When people get serious about business they read Forbes. The magazine offers in-depth coverage that examines the personalities and issues that shape the business world today and explores the trends of tomorrow.
And, when automotive enthusiasts get serious about supercars, they join Vulcan Motor Club.
by Leslie Kwoh/The Star-Ledger
Sunday August 16, 2009, 6:00 AM
When it comes to expensive cars, Edward Douglas has commitment issues.
Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins, Bentleys — he has the urge to swap them as often as most drivers fill their gas tanks.
“My friends tease me for having a short attention span,” said Douglas, 39, who owns a Porsche and Mercedes but finds himself flipping through Automobile Magazine thinking, “What’s next?”
That’s why Douglas, who heads a wire and cable manufacturing company in Randolph, prefers to rent the ritzy cars instead of owning them.
For a fee of $29,000 a year, he can have access to a dozen exotic cars at the Vulcan Motor Club in Chester — a fair price, he said, considering his choices include new releases like the $495,000 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and the $100,000-plus electric Tesla Roadster.
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]
Jim Motavalli, New York Times contributor, blogs about green transportation
Ever wondered what it was like to drive a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Aston-Martin? Me too. I was able to find out as I got access to an exclusive country club for cars. They only allow 100 members. And they let me in for the day.
CHESTER, NEW JERSEY—I am at the wheel of a $495,000 Mercedes SLR McLaren Coupe, which offers sick acceleration and probably the most conspicuous automotive consumption this side of Koenigsegg (which makes $1 million supercars and just bought Saab).
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Garmany Magazine – a fashion and luxury lifestyle magazine produced in partnership with the celebrated luxury clothing retailer in Red Bank, New Jersey recently reviewed the club. 
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