RSSLimo Rental Tips | San Francisco Travel Blog - Part 14
New Hyundai Limo Focuses on Security
The Hyundai Equus, the new limousine from the Korean automaker expected to make its debut at the upcoming Moscow International Automobile Salon, features some rather unusual safety features. With their new limo, Hyundai’s marketing is targeting potential buyers in violent parts of the world. Hyundai developed the new limousine in cooperation with ArmorTech-Motors, a company that specializes in taking stock limousines from a wide range of different manufacturers and customizing them with armor panels, bullet-resistant glass and other security equipment.
The Equus is outfitted with several security features designed to withstand projectiles and explosives, such as these:
- An armored shell that protects occupants from ballistic penetration from any angle
- “Labyrinth overlaps” where the limo’s bullet-resistance glass meets body panels to protect occupants from shrapnel during bomb blasts
- Full VR7 protection compliance and ballistic certification, which indicates that the limo resists projectiles from most assault weapons
- Many other undisclosed security features
Weighing nearly 8,500 pounds, the Equus limousine needs a powerful motor capable of moving more than four tons of armored limo at getaway speeds. Hyundai reports that the limo will boast a 5.0-liter Tau V8 engine capable of producing 430 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 375 foot-pounds of torque at 5,000 rpm. All that horsepower is transferred to the rear wheels by a rugged 8-speed automatic transmission designed and built to provide rapid acceleration in case of emergency. Other safety and security equipment includes the following:
- An extra battery
- Reinforced door hinges
- Fire suppressant system for the engine compartment
- Hydraulic window lifters
- Run-flat tires
- A self-sealing fuel tank to prevent leakage and fires if penetrated
We probably won’t be adding a Hyundai Equus limo to our fleet of Bay Area limousines in the foreseeable future. We prefer to focus on rigorously screened and knowledgeable chauffeurs, properly maintained vehicles and other measures to safeguard the safety and security of our guests. If you and your friends and family need a San Francisco limo, party bus, charter bus, limo bus or other luxury ground transportation for an upcoming special event and you want to have a safe, comfortable, luxurious and very fun time, call us at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to reserve yours today!
Baseball Fans, Rent a Bay Area Limousine or Party Bus for Trips to the Game!
Baseball fans in the Bay Area are hoping for another great season, and the way things are shaping up on both sides of the Bay, the playoffs are a very real possibility. There’s a lot of baseball left to be played, but both the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s are off to a fine start. If they continue at their current torrid pace, they will be poised for the postseason. If you want to make a late season or postseason visit to the ballpark extra special, why not rent a San Francisco limousine or party bus to take you and your crew to and from the game in style?
Admit it, each time you go to the ballpark, you’re somewhat envious of the people being dropped off right at the gate by their limousine or party bus. These and other luxury vehicles attract attention wherever they go, and being dropped off in a limo a few steps from AT&T Park or Oakland-Alameda County Stadium has always been a pleasant daydream for most baseball fans. The good news is that daydream is a lot more affordable than you think it is, and no one has more luxury ground transportation options that NLS Limo!
We recommend the following limos and party buses for comfort and convenience on the way to and from the ballpark:
- 10 Passenger Stretch Limousines
- 14 Passenger Hot Tub Limousines
- 16 Passenger Hummer Limousines
- 16 Passenger Expedition SUV Limousines
- 22 Passenger Excursion SUV Limousines
- 12 Passenger Executive Limo Buses
- 18 Passenger Limo Vans
- 20 Passenger Party Buses
- 32 Passenger Limousine Buses
- 20 Passenger VIP Bus with Wheelchair Lift
- 47 Passenger VIP Luxury Coaches
Those are only a few of the many luxury options for you and your friends and family members to choose from when considering transportation to the games. They are roomy, very comfortable and affordable, and they offer luxury amenities to make your experience fun and memorable. For more information about these and other Bay Area limos and party buses for game transportation, just give us a call at 800-339-8936!
What to Expect From Your San Francisco Limousine Experience
If you’ve ever rented a limousine in the Bay Area, you probably have a good idea of what riding in a limo is like and how much fun it can be to share with friends and family. However, if you have not yet had the chance to ride in a limo here or anywhere else and you’ve been thinking about renting a limo for an upcoming event, we thought we’d provide some insight into what it’s like to rent a limousine, party bus, limo bus, bus charter or other type of luxury ground transportation from us. You can expect the following:
- Your limousine to arrive on time, every time
You can expect your Bay Area limousine and chauffeur to arrive at the arranged address on time, every time. Unlike some of our competitors in the San Francisco limo market, we take a great deal of pride in our punctuality and promise to arrive at the agreed-upon time. In the very rare event that something unexpected occurs and we will be a few minutes late, we will let you know as soon as possible. - A professional chauffeur
You can expect a knowledgeable, well-groomed, polite and professional chauffeur to drive you and your guests to your destination(s), open doors for you at every stop and treat you with respect at all times. We know that the quality of our guests’ experience begins and ends with the chauffeur, and each must pass a rigorous screening process before they are allowed to drive our guests. - Affordable rates
The Bay Area limousine market is quite competitive, which is good for us, as it inspires us to improve our guests’ experience at all times, and is good for you, as it keeps costs very affordable. - A clean and very comfortable ride
Our guests know that they are not the first people to rent one of our luxury vehicles, but they should expect the vehicle to look as if they are the first. Each of our vehicles is thoroughly cleaned after every rental, and we have multiple teams check each other’s work so that nothing is overlooked. - Outstanding customer service
From the initial phone call to the moment you are dropped off at the end of your experience, you can rely on us to go above and beyond to ensure that you and the rest of your party have a thoroughly wonderful time. When our guests have special requests, we make every effort to accommodate them and make their experience extra special.
There are plenty of limousine services in the Bay Area, but we’re confident that once you have reserved a limo, party bus or other vehicle through us, you’ll rely on us again and again for all your luxury transportation needs. For more information, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. We look forward to hearing from you!
Audi’s New A8 Limousine Runs on Diesel But Is Pure Luxury
The latest piece of precision German engineering from the craftsmen at Audi features some surprises but is a fine example of contemporary automotive comfort and design. The new Audi A8 4.2-litre V8 TDI is simply a beautiful car that also happens to be a luxury limousine. The A8’s first surprise is under the hood, where an 8-cylinder diesel engine purrs until the driver gooses the accelerator. The turbo diesel motor responds with a fluid burst of acceleration but remains quiet and well-mannered despite the impressive performance of zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. All that energy is managed by a silky-smooth 8-speed automatic transmission and a finely-tuned suspension that grips the road and holds corners at speed remarkably well for a limousine. Prices for the new A8 begin at a modest $238,500, but there is nothing modest about this limousine.
Moving inside, passengers are treated to an uncommon stillness while on the road. Test drivers commented on the eerie sense of quiet throughout the cabin even when deliberately trying to make the engine roar. Luxury car aficionados say that this new Audi offers the kind of luxuriant silence not often found in cars costing much more. It seems that Audi has positioned the A8 to make a very big impact in this niche of the luxury car market, and, if early indications are correct, they have accomplished their mission.
The A8 is no slouch when it comes to technology, either. The A8 features a state-of-the-art in-car information/navigation/entertainment system that includes the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System, a touchpad with handwriting recognition, wireless access for iPads, iPhones and Android devices, an automotive interface that provides data about fuel consumption, drive train performance and much more.
Designers chose to use aluminum as often as possible for fenders, door panels and other exterior features in order to keep weight down and performance high. Safety equipment includes a pre-sense system that provides nighttime avoidance assistance by recognizing objects in the roadway, night vision amplification, adaptive cruise control and many other features.
Many of our staffers are already begging us to add an Audi A8 limo to our fleet of San Francisco limousines, and we are certainly enticed by the idea of adding a limo this beautiful to our collection. If and when we do add one, it will be our pleasure to pass this information along to our readers for sure. Until then, we still have the Bay Area’s best selection of stretch limousines, SUV limos, party buses and other luxury transportation options. For more information about rates and availability, just give us at NLS Limo a call today at 800-339-8936!
Students Create Stretch Limousine Out of Dacia Duster
Few folks here in the U.S. have seen a Dacia Duster. This crossover SUV was launched by Romanian automaker Dacia (Automobile Dacia is the official name) late in 2009, and few, if any, Dacias can be found on roadways here in the U.S. However, our never-ending quest to bring you news about all kinds of limousines, custom limos and automotive oddities recently uncovered a Dacia Duster that has been converted into a SUV limousine. This custom SUV limo is the product of a team of 23 automotive engineering students in Dacia’s Engineering Projects Auto Program.
The team began the project by cutting a new Dacia Duster in half and adding 59 inches of contoured sheet metal and other materials to create a limo that now measures more than 19 feet in length. The Dacia limo features a sleek matte black finish accented by a polished aluminum strip etched with the Dacia logo that hangs behind the front doors. Inside, the limo features four captain’s chairs, a flat-screen television, three huge sunroofs, track lighting, plush leather seats, a tablet computer dock and other amenities.
It may be somewhat Spartan by current luxury limousine standards, but it is certainly an ambitious project that will help these students become the next generations of limousine innovators and craftspeople. Since the Dacia limo is a one-of-a-kind customization, we don’t have one for our guests to rent, but we do have plenty of other San Francisco SUV limousine options, including these:
- Hummer SUV Limos
- Ford Excursion Limos
- Ford Expedition Limos
- Cadillac Escalade Limos
- Lincoln Navigator Limos
- VIP Vans
- Executive Limousine Buses
- Many other luxury options
If you’re looking for luxury SUV limos in the Bay Area and want a wide selection to choose from, we have you covered. Add in our superb customer service and our affordable rates, and you have a San Francisco SUV limousine rental experience that can’t be beat! For information about each of our limousine options, rates and availability, call us at NLS Limo today at 800-339-8936.
Our San Francisco Limo Bus With Wheelchair Lift is Perfect for Guests With Limited Mobility
For some guests, a stretch limousine, Hummer limo or other type of luxury transportation is impractical. For people who use wheelchairs to get around, these and most other kinds of San Francisco limousines are very difficult to get into and out of, which limits their options for luxury ground transportation. If you and your friends are heading to a sporting event, concert, family reunion, wedding, sightseeing tour or other special occasion and you need accommodations for up to two people in wheelchairs, our limousine bus equipped with a wheelchair lift is the perfect solution.
This Bay Area limo bus with wheelchair lift features lots of luxury amenities, including the following:
- Plush, comfortable seating for up to 16 guests and 2 guests in wheelchairs
- 24” flat-screen LCD monitor
- Superb audio and video systems with CD and DVD players, as well as an iPod docking station
- Huge windows for sightseeing
- Climate control
- Many more comforts to make your trip fun and relaxing!
The next time you need comfortable, luxurious and affordable ground transportation that can also accommodate friends and family members in wheelchairs, simply give us a call at 800-339-8936 to reserve our party bus with wheelchair lift. For more information about our affordable rates, availability and to make your reservation, call us at NLS Limo today to speak with one of our reservation specialists.
Mercedes Announces Plans to Retire Maybach Brand
Mercedes-Benz, the legendary automaker now owned by conglomerate Daimler AG, recently announced that they are accelerating their plans to phase out and retire the Maybach brand due to disappointing sales. Mercedes initially announced their plans to retire the ultra-luxurious Maybach brand in 2013, but the Maybach 57 and 63 models have already been discontinued, and Mercedes has stopped taking new orders for them.
Few except serious car lovers and collectors remember the previous Maybach brand. Maybach Manufaktur was a luxury automaker based in Stuttgart that was started by Wilhelm Maybach in the early 1900s. They crafted custom automobiles for wealthy European clients until World War II, when production shifted to making motors for airships and rail cars. After the war, the brand languished until Mercedes revived it in the early 2000s in response to other ultra-luxury brands owned by rivals BMW (Rolls-Royce) and Volkswagen AG (Bentley.) However, despite sales forecasts that promised steady growth, Maybach models never sold in the volume Mercedes needed to sustain production, and now the proud Maybach brand will be retired again. Mercedes plans to add a stretch version of their ultra-luxury S-Class sedans to fill that niche.
We are saddened to hear that there will be no more new Maybach models. Regular readers of our blog know how much we love cars of all kinds, especially high-end luxury cars, and the sleek, graceful lines of Maybach automobiles are a treat for the eyes. We don’t have any Maybachs in our fleet of San Francisco luxury car rentals, but we do have some very comfortable and respectable alternatives:
- Mercedes S500 Luxury Sedans
- Executive L Model Lincoln Town Car Sedans
- Vintage Rolls-Royce Limousines (including a convertible!)
- Stretch Limousines
- SUV Limos
- Other luxury options
If you’re looking for luxury car rentals in the Bay Area, we have a lot to offer, and each is available at surprisingly affordable rates. Our superb staff of mechanics lovingly maintains each model, and they are all immaculately clean inside and out. So, the next time you need a San Francisco luxury car rental for a day or a week or even longer, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936 to make a reservation!
Charter Bus Service Strands Track Team at School
A high school track team in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that was heading to a track meet was left standing in the school’s parking lot recently while waiting for a bus charter that never arrived. The Firebirds Club track team claims they hired a charter bus through a company called Charter Bus-R-Us that charged them $9,000 to take them to two track meets at Duke University. The trip to the first meet went without a hitch, and the athletes, coaches and their parents eagerly looked forward to the next charter. However, when the 90 kids, coaches and parents needed transportation to the next meet, they were left standing in the school parking lot with no way to get to the competition. After trying to call Charter Bus-R-Us and not getting any response, they found another bus charter company at the last minute that transported everyone to the meet and back again, but it cost organizers another $8,400.
Sadly, the Firebirds track team was not the only group to be left stranded by Charter Bus-R-Us. Last January, some college students in Florida paid Charter Bus-R-Us $18,000 to take them to a "Right to Life" march in Washington, D.C. The bus company cashed their check but didn’t show up to transport their group, and the group was understandably very upset.
One of the marchers stranded that day is Jennifer Davidson. She echoed the sentiments of many of her friends and colleagues when she said, "I was completely shocked. I couldn’t believe someone would take advantage of us and take our money like that."
Unfortunately, a bit of online investigation could have prevented both groups from being stranded by this unscrupulous bus company. Charter Bus-R-Us has an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, in addition to complaints filed in Maryland, Virginia and now, we assume, Florida.
We blog about unethical California limousine services quite a bit to raise awareness about the problem and protect people from being victimized by these illegal operators. Sadly, it seems that there are unethical bus charter companies as well, but the vast majority of operators are ethical businesspeople. We ought to know, as we also provide bus charter services in the Bay Area. We make sure that our coach buses are properly licensed, insured and maintained so that each guest can enjoy a safe, comfortable and affordable time on board. The next time you need a San Francisco charter bus to transport a group of people, please give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936, and we’ll take care of the rest. We will show up on time, every time, and provide comfortable and very affordable results, not excuses.
Party Buses and Party Vans Are Both a Fun Way to Get Around!
A lot of our customers in the Bay Area ask us about the difference between party buses and party vans. From a semantic perspective, vans are designed to move cargo, and buses are designed to move groups of people. Since we’re in the hospitality business and prefer to view things from that perspective, we can tell you that there really isn’t any difference between our San Francisco party buses and party vans. No matter what you prefer to call them, it doesn’t matter much to us as long as you call us when you need a party bus or party van in the Bay Area!
We often use these two terms interchangeably, and it can spark some lively debates among staff members. However, no matter which side of the debate they end up on, we all focus on the quality of experience that our guests enjoy while riding in them. Our guests rent our party buses for special events, such as these:
- Bachelor/Bachelorette parties
- Weddings
- Girls’/Guys’ nights out on the town
- Sightseeing tours
- Concerts
- Sporting events
- Pub crawls
- Casino trips
- Shopping excursions
- Airport transportation
- Many other occasions both practical and not-so-practical
While each party bus in our fleet is designed a bit differently to accommodate groups of different sizes with different amenities, our guests can count on the following luxury amenities no matter which party bus they choose:
- Wet bars
- Mood lighting
- Spacious and immaculately clean interiors with comfortable seating
- State-of-the-art audio and video systems with CD and DVD players
- Flat-screen TVs
- Privacy shades
- Much more!
No matter what type of party van you need or the type of occasions that you need it for, you can rely on us to make sure that you and your friends and family have a great time at a very affordable rate. Use your browser to check out images of the various party buses in our fleet and the amenities unique to each of them. If you have questions and/or want to make a reservation, just give us a call at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. If you call them limo buses, that’s OK, too!
Our San Francisco Hot Tub Limousine Is Perfect for Bay Area Couples
For weddings, anniversaries, marriage proposals and other important milestones in a couple’s life together, our Bay Area hot tub limo rentals are ideal for creating a romantic mood. Although they comfortably seat up to 14 guests, the vast majority of the people who rent our hot tub limos prefer to share the experience with their significant other and enjoy a luxuriant soak in the hot tub while cruising through the Bay Area. There really is no experience quite like soaking in the gentle turbulence of a hot tub while sipping a glass of champagne with someone you love. Each hot tub limo features a huge moon roof over the hot tub so that relaxing couples can enjoy the stars and San Francisco skyline while also enjoying complete privacy.
Our hot tub limos also feature the following amenities to make your evening extra special:
- Wet bar
Whether the two of you prefer to chill a bottle of champagne, ice down some craft beers, share a bottle of wine, sip your favorite spirits or all of the above, the wet bar in your hot tub limo makes it easy to enjoy all your favorite beverages. - Bench seating
The generous leather bench seating is ideal for stretching out and relaxing before and after your soak while enjoying the sights of city lights just outside your tinted windows and through the additional moon roofs. - Privacy window
The privacy window and curtain between the cabin and your chauffeur turns your hot tub limo into a private suite on wheels and afford you and your significant other all the seclusion you need to celebrate this special evening. - Great audio system
Music helps set the right tone for your special evening, and the sound system in your hot tub limousine will play your favorite music all night long with superb clarity.
If you want to celebrate an intimate evening with someone special and are looking for a truly memorable experience, rent one of our San Francisco hot tub limos, and get ready to have a wonderful time! These are some of our most popular Bay Area limo rentals, so we recommend reserving yours early by calling us at NLS Limo at 800-339-8936. If you’re looking for a unique gift idea, a hot tub limo experience is a great wedding or anniversary gift!
Call 1-800-339-8936 for your free quote
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.