Car rentals are not only a convenient way to travel while on holiday, but also a great way of trying out a car before buying it. I wanted to test drive three different cars before buying one of them. Nobody I knew had what I wanted so I couldn’t borrow one. A ten minute test drive down the road and back just wasn’t going to cut it when spending over thirty thousand dollars on a car.
Admittedly it wasn’t my idea, but my moms. She suggested finding an exotic car rental company and have each car for a day or so to find out what they’re really like. Seeing as I really couldn’t bring myself to spend the money without having a proper test first, this is what I decided to do.
The contenders where BMW Z4, Volkswagen R32, and Nissan 350Z. All were pretty fast cars, with a hefty price tag which is why I wanted to drive them alone. I didn’t want a salesman frowning at me every time I planted my foot on the floor or tried to see how fast it could corner. These cars all needed pushing to assess their capabilities and no dealer in their right mind is going to let a test pilot loose on their machines.
So the search began. Out came the Yellow Pages and Google and after a couple of hours of phoning around I had a Z4 and a 350Z. The Volkswagen was harder to come by. There were plenty of Golfs around, but I already knew about those, I wanted the four wheel drive and the V6 to play with. I couldn’t find one to save my life so I went ahead and booked a day with the 350Z and the Z4 for two days after that.
The 350Z is a beast, a thirsty beast. All that power comes at a price, 300bhp at the cost of an average 17 miles per gallon. A bit of a downer really when you consider both the BMW and R32 get around 30 miles to a gallon. But the ride was awesome. It comes with a decent stereo but I never used it. I drove for the whole day with the windows open so I could hear the engine. That was my soundtrack for the day. A V6 symphony that brought a smile to my face as soon as I could plant the foot and burn away.
A couple of days later it was time for the Z4. A BMW three liter roadster with 261bhp coming from the rear wheels. Another car with a great soundtrack that I had awesome fun in all day. Like with the Nissan, it came with a decent stereo, but I didn’t even turn it on. I had the roof down and the pedal down as much as possible. I loved that car so much that I bought one the next day.
I might have loved the R32 more, but I didn’t get the chance to drive it. Nothing beats a roadster in Florida anyway, especially one a little bit different like the BMW. Car rentals aren’t just about families, or holidays. They can be a lot more than that if you have the imagination.