WARNING: ADRENALINE AHEAD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Give me the basics. What is the Dream Car Tour?
The Dream Car Tour is an exotic car driving experience. We gather six awesome exotics cars and a group of drivers and take everyone on a 3+ hour, 100+ mile real-world driving adventure. Every ~15 miles the group pulls over and everyone switches cars, so you'll have a chance to sample a variety of amazing cars. Think of it as a tasting menu of supercars.
When and where is the Dream Car Tour held?
You can participate in a Dream Car Tour on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of select weeks at various locations around the nation.
Is a staff member in the car with me while I drive?
Not usually. For most of our vehicles, we put you behind the wheel and your passenger rides along with you. For a few select vehicles with extremely limited visibility (such as the Lamborghini Murcielago), a GDC staff member will ride with you to assist with any tight turns and provide a second set of eyes.
Can I bring a friend to ride along with me? Can I bring my whole family?
Absolutely! In fact, passengers can ride along with you free of charge, so bring whoever you'd like. But please do limit yourself to one guest. Most of the cars are two-seaters, so there simply isn't any place for others to ride. And please, make sure all passengers can comfortably fit in the passenger's seat and be buckled in - we do not permit car seats on the Tour.
Can my friend follow along in his/her own car?
We don't suggest this. We drive on public roads so obviously we can't prevent anyone from trying to tag along, however because of the nature of the event (lots of turns and road changes) and because we have radios and your friend does not, it's very difficult for people to follow along. And unfortunately we cannot wait for friends who get stuck at red lights or miss an exit.
Do I have to follow the group? Can I drive my own route?
The Dream Car Tour is a guided Tour - we drive together as a group and we bring two support vehicles along for the ride: a lead car (to set the pace) and a tail car (to make sure nobody falls behind). You can drive in any order you want provided you don't pass the lead car and don't fall behind the tail car. Often, there will be up to a mile between the lead and tail cars, so there's plenty of freedom on the road. We do require that you remain with the group, and we do not permit drivers to go explore by themselves.
How many cars will I get to drive?
There are six vehicles on the Dream Car Tour. You'll get a chance to drive all six of them throughout the 3+ hour experience.
How long does the Tour last?
The Tour generally lasts between 3 - 4 hours. Morning Tours are usually back by 1pm and afternoon Tours by 7pm barring any unforeseen delays, which, despite our best efforts, do happen occasionally (i.e. weather, mechanical issues, lost drivers, etc.)
How many other drivers will there be on the Tour?
Tours can accomodate a minimum of 6 and maximum of 8 drivers (actually, a bit more, but we'll explain that in the next question.) But wait - if there are 6 cars and 8 drivers, how does that work? Good question! Every participant will always have a chance to drive all six cars. We sometimes incorporate "rest" legs into the event -- which means at any time six folks will be driving and up to two folks will be taking a break and riding as passengers. We've found that three hours of intense driving all in one shot can be pretty exhausting, so by adding in rest legs, you get a chance to catch your breath for a few minutes.
How does the "Dual Driver" option work?
We offer an innovative way to share the Dream Car Tour experience with a friend called our "Dual Driver" option. Each of you pays a slightly lower per-person cost, and you'll always be together in all vehicles. Each time you switch vehicles, the two of you can change who does the driving and who sits shotgun. This lets you split the driving 3/3 (or 4/2, 5/1, etc.) so you both get to experience these amazing cars firsthand.
How fast do I get to drive?
Because the Dream Car Tour takes place on public highways and local roads, we drive as you would every day on the street - safely with the flow of traffic. On larger highways, that flow can be a nice brisk pace, while on twisty back roads, we'll take a pace that makes sure you enjoy the back-and-forth turns without slipping off an embankment.
Our goal is to give you the true "exotic car owner" experience - we want you to know what it's like to drive these cars as if they were your own. And don't worry - everyone who comes on the Tour asks this question and always has a great time. We're not out to tease you with great cars that only go 40mph.
Safety is our number one priority on the Dream Car Tour and we emphasize it constantly. Any participants found to be driving in a reckless or unsafe manner at any point during the Tour will lose driving privileges.
What if I get lost or make a wrong turn?
Every vehicle on the Dream Car Tour is equipped with a two-way radio system that's capable of transmitting a signal miles away, so you will always be in contact with the support vehicles and the other drivers on the Tour. Instructions are given over the radio by the lead car before each turn and each exit, so you should have no problems staying with the group. But every once in a while you might make a wrong turn (it happens), and if so we'll make sure to guide you back to the group over the radio.
What happens if I get pulled over? Am I responsible for tickets?
Our goal is to give you the "exotic car owner" experience - unfortunately part of that experience is the reality that exotic cars draw a lot of attention, both wanted and unwanted. In the rare case that you are pulled over during the Tour, you will be responsible for any tickets received.
I don't care about any of the cars other than the . Can you guarantee I get to drive it?
The purpose of the Dream Car Tour is to give you an adrenaline-filled "sampler menu" of exotic cars - you get to drive six different vehicles from the world's best and most exciting manufacturers. Because of the nature of these high-performance vehicles, maintenance issues do arise and occasionally we must make vehicle substitutions. We therefore cannot guarantee any specific car will be a part of a given Tour.
What do you do if it rains?
Dream Car Tours run rain or shine. We've been running events for over 3 years and our experience has shown us that even in the rain, the Tours are a tremendous amount of fun - in fact, some of the best testimonials we've received have been from participants that drove in the rain.
Do I have to know how to drive stick?
No. All of the vehicles on the Dream Car Tour are either fully automatic or semi-automatic (F1-style 'paddle shifters').
How do I drive a 'paddle shift' transmission? Is it hard? Will you teach me?
F1-style paddle shift transmissions are the latest innovation in high performance vehicles. Adopted from the transmission of the world's fastest professional race cars, it blends the performance and efficiency of a manual transmission with the ease and speed of an automatic.
It takes about 10 minutes for a normal driver to get accustomed to driving a paddle-shift vehicle. We provide full instruction before we depart, and in no time you'll be driving and shifting like a pro!
What is the age requirement to drive? Are there other requirements?
All drivers must be 21 years of age or older and have a valid driver's license and personal auto insurance. If you do not have personal auto insurance, several options are available to you - contact the Gotham Dream Cars office for details.
Does my own insurance cover me in the Dream Car Tour? I only drive a Toyota Camry!
Believe it or not, the answer is yes. In all 50 states, if you carry full-coverage insurance (that means Liability, Comp, and Collision) your insurance will automatically carry over and cover you when you rent a car from us - regardless of what you drive or what you rent. And it's for the same reason that if you're driving down the highway in your Camry and you happen to knock a Ferrari off the road, your insurance will cover the damage.
What does the Dream Car Tour cost again?
$1195 (+ tax) gets you behind the wheel of six of the most amazing cars you'll ever drive for three+ hours of fun. It's by far the best "bang for the buck" we offer here at Gotham Dream Cars.
Anything else I should know?
On the day of the event, we hold a $5,000 fully-refundable security deposit on a credit card. It's extremely rare that we ever need to access this deposit, but it does happen. Just drive safely and make sure to bring back the cars in the same condition they start and you'll be golden. The deposit is released when you return to home base from the Tour.
Sounds great! What's next?
That's what we like to hear. Head on over to our Reservation page and sign yourself up. See ya soon...!
