In New York City the cheapest exotic to rent is usually the Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray, listed from about $395 to $499 a day. Although it’s not what you might call exotic in the supercar sense, it is exotic in that the mid-engine layout is unusual among American sportscars.
For about $695 a day you can rent a Porsche 911 Carrera S, which is fun, reliable and respectable. The cheapest Ferrari on the list, the Portofino M convertible, starts at about $995 a day. At this price point, you’re getting into the cars most people would recognize as exotic, the ones known by name by the average civilian on the street. The McLaren GT is near the top of the price range at around $1,299 per day.
Prices also vary by shop. The Corvette C8 Convertible goes for $395 at one shop and $499 at another; the Lamborghini Huracan is $1,195 at one shop and $1,299 at another, so always look at more than one listing. And remember, the cheapest listing might not be the best one, or may have hidden costs.
For comparison, a standard Corvette Stingray 1LT coupe starts at $70,000, MSRP, before any added options or destination charges.
Subject to Tax
The daily rate isn’t the only thing you pay. You’ll also be subject to tax, that much you’d expect. New York, as is typical of New York, has a few complications of its own. To the regular sales tax you can add a “12% special tax on passenger car rentals” in NYC, Nassau County, and Suffolk County (the Hamptons included). New York rental rules add complications too: until June 30, 2028, there’s no dollar limit on the damage waiver for cars that retail for more than $50,000. The $5 a day cap for additional drivers still applies.
Rental Requirements
To even consider renting one of these high-ticket exotics, you need to establish your credentials. A few NYC outlets require renters 24 and over, and Avis simply bars all renters under 25 from its Luxury and Specialty car classes. Rental requirements are different for every operator. Some insist you have full coverage, that is, collision, comprehensive, and liability insurance on a car that is registered in your name and that insurance must cover rental cars. If you have liability only, you must upgrade to full coverage at least 24 hours before your rental. Bring copies of your insurance, since they’ll ask for it. State Farm, Geico, Progressive, Allstate policies typically carry over to a rental; smaller insurers may not. The Amex Centurion or Platinum rental protection can be an exception.
Then there’s the security deposit that takes care of anything your insurance won’t. That includes any windshield cracks or other chips that are easy to ignore until an eagle-eyed clerk spots them, wheel scuffs - $300 per wheel, by the way - damaged tires - $500 per tire, also by the way - and anything that’s considered body damage, for which you’ll pay $1,000 and up. Some shops make you hold $1,000 or more in cash or on a credit card against the chance that you damage the car. If there’s no damage, the cash is refunded as soon as the car is returned, but card holds may take three to five business days to release. Beware of holidays or bank policies that can lengthen the holdout. It’s not a “charge,” you’re not going to pay for it, but it will temporarily lock that much credit until you return the car without damages. If there’s any damage, the damage is deducted from the deposit and you can seek reimbursement from your insurance afterwards. The agents tend to believe renters with a bigger deposit value also tend to take better care of the cars.
The minimum rental period is typically two days on a weekend, three days on holiday weekends like Memorial Day and July 4th and New Year’s. A one-day weekend rental that comes through on Thursday can cost the owner a 2-3-day rental that might have materialized. It’s hard to rent an exotic car for a single day on a weekend - try a Monday-through-Thursday rental instead. Hourly rentals are generally not offered in the self-drive car market. If you ask on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, the exotic-car owners may offer a one-day rental if the car is still available.
Mileage Allowance
Your rental comes with a mileage allowance. One operator provides 125 free miles a day, then bills from $2.50 to $6.95 per mile depending on the car. Ask for clarification when you reserve the car. Cancelation policies also differ from provider to provider. At one, a holding deposit of 10% is nonrefundable. With two weeks notice you can cancel and not owe any additional penalties. There are no refunds for early returns or trips that are cut short by bad weather.
$395 a day’s a lot of money, but that’s as cheap as it gets, for an exotic car. If the point is to spend as little as possible, take a Corvette coupe out for a day on a weekday, make sure your full-coverage insurance is in order, ask what the mileage allowance is, and budget for taxes and the deposit.
