This company lets you drive luxury supercars and it’s the best gift for your guy
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I was wracking my brain trying to come up with a birthday gift for my boyfriend. He’s the best, but he’s impossible to shop for. He hates clothes, he doesn’t wear ties, and the last thing he needs is more whiskey. Desperate for ideas, I Googled “great gifts for men.” That’s how I found Xtreme Xperience, a supercar driving experience that puts you — or, in this case, my boyfriend — behind the wheel of the world’s fastest exotic cars at 30+ racetracks all over the US. These are the exotic cars you see in movies and millionaires’ garages: the Ferrari 458 Italia, Porsche 911 GT3, Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4…and more!
I instantly knew my boyfriend would love it, but first I wanted to make sure it was legit and safe. I did my research and talked to the Xtreme Xperience team. The safety measures they’ve put in place are crazy! And I found a bunch of great Instagram posts and blogs about how fun it was. It was clear that the whole experience is designed so that my boyfriend could enjoy his dream car in a secure way.
On Xtreme’s super-helpful website, I learned how it all works. My boyfriend would take a 30-minute class, then would be driving with an experienced instructor sitting beside him, directing him on how and when to accelerate, how to take turns, and how to pass cars in front of him (if he felt comfortable). The instructors are true pros and many are former professional drivers. They know these cars and racetracks inside and out, helping you experience what it’s like to drive at extreme speeds — but again, only if you want to! Whatever you choose, your instructor will be beside you. You can even do a “lead car ride-along,” during which a pro drives you around the track at high speeds before you drive. This way, you’ll see the track and there are no surprises. This optional add-on is only $49 for three laps.
I felt even better knowing that Xtreme makes sure its drivers are covered. Before my boyfriend’s ride, he was required to buy insurance (a personal insurance policy doesn’t cover your Xtreme drive). Basically, like any insurance policy, you pay a small amount (as low as $39) to cover potential damages up to a certain amount (up to $150,000). But you shouldn’t let this intimidate you! Xtreme’s super friendly team assured me that as long as my boyfriend listened to his instructor and drove safely, I had nothing to worry about.
I felt totally confident that my boyfriend would be in great hands with Xtreme Xperience. I bought him a gift card (the process was super simple) so that he could decide which package and add-ons he wanted.
When my boyfriend’s birthday finally arrived, I wrapped the gift card in a box with a toy Lamborghini, his dream car. My boyfriend thought the toy Lambo was so cute — but he was way more pumped about driving the real thing. I’d never seen him so excited! He couldn’t believe I’d let him do something like this, let alone actually buy it for him.
On June 23rd, we finally headed to the Autobahn Racetrack in Joliet, Illinois and my boyfriend headed to his Xtreme safety instruction. As he walked off, I heard him bragging to the other guys, “Yeah, my super-cool girlfriend bought this for me.” One of the guys fist-bumped him, and another yelled, “Wife her!” Of course I immediately texted my girlfriends to brag about what a great gift-giver I am.
I bought a pit pass (only $10) so I could watch my boyfriend drive around the track. After his instruction, he kissed me, put on his helmet (provided by XX), and climbed into the driver’s seat of the Lamborghini Huracán LP610-4. Just before the door closed, he gave me a thumbs-up. Then he was off — driving the type of car usually reserved for NBA players and Richard Branson-type moguls.
Watching my boyfriend drive the Lambo was a total thrill. Every time the car whizzed by, I jumped up and down and waved like a maniac. I’m sure he was too busy to notice me, but I didn’t care. He was going so incredibly fast! And the car was so sleek and powerful. You should have heard the sounds of the racetrack. It was like watching “The Fast and the Furious” in real life (only without the actual danger).
When the ride was complete, my boyfriend jumped out of the car with the biggest smile on his face. He and his instructor did one of those man-hugs (you know, where they sort of hug and then clap each other on the back). He ran over to me and swept me into a huge hug, lifting me right off the ground.
“That was amazing!” he yelled. “Did you see how that thing handled? And I floored it! I got up to 130 miles per hour!”
He was giddy with excitement as he told me every detail — how it felt to press down the gas, redline the gears, and use the powerful brakes. He told me he actually experienced lateral g-forces while taking corners. We took lots of photos: he and his instructor in front of the car, he and I in front of the cars, just him, just the car…he couldn’t get enough. The Xtreme team kept smiling — it was clear that they’re really good at giving people the best day of their lives, and they love doing it.
When it was time to go, my boyfriend thanked the team for the zillionth time, assuring them that he’d be back. They have different cars and they swap out the fleet, so he’s already looking forward to having a totally different experience next time.
As we walked back to our (suddenly very boring) car, he put his arm around me. “This was the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “Thank you so much!”
As I drove us home, he started posting pictures and video on Facebook and Instagram. His friends started commenting immediately. I was psyched. I’d been so stressed out about what to buy him, and the answer turned out to be so easy: He already has enough stuff, so an experience was the perfect gift. And driving a super-exclusive car usually reserved for CEOs and millionaires? Well, that’s the gift of a lifetime.
What a great idea you gave me! Never thought about such a present, but now…thank you
I did this with my wife last weekend in Atlanta and it was AMAZING. She surprised me for our anniversary so I got her a drive, too. She was timid at first, but ended up loving it! She even passed a few cars on the track. We both couldn’t stop talking about it on the drive home as we “apexed” the highway on-ramp in our SUV, lol. The instructors and event staff were super friendly. Worth every penny!
This is perfect and ideal! I’ll see if I can get my boyfriend an appointment!
Why stop at just for my boyfriend? I want to do this too!
Absolutely agree, I wouldn’t mind to do that too 😄