Alltorque
Like a kid in a toy shop
W
ander through the aisles of any newsagent and you are likely to be overwhelmed with aspirational lifestyle temptations: fast cars, big houses, expensive gadgets and all the glamour that goes with it. One of the fattest shelves is for car magazines. It groans under the weight of high-octane trickery, buckles and warps as kilowatts of mechanical muscle throb between the glossy covers. Come get me! Supercars are for dreamers, right? Well, maybe, but you can live the dream without busting the bank. Faking it, perhaps, but when that turbo kicks in and the symphony of four camshafts and 32 valves reaches its crescendo, you’re living it. Just as luxury powerboats and holiday properties might have been a great idea at the time, a blip in the economy or a change in personal circumstances can leave you with an expensive overhead. A million-dollar supercar can have the same effect. So how do you enjoy the lifestyle you’ve earned yourself without getting in way above your head? Most people are familiar with concept of fractional ownership or ‘timeshare’, but
The Supercar Club makes it even simpler. You buy road credits that you then redeem on any of the $10 million worth of horseless carriage in the stable. A Lotus Exige S, Aston Martin Vantage, Audi R8, Porsche GT3, Ferrari 360CS, Lamborghini Gallardo or even a neck-snapping Ariel Atom are there waiting, champing at the bit. With enough credits, you can drive them all. One member is celebrity trumpeter, James Morrison, who was initially concerned about the whole membership experience. “I expected at least a bit of a ‘nanny’ attitude about the cars. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of money and horsepower being handed over to people they don’t necessarily know very well.” But all those concerns were answered when he and his travelling companion, Deni Hines, were met at
Ferraris and Porsches may not be flying off the shelves at the moment, but that doesn’t have to stop you enjoying one. Words: RODerick EIME
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countrybiz july 09