Vulcan was nominated by the Kompani Group for “Innovative Company of the Week:”

Heard of fractional jet ownership? Well, now there is fractional supercar ownership.

Check out the Vulcan Motor Club’s exotic car club. It’s Kompani Group’s pick for innovative company of the week. Great answer for those recession weary playboys. Wonder if there are some other big ticket items that can be turned into fractional owner business models? Luxury houses, handbags, watches?

(Reposted from the Kompani Group.)

The concept of shared usage of supercars — from $150,000 Ferraris to $500,000 Mercedes SLR McLarens — is based on a rarefied version of austerity. After all, paying $30,000 or more for an annual club membership is certainly more financially prudent than actually buying one of these cars, which for the most part depreciate drastically as soon as they leave the showroom.

The Vulcan Motor Club, based in New Jersey, owns a dozen supercars, including a Tesla Roadster and a Ford GT40. Vulcan has about 100 members and annual memberships that cost up to $35,000. The founders, Aaron Fessler and Tom Mizzone, are serial entrepreneurs rather than hard-core car enthusiasts, and they began the business in 2007 because they saw an opportunity. Despite the economy, Vulcan has opened a second outlet in Glen Cove, N.Y.

Mr. Fessler said he noticed that the high price of exotics was followed by a precipitous drop of $50,000 to $60,000 once they had 100 miles on them. “For many people, and especially in this climate, it’s hard to justify that expense,” he said. “And people are time-sharing everything else, from yachts to watches, so why not cars?”

[Excerpted from Fractional Life, July 2008]

By JIM MOTAVALLI for the NEW YORK TIMES
The concept of timesharing supercars — from $150,000 Ferraris to $500,000 Mercedes SLR McLarens — is based on a rarefied version of austerity. After all, paying $30,000 or more for an annual club membership is certainly more financially prudent than actually buying one of these cars, which for the most part depreciate dramatically as soon as they leave the showroom.

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Yes, we know. There was a time when it was cool to be on Facebook. That time has passed. Facebook now has 150 million members, and its fastest-growing demographic is 30 and up. At this point, it’s way cooler not to be on Facebook. We’ve ruined it for good, just like we ruined Twilight and skateboarding. So git! And while you’re at it, you kids better get off our lawn too.

But for those of you looking for the behind-the-scenes scoop on what goes on at Vulcan, check out our fan club:

(PS: We’re not on Twitter yet. We don’t understand Twitter. Literally. It makes little sense to us.)

It appears that there is only one place in the world where you can reach blistering speeds on a specially designed road track, slip out of your racing gear, and, minutes later, be drinking a glass of Dom Pérignon in an air-conditioned lounge offering 360-degree views of the action on the track below.

Monticello Motor Club, located a short 90-minute drive from Manhattan in Monticello, New York, promises to be a mecca for automotive enthusiasts who also relish the good life between taking their turns on the track. “Our club blends performance and lifestyle in way that is unique,” says Jason Bannerman, MMC’s director of business development. “We offer a safe and controlled environment, but our track was specially designed so our members can push themselves to the limit.”

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