When one thinks of rental cars, they usually imagine overused sedans in neutral colors that lack pep or performance.  Rental cars have often been generic, neutral vehicles maintained due to their functionality and reliability.  The ho-hum prospect of renting a car in the past rarely elicited any feeling of excitement.

The car rental process, however, has changed over time.  Now, a prospective renter can choose from a wider spectrum of vehicles, including popular high-performance sports cars. 

A sports car might appeal to a renter for any number of reasons. A single person traveling alone may crave something novel and fun while on a dull business trip or as a means of rounding out a vacation trip.  Others may wish to try their hand at driving a sports car on a temporary basis just for the sake of variety.  Still others can use the opportunity to rent a sports car as a financially viable means of creating an extended test drive prior to making a sports car purchase.  There are true sports car enthusiasts who need a rental car for any number of reasons and can simply not imagine a return to the doldrums of driving a conventional car.

This great variety of reasons has created sufficient demand for rental agencies to add sports cars to their available fleet of autos.  Now, in addition to station wagons, economy class cars and base sedans, more and more rental companies are providing prospective customers with a healthy array of sports car options.

Of course, one cannot expect to rent a high-end import sports are at rates similar to those they might pay for a domestic standard issue vehicle.  Sports cars, of course, are more expensive to purchase, maintain and insure.  Thus, one can expect to pay significantly higher rates when renting one.

In addition to higher base rental rates, prospective customers can also anticipate some additional expenses.  For instance, sports cars generally do not boast the fuel efficiency found in the more frequently rented subcompact cars and gas bills for the period of the rental are likely to run high.

Additionally, the rental agency may require additional insurance purchase, or at the very least, more expensive insurance options, than are generally required of other rented vehicles.  Remember, the agency must purchase (or lease) these cars at considerably higher prices than standard models and that expense will be reflected throughout your rental experience.

Younger drivers may also encounter some difficulties in renting high-end sports cars.  Rental agencies have always been somewhat restrictive when it comes to the age of drivers, but there are likely to have even stiffer requirements for the rental of sports cars.  Rental agencies want to insure the safety of their sports car investments.

Sports car rentals create a unique opportunity for renters.  It allows someone who may otherwise never have the opportunity to take the wheel of a high-performance vehicle to see what all the fuss is about.  It can give one a chance at glamour and excitement for a few days without any real commitment or long-term burden.  Although the cost of renting a sports car may be high enough to freeze some renters out of the market, their availability does increase their accessibility to those who may never have another opportunity to enjoy the sports car experience.

The next time you are renting a car, you may want to consider trying an exotic sports car for a few days.  It can add something unique to your vacation or business trip.  You can experience the excitement of sports car driving without the burdens of sports car ownership.  If one can afford the additional expense of a great rental car upgrade, the rental sports car experience may be a great alternative to chugging about in a dull generic car.

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