Hertz So Good: Lotus Elise SC joins Italian rent-a-car fleet
Lotus Elise SC fleet at Hertz Italiana – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ever fantasize about driving an exotic sportscar around Italy? Well who hasn't. And there are plenty of companies on the peninsula that'll be glad to help you out. Count among them now car rental giant Hertz. But while you may have images in your head of wafting around the countryside in a Maserati or Lamborghini, Hertz has something entirely different on offer: the Lotus Elise.
Starting this summer, Hertz Italiana will be offering the Lotus Elise SC at select locations throughout the country. It's part of the company's Fun Collection and is sure to cost a hefty premium, but then nobody said realizing your dreams would come cheap. Details in the press release after the jump.
Gallery: Lotus Elise at Hertz Italiana
[Source: Lotus]
PRESS RELEASE:
Lotus Cars Limited, the sportscar subsidiary of Group Lotus plc is delighted to announce a marketing co-operation agreement with the car hire company Hertz Italiana and to supply Lotus cars for its rental business in Italy.
Now driving enthusiasts, fans of the Lotus brand and those who want to drive cars from one of the finest sportscar marques in the world will be able to hire a Lotus Elise directly from Hertz Italiana S.p.A.
Lotus Elise SC sportscars will be available to hire from key Hertz centres throughout Italy from middle of July.
Mr. Michael J. Kimberley, Chief Executive Officer of Group Lotus plc, commented, "I am delighted that Lotus Cars has entered into this agreement with Hertz, giving us the opportunity to make our stunning world class sportscars available to the rental market. The iconic and multi award winning Lotus Elise and the stunning Lotus Exige are the perfect fun rental cars for those who desire exclusive and high performance motoring."
Mr. Andrea Manni, director of the official Lotus dealer, 'Lotus Rome' said, "For many, to drive a Lotus is to fulfill a lifelong dream and now, thanks to Lotus and Hertz Italiana S.p.A. this dream can be realised for a longer period than just a quick test drive at a Lotus dealer. We expect some drivers who hire an Elise or Exige from Hertz Italiana S.p.A to visit a Lotus dealership afterwards, as once you have experienced the exciting and adrenaline fueled capabilities of a Lotus, there is no turning back!"
Ing. Giuseppe Caminiti, Fleet Director for Hertz Italiana said: "We launched the Hertz Fun Collection last year to give our customers the possibility to drive the cars they have always dreamt of driving. The Lotus Elise SC is one of these dream cars and by including it in the Hertz's Fun Collection our customers have an opportunity to drive a real sportscar. We are honoured to be able to work with Lotus and are delighted that Lotus has created personalised versions of the Elise SC especially for Hertz."
To book a Lotus Elise car hire from Hertz, drivers are invited to contact Hertz on www.hertz.it or by calling the Hertz call center on +39-199-11-22-11.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hoov23 11:01AM (7/09/2009)
i'm glad to see lotus finally sold a few of these... i sure haven't seen any around
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DiRF 11:12AM (7/09/2009)
I've seen a number of Elises around, but I live in a coastal area where many people prefer having sporty and/or open vehicles...
MeiSooHaityu 11:18AM (7/09/2009)
Believe it or not, I've seen 2 here in Michigan (not exactly prime location for such a car).
:)
Brooks 11:18AM (7/09/2009)
Visit Seattle at some point. With all of the Microsofties and Amazons, it's a rare day I don't see an Elise. It's kind of nice, actually, since the drivers tend to be younger and more willing to wring the car out than the folks you see driving Ferraris (the difference between $50k and $200k in both cases, I expect).
hoov23 12:57PM (7/09/2009)
I was referring to the SC variant - I had a regular one ('05), and I saw the SC as a great improvement, but it's so friggin expensive... Look at dealer inventories and see how many 08's are still for sale new.
AudiA3Blog 2:54PM (7/09/2009)
depends where you are, there are a ton of them in the UK!
Michael B. 7:40PM (7/09/2009)
At one time there were 3 in the small town I live in near Charlotte. But, here is mine and few of my friends'.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbrewer/1579980266/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbrewer/507025888/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mbrewer/2216875897/
Paxx 11:04AM (7/09/2009)
Ok I need to join Hertz now and get employee discounts.
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FThorn 11:18AM (7/09/2009)
Now I want to rent one.
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viacondotti 11:20AM (7/09/2009)
Conservatively estimated, Lotus has sold 4-6k Elises and Exiges in the U.S. since 2005. Because of their low ground clearance, however, it's difficult to drive them through swamps, so you'll probably never see one.
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zamafir 11:54AM (7/09/2009)
lol, zing!
alfietcr 1:14PM (7/09/2009)
I want to rent one :( and i want to buy one after Hertz is done with it!!
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danotoriousb 11:41AM (7/09/2009)
dude thats what ive always wanted, for my premium Lotus rental to have Hertz stitching inside.
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Lad 12:03PM (7/09/2009)
A sucessful track day defined: A rented yellow Lotus stomping all challengers!
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Mike 12:11PM (7/09/2009)
You would have to tell your Italian supermodel friend that your name is Ludwig Von Hertz in response to 'Why does it say Hertz on your seats?"
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Venom 12:59PM (7/09/2009)
Nice way to screw the guy renting this car by putting Hertz on the seats.
Who runs these companies?
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Andrei 1:53PM (7/09/2009)
This is a terrible idea. I own 2 Lotus Elises, and they are extremely fragile cars. They have no bumpers, a tap on the front or rear fiberglass clam from parallel parking causes over $10K in damages. There were rental agencies that rented Elises in California and Las Vegas 2 years ago... since then they have sold off all their cars due to the repair costs. Expect Hertz to ditch this program within 1-2 years.
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paul34 2:31PM (7/09/2009)
Too bad it's not Hertz US. Besides, what mainstream agency here would offer anything but a slushie? Not really possible with a Lotus.
And I agree, unless they charge an extreme amount for each rental, I don't see how they can make it profitable between insurance and repairs.
If you want an exotic, go with a real exotic car rental agency, and save a few thousand dollars before you do so. However, I would love to "have" an Elise SC, even for a few days.
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RLQ 5:34PM (7/09/2009)
To bad its not Hertz US.
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PC Talon 8:57PM (7/09/2009)
I remember when Enterprise rented them a few years back.
Got one when in Vegas when at SEMA.
Hertz is not really doing anything new, they have done the Mustang and Corvette in just the last few years.
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