“People want to feel what it feels like to be and to be seen as millionaire and as a celebrity. If you can supply that, you have a business in Miami because there is a lot of fake in Miami.”
3 months ago Vice released on its YouTube channel a 17 minutes documentary about the luxury cars rental business in Miami. This initiative threw light on a few actors of the sector and on a very competitive and extraordinary business. We have selected a few parts of the show below.
In the movie we hear about three companies : MVP Exotic Rentals, South Beach Exotics, Royalty Exotic Cars. We meet the owner of the first business who appears to be one of the most important one but also one the best implanted in the landscape.
We see that he has a showroom of the available cars: Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Bentley, Lamborghini, etc … He explains to the audience that the clients are various : artists, music producer, athletes, and regular guys that just want to show off.
The success of this kind of business is growing, not only when it comes to cars but also when it comes to clothing, jewelleries, etc… Renting luxury today is no longer a taboo for the new generation. Yet it is particularly true in Miami because the city is full of fake as one of the protagonists explains. Miami is a city of show-off, where money is the motivation, full of people that want to make it in the music and artistic sector. Therefore it is a city that has a massive nightlife and a whole world that comes with it. For business owners of rentals going out equals networking and increasing sales. Because the main factors of success are the word-of-mouth and social media. Word of mouth because staff members of rental cars go around in the city with the cars, to clubs, strip clubs, socialize and people just come and ask how does it come he drives that car. Then the staff member is being honest and says it is a rented car. He gives people his number and that is how the business grew these last years. Getting out at night with the cars is really where the money comes from. Instagram has also played a huge role in the development of these companies as the social media become more and more important. Today if you go to Miami, you have to drive a luxury car but more than that you need to post a picture or Snapchat it. Instagraming your life is in the culture of a new generation and is driving the business of the luxury rentals.
“People want to feel what it feels like to be and to be seen as millionaire and as a celebrity. If you can supply that, you have a business in Miami because there is a lot of fake in Miami.”
The business has also been fuelled by the strong link between the car industry and other industries such as music or sports. For example, clients of rentals are as much rich established and accomplished people as people in need for attention and who want to become someone. Those people boost the business because they feel like they have to fake it until you make it.
For the full video :