World’s Most Exotic Rental Cars

You’ve got that chap from the London office coming into Manhattan, so why not show your appreciation by letting him drive down Park Avenue in one of his country’s finest machines? Great Britain’s McLaren is behind the second oldest racing team in Formula 1, and this car’s twin turbocharged V-8 engine goes from 0 to 62 mph in 3.1 seconds. Its diminutive proportions, though, position it lower and more centrally for pitch-perfect balance when weaving through downtown traffic. From $1,500 per day, gothamdreamcars.com.

So you finally landed that meeting with Mr. Big Hollywood producer…are you really planning to show up in a gas-guzzler? Green isn’t just good in this town; it’s glam, especially now that you don’t have to drive a boxy wagon to get 52 mpg. The sleek, new electric-gas hybrid Fisker Karma is the choice for eco-celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio, and you may recall Justin Bieber being pulled over last summer in his chrome Karma doing 100-plus on L.A.’s 101 Freeway. Hey, it’s hard not to go fast when you have a 260-horsepower, four-cylinder engine backed by a 20-kWh American-made lithium-ion battery pack. Our favorite eco-friendly touch? The aluminum skin is topped off with a solar-cell roof for extending the range on sunny days. From $489 per day, bhrentacar.com.

You’ve sworn off Sin City, but the office needs you to make an appearance at a big meeting at the Bellagio. Just because you’re returning to the scene of past crimes doesn’t mean you have to regress to your past life. Keep it classy from the get-go, and roll up to the valet in a Bentley Continental GTC Convertible. Its handcrafted interior features buttery leather covering virtually every surface, and when you get out on the Strip to survey the scene, the W12 engine—that’s 12 cylinders for 552 horsepower—purrs. If you do have to put the pedal to the metal out on Interstate 15, you’ll reach 62 in 4.8 seconds, but this smooth ride is better spent cruising with the top down so everybody knows you’ve arrived. From $1,025 per day, vegasexoticrentals.com.

Pair a tee-off at Palm Springs’ Pete Dye Mission Hills course with a Mercedes-Benz G550, and you’ll have the deal sealed by the time you get to the 18th green. This classic SUV’s invasion-ready military heritage bestows plenty of space for your clubs while wrapping you in the luxury of a handcrafted cabin with leather seats and glossy burled-walnut wood trim. And if those San Jacinto Mountains are calling, this beast doesn’t need roads. It can climb an 80 percent grade and rumble over a 54 percent lateral slope (24 degrees of sideways tilt), and gas-pressurized shock absorbers add eight inches of wheel travel for bumping over anything Mother Nature can throw your way. From $695 per day, exoticcars.enterprise.com.

Doing business in the Florida sunshine is a pleasure, but it requires a lot of flash to stand out in South Beach. Roll down Ocean Drive with the top down on this white Rolls-Royce convertible, though, and heads will definitely turn. Sure, we know that in your Rolls-Royce dreams you’re in the backseat, being chauffeured around town by a private driver. But once you’re behind the wheel, you’ll be itching to put the coupe’s V-12, 453-horsepower engine with automatic six-speed transmission to the test on the open road. From $3,499 per day, imaginelifestyles.com.

Whether you’re in San Diego for a convention or a suntan, you’ll make a splash in this red Ferrari California hardtop convertible. After the big presentation, hop in and zip over the Silver Strand, then open it up as you snake over the bay on the Coronado Bridge. This 4.3-liter, 490-horsepower V-8 is a bit of a departure from, say, the race-inspired 458 Italia—but it still goes 0 to 62 mph in 3.8 seconds, touches 194 mpg and has plenty of the iconic Italian automaker’s flair (like the extended bonnet, an ode to the classic 1957 250 GT California Spyder). From $2,200 per day, sandiegoprestige.com.

When you’ve finally landed that big promotion and you’re feeling like a million bucks, why not drive a million bucks by taking the wheel of the most powerful (16-cylinder, 1,000-horsepower), most expensive ($1.5 million, give or take a couple hundred thousand bucks) and fastest (top speed: 254 mph) street-legal ride on the road? You may not be able to open it up for full bravado cruising over Westminster Bridge and past Big Ben, but at least all the folks in the double-decker bus will know you made it. From $26,470 per day, holdersvc.co.uk.

Keeping up with the Kardashians isn’t easy, but in La-La Land image is everything, starting with your wheels. Take a spin down West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in this sexy ride, and you might just be mistaken for Kanye (Kim gave him a $700,000 Aventador for his 35th birthday). Even if you had the cash to buy Lamborghini’s latest 6.5-liter, 700-horsepower V-12 speed demon, renting is your only shot at driving it anytime soon; ever since it debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2011, there’s been a yearlong wait to purchase one. From $5,445 per day, bwrentacar.com.