Florida exotic car rentals are synonymous with Miami for years, and it’s not surprising with the likes of South Beach, Brickell, and Wynwood. A less obvious change has been taking place in the state, however. Tampa is slowly emerging as the second busiest market for luxury travel in Florida, with business travelers, yacht owners docking along Tampa Bay, and vacationers using Tampa as a base to explore Florida’s Gulf Coast. As the same class of exotic and luxury cars, available in Miami, has developed, so has the demand for them in the West.
What’s fueling the growth of luxury travel in Tampa?
Tampa’s appeal is no coincidence. The city has poured significant resources into its downtown waterfront; its business district has seen an increasing number of corporate relocations and headquarters; and its marina facilities have made it an increasingly popular stop for private yacht owners cruising the Gulf. Then throw in a constant flow of conference and convention visitors coming and going through the Tampa Convention Center, and you have a city that has a need for a premium transportation experience that doesn’t fit the rental car counter model.
Much of this demand has been stimulated by business travelers. A car that seems good enough for a corporate office, a client dinner, and a weekend trip to the coast is worth it – and that’s what the exotic rental market has taken over. The Mercedes-AMG G63 fits Tampa perfectly for a number of reasons.
The Mercedes-AMG G63 fits Tampa perfectly for a number of reasons.
Among the vehicles that are making headway in this growing market, the Mercedes-AMG G63 is definitely the most popular, particularly in matte black. It’s a car defined by its contradictions – boxy, upright, almost utilitarian in silhouette, yet with a twin-turbo V8 that brings it firmly into the realm of supercars when it comes to performance. It’s equally believable that it’s parked outside a high-rise in downtown Tampa on a business trip and driving down a gravel driveway near the coast on a weekend vacation.
The G63 is a solution to a problem that a Ferrari or Lamborghini can’t solve: it’s not too much in the business world. It respectively looks great in the parking garage next to other executive cars and yet it is clearly a Mercedes-AMG from the moment the engine starts.
The ways rental providers are expanding to meet Tampa demand.The ways rental providers are expanding to meet Tampa demand.
Exotic car rental providers like Amani Miami have begun to expand their car rental fleets directly into Tampa instead of it being an afterthought. That means the same cars that are available in South Florida – the G63 AMG, Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Cullinan Spectre, the Lamborghini Urus lineup – are now available with the same delivery and pickup options as they would be in Miami. That translates to the same booking process, white-glove delivery experience, and fleet quality for a business traveler flying in to Tampa International, but with a different set of hotels.
A Market Worth Watching
This regional expansion is part of a larger trend in the luxury travel economy in Florida: The high-net-worth traveler isn’t just staying in South Beach and Brickell. The business and waterfront development in Tampa is continuing to expand and so will the demand for renting out exotic cars there. If you’re thinking of a Tampa vacation that requires more than just a rental counter experience, it’s definitely worth considering a G63 AMG rental and getting it delivered to Tampa well in advance of your travel dates, especially during busy business travel times when availability is limited the most.
