RSSLimo News | San Francisco Travel Blog - Part 7
Rolls-Royce Announces Special Arabian Nights Ghost Models
Legendary luxury automaker Rolls-Royce recently announced that they are releasing a very limited number of special edition Ghost models. The automaker has been flexible about some very unusual customer requests over the years, but the newest special edition is among the most memorable for reasons that will either delight or dismay you. Rolls has announced that they will be customizing a handful of vehicles in what they are calling the One Thousand and One Nights Bespoke Ghost Collection.
The Rolls-Royce Bespoke Department is the division responsible for filling customers’ customization requests, and we have written about some of the more unusual requests over the years. Various Rolls models painted in canary yellow, neon purple and other eye-catching colors are fairly light lifting for the Bespoke craftspeople, but this latest Ghost customization scheme inspired them to take some creative license with color schemes. Bespoke craftspeople will take a few stock Ghost models and paint the lower body panels a deep matte brown. The gracefully sloping hood and pillars, essentially everything above the character line and the Ghost’s grille will be painted a matte caramel color.
Some light grey pinstriping will accent the matte paint job, and a number of small appliqués, including an Arabic inscription that spells out “One Thousand and One Nights,” will be strategically located on the exterior. Moving inside, Rolls customization experts have chosen light grey leather for the seating, accented by piano black trim. Passengers will enjoy the standard LCD screens in the back of the front seats, as well as all the usual luxurious Rolls appointments, including an updated, state-of-the-art sound system perhaps for enjoying all 1,001 folk tales supposedly related by Scheherazade.
Rolls has been reluctant to reveal precisely how many special Ghost editions they will make available or the expected list price, but buyers can expect to pay well over the $261,000 cost for base model Ghosts. The One Thousand and One Nights collection is expected to make its debut at the Sharjah International Auto Show in the United Arab Emirates in late November, and Rolls has announced there will be two more special Ghost models with this motif available next year.
Whether you like the matte brown paint scheme or not, a new Rolls-Royce Ghost is a pleasure to behold. It is even more of a pleasure to ride in! If you’re looking for San Francisco Rolls-Royce rentals for an upcoming wedding, anniversary, sightseeing tour or other special occasion, call us today at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to reserve yours. We currently do not offer any new Rolls-Royce limousines, but we do have some very lovely (and very affordable) antique Ghost, Silver Cloud and Silver Wraith models for you. If you’re thinking about renting a Rolls-Royce in the Bay Area, you have come to the right place! Call us today to reserve yours.
First Street-Legal All-Electric Limousine Goes on the Auction Block
Some months ago, we blogged about the first street-legal all-electric limousine, a Nissan Leaf limo made for a hotel in Nashville. That custom limousine must not have delivered the expected boost in reservations, as it is now listed on eBay with a starting bid of $50,000 and a Buy It Now price of $57,000. The Nashville Embassy Suites Hotel owns the limo, which seats eight people and was built by custom luxury vehicle manufacturer Imperial Coach Builders, based in Springfield, Missouri.
According to the builder, they intentionally kept most of the Leaf’s features as intact as possible while extending the subcompact by around eight feet and adding around 400 pounds to its weight. They shifted the limo’s battery pack to the rear for better balance, stability and performance and added customary limousine amenities such as these:
- High-end audio system
- Flat-screen TVs
- Wet bar
- Plush seating
- Mood lighting
- Other luxury amenities
Regular readers of this blog know that we often write about all things weird and wonderful in the automotive world, and the first all-electric limo was no exception. While we do offer San Francisco hybrid rentals in our fleet of vehicles, we prefer to keep our Prius and Camry hybrids separate from our Bay Area limousine rentals. Each fills a very important niche for our clients, and, while an all-electric limo certainly piques our curiosity, we won’t be placing a bid on this limo any time soon. We suspect that Embassy Suites commissioned this custom limo to generate interest and perhaps enhance the hotel’s credibility with environmentally conscious guests. We also suspect that guests’ reactions to the limo were lukewarm, which lead to it being auctioned to the highest bidder.
Electric vehicles are a very responsible and practical way to run errands and provide everyday transportation to work and other destinations, but our guests do not rent our limousines, party buses and other luxury vehicles for daily transportation. They rent them for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, concerts, sporting events and many other special events that transcend the everyday. It is our job to ensure that their experience enhances their special event and makes it more comfortable, luxurious and most important, fun! If you are looking for the Bay Area limousine service that has the best selection of luxury limousines in the San Francisco area, you have come to the right place! Browse the pages of our site to check out images of the many options in our fleet, and, for more information and to place your reservation, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936.
Limousine Becomes Rolling Billboard
Graffiti, a vehicle wrapping and transit media company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, recently struck a deal with a local limousine service to wrap at least one of their limousines with advertising. The ad for Guess Jeans features a picture of a reclining couple in bed, which occupies the middle third of the limo on both sides. Guess logos are positioned on either side of the picture, and the company reports that this is the fourth time they have reworked the branding on this limo. Graffiti has also wrapped 15 school buses with promotional advertising for Guess Kids, which manufactures designer clothing for children.
Graffiti Managing Director John Rice had this to say about the advertising campaign: "The Guess brand and its advertising campaigns really speak for themselves. The style of the creative is distinctive and identifiable and people look out for their advertising. The Guess brand is exclusive, international and aspirational and therefore perfectly suits the glamour and prestige of a limousine. Similarly, the school bus advertising medium provides an excellent strategic opportunity with which to promote Guess Kids. As a result you have a very powerful and effective transit campaign."
We understand the need for limousine services to create revenue streams whenever possible, especially in hyper-competitive markets. The San Francisco limousine market is especially competitive, and we are always on the lookout for new sources of income. However, don’t look for us to wrap our Bay Area limos, party buses, SUV limos and other luxury vehicles with advertising now or in the future.
We believe that happy guests are the appropriate complement to the glamour and prestige of a limousine, not advertising. No matter how tastefully photographed or sexy the images may be, we believe that billboard advertising belongs on billboards, not sullying the classic looks of our limos. If you’re looking for a San Francisco limousine service that believes that providing outstanding customer service is the best way to generate revenue, give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 the next time you need luxury transportation for a special event!
President Putin Commissions New Zil Limousine
We wrote recently about the resurgence of legendary Russian Luxury automaker Zil. The struggling company recently received a huge boost when they delivered an order to the Kremlin, a new limo for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The presidential limo will be called “Limo Number One,” and Zil reports that it took six years to manufacture. The new limo is awaiting final approval from Kremlin officials, but it is expected to pass inspections and begin transporting the president and other Russian dignitaries in the very near future.
Limo Number One features six doors, calf leather upholstery, a video screen that shows the road ahead to passengers when privacy shutters are closed, the obligatory armored plate, advanced telecommunications equipment and many other security features that will not be made available to the public. The presidential limo is powered by a huge 7.7-liter motor easily capable of accelerating the 7,000-pound vehicle to reported top speeds of 125 mph.
After many years of being transported in a Mercedes limousine, President Putin will join predecessors Nikita Krushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev and many other Russian dignitaries by riding in a Zil limousine, a move viewed as very important to reviving the automaker and the Russian economy.
Mikhail Sattarov, the head of luxury models at Zil, revived a bit of Cold War brinksmanship as well, saying that the new presidential limo is demonstrably better than President Obama’s new Cadillac One limousine, unofficially named “The Beast.”
Mr. Sattarov remarked, "We saw what Obama rides in; it’s an ugly submarine with no aesthetics," he said. "It looks awful."
With all due respect, we disagree with Mr. Sattarov. Given the Zil’s history of designing limousines that more closely resemble cereal boxes on wheels, we would expect a bit more restraint on his part when critiquing the looks of other automakers’ vehicles.
If you have a special event in the near future and you’d like to reserve one of our San Francisco limos, party buses, SUV limos or other luxury vehicles, give us a call today at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to make reservations today. We treat each of our guests like heads of state and provide a level of customer service that keeps them coming back again and again. If you’re looking for the best Bay Area limousine rental experience at the best rates, just give us a call, and let us take care of the rest!
Huge Classic Car Auction Scheduled for November
Classic car enthusiasts from California and across the country have bought their tickets and booked hotel reservations for one of the biggest events of the year. From Nov. 15 through Nov. 17, the eyes (and checkbooks) of the automotive cognoscenti will turn to the Anaheim Convention Center, where more than 800 classic cars, hot rods, muscle cars and other automotive wonders will go on the auction block. The auction is being held by Mecum Auction Inc., which expects to sell many millions of dollars worth of steel, chrome and rubber before the gavel falls for the last time on this year’s auction.
Admission is $15, and the gates open at 8 a.m. each day, but prospective buyers will want to have plenty of cash reserves to bid on such beauties as these:
- Tom McMullen’s 1932 Ford Deuce roadster, which appeared on the covers of Hot Rod, Street Rodder and Popular Hot Rod magazines, complete with paint job designed by legendary hot rod designer “Big Daddy” Ed Roth
- A 1936 Ford Jack Calori Coupe, a best-in-class winner at the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach
- A Le Mans blue 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible, powered by a 427-cubic-inch, 430-horsepower engine
Here at NLS Limo, we’re very proud of the San Francisco classic car rentals in our fleet, and we’re always on the lookout for new models to add to the collection. Each of our antique cars has been lovingly restored and includes as many of the original parts and features as possible to provide an authentic classic car experience. Some of the options available to our customers include the following:
- Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud limousines
- Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud convertible
- Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith
- 1937 Oldsmobile
- 1948 Plymouth
Our San Francisco classic car rentals are very popular for weddings, anniversaries, birthday and Christmas gifts, wine tours and many other special occasions. To learn more about each of these classics and to reserve one for your special event, give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936.
Will Ferrell Auctioning Craft Beer Bus Tour for Charity
Comedian Will Ferrell is auctioning off a craft beer bus tour for four lucky winners who will join the movie star for a tour of craft beer bars in Southern California this December. On Dec. 12, the winners will join Mr. Ferrell for lunch at the Blind Lady Ale House after sampling craft beers at three bars known for their superb selection of micro brews. The four winners will receive VIP treatment while sampling craft beers on and off the bus with 120 other beer lovers on board. Ferrell is auctioning the experience to raise money for Cancer for College, a charitable organization established by his longtime friend Craig Pollard. The organization raises funds to help cancer survivors earn college educations after they recover.
Ferrell has announced that in addition to a nice lunch and some tasty brews, each guest will also receive "the most glorious red jumpsuit you have ever worn in order to get into the spirit of the holiday season." The jumpsuits are a tribute to Mr. Ferrell’s performance in the popular holiday movie “Elf” released in 2003. Beer lovers who want to bid on this beer bus tour have until Nov. 14 to take their chance on bending an elbow (and a story or two) with Mr. Ferrell and contributing to a worthy cause. Organizers hope to raise $20,000 for Cancer for College recipients.
Micro brew fans here in the Bay Area who want to organize their own craft beer pub crawl but would rather not deal with traffic and parking hassles can rent one of our San Francisco luxury coaches for the ultimate brews cruise! We offer several VIP luxury tour buses from which our guests can choose where they can enjoy their favorite craft beers en route to their destinations as long as everyone is of legal drinking age. Our Bay Area bus rentals are a practical and very economical way to transport larger groups of people to the following:
- Sporting events
- Pub crawls
- Concerts
- Weddings
- Golf outings
- Shopping excursions
- Sightseeing tours
- Casino trips
- Amusement parks
- Many other fun destinations!
Renting one of our San Francisco luxury buses is very easy and affordable. Browse the pages of our site to view information and images of your group transportation options, and then give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 for more information and to reserve yours today! Any time you need spacious, comfortable and affordable transportation for groups of all sizes, you can rely on us to make it a fun and very memorable experience. Call us today!
Not All San Francisco Party Bus Rentals Are Created Equal
There have been a lot of negative reports in the media recently regarding San Francisco party buses. Sadly, much of the negative reports are well deserved. The recent accidental death of a Santa Cruz woman who fell out of a Bay Area party bus last summer is the most high-profile of the reports, but there have been others, including these:
- Recent legislation passed into law by California lawmakers that holds chauffeurs and party bus companies accountable for underage drinking
- Complaints from San Francisco club owners regarding party bus “booze cruises” that drop off drunken guests that cause problems in their businesses and neighborhoods, causing some club owners to ban party buses at their businesses
- Some San Francisco party bus companies that allow underage drinking on board, which has led to accidents after guests have been dropped off for the night
- Other incidents that cast San Francisco party bus services in an unfavorable light
We would like to remind our readers that we are working hard to change the public’s perceptions about Bay Area party buses and that the vast majority of problems are being caused by a small minority of party bus providers. How are we working to accomplish this? Here are a few examples:
- We do not allow underage drinking on our party buses and never have. Our mission has always been to ensure that our guests have a fun and safe party bus experience. We like to be flexible, but that flexibility does not include unlawful behavior.
- Our chauffeurs do not allow rowdy behavior that endangers anyone’s safety. If a guest engages in anything that puts anyone at risk, they receive a polite warning. If the behavior continues, the rental is over, and the guests are returned to their original locations.
- We work hard to provide the best San Francisco party bus experience for our guests for the most affordable rates in the area. Rather than nickel-and-dime our guests with incidental charges that greatly increase the rental charge, we include as many complimentary amenities as possible into our rates.
These are just a few of the many steps we are taking to make our Bay Area party bus rentals safer, more enjoyable and more affordable for our guests. Other San Francisco party bus providers are taking many of the same steps, but in our opinion, we do it better because it has been our business model from the very beginning. If you’re shopping around for San Francisco party bus companies that offer the best experience for the best rate, give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to find out for yourself why we have become the premier San Francisco party bus service!
Toyota Prius Is Top-Selling Car in San Francisco and Rest of California
Auto Data Corporation tracks auto sales across the country and issues an annual report ranking the best (and worst) selling cars in the U.S. The group recently published this year’s report, which states that the Toyota Prius is the best-selling car in the Bay Area and throughout California. The group tracked all vehicle sales from January through September and found that Californians bought at least 46,380 Prius hybrids over that period of time. Sales of the standard gas-electric hybrid Prius, the v wagon, the less expensive subcompact c and the all-electric, rose 26.3 percent in California over the same period of the previous year, and sales rose 14.5 percent in the rest of the country.
We have written about the Prius’ popularity in our blog before in a post about how popular the hybrid vehicles are with the wealthiest Californians. Apparently, that trend continues in the other states as well.
Jesse Toprak, automotive analyst at truecar.com, recently reported that, despite the low sticker price, Prius ownership is chic with the moneyed crowd.
"It’s one of the only non-luxury cars, that if you’re a wealthy person, it’s acceptable to own," he said.
A big part of the Prius’ success is reliability, but rising gas prices are also a big factor for California buyers. Gas prices here are the second-highest in the country, averaging $4.40 a gallon, compared to an average of $3.65 nationwide and second only to fuel prices in Hawaii.
Here in the Bay Area, many people prefer to go without owning a car to protect the environment and save money on gas, parking, insurance and maintenance. There are many alternatives for getting around, but every once in a while, people who don’t own a car need one for running errands, taking a drive to visit friends and relatives and many other uses.
That is why we offer San Francisco Prius rentals for our customers who only need a car for a day or an afternoon and want to reduce their carbon footprint. Our Prius rentals are clean, reliable and very affordable. If you’re looking for Prius hybrid rentals in the Bay Area, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to reserve yours today!
Organizers Planning Game of Thrones Bus Tours Next Year
Fans of the smash hit HBO series Game of Thrones will be able to ride through the Irish countryside and view the locations where the program is filmed. The third season of the epic fantasy series is now being filmed in Northern Ireland, and planners report that they expect to have the tour buses up and running by this time next year. Game of Thrones fans will recognize many filming locations, including the North Coast Harbor of Ballintoy, a backdrop for many episodes. Other popular shooting locations expected to be included on the tour are Larrybane Quarry near the Carrickarede rope bridge on the North Coast, Inch Abbey and Tollymore Forest Park in Co Down.
The announcement pleased many tourism officials in Ireland, which, like many popular tourist destinations, has taken a sizable hit in recent years due to the recession.
"We have been working with the various tourism bodies for over a year, we got in touch about setting up this tour. We are helping them in terms of resources and putting them in touch with the right people like the broadcaster and distributor. We are keen on the overall film tourism thing, not just Game Of Thrones," one tourism official said.
Here in the Bay Area, we’re very familiar with movie and television locations as well. Lots of films and TV shows are and have been filmed in San Francisco and the surrounding area, and many local landmarks are instantly recognizable around the world. We’re no strangers to bus tours either. Millions of people visit our area each year and find that tour buses are the most comfortable, practical and affordable way to get around for sightseeing tours, airport transportation and many other destinations.
If you need comfortable and affordable group transportation for a sightseeing tour, wedding, sporting event or other special occasion, call us today at 800-339-8936. We offer luxury motor coaches, party buses, VIP buses and many other options to accommodate groups of all sizes. Whether you live in the Bay Area or are planning a visit, you can rely on NLS Limo for the best selection of San Francisco tour buses in the area. Call us today, and don’t forget to ask about our tour packages!
Maserati Plans to Increase Market Share With New Limousine and Other Models
Legendary Italian automaker Maserati has announced that they will introduce a new luxury limousine in the very near future, as well as a new SUV and mid-sized sedan. The recent announcement caught many exotic car enthusiasts by surprise, as Maserati has built an enviable reputation over the years as a designer and manufacturer of ultra high-end sports coupes. The new Maserati limousine will be called the Quattroporte, and comp-any officials hope that it, along with the new performance-focused SUV and luxury sedan models, will help Maserati boost sales and increase market share.
New models are not the only part of Maserati’s new direction. The automaker also plans to make some of their automobiles more affordable, with entry level models priced around $125,000, a price that is half that of Maserati’s lowest-priced cars. The Quattroporte is expected to be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2013. Maserati is withholding most details about the new limo, but they have reported that it will be over 17 feet long and offer more cabin space than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series and Porsche Panamera.
The new sedan will be called the Ghibli, which Maserati says will compete with the BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Classes. The new SUV will be called the Levante, which seems poised to compete with the Porsche Cayenne for SUV buyers with deep pockets.
Many staff members here at NLS Limo are very excited to hear about Maserati’s new direction. They are especially interested in seeing how Maserati designers reinvent the new limousine with their keen eye for automotive lines and details. If you have a keen eye for detail and an appreciation for superb customer service and need a San Francisco limousine for an upcoming event, you have definitely come to the right place! We have the Bay Area’s best selection of stretch limos, SUV limos, luxury sedans and other vehicles for groups of two up to 62. For more information about your options, as well as rates and availability, call us today at 800-339-8936!
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Great customer service, great prices, and always a lot of fun.
I've used Nationwide 3 or 4 times now and have not once been disappointed. Great customer service, great prices, and always a lot of fun. Staff always helps me pick the best option for my group and our budget.