First Fractional Supercar Club In The Middle East

A Ferrari today, a Lambo tomorrow... the stuff of dreams? Members of Scuderia 250, the Middle East's first supercar club, can access a range of the latest cars, from Ferraris and Lamborghinis to Bentleys and Aston Martins. But at a price. Obviously.

Malek* had a problem. He always wanted the newest and best of everything, especially cars. In a place like Dubai, where one can buy most exotic supercars, that can be a problem. Then one day he came across the Scuderia 250 Supercar Club. So, what did he do? He sold the exotic car he owned and plumped for a membership at the club.
Problem solved.

What club is that now? The Scuderia 250 Supercar Club. It's an exclusive group where you pay a small fortune for its limited membership to drive a supercar of your choice for a limited period of time. The advantages of a club like this is that you get to drive the most exotic cars without having to worry about finance, insurance, maintenance, or anything else owners of supercars lose their hair over. You don't even have to stick to the same car for a long time. Anytime you want a change, pick up the phone. So says Alex Grose, general manager of the Scuderia 250 club.

"We are a members-only club and the first in the Middle East with this concept," he says. "The concept of a supercar club was originally conceived a long time ago in the UK by a former Formula One driver, Damon Hill. We are the first here. Effectively, we've got two elements in our business: the supercars and the race cars."

You can sign up for a six-month or one-year membership. There are different tiers, with different price points and different membership points, with members of the top tier getting the most benefits. The Monaco package at the top costs Dh120,000 for a year's membership which allows 1,500 points with a mileage limit of 10,000km.

Correspondingly, the cars are divided into three groups with points allocated to each category. Only if the member has the requisite number of points will he be allowed to drive a car of his choice. The cost of points is also determined by the season, with summertime driving being cheaper than winter, and weekdays cheaper than weekends.

But Scuderia 250 is not just about driving cars, according to Grose. Apart from the thrill of driving these various exciting supercars, there is a strong social element. "It's not just a rent-a-car, we just hate that word," he grimaces. "You can't just turn up, take a car out for 24 hours, beat the hell out of it and chuck the keys back. When a member takes out a car, he treats it with respect, and gives it back in proper condition. They may keep it for a week if they want, and have the requisite number of points for that."

Grose emphasises that the 'social element' is something that 'goes hand in hand' with their concept. "There's going to be a member's lounge on club premises. At the end of the day, we want members to come in, have a coffee, or watch the Grand Prix on a Sunday." Looking at it right now, in the industrial part of Al Quoz, the social element may not be its strongest, but Grose promises that by the time they finish doing up the place, it will look like a proper club with all the necessary accoutrements.

The other element to the club, which Grose is gung-ho about, is the racing part called Team 250. "The car behind you for example is a race car," says Grose, pointing to a racing version of the Suzuki Swift. "We have three racing cars right now." One of them is a Backdraft Cobra that makes a racket when turned on. "They have the same point structure and members can drive them at the Dubai Autodrome track with our in-house instructor who was an instructor at the Autodrome previously. He will take our members through the paces, all the way t