Have you like me, wanted to rent a car that’s not sensible and you would never buy as a family car but is loads of fun to drive? I can never seem to find something exciting as there are always the run of the mill hatchbacks or family saloons available to rent at an airport. After all, if you’re travelling to the United States for example, where I tend to rent a car, the chances are you will be using your rental car a lot to get around and petrol or should I say gas, is just so much cheaper than here in the UK, that you can actually afford to run a big thirsty V8. Well at least for a week or so!
The good news is that Hertz have listened to the petrol heads amongst us and are now giving customers the chance to rent a real American muscle car that packs a punch, particularly if you are race car fan like me.
As part of their on-going partnership with 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports, Hertz has introduced a new “pace car” to its fleet of rental cars by making a limited-edition custom 2020 Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Camaro SS available to reserve and rent in the USA.
The 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS have been designed in the signature Hertz yellow and black colour scheme with custom made wheels, unique interior badging and full performance upgrades, outfitted by one of NASCAR’s most successful race teams.
From last month, a limited 224 custom Camaros became available to rent in Hertz airport locations in various cities throughout the United States. These include Charlotte in North Carolina; Dallas, Texas; Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Myers, Miami and Tampa in Florida; Houston in Texas; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco in California; Nashville in Tennessee and Phoenix’s Sky Harbour in Arizona.
Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1
The 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 is fitted with a 6.2 litre V8 engine, giving it 750bhp thanks to the larger Callaway Supercharger. It is shod with custom Hertz wheels, custom Hertz lighted door sill plates, embroidered headrests with Hertz-sponsored Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron’s signature and the No. 24 team logo. It gets Hertz bumper badges and a Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports plaque signifying the individual numbering of each of the 24 special Camaros.
Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS
The 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS has a 480bhp 6.2 litre V8 engine and is shod with 20-inch satin black wheels. The Performance Upgrade Package includes a Chevrolet Cold Air Intake and Chevrolet Cat-back Dual Exhaust Upgrade System. It also has a special custom exterior graphics package which includes a strut tower bar with Hendrick Motorsports branding, custom lighted door sill plates, embroidered headrests with the No. 24 team logo and William Byron’s signature. And it too comes with Hertz bumper badges and a Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports plaque signifying the individual numbering of each of these 200 custom Camaros.
As you’d perhaps expect, these two cars don’t come cheap. The Camaro ZL1 starts from $299 a day and a limit of 75 miles per day. Thereafter Hertz will charge you a 75-cent-per-mile overage. The smaller engine Camaro SS is a more affordable $99 a day but has the same mileage limit and 75-cent-per-mile overage. It is also worth noting that you have to be 25 years or older to rent either of these two cars.
Jayesh Patel, Hertz’s Senior Vice President said: “We’re delighted to partner with Hendrick Motorsports to unveil our limited-edition 2020 Camaros. Both vehicles provide a powerful and exhilarating driving experience that we can’t wait to share with our customers. We have a rich history of providing custom high-performance vehicles for rent, and we’re thrilled to build on that legacy with this latest collaboration with Hendrick Motorsports.”
Hertz and Hendrick Motorsports have been working together since 2018, with Hertz being a primary sponsor of race driver William Byron and his iconic No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team in the NASCAR Cup Series.
William Byron commented that: “As a race car driver, I have a huge appreciation for performance vehicles. The fact that Hertz is offering cars of this calibre to its customers is really amazing. After personally driving one of the custom Camaros, it’s as close as you can get to an actual race car out on the road. Hertz and Hendrick Motorsports have outdone themselves.”
Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick said: “We have a tremendous partnership with Hertz. Cars are my passion, so seeing this program come together is especially exciting for me. We’ve never undertaken a project like this in the history of our team. These custom Camaros are going to be a huge hit with car enthusiasts and customers who are looking for a special experience. Hertz has truly taken this to the next level.”
NASCAR Homelands Roads Trip Planner Route
Trying to fiddle around with a map when driving in a new country, especially in an unfamiliar rental car is not easy to say the least, and so Hertz have recently launched their ‘NASCAR Homelands’ route on the Hertz American Road Trip Planner should you simply want hit the open road in your muscle car and explore the beautiful East Coast of America.
This specially designed route begins at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway in Florida and takes you up to the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, covering some of NASCAR’s most recognisable racetracks, museums and of course the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
They have included 10 stops over 10 days across 1,200 miles on the US East Coast with nothing but NASCAR. The stops on this unique route include the Daytona International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, North Wilkesboro Speedway, Richard Petty Museum, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Kannapolis, Mustang Owner’s Museum, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Hertz American Road Trip Planner is a free online resource that brings together 34 bespoke routes across the United States. It provides both well-known and off-the-beaten track routes with downloadable maps and insiders’ guides to the best pit-stops. It also includes landmarks and sights along the way, as well as historical and cultural locations and lesser-known attractions.
If you would like to find out more about the 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro ZL1 and 2020 Hertz-Hendrick Motorsports Camaro SS, please visit www.hertz.co.uk/american-collection.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man Behind The Wheel, a professional photographer and former saloon car racing driver.
Photographs courtesy of Hertz
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