{"id":1387,"date":"2016-05-12T12:06:51","date_gmt":"2016-05-12T19:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=1387"},"modified":"2016-05-12T12:06:51","modified_gmt":"2016-05-12T19:06:51","slug":"allen-michels-aston-martin-v8-vantage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/gearheads\/allen-michels-aston-martin-v8-vantage\/","title":{"rendered":"Allen-Michel\u2019s Aston Martin V8 Vantage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Channel your inner Bond<\/span><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s nothing quite like an Aston Martin. Other supercars may have the flash and growl to turn heads wherever they go, but Astons have a debonair elegance that command the respect of those around them. The inimitably suave James Bond drove an Aston \u2014 from the Sean Connery days to his more recent Daniel Craig incarnation \u2014 because nothing says classy cool like a DB5 or a V8 Vantage.<\/span><\/p>\n

With this Aston whimsy in mind, we caught up with owner Allen-Michel, who recently listed his iconic <\/span>2008 Aston Martin V8 Vantage<\/span><\/a> in Beverly Hills.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Aston<\/p>\n

Smart investments, Bond style<\/span><\/h3>\n

A car enthusiast, Allen-Michel only found out about Turo a few months ago, \u201cbut I wish I had heard about it earlier,\u201d he recalls. \u201cI had a BMW X6M\u00a0that I loved but wasn\u2019t using a lot,\u201d so he traded it in. Had he known about Turo, he notes, he would have held onto it. \u201cIf you have a car that you want (or need) to get rid of, you can rent it out and make back some \u2014 if not all \u2014 of your monthly payment,\u201d he advises.<\/span><\/p>\n

So once he discovered Turo and how it could enable him to afford his dream car, he started researching different makes and models. \u201cI always wanted something a little more exotic, so I researched what would perform best,\u201d he said. He landed on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and hasn\u2019t looked back.<\/span><\/p>\n

A perennial gearhead, Allen-Michel was enamored of the Aston\u2019s elegance. \u201cIt\u2019s hand-built. It won\u2019t get old in 10 or 30 years; it\u2019s just beautiful, refined, and comfortable.\u201d It also has a 700-watt sound system, which only adds to the transcendent experience of driving it.<\/p>\n

And with regard to the engine \u2014 \u201cIt\u2019s just sick. It has such a beautiful sounding exhaust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aston<\/p>\n

Creating a competitive listing<\/span><\/h3>\n

Apart from his passion for the car itself, why would he rent it out? \u201cMy first rental subsidized my entire monthly payment,\u201d he notes. In fact, he only put it up for rent in March and has already had five rentals, which is really a testament to a) the allure of driving an Aston Martin (as an aside, I sent this listing to my dad \u2014 a proverbial tough nut and an unflappable stoic when it comes to pretty much anything \u2014 and he responded \u201cBeautiful car!!\u201d Pithy, but his out-of-character gratuitous exclamation points only testify to this car\u2019s timeless appeal), and b) the remarkable price point of Allen-Michel\u2019s Aston.<\/span><\/p>\n

And why the low price? To be competitive with the big guns out there. \u201cThey\u2019re kind of hard to find,\u201d he says. \u201cMaybe you could find one at Avis or Hertz, but they\u2019d probably charge a lot for it.\u201d In fact, his most recent guest was going to rent a Mercedes from Hertz, but found Allen-Michel\u2019s Aston for the same price, so opted for a little Bond-style luxury instead. \u201cIt\u2019s one of only a few in the US, and the only automatic convertible in LA for $260\/day.\u201d He\u2019s even rented it out to other car owners on the Turo marketplace, and made some good friends in the process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Allen-Michel also shares a few pro-tips for car owners looking to boost their bookings: \u201cThe key is to respond right away. Never pressure [your guest], be polite, and be helpful.\u201d Oh, and let them be James Bond for a few days. That doesn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n

\"Aston<\/p>\n

Next time you\u2019re in LA, take this car out for a spin<\/span>\u00a0or rent\u00a0<\/span>one of his other cars<\/a>\u00a0o<\/span>n Turo.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rent Allen-Michel’s Aston<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Channel your inner Bond There\u2019s nothing quite like an Aston Martin. Other supercars may have the flash and growl to turn heads wherever they go, but Astons have a debonair…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1392,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,54],"tags":[360,74],"class_list":["post-1387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-gearheads","tag-exotics","tag-member-profiles"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t