Driveify Your Life
If you need to step up your rental car game, may I suggest a company with a wide range of vehicles, including supercars and modified SUVs.
As automotive enthusiasts, we do not like playing rental car roulette.
The routine is frustrating. You land at an airport, rush to get your bags to get to the rental car counter – or, if you’re on one of those express rental programs, head directly to the lot – and find yourself disappointed. Sorry, nothing is available that fits your personality – even if it’s impressing the clients at a meeting you’re attending just for the day.
Or, you’re on vacation. The best vehicle the rental car counterperson can offer is a small SUV instead of a convertible. If you’re an enthusiast, you’re already thinking about the embarrassment you’ll get when you pull up in the resort with said vehicle.
That is why you should explore alternative rental vehicle channels. Turo is one such channel. It is a great platform to find a vehicle that fits your needs, wants, and desires. You rent directly from the vehicle’s owners, follow the rules, and return it accordingly.
If you need to step up your rental car game, may I suggest a company that just started less than a year ago? A rental car company with a wide range of vehicles, including supercars and modified SUVs.
Let me introduce to you to Driveify. And, they offer some cool vehicles to rent right here in the Twin Cities.
Driveify is actually a collaboration between Golden Peaks Productions and TintPros/Platinum Wraps. Golden Peaks’ Jacob Stevenson explains “I travel a lot for my work with Golden Peaks Productions, all over the Lower Forty-Eight (states). I fly in, and by nature of our work…I always want to rent something cool. I've always defaulted to the Turo platform and rented cars and through that, I had conversations, had ideas, and was like, ‘I think I could do this.’ It would be an excuse, so maybe let's buy a BMW M3 because that's what Jacob wants, but then I could rent this, so I get strangers buying the equity of the car that I want. Now, I have to share it, so it comes with immediate cons, but that's what sparked the interests.”
With Triet Nguyen and Tien Troung on board from Tint Pros/Platinum Wraps, Stevenson and his Golden Peaks partners Ben Lakson and Grant Dodds, combined forces to create Driveify. As the conversations ensued, all parties came together to start a fleet of really special vehicles available for rent through Driveify and Turo.
Driveify began with four vehicles at the start of 2021. Currently, there are 19 vehicles available through Drievify in two markets: The Twin Cities and Boston. The fleet ranges from a 2017 Audi A3 to a 991.1 generation 2015 Porsche 911 GT3. In the mix are two Ford Broncos, a GMC Yukon, a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, a Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, a Tesla Model 3 Performance, a Porsche Macan S – among others.
The 911 GT3 is part of a quartet of special vehicles available through Driveify. The other three include a 2010 Nissan GT-R, 2011 Audi R8 V8 with the R-Tronic transmission, and a 2022 Chevrolet Corvette 3LT C8.R special edition.
While most of the fleet are either owned or leased by Driveify, there are vehicles in the fleet that are “co-hosted.” In other words, someone else owns the vehicle and giving Driveify permission to rent them under the company’s banner.
Because Driveify is based in the Twin Cities, not everything in their rental fleet will be available year-round. Stevenson explained: “We have built the business model around the current fleet that we have that will actually be able to park the C8 Corvette, the Nissan GT-R, the Audi R8, which we pay for, and then store our cohost vehicle, the 991.1 [911] GT3. And with the other vehicles that we bought and the analytics that we're seeing going into winter, those can actually sit, and the company will remain profitable. So, that's also why our ratio of, let's call it the everyday car that can be year-round outweighs the fun cars by quite a bit.”
You can reserve a Driveify vehicle to meet you at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport. All you have to do is to make sure you have the reservation number to plug in when you leave the parking ramp. Each rental has a daily limit of 200 miles and some vehicles can be rented at the age of 21, with a premium fee. Renters aged 25 and up are charged the daily rate. If you book a Driveify vehicle through Turo, you can get their protection plans added to the rental. You can also contact Driveify directly for a booking, as well.
Just recently, Driveify has established a second rental fleet in the Boston area. Another enthusiast, Asa Gladstein, is leading up the expansion of the company to the East Coast. The Boston fleet includes a 2020 Ford Expedition, a 2018 Porsche Boxster, and a 2022 Toyota GR86. Unfortunately, there is no pickup and drop-off at Logan International Airport. You can request a nearby pick-up/drop-off nearby.
The key to Driveify is really about giving renters something special when they need a vehicle for any occasion. “I'm trying to position the branding around an experience and a level of special feeling,” Stevenson explained. “All the cars that we bring in that are still an everyday car will be a step up from a Chrysler 300 or a Chevy Cruze or a Hyundai Elantra stuff that you would get at Hertz.”
The next time you’re in the Twin Cities or Boston, rent something special from Driveify. Tell ‘em we sent you!
Cover photo by Randy Stern