03/19/10

2010 Vulcan Motor Club Updates

We’re pleased to to announce the acquisition of certain assets of World Class Driving. World Class Driving is an industry leader in supercar entertainment driving events. Launched in 2006 by Jean Paul Libert, World Class Driving has operated 350 supercar driving events for more than 8,000 driving participants in 45 cities across the United States. Major partners include Pirelli, Automobile Magazine, and MotorTrend Magazine.

World Class Driving operates a variety of supercar driving experiences, including:

THE US SUPERCAR TOUR: Offers private drivetime in a selection of late-model exotic supercars on a 120 mile public road tour. The event starts at a designated location, where drivers receive an overview of each vehicle from our instructors, and a review of the tour route. Then, drivers pilot each vehicle through some of the most scenic and demanding roads in the region, rotating cars at designated checkpoints. There simply is no better way to experience the most thrilling exotic cars on the planet in one day.

200MPH Challenge Event: This exclusive event gives drivers the opportunity to break the magical 200MPH barrier in a safe, controlled environment on select locations and dates across the United States. Covered extensively by Bloomberg, Automobile Magazine, Wired, and more.

ROAD & RACING: This two-part event includes a half-day on-road supercar experience tour. Drivers get behind the wheel of some of the world’s best supercars on the most scenic back-roads available. Then, drivers spend the remainder of the day in 36 on-track lapping sessions at select racetracks across America. This combined event offers the best of both on-track and public road touring, and gets drivers on the most challenging and exclusive tracks in the U.S. This experience of a lifetime includes catered trackside meals, end-of-day champagne podium reception, exclusive World Class Driving gear & a trophy.

With this acquisition, Vulcan Motor Club acquired several additional supercars (including a Mercedes SLR Mclaren, Ferrari 599GTB, Maserati GranTurismo, and Lamborghini Superleggera). Over the next several months, we expect offer a wider selection of supercars to both Vulcan Motor Club members and World Class Driving participants.

Our Wind & Fire Tours are now rebranded and offered under the World Class Driving brand, and the dates, staff, fleet choice, starting location, and route remain unchanged. We also expect to offer access to the rich portfolio of World Class Driving events to Vulcan Motor Club members.

Both Tom and I remain fully engaged and committed to growing the organization and providing a world-class club experience.

Warm Regards,

Aaron Fessler
Chief Executive Officer

08/19/09

Auto Clubs Allow Drivers to Test High-End Vehicles

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.

Read more »

07/17/09

Fractional Car Clubs: The Answer to the Recession

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]

06/19/09

Press Sighting: BNET Auto

TIMESHARING SUPERCARS: FERRARIS AND LAMBORGHINIS FOR THE DAY
By Jim Motavalli | June 19th, 2009 @ 7:38 am

When Aaron Fessler goes to work, he walks into a garage that is wish fulfillment for the world’s dreamers and Car and Driver subscribers. An Audi R8, polished and gleaming, sits next to an all-business Ford GT-40, which is blocking the exit of a V-12 Aston-Martin DB9, Mercedes SLR McLaren and Lamborghini LP560-4. Did I mention the British Racing Green Tesla Roadster?

Welcome to Vulcan Motor Club, a timeshare for supercars that Fessler—a serial entrepreneur—started in New Jersey circa 2007 with his friend Tom Mizzone. Sign up for a $35,000 one-year membership and you get 40 days of access to a dozen supercars. They’ll even deliver them to you, full of gas (and given their thirst, you’ll need it). This is not the only entry in the field: Club Sportiva has the same basic idea.
Read more »

03/27/09

Press: Exotic Supercars Turn Fantasy To Reality

(Reprinted from the Observer Tribune)

picture-7

CHESTER ‑ Sometimes fantasy can be reality, as with a local car club that allows regular people to take a daylong ride in a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ford GT and an Audi R9.
Read more »

10/01/08

Press: Bentley today, Ferrari tomorrow

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. Garmany Read more »