Luxury car club Miami Drive held its official launch party last night at the W South Beach, hosted by race car drive and spokesman Helio Castroneves. The membership-only club partnered with luxury watchmaker Hublot and media company Levy Communications to spread the word and attract nearly 250 people to the launch.
“We believe PR and the reach we can achieve through specific media and events is more effective than the words used through advertising,” said Miami Drive C.E.O. Jose Luis Bueno, who added that the event also served as means of introducing its members in Spain to the local market.
The concept behind the company is to provide temporary-use luxury cars to its members, who are typically seasonal residents or affluent businesspeople looking for a car to drive on weekends, Bueno said. Members pay a one-time initiation fee and then choose the level of membership they want based on the types of car they want to drive and how long they'll typically keep them.
The company parked three of its rental cars—a Ferrari F430, Aston Martin Vantage, and Lamborghini Gallardo—in the driveway of the hotel, providing photo opportunities for arriving guests. Though Levy originally planned to have the cocktail reception in the hotel’s Grove garden, the 92-degree heat outside forced organizers to move the entirety of the party into the great room—which originally was to be used only for the presentation and speeches—where more of Miami Drive’s vehicles were on display. Throughout the reception, staffers walked around with iPads to sign up new members, who had the $6,000 initiation fee waived for the night.
About two hours in, Bueno welcomed guests and introduced the car club’s executive partners and staff. Castroneves also spoke to attend attendees about his experience with high-performance vehicles and the benefits of club membership.
Correction: This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the companies Miami Drive partnered with for the event.
