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Melissa Celestine Koh/Uber
Nothing makes an impression like stepping out of a supercar. That’s the hook for Uber’s latest offer, which will be available in Singapore until May 20. App users have the option of being fetched around by either the upscale Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, or the equally stylish Maserati GranTurismo Coupe.
Singapore doesn’t see luxury supercars all too often. That’s due to the high prices of cars in the island state, where even a mid-sized family sedan can usually cost more than S$100,000 ($72,600, £48,700, AU$93,200) after taxes.
Uber’s offer is a little more affordable. The cars come from Dream Drive, a luxury car-rental service and run daily between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Each ride in the Lamborghini comes with a price tag of S$200 (that’s around $145, £100 or AU$185), with a S$7 charge for each minute past the first 15.
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On the other hand, the Maserati option starts at a cheaper S$165 but with the same extra charge beyond the initial clock-in. Given that charges are timed-based, a 20-minute ride on the island will set you back S$235, a mere fraction of what the car would cost.
Uber users who wish to access the supercar options from the app can do so by simply sliding their choice to either car type. The rest of the journey is per normal procedure, and the Uber app will handle the user’s payment — no cash is required.
But before you go thinking this would make for a great date idea, as supercar enthusiasts will tell you, the Lamborghini and the Maserati can only sit one chauffeur and one passenger. You’re on your own.
This isn’t the first time Uber has tried something gimmicky in southeast Asia. The company had previously organized marketing events such as getting celebrities in Malaysia to chauffeur users for charity in Volkswagen cars, or giving users free rides around the Melbourne F1 circuit.
That said, Uber spokesperson Karun Arya told CNET that it’s the first time globally the company has done a “long-term partnership”, although the deal lasts only two months.
“This is a pilot partnership to offer something amazing to riders in Singapore. If we see a fantastic response and continuing the partnership makes commercial sense for both companies, no reason why we cannot extend this further,” he said.
