The Perks of Luxury Car Ownership Go Beyond Posh Surrounds and Pampering Details
This is how car buying should always be.
Buying a luxury car online, or with your phone, is so 2020. Especially if you’re buying a luxury car. Yes, there are the basics of luxury car ownership that elevate the experience with lounge-like dealerships, pick-up and drop-off services, free carwashes and even annual complimentary detailing. Some brands, like Lincoln, go further with partnerships that reduce travel friction; Genesis offers a concierge service to help with your purchase.
Buyers at the higher end, though, can expect a truly bespoke experience with an engaging and personal purchase process followed by surprises and delights throughout your ownership journey.
After visiting a number of luxury car brand design studios and hospitality spaces, I can say, getting an event invitation is like no other; being among a luxury brand’s treasured customers is its own reward. Here is what you can expect from some of the top luxury brands on the planet.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
The Cleverness of Q by Aston Martin Is Surpassed Only by the Experience
A showroom to the world—the space is open to the public—and inner sanctum of exclusivity all in one, Q by Aston Martin in New York City is a design atelier with a relaxed, home-like feel. Walking by the studio’s space you’ll see Aston Martin cars on display in the windows; inside guests can see the cars up close and with permission and guidance, even sit inside. Once inside you’ll find lounge spaces and a design center, named after Q, the tech guru who outfitted James Bond with the clever gadgetry needed for his missions.
The inner lounge area is where the real magic takes place. When clients are in attendance for a design session the studio’s walls slide closed and the space comes alive. Clients are assisted by the Lisa Anastas, the Quartermaster, and designers, engineers and other experts from the Aston Martin HQ in the UK are transported via video to the session. An expanded design wall holds leathers, paint samples, brake calipers and more so clients can see and feel the materials. Then, on the rear wall fitted with a 35′ long, 10′ tall screen, clients can see their commission come to life, from the big picture to the tiniest detail.
You can see more details about Q by Aston Martin in this story.
The Lamborghini Lounge Is the Ultimate Getaway
Lamborghini owners need to ask two questions: what do you want your Lamborghini to be, and what do you want your Lamborghini Lounge experience to be? Both are completely up to you. Hidden in New York’s Chelsea art gallery district is the Lamborghini Lounge, an open space designed for cars, parties, intimate events or just … lounging. It’s only available by appointment to Lamborghini clients and dealers and it’s often the location for Lamborghini reveals and first looks, and where clients can reveal their own commissions to their friends and families.
It’s also where clients can meet with Lamborghini designers and executives to build their own special machine or give a customized vehicle an extra bit of personalization. We toured the space; this is what it’s all about.
The Ultimate Design Studio: Rolls-Royce Private Office
This is truly a most private experience: Tucked into an elegant tower in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, the Rolls-Royce Private Office is a design studio meant for the company’s most discerning clients to engage in designing a dream car. But don’t let its downtown loft vibe fool you; the design of the space is all about brand immersion, from the chrome wall designed to evoke the look and feel of the brand’s iconic Pantheon grille, to design features made from same materials used in the cars, including leathers, woods and metals.
Clients who want to design a Rolls-Royce at the Private Office, where the brand’s designers and engineers are available to guide you, must be nominated by a Rolls-Royce dealer for the experience. Making it a truly exclusive opportunity. Lucky for you, we took a tour which you can see here.
Live the Genesis Life at Genesis House
The upstart luxury brand Genesis does not take the luxury promise lightly. With the values of an excellent guest experience, a refined culture and world-class standards for its vehicles and their appointments, their designs and models rival any in the world. Genesis clients can find much of this at one of the 70 or so Genesis dealerships, spaces that are designed to be comfortable and welcoming, like a boutique hotel or a club.
But those who want to delve even deeper can visit Genesis House in New York City. There, guests can sample Korean haute cuisine accompanied by fine wines and Korean spirits, indulge in an an expansive tea service or simply relax on the terrace overlooking New York City’s Highline and the Hudson River. On the ground floor guests can shop the brand’s model lineup and sample the materials that go into a Genesis model. A calendar of events keeps the space busy with reveals, fashion collaborations and other celebrations all year long. We toured the space and sat down with general manager Rachel Espersen to learn more.
Delve into Mercedes-Benz Life, and the Manufaktur Experience
Mercedes-Benz is pretty good at being what each client needs, from a basic luxury car to the most over-the-top performance cars. But the ultimate Mercedes-Benz luxury experience comes together under the Manufaktur label, the brand’s bespoke design process. Manufaktur, on its own, is special. But sign up for one of the brand’s elevated weekends at an Auberge Resort and take the experience even higher: A private concert—past artists have included Kate Hudson, Maren Morris and LeeAnn Rimes—elevated dining and test drives of the best cars and SUVs in the lineup.
The relationship with Auberge Resorts is a special one; guests are treated to special events, tastings, and more, based on the location and timing. And of course, it’s a great place to start or complete your Manufaktur design journey.
The Bentley Life, Adventurous or Elevated
Living the Bentley life can be under the radar or over the top; it’s your choice. Either way, it’s bespoke, as is the brand: you don’t just buy a Bentley, you commission one. But once you’ve got your Bentley design in place, it’s time to immerse in the lifestyle. Owners, or prospective owners, can spend time at the The Preserve Sporting Club learning just how capable the Bentley Bentayga is in the wild—taking trails to the hunting, fishing or off-roading experiences the club offers.
Bentley owners seeking a more subdued and urban experience can visit the Bentley Residenecs and design a home to match their car, replete with a garage right next to the living room that allows you to peer at your lovely car any time you like—while you’re not gazing at the Atlantic Ocean from the 38th floor, that is. We took a tour, and this is what it’s like.
Track Time is Included: Porsche and BMW Ownership
Probably the ultimate perk of ownership of a sports car is time on the track. Buyers of both Porsche and BMW cars can book track time to not only have a blast, but learn how to drive their new car from a pro driver—in a model owned by the company, so you don’t suffer the wear on your own car. BMW includes a package with purchase, Porsche offers it as an add-on to the purchase of the car.
The good news is that you don’t have to be an owner to book track time with either brand; anyone can sign up. And I highly recommend it. It’ll change your life.
The Ultimate Made-to-Measure Maserati: Fuoriserie
There’s nothing like indulging in the Italian automotive lifestyle: Incredible food, a countryside of undulating roads that lead from one charming village to another. But it goes deeper, with generations of design and automotive craftsmanship that come together to create a rich heritage, which is the magic of Maserati. The ultimate luxury performance car, it’s notable for its Ferrari-engineered DNA and beautifully designed interiors.
Fuoriserie by Maserati allows clients to fully immerse with a trip to the company’s headquarters in Modena where they’ll plan a made-to-measure model with the company’s designers and engineers in the classic Corsa style or the forward looking Futura mode. The result is a one-of-a-kind Maserati that is everything you want and that the brand promises.
Buy a Car, Get a Vacation: Volvo Overseas Delivery
The people at Volvo are so passionate about the origins and philosophies of their brand that they want you to come to Gothenburg, Sweden and experience it for yourself via the Volvo Overseas Delivery program. So with the purchase of a new Volvo, the company will fly you to Sweden, put you up in a hotel and give you a tour of the company’s headquarters. From there, the journey is yours to plan and enjoy, though Volvo will provide a travel concierge to help you plan your trip.
After you watch your Volvo roll off the production line and get its final checks, you can take it on a tour of the country, or simply tool around the city before flying home. Your car will be shipped to you for pickup at your local Volvo dealer. The program is so popular that the company credits it for instilling the brands passions in many owners, making them lifetime Volvo owners.
When Lexus is a Destination All Its Own
This is the ultimate way to take a Lexus test drive: Check in to a Destinations by Lexus hotel or resort, request a car and take off to see the sights. You’ll get the immersive Lexus experience and can test out different models—not sure if you’re interested in the TX or the RX? Want to try the GX and the LX back to back? That’s the idea—though if that’s your goal, double check with the property you’re interested in to understand the models you can test drive there.
At the end of your drive, or drives over several days, relax in beautifully designed room, enjoy a rooftop swim, a restorative massage and a chef-crafted meal. The biggest decision here is which resort to book because they are so magical.
Land Rover’s Destination Defender Is Where the Adventure Starts
Land Rover has made it a mission to be where its customers are, on the trail, at the festival, seeking new levels of adventure. Keep your ear to the ground for event announcements including immersions at Coachella, surf adventures, a look at Queen Elizabeth’s collection and more.
One Land Rover event that’s a must is Destination Defender, the annual off-road festival for families, Land Rover Defender owners, prospective owners and simply, the Defender curious. Destination Defender is a delightful weekend of off-road courses, mini drive experiences for the kiddos, camping, glamping, 5-star resorts, food and music, all capped with the Defender Service Award gala, a dinner that recognizes six non-profits for their contributions with a customized Defender and a cash award. Destination Defender is held in a different outdoor destination each year, with the 2025 event coming up May 16-18 at Cedar Lakes Estate in Port Jervis, New York.
Honorable Mention: Ford Bronco
While not a luxury brand by definition, even if it qualifies by price at some levels, the Ford Bronco offers probably the best try-before-you-buy experience there is: Ford Bronco Off-Roadeo.
Ford operates 5 Off-Roadeo locations—Horseshoe Bay outside Austin, TX; Moab, UT; Maryville, TN; Mt. Potosi outside Las Vegas and Guilford, New Hampshire. At each location you’ll learn off-road driving and instruction in a Ford Bronco, learn to use all the Bronco’s systems and built-in capabilities, find your Bronco tribe and get the feel for the Bronco life.
The cost for a half day Off-Roadeo is $795 and you can bring up to 3 additional participants with you. And if you like it enough to buy a Bronco, you can return for a full day adventure on the Off-Roadeo course, compliments of Ford. You’ll drive a Bronco similar to the one you bought, but one that belongs to Ford; you’ll have to break in your own Bronco on your own. I have driven two of the five courses and can attest: you’ll be instantly indoctrinated.
Luxury cars are a lifestyle; they deliver on a promise and provide entrée to a refined place in the world. And that’s something that you just can’t get from a keyboard or a phone app.
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