About Club Torque
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Link to Official Website
• Club Torque is headed by Amit Jain & the Shaman Auto Group (who own a large network of car dealerships in Mumbai). Amit's professional experience includes roles with Mercedes & Ford India.
• The Club will maintain a member to car ratio of 6 : 1. Another 6 cars are going to be added to the fleet in the near future, including a Lamborghini. A Nissan GT-R is on the consideration list. Club Torque members will decide on new additions to the fleet. We suggest that the Maybach or a Rolls Royce Phantom be added; after all, some members might want to use their points toward an uber-luxury sedan for that wedding in the family. Additionally, we spoke about adding Superbikes & Harley-Davidsons to the fleet!
• The cars appear to be in excellent shape. For instance, the Ferrari we drove had a mere 800 kms on the odometer. However, the cars had the TPMS warning lights on and the Ferrari's traction control needed to be fixed (technician has been called from Singapore for the same).
• Interestingly, the Mercedes E-Cabriolet is currently the most popular from the fleet. It's out like every weekend! 4 seater appeal? Easy to drive? Convertible? Whichever. There is also a BMW Z4 in their garage, but we couldn't shoot it as the car was out with a club member.
• Club Torque already has 11 members. All 11 have opted for the Elite level of membership.
• Cars can be booked for a minimum of 3 days, and a maximum of 10 days at a time.
• You can upgrade your membership level, if you use up your points earlier than anticipated.
• Currently located in Mumbai only. Plans for other cities (including Surat, Gujarat) are in the pipeline.
• The minimum age limit for membership is 25 years.
• Some entrepreneurs might be able to write off the annual membership fee as an expense (for tax benefits).
• All cars are registered in the name of "Torque Lifestyle LLP". They have a
master right-to-lease agreement, which allows members to lease the car for a short-term duration. Thus, each time that a car is taken out, a short-term lease is drawn. This ensures that the procedures are in compliance with all legal, RTO & insurance requirements.
Things to keep in mind when driving a Club Torque car
• Club Torque offers a free pickup / drop-off facility on an enclosed flat-bed truck. In addition, they can arrange a driver for the time that you visit a nightclub and don't want to drive back later at night.
• A compulsory 30 minute tutorial will be given at the time of picking up any car. This is critical to understanding the car's controls & functions. After all, these are very complex automobiles. Also, at the time of membership, there is a compulsory 1/2 day training session.
• There is absolutely no limit on the number of kms you can drive on your allocated days. As an example, I can drive the Audi R8 from Mumbai to Pune if I want.
• You are provided the car with a full tank of fuel, and are expected to return the car with a full tank of fuel.
• Only Members are permitted to drive cars. Read = No handing out keys to friends & relatives. If a member violates this condition, his membership will be terminated. Atleast that's what the rules state. It will be difficult for them to find out if say, a member lets his friend drive the Porsche in Lonavla.
• Cars are screened with a fine-toothed comb at the time of each pickup / drop-off. If a Member damages any car, he has to pay the insurance deductible (cost of repair less whatever the insurance company pays). If a member is found to be frequently damaging / abusing cars, his membership can be terminated.
• Each car will be equipped with a GPS system that will keep Club Torque notified of the car's location.
• A list of petrol pumps that serve 97-Octane fuel will soon be provided with each car, along with a list of "suggested drive destinations" (those locations that offer the road for a super driving experience).
• You can book your drives via the online reservation system. Here's a peek at the interface: