Rent-a-ride: Exotic vehicles can be had for a price

Thursday, May 17, 2001 | 9:20 a.m.

With her bulbous yellow body and long plastic eyelashes atop her headlights, Suzy Q is an eye-catcher. Her lush red lips painted across her hood further her charm.

And although she can only travel up to 35 mph, the colorful electric car is in high demand among Las Vegas tourists.

But be gentle, warned Marc Colon, standing near Suzy Q in the parking lot of La Concha motel on Las Vegas Boulevard South, where the car can be rented.

"This is a female car," he said. "Treat her like a lady."

Suzy Q and her comical electric-car kin (Green Acres, Dotty, Lady Bug and Purple Cow, to name a few) are recent additions to Las Vegas' exotic-car rental businesses.

Similar to other exotic-car rentals, the electric cars that resemble golf carts are a breath of fresh air for tourists and locals who are looking for a little panache in their choice of rented wheels.

And tourists don't hesitate to drop a few extra dollars for the ride, whether it means tipping a pedicab driver to peddle them to hotels on the south end of the Strip, or paying hundreds of dollars an hour to drive a high-performance sports car.

"That's what Las Vegas is about,"said Colon, manager of Star Cars, which rents the electric and sports cars. "You have access to stuff you wouldn't have at home.

"This is Vegas, city of millionaires, billionaires,"he added. "You want to get the groove of Vegas. If you have money to spare and are looking for a good time, why not go all out?

Going "all out"by renting an exotic car can mean spending hundreds of dollars for a 24-hour (or even hourlong) spin in a Ferrari, Hummer, Viper or a ride on a Harley.

At Dream Car Rentals, which has two locations on the Strip, tourists will pay $750 to take a Ferrari F 355 for a 24-hour spin.

For the more moderate, yet speed-thirsty, consumer, there is a Dodge Viper GTS which can be rented for $200-$300. Rent-A-Vette, on 5021 Swenson St., also rents similar varieties of exotic sport cars, including a replica of a classic Cobra Roadster.

People rent the high-end cars for the novelty, Ted Stevens, general manager of Dream Car rentals, which has 65 exotic and high-performance cars available at its two locations on the Strip.

"Everyone drives a sedan on a daily basis. It's not every day everyone gets a chance to drive a Ferrari," Stevens said.

With its alluring slogan "Drive the Dream," the rental company, which operates in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and Maui, rents a variety of Hummers, Porsches, Jaguars, Mustangs, BMWs and even a '32 Ford hot rod.

Exotic car rentals give people the opportunity to drive a car they've always dreamed of driving, Stevens said. And the types of renters run the gamut.

"We get 18-year-olds with platinum cards," he said. "We get 70-year-olds (who have) renewed (wedding) vows.

"Most of the time it's people who are just wanting to have fun in a nice car," Stevens said. "We've had people put 300 miles on a car and go nowhere but (on) the Strip. Up and down, up and down."

A lot of people rent cars to take through the drive-thru wedding chapel, he said. There are also people looking to buy a car who want to test drive, but don't want to be bugged by a sales person at a car dealership, Stevens said.

Need for speed

In his hometown of Chicago, Dan Ko drives a Volkswagon Jetta. But on a recent trip to Las Vegas, he and his cousin rented a white Porsche convertible from Dream Car Rentals.

The two-passenger sports car wasn't about to slice through the desert at full speed. Instead, Ko was using it merely to drive from casino to casino.

"That's about it," he said. "You come here, it's a nice city, a lot of glitz, a lot of glamour, you want to go all out. I've rented one of these before -- a Viper."

Would Ko be interested in driving a Hummer?

"Nah. Too slow," he said.

"A lot of people rent these cars to feel what the power is like," Colon said, pointing to a $76,000 red Dodge Viper that Star Cars rents.

"The good thing about these exotic cars is they go 210 mph. "They don't have governors on (the engines). You rent it for 24 hours -- you can do what you want."

Renters are given maps and helpful tips on popular spots outside the city to drive to, such Red Rock, Hoover Dam and Valley of Fire. "We recommend the scenic routes," Colon said.

Of course, he adds, "There are guys who pay for the car, all the extras, drive it 13 miles and park it.

"That's more about impressing their friends, impressing themselves. You can't afford it, but you can at least afford to drive it."

Then there are others who can afford both, such as Mark Volino from New York City.

The president of Platinum Management Systems, Inc, a business management/technology development firm, he said he has four high-end cars at home, including a Bentley. While in Las Vegas recently he rented a Porsche Cameo from Dream Car.

"I needed it to get around," Volino said. "That's all. I have a Ferrari at home (but) the lease is due ... So I thought I'd try the Porsche (for a test drive). But I didn't like it. The clutch was odd."

Truthfully, he said, "I'd rather rent a van."

Easy rider

Perhaps next time Volino will try an electric car. No clutch, no gas, no doors, no shifting whatsoever.

The cars are equipped with four batteries tucked in the trunk and two under the hood, a Strip map attached to the windshield and a reminder notice that the HX 480 electric-powered vehicle is permitted only on the Strip. They rent for $30 an hour, $45 for two hours, $60 for four hours and $95 for 24 hours.

The five-passenger vehicles resemble golf carts, but with a dune-buggy shape and stadium-style seats. They are made by the Texas company Heartland, which introduced 12 of the cars to Las Vegas in January and plans to increase the fleet to 150 cars this fall.

"They're really hot," Colon said. "People take 10 at a time. Groups come in, conventions, families.

"People rent them just to cruise the Strip, make their own statement, stand out. It's like a low-budget exotic car."

And if 35 mph is still too fast, tourists can hail a pedicab at the south end of the Strip.

"Ours are designed for the short run," said Bob Villoria, president of Silver State Pedicabs: "We don't want to take people to McCarran in a pedicab."

The pedicabs -- which have pedals similar to bicycles -- aren't allowed on streets and public sidewalks, but can take tourists inside casinos and through private parking lots that run parallel to the Strip. The cabs run from the MGM Grand to the Harley Davidson Cafe.

The ride is free. The drivers operate on tips. Riders can rent the use of the cab and driver to take them to shops along the Strip or, "arrange to have a pedicab pick them up at Harley Davidson after lunch," Villoria said.

"We can go right down the Strip, parallel to the street."

This summer the bikes will have misters and canvas covers.

"We pick up a lot of people who are older, tired of walking. A lot of people take it for the novelty of it because it's so cute."

More pedicabs are likely to be spotted in the future. The same goes for the electric cars. Both companies plan on adding vehicles to their fleets and see nothing but open road before them.

"We think this will be our showcase rental operation," said Tom Emmett, general manager of Neon City Fun Rentals, which provides the electric cars to Star Cars and is looking to open up two other local operations.

Already there is more demand for the cars in Las Vegas than locations in Texas and Florida, Emmett said.

"As one of our partners puts it, 'It's like a grand opening every day (here).' "

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