The owners and staff at Vulcan Motor Club are all too familiar with the finer things – and the lifestyles they accompany. That’s why they celebrated these things – these epicurean amenities – in an evening dedicated to those who indulge in life’s lavish pleasures. Occupying the luxurious Trump National Golf Club, Vulcan invited a select 250 bon vivants to revel in the splendor of those things that aren’t so easily attained. The cars for instance…

Vulcan is a privately-owned, membership-based automotive club whose constituents are impassioned motorists. Not satisfied with what can be had at just any dealer, Vulcan’s members are in constant pursuit of evocative driving experiences.  Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley and so on. But not just one car; members experience all of them. Such is the kind of benefit associated with Vulcan Motor Club Membership.

They commandeered the most extravagant venue that suited their needs, decorated the lush rolling greens with their fleet of exotics, and partnered with Jacob the Jeweler and the David David Gallery of Philadelphia, to offer attendees a broad arrange of art on which their senses could feast. Not to leave out the sense of taste, the soiree was catered by the Trump National Golf Club. And lest they neglect auditory yearnings, the air was rich with the soulful decadence of live jazz.

The jewelry and paintings were a splendid compliment to the automotive bliss that was already in session. The five-star food filled the parts of us that weren’t already full of elation from being around such amazing cars. By the evening’s end, we were compelled to sign up for membership with the Vulcan Motor Club. And why not? More than anyone else, they understand our obsession with the finer things in life.

courtesy of Universal Autosports, Glen Cove NY

Can’t decide between the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and the Audi R8? No need. With membership in the Vulcan Motor Club, you can slip behind the wheel of one today and the other next Tuesday. Then there’s the Ford GT, Ferrari F430, Bentley Flying Spur – they’re all part of the club’s exotic fleet, available for members for up to a week at a time.

“We have the perfect car for every occasion,” asserts president Tom Mizzone, who founded the Chester, N.J.-based club last year. “Members can make a phone call and have an Aston Martin delivered to their office in pristine condition, drive it for five days, then make another phone call and have it disappear.”

Vulcan offers three levels of membership to sate any automotive appetite: True connoisseurs may choose the Platinum option ($25,000 annually), which provides 40 days of use and up to 4,000 miles. Gold ($14,500) offers 20 days, up to 2,000 miles. For enthusiasts in the making, Silver ($9,500) provides 10 days, up to 1,000 miles. And don’t worry about exhausting your options.

New luxury cars are added frequently, and Mizzone promises the ratio of members to vehicles will never exceed seven to one.”We’re really committed to keeping the fleet new for our members,” he says.”

Mr. Rebhorn has appeared in over one hundred feature films and television shows, including “Meet the Parents”, “Independence Day”,”Seinfeld”,”Scent of a Woman”, and “My Cousin Vinny.”

James Rebhorn, “The Book of Daniel”

James Rebhorn, “Head Of State”

The Ferrari California is a modern interpretation of a treasured classic, the Ferrari 250 GT California. The 2009 Ferrari California channels the appeal of the original, and caps it off with the convenience of retractable hard top. The official unveiling will happen at the Paris Auto Show in September.

The California carries with it three notable items. Notable item one is a retractable convertible hard top. If you’ve ever seen a Ferrari 360 Modena Spider with its cloth top up, it just doesn’t feel right. With the California, it looks just as good with the top up or down. Notable item two is roominess, for example, its ability to transport multiple snowboards…and that’s according to Ferrari. Notable item three is Ferrari’s placement of the engine in front of the vehicle, which is significant because it enables notable items one and two.

More photos below.

If you’ve ever heard a Ferrari at full throttle, then you know it’s powered by one-hundred screaming demon spawn pedaling miniature stationary bikes. That, or one of Ferrari’s famed V-8 engines, like the 460 horsepower 4.3 liter version that will be found in the California. Ferrari claims the California does 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. Ferrari also once claimed that its Enzo in fourth gear can actually move faster than time itself, so who knows.

Some cars, like the Toyota Corolla, are designed by mortals; others, like the Ferrari F430 are sculpted by angels. Take note of small details such as the shark gill side vents, the use of LEDs in the headlamps, and the vertical tailpipe stack.

The California’s interior (or cockpit in Ferrari-speak) is as sculpted as the exterior, with particular attention paid to the center divider between pilot and co-pilot. It has all the comforts of a luxury car, such as navigation and Bluetooth integration. Finally, it has a relatively large trunk with room for two sets of golf clubs with the second row of seats folded flat.

This is the first time, too, that the new 7-speed dual clutch has been used on a Ferrari. This technology is the fruit of in-depth gear shifting systems research by the Scuderia Ferrari. The system utilized on the Ferrari California cuts the gear shifting time to zero.

Ferrari says that “the Ferrari California joins the Prancing Horse’s 8-cylinder family which has always been defined by power and performance. The new Ferrari California will satisfy even the most demanding of owners in terms of its superb vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure. The Ferrari California is aimed at owners who desire a car which embodies everything the Prancing Horse represents in terms of sporty design and innovation, but also seek a car with greater versatility than ever.”

(We didn’t realize Ferrari actually refers to itself as “the Prancing Horse”. That is like Lamborghini saying “We at the Stomping Bull” or Porsche saying “We at the Colorful Shield.”)

The pragmatists in the Vulcan Motor Club will be impressed. The lustful group of club members will be impressed with the California’s performance potential. And for the rest of us? A month of club days in the vehicle and an unlimited mileage cap should be enough time for us to thoughtfully develop an opinion.

By Elliot Darvick

This author chronicled the history following the purchase of a new $225,000 Ferrari F550 for six years and the tab was staggering:

Total Maintenance: $65,760.50

Total Depreciation: $135,000

Total Maintenance Per Mile: $1.82

Total Depreciation Per Mile: $3.72

Total Cost Per Mile: $5.55

By Michael Sheehan

I recently sold an unusually well-documented 1998 550 Maranello, S/N 111317, with 36,200 miles to a client in the jet aircraft industry, and comparisons between Ferrari and jet costs inspired this column. Like a private jet that requires three to four hours of maintenance for every hour of flight time, Ferraris are not cheap to own.

FIRST TWO YEARS ALMOST FREE

550 Ferrari S/N 111317 was sold new on March 19, 1998, at $225,000, to a wealthy Santa Monica real estate investor and used for weekend retreats to his ranch in Ojai, a 150-plus-mile round trip. Thanks to an unlimited mileage warranty, the first two years were relatively expense free.

The first bite came in August 2000, five months after the warranty expired. At 13,637 miles, the owner brought the car in for a 15,000-mile service, two rear tires, and an oil, filter, and coolant change for $2,665.70. Two months later, in October, at 17,220 miles, noisy cam belts and bearings were replaced at no cost (thanks to a warranty extension by Ferrari). The windshield washer reservoir was also replaced for $529.25. A month later, in November, at 17,618 miles, the front spoiler and three wheels were refinished because of road-rash, at $1,285. Total for the first year out of warranty, and about 4,000 miles: $4,479.95, or $1.12 per mile.

As 2001 rolled around, in January, at 18,124 miles, two ball joints and sway bar bushings were replaced at $253.47, a standard procedure for a heavy, high performance, front-engined car with power steering. Three months later, in April, at 18,998 miles, a coolant leak, new front tires, another repaint of the wheels, and a detail added $2,718 to the ongoing maintenance bill.

A few days later, at 19,002 miles, the check engine light came on and an O2 sensor was replaced at $261.31. A month later, in late May, at 19,329 miles, the dash pod had to come out for an instrument panel repair, at $1,290.18. Five months and 1,289 miles later, in early October, at 20,618 miles, an annual oil and filter service and new rear tires added $2,386.60 to the expense column.

$8,988 FOR SECOND YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY

In December 2001, a service at 21,358 miles for dash lights, rattles, and a radiator R & R for coolant leaks closed the year out at $2,078.82. Total for the second year out of warranty, and another 3,740 miles: $8,988.38, or $2.40 a mile.

In January 2002, at 21,966 miles, the owner had the battery replaced, new suspension bushings installed, and a wheel alignment for $1,228.35. In March, at 22,956 miles, the license plate frame was replaced for $124.99, and in May, at 23,802 miles, the power steering pump was replaced and the fluids serviced, at $500.95.

Four months and 2,657 miles later, in September, at 25,607 miles, the steering box, power steering rack, and rear shocks were replaced, and the wheels were aligned for $8,641.69. The year ended at 26,236 miles, with a compression and leakdown problem discovered in late December at the 30,000-mile service. New cam belts, engine mounts, and a valve job followed, with all 24 valves and valve guides replaced at $7,954.66. Fortunately for the owner, Ferrari supplied the valves and guides under an extended warranty. Another year, another 4,878 miles, adding up to $18,450.64, or $3.78 a mile.

TOYOTA MONEY: 37 CENTS PER MILE

The Ferrari gods were smiling in 2003, with only 672 miles added and one service for hood shocks, in March, at 26,908 miles. Cost of ownership was only $249.38. Little use means no visits to ever-vigilant Ferrari mechanics, who point out problems that need to be resolved. This year cost Toyota money—just 37 cents per mile. Of course, there weren’t many miles driven either.

In 2004, 550 S/N 111317 saw little use, but frequent visits to the service center, beginning in January, at 31,688 miles, for a seat control switch and wiper blades at $1,366.43. A week later, in early February, at 31,860 miles, sway bar bushings were replaced at $208.63. In late February, at 32,035 miles, the handbrake shoes and rear brake rotors were replaced and four new tires were fitted, at $3,365.79. In early March, at 32,122 miles, a coolant leak added $903.21 to the annual cost. Another year, another 5,214 miles, another $5,844.06. The cost per mile, $1.12.

In late December 2004, Ferrari 550 S/N 111317 moved on to her second owner, for $90,000, and no service bills were added to the year. A real estate investor and self-confessed “Porsche guy,” the second owner had always wanted a Ferrari and bought the 550 simply because he knew the car through the original owner. Only weeks into Ferrari ownership, in January 2005, at 32,945 miles, a 30,000-mile service was again done, under the “while-you’re-at-it” theory, because of oil leaks. The front shocks were also replaced, at $6,196.57. Only weeks later, the second owner also had the nose repainted, and his 550 “personalized” with the front fenders modified for fender shields and the calipers redone in yellow, at $7,759.70. NOT FOR THE TIMID: $10.27 PER MILE

A month later, in March, the steering wheel was recovered for $450, and in April the windows were tinted and a “clear bra” installed for $935. Only weeks later, the owner continued to personalize his 550 with a Tubi Exhaust for $3,155.94. In August, at 34,235 miles, the oil hoses and other minor items were replaced, at $3,194.44. Total mileage for the second owner: 2,113 miles and $21,691.65. Most of this work was pure pride-of-ownership personalization, but the financially timid need not apply, as the cost per mile, at $10.27 per mile, was approaching that of an M1 tank.

As 2006 rolled in, our second owner next had a new clutch installed, in January, at 35,625 miles, for $4,852.59. After sitting for six months, the second owner decided that he really was a “Porsche guy” at heart. The 550 was too big for his tastes and so, in August, 550 Ferrari S/N 111317 was picked up from his home and dropped off for an a/c service, at 36,196 miles, for $519.40. Cost of ownership for the second owner, for 2006: 1,961 miles at $5,371.99, or $2.73 per mile.

In August 2006, our subject 550 was again sold for $90,000, with 36,196 miles, to the third owner, the president of a corporate jet maintenance and sales company. During the pre-purchase, an oil leak was found, and while the estimate was $3,000, the final bill was $1,582.58. The third owner appreciated the subtle lines and wanted a user-friendly Ferrari that could be driven daily in New York weather and traffic.

A long-time Ferrari owner, he appreciated that virtually all of the depreciation was reflected in the purchase price and that at 36,000 miles, adding mileage wouldn’t kill the value. His last toy was a new Porsche Turbo at $160,000, and while it had been nice to order a car exactly as he wanted, the depreciation wasn’t worth the thrill when he sold it after three years for $95,000.

The warranty on 550 S/N 111317 ran out in March, 2000, at about 13,500 miles. Our subject 550 went to the third owner in September 2006 at 36,200 miles, so the total miles out of warranty was 22,700 miles, with a total spent of $65,760.50, or $2.90 a mile, right at $11,000 a year.

Ferrari ownership is both a lifestyle and a socio-economic statement, just as owning a polo pony is a different venture than keeping a draught horse. As one former owner of S/N 111317 put it, “I spend more than that on crap on eBay every year.” No other statement quite sums up the difference between those who lust for a Ferrari from those who can pay the price of ownership.

On top of that, you’ll get a sneak peak at our biggest, baddest addition to the fleet yet. Stay tuned for the big announcement. (Hint: it’s a bright orange, 580hp V12.)

Tom, Kyle, and Aaron will be available to answer questions about membership options and give complimentary rides in the vehicle of your choice.