Bling on four wheels for rent in Dubai

The Life: Dubai firms are tapping greater demand for high-end rental sports cars.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead is one of many high-end vehicles in the fleet of Bravo Luxury Car Rentals. Reuters

If you drive along The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, you might feel out of place if you are behind the wheel of anything less than a Ferrari or a Lamborghini.

But it might be hard to justify rushing out to buy a super car just to make that drive.

Dubai firms have come up with a solution, of sorts, tapping greater demand for high-end rental sports cars. Bravo Luxury Car Rentals is one such company, with a fleet that includes a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead, a Ferrari Italia 458, a Mercedes-Benz SLS, and a Bentley Continental GT. For the privilege of having such a car for 24 hours, the price is Dh5,000 (US$1,361).

"Business has been excellent," says Imraz Aniff, the director of operations at Bravo Luxury Car Rentals, which was launched only about a year ago. "Every month we see that there's a growth in the revenue. We are almost crossing a million dirhams every month."

Bravo, which is based in Al Quoz in Dubai, started out with a fleet of 20 cars and has doubled the number. By the end of the year, Mr Aniff says, the company plans to have 60 cars and is thinking of adding Bugattis and the Rolls-Royce Ghost to the fleet.

The cars are insured, but a customer would have to pay a deductible of about Dh10,000 in case of an accident that is his or her fault.

Although the Ferrari Italia has a top speed of 325kph, Bravo is determined that customers not test the car's limits on Sheikh Zayed Road, the main artery through Dubai. "We have trackers … in the vehicles," says Mr Aniff. "If it is at the top speed, we call the customer and tell him 'sir, slow down'."