth mobile dog grooming business

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New AWD Mini Cooper Countryman Coming to DFW in 2011

According to a recent review by Road and Track, the new Mini Cooper Countryman isn’t exactly an exotic car, though it seems promising.

The Countryman could represent a practical solution for exotic car fans who plan to drive a fuel-efficient commuter car during the week and drive an exotic car on the weekend.

Mini Cooper model image

(Mini model image courtesy of Daniel Dionne and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Only. See more of Mr. Dionne’s photos on Flickr.)

Reports indicate that the Countryman will get 34 miles per gallon on the highway, and fuel efficiency is important to today’s car consumers.  So is fun, and the Mini Cooper Countryman has that, too.

“We see a lot of our customers driving fun everyday cars like the Mini Cooper,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas exotic car tour company.  “These little cars are a blast to drive.”

For Sturgeon’s customers, that power comes from exotic sports cars like the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, the Maserati Quattroporte, the Ferrari F430, or the Audi R8.  These are some of the vehicles included in the DFW Drive Your Dream’s popular 2,000 HP Tour.

“It’s a fun event, kind of like a dream come true for auto enthusiasts who have always wanted to spend a day on the open road with some six figure autos,” says Sturgeon, who also owns a Dallas car storage company.

Events like this could be a welcome surge of adrenaline for owners of the new Mini Cooper Countryman.  This new Mini has some great features, and it will get you where you need to go.

It just won’t get you there as quickly as a Ferrari.  The standard model has a 122-horsepower engine, but some models may be able to get as much as 184 horsepower.  Reportedly, the souped-up version of the Countryman has a top speed of 133 miles per hour.

But the real appeal of this new model is the all-wheel drive.  For people who drive on wet or snowy roads, all-wheel drive can offer peace of mind.

“Even here in Texas, all-wheel drive can be important,” says Sturgeon.  “We don’t get much snow, but we get some serious rain and thunderstorms.”

In the Countryman, the front wheels receive all of the power during most driving situations.  However, when the car sense slippery driving conditions, it sends some of the power to the back wheels to increase traction.

Mini has reportedly seen a great public response to the new car.  According to Road and Track, the company has already sold 1.7 million units.

The Mini Cooper Countryman will be arriving in U.S. dealerships sometime in 2011.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing. Kate’s recent writing projects include content for a Tampa FL SAT Tutoring website and a Azle TX student insurance quote website.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tesla Motors Owner Strapped for Cash?

For environmentally-conscious exotic car fans, Tesla is one of the car companies to watch.  With its incredibly fast Roadster, the American automaker has shown skeptics that electric cars can be almost as fast as lightning.

Tesla Roadster in garage image

(Tesla in garage image courtesy of Venture Capitalist Steve Jurvetson. Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution Only.)

But Elon Musk, owner of the groundbreaking auto company, is strapped for cash.

Musk made his fortune as one of the pioneers of PayPal, the online money-transfer giant.  He’s also an aerospace engineer who designs components for NASA.  At one time in recent years, his personal holdings were worth upwards of $200 million.

However, Musk says times have gotten hard.  A messy divorce is casting unwanted light on the state of his personal finances. Musk is married to novelist Justine Musk, but the marriage is being dissolved due to Elon Musk’s relationship with actress Talulah Riley. A New York Times Article on Yahoo Finance quotes Musk as saying, “About four months ago, I ran out of cash.”

Justine Musk is asking for the couple’s house, six million dollars in cash, child support, alimony, and a portion of Tesla Motors.

Elon Musk says he has heavily invested his personal money into Tesla Motors, most recently putting $35 million into the company coffers. Analysts expect that Tesla Motors will go public within the next two weeks, and that event is likely to solve Musk’s cash issues.

However, Tesla Motors was the recipient of a United States Energy Department loan, and the fine print requires Musk to hold at least 65% of the company.  If he sells too much of his share, the company will technically default on the loan.

In its I.P.O. filing, Tesla Motors maintains that it is separate from Musk’s divorce and cash liquidity issues.

“We do not believe that Mr. Musk’s personal financial situation has any impact on us,” the company said. “We also do not believe that Mr. Musk would have to liquidate a significant percentage of his holdings in order to satisfy any settlement reached in connection with such proceedings.”

The New York Times Article explains that even if Musk were to hold on to his required 65 percent stake in Tesla Motors, he would be solvent enough to cover his divorce.  The I.P.O. should give him about $21 million.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing. Her recent projects have included content for a Fort Worth State Farm agent’s website and a Dallas TX Car Storage company.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 Up for Auction

Originally, there were two DB5s used in the films; however, the other car was stolen in 1997.  Authorities believe this other DB5 was destroyed.

Image Courtesy of RM Auctions

It’s no surprise that the DB5 will fetch so much at auction, but the high estimated price tag can put despair in the hearts of most regular Bond fans.  After all, if you’re not a super spy, chances are good you don’t have that kind of money just lying around.

So what’s a regular guy or girl to do?

If you living in the Dallas area, you can still drive your dream car.  It might not have a rear smoke screen and revolving license plates, but it’s sure to knock your socks off and make you feel like James Bond.

DFW Drive Your Dream Tour image

Image courtesy of DFW Drive Your Dream.

DFW Drive Your Dream is a company that provides automotive dream tours.  For under $700 per person, you can drive four amazing exotic cars over a specially-chosen tour route.

Add a tuxedo and a post-tour martini lunch, and you have everything you need to feel like 007.

The sale of the Aston Martin DB5 is being handled by RM Auctions as part of their “Automobiles of London” series.  RM Auctions is the largest collector car auction business in the world.

Proceeds from the auction will go to The Jerry Lee Foundation, which works to solve social problems associated with poverty.  Jerry Lee has owned the car since 1969.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, technical writing, and editing. She recently created web content for a website to help drivers find low cost auto insurance in Saginaw TX

Posted in Aston Martin, Exotic Car Rental, Makes | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exotic Car Driving Tours Popularity On the Rise

The economic downturn may not be stopping some exotic car dreams from coming true.  Sales of dream car tours are going up.

DFW Exotic Car Tours

According to a recent article on CTV Autos, Gotham Dream Car Tours, a New Jersey exotic car tour company, is reporting increased interest in its tour packages.  In fact, the company says that tour sales are up 30% since last year.

That may be because the economy is causing some enthusiasts to balk at the idea of dropping over a hundred thousand dollars on an exotic car.

“We’re seeing a lot of people who just don’t want to buy exotic right now,” says Ron Sturgeon, who owns a similar exotic car tour company in Dallas.

Exotic car tours provide a veritable buffet of exotic car driving experiences.  At DFW Drive Your Dream for instance, participants get to drive four exotic cars over a specially-chosen Dallas-area tour course.

“It’s all about the thrill of the road,” says Sturgeon.  “It’s a great way to experience these cars without the hassle of owning them.”

While many people do dream of owning an Audi R8 or another exotic car, it’s often not all it’s cracked up to be.  These cars are expensive to own and insure.  Owners often have to compare rates to get a good deal on insurance.

Other expenses can include maintenance, fuel, repairs, exotic car storage, and alarms or security features.

That’s all on top of the monthly car payment or lump sum price of the car, often in excess of $100,000.

In that context, dream tours seem like a great deal.  Gotham Dream Cars offers tours for about $900, and DFW Drive Your Dream provides a 2000-horsepower tour for less than $700.

“A lot of people see it as an easy way to enjoy themselves without the hassles of onwership,” says Sturgeon.

Dream tours are also a fun way to mark special events like major birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and other big occasions.

“It’s a great way to celebrate,” says Sturgeon.

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

DFW Company Offers A New Look for Your Exotic Car

Ever dream of driving an exotic car in a custom color?  One Dallas company has the solution.

SkinzWraps, Inc. is a business that specializes in custom wraps for cars and trucks.  About 80% of their business is devoted to commercial vehicles, but they also do wraps for boats, trailers, RVs, pick-up trucks, and other private vehicles.

One of SkinzWraps’ specialties is custom wraps for exotic cars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches.  At about $3,000 to $4,500, these wraps are more affordable than a full custom paint job.

“Five years ago, we weren’t even thinking about this kind of work,” said SkinzWraps CEO, Peter C. Salaverry. “But I think the auto industry is primed for it.”

Dallas Lamborghinis

One of the big advantages of SkinzWraps is that they allow owners to give their cars a custom appearance without the commitment that comes with an eye-catching paint job.  This flexibility can be important when it’s time to resell the car.

SkinzWraps are similar to wallpaper for your vehicle.  An adhesive-backed, thin vinyl sheet is applied to the vehicle and then smoothed out by hand using sqeegees.  Blowtorches are used to stretch the materials over the car, and SkinzWraps guarantees that the car’s paint remains undamaged.

In addition to changing the appearance of an exotic car, SkinzWraps can actually help enhance performance by improving the car’s aerodynamics.  This can lead to a higher top speed and better gas mileage.

SkinzWraps now counts many exotic car owners among its clients, including customers of Dallas exotic car dealers like Boardwalk Ferrari and Boardwalk Lamborghini.  The wraps can help protect the paint job on these exotic vehicles.

“What we’re trying to do is find certain pockets of cars that would embrace this sort of individualized work,” Salaverry said. “We want to earn our credentials on the most expensive, most demanding cars.”

SkinzWraps is located in a 21,000-square foot facility in Dallas.  The company employs 20 people at its central office, but it also has additional facilities in California, Florida, New York, and North Carolina.

“Now that we can show it can be done, we are pushing it,” said Salaverry. who hopes to wrap a Ferrari Enzo later this year.  Enzos typically sell for around $700,000.

“It’s never been done before,” he said. “I’m talking to a few collectors to see if anyone might be interested in letting us do their Enzo. It sounds crazy, but if we don’t push to new frontiers, we are confined by what we did in the past.”

If driving one of these exotic beasts butters your biscuit. Why not enter to win a free exotic car driving tour from http://www.get-insurance-quote.net. No insurance quote request is necessary to enter.l

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing. Kate’s recent projects include content for a Tampa SAT tutoring website and for a Fort Worth commercial real estate company website.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Leave a comment

Save on Gas This Summer!

Whether you drive an exotic car or a hybrid, there’s no denying that gas is expensive.

In fact, the Energy Information Administration’s 2010 Short-Term Energy and Summer Fuels Outlook predicts that the national average price for regular unleaded will be $2.79 per gallon throughout the summer.

Ron Sturgeon rolling in a BMW Isetta

Even exotic cars are now being designed with an eye toward reducing fuel consumption, and there are a lot of things drivers can do to improve their fuel economy right now.

According to a recent Forbes.com article, you can see major fuel savings by paying attention to the following factors:

  • Smooth driving can add up to 33% to your fuel economy on the highway and 5% in the city.  To smooth things out a bit, try to avoid sudden braking and accelerating.
  • Keep an eye on the speed.  Going the speed limit can improve your fuel economy by as much as 23%.  If you have a love of speed, try to keep it under 60 miles per hour.  For many cars, anything over that reduces the efficiency of your engine.
  • Use the right oil. Even though the fuel consumption savings is only about 2%, using the right engine oil can also make a difference in you fuel economy.  Pay attention to what the manufacturer recommends, and use motor oil with a label that says, “Energy Conserving.”
  • Check your tire pressure.  In addition to making your tires last longer and your car handle better, properly inflated tires can provide a significant improvement in fuel economy.  Expect to get about 0.3% fuel consumption improvement for a single PSI reduction for all four tires.
  • Keep the engine small.  This is hard advice to take if you love to drive fast, but smaller engines typically get much better gas mileage than a V6 or V8.  You can see a fuel economy improvement of up to 20% by changing to a 4-cylnder.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that fuel economy is only one part of the cost of owning a car.  In addition to improving your gas mileage, it’s a good idea to save on car insurance by getting a Watauga Insurance Quote. (You can enter to win a free drive your dream exotic car experience and no insurance quote is required.)

Regardless of which changes you make to improve your gas mileage, you can rest assured that you’re doing something to keep a little extra green in your environment and your pocketbook too!

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, editing, and technical writing. Kate’s recent writing projects include content for a website for a Fort Worth business consultant and for a Dallas car storage company.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Leave a comment

Pate Museum Classic Car Auction Dallas-Fort Worth TX

If you love car museums, you were probably saddened to hear of the Pate Museum of Transportation’s closing last winter.  Now the North Texas car museum’s collection will hit the auction block this weekend.

Originally a fixture of North Texas automotive culture, the Pate Museum was in Cresson, Texas, a town a few miles south of Fort Worth.  The museum’s automobile collection included over 40 exotic and historic vehicles.

Image by RM Auctions

“It was a sad day when the Pate Museum closed,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of DFW Elite Toy Museum, which has an impressive collection of antique car toys and other auto-related memorabilia.

This weekend’s auction will be held on June 5, 2010, and will take place at the Pate Museum of Transportation building in Cresson.  The auction is being organized by RM Auctions.

While bidding will for the Pate Museum collection will occur on June 5, interested car enthusiasts can tour the cars and preview the auction lots on June 4.  Admission for the preview and the auction is $20 per person.

“It’s a great collection,” says Sturgeon, who also owns a business that provides exotic car tours in the Dallas area.  “It’s a shame to see it split up, but there are some amazing vehicles for sale this weekend.”

Some of the most incredible cars in the collection are classics and antiques and great candidates for classic car insurance, such as the following:

  • 1934 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow V12 with an estimated value of $125,000 to $175,000
  • 1934 Brewster Ford Town Car with an estimated value of $75,000 to $100,000
  • 1967 Shelby GT 500 Fastback with an estimated value of $70,000 to $90,000
  • 1903 Cadillac Model A Runabout with Rear-Entry Tonneau with an estimated value of $50,000 to $75,000
  • 1935 Aston Martin MKII Tourer with an estimated value of $90,000 to $140,000
  • 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Boattail Tourer with an estimated value of $100,000 to $150,000
  • 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible with an estimated value of $35,000 to $50,000
  • 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 with an estimated value of $10,000 to $20,000
  • 1962 Checker Marathon Dallas Taxi Cab with an estimated value of $20,000 to $30,000

Despite the estimated values, all cars will be offered at the auction with no reserve.

“It’s anyone’s guess how high some of these will go,” says Ft Worth business consultant and DFW auto storage company owner Ron Sturgeon.  “But this auction is going to be something to see.”

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in SEO web content, technical writing, and editing.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Audi R8 the Star of “Date Night”: Enter to Win Free DFW Dream Car Driving Experience with R8, Ferrari…

While Tina Fey and Steve Carell turned in impressive comedic performances in “Date Night,” it was the Audi R8 that stole the show.  If you’ve ever had the chance to drive an Audi R8, you know how they have a tendency to outshine anything else.

Audi r8 in Dallas FT Worth TX

Photo by Josh Davis of Josh Davis Photography. All rights reserved.

“It was sad to see the car destroyed in the movie,” says Ron Sturgeon, owner of a Dallas car storage company, “but the film sure was funny.”

During a unique car chase scene in “Date Night,” the Audi R8 ends up fused to a New York City taxi.  The Audi maneuvers through busy city streets at high speeds, pushing or pulling the taxi along with it.

Eventually, the Audi R8 ends up in the river, but not before viewers get a sense of the car’s power.

It’s no surprise that the 2010 Audi R8 is a memorable part of the movie.  With a max speed of 187 miles per hour, the R8 is Car and Driver cover material.  The 4.2-liter V8 engine can produce up to 420 horsepower and can rocket the two-seater from zero to 60 in 4.4 seconds.

“When you drive an Audi R8, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about,” says Ft Worth small business consultant Ron Sturgeon.  “It’s just a great experience.”

Sturgeon should know.  He also owns a business that provides automotive dream tours to Dallas area residents and visitors.

DFW Drive Your Dream gives participants the awesome opportunity to drive four exotic cars, one of which is an Audi R8, over a specially-designed tour route.  The route takes advantage of curving roads, straight stretches, and beautiful Texas scenery.

“We get a lot of Dallas visitors,” says Sturgeon.  “And driving dream cars makes a great Father’s Day or anniversary gift.”

At less than $700 per person, it’s also a lot more affordable than buying an Audi R8.  A new R8 will run you almost $115,000.

You can even register to win a free automotive dream tour.  When you request a free Sansom Park insurance quote, you can enter your name in a drawing for an exotic car dream tour.  In fact, you don’t even have to request an insurance quote or make a purchase to enter.

If you loved the Audi R8 chase scene in “Date Night,” you may be able to watch the whole thing when the DVD is released.  Originally, the scene was nine minutes long, but it was edited down to three and a half minutes.  The extended scene is being considered as a special feature on the DVD of “Date Night.”

Kate Miller-Wilson is a professional freelance writer, who specializes in web content, technical writing, and editing.

Posted in Exotic Car Rental | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment