Cruise the Strip this summer with Vegas’ auto attractions

Flashy cars are integral to the Las Vegas vibe. Whether it’s a stretch bachelorette-party Hummer limo or a Bentley being gingerly handled by a valet outside a see-and-be-seen nightclub, wow-factor wheels are part of the city’s over-the-top allure.

Even if you fly to Sin City, there’s no need to miss out on the four-wheeled fun. Here are places where you can see and in some cases even drive Vegas’ wildest rides.

On the fifth level of the Linq’s garage, the Auto Collections is a living motor museum, where many of the 250-plus wild rides are actually for sale. The world’s largest classic car showroom, it includes everything from a 1963 Lincoln convertible used by President John F. Kennedy to a ’94 Jaguar XJ220.

Las Vegas Car Museum at the Palazzo’s Dal Toro Ristorante Events Center offers up-close drooling over historic luxury vehicles. But if your need for speed is overwhelming, Lamborghini Gallardos and Ferrari F430 Spiders are available for paid test drives (by appointment).

Across the street at the Wynn Las Vegas, Penkse Wynn Ferrari Maserati is a swanky showroom where, for $10, visitors can “shop” like millionaires (and have their photo taken in a Ferrari). Even used models here are tagged at up to $330,000, so it’s anyone’s guess what “call for price” supercars sell for.

Want to cruise the Strip in style? Several Vegas outfits such as Las Vegas Exotic Car Rentals, Elite Exotic Car Rentals and Fantasy Car Rentals will rent you an ultraluxury or dream car to be seen in.

Lap it Up
Well worth the trip are a pair of supercar driving experiences at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both of which offer shuttle service from the Strip.

Exotica Racing boasts a private track inside the vast complex, where visitors can paddle-shift their way into triple-digit speeds without a red light in sight in any of 15 different aspirational rides.

dream racing is the area’s only opportunity for amateurs to drive real Ferrari race cars. Included in the experience is time on a realistic simulator (so you don’t hurt the real thing) and then five to 10 laps in a true exotic, from a Corvette to a race-ready Italian stallion.

Make the earth move
Cars seem a bit small? Just a mile from the Strip, Dig This turns giant bulldozers and excavators into play things in an oversized adult sandpit. Have a blast this summer in a (mercifully) air-conditioned ‘dozer, shifting metric tons of dirt to dig and refill cavernous holes.

-Paul Rogers, Brand Publishing Writer