Renting an exotic car is usually impractical, since exotic car rental companies charge extremely high rental rates. For example, a 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider is rented for $3,000 per day or $18,000 per week, on average. Compare those prices to the average prices of $300–$450 per day to use a Ferrari as a member of a fractional car club. Also, exotic car rental companies usually have limited options that are often booked during busy periods, so exotics aren’t always as available with rental companies as they are with clubs.

Owning an Exotic Car vs. Joining a Fractional Exotic Car Club
Owning an exotic car is expensive. Upfront purchase prices of exotics are usually quite high, ranging anywhere from $130,000 to $450,000. Exotic cars depreciate at a high rate, typically losing 5–15% in value per year. Owning an exotic also entails additional costs, including standard maintenance, luxury taxes, upkeep, repairs, storage, licensing and tag fees, insurance and the opportunity cost of capital for the initial down payment.

From a discounted cash flow perspective, the net present value of owning an exotic car can far outweigh the net present value of joining a club. For exotic enthusiasts who can’t justify these costs, joining an exotic car club is a more viable option.

Profiles of Leading Exotic Car Clubs
While all eight of the leading U.S. car clubs offer members access to some of the most expensive and exotic cars ever produced, each club has a unique philosophy and business model. Prices per day, for instance, range from $175 (Classic Car Club Manhattan) to $950 (The Otto Club in Boston), depending on the plan and types of cars used.

Although car clubs currently have monopolies in their localities, most clubs soon plan to scale up nationally, and Curvy Road already offers its fractional ownership services anywhere in the U.S. With increasing competition, potential members will need to decide between competing car clubs within a specific city, and they should evaluate the differences in costs and benefits of each club’s product and service offerings.

Helium Report has interviewed each of the major eight exotic car clubs and gathered facts and figures that will help consumers make educated decisions about joining a club.