Big-hearted Scotsman shares his love for fast cars
Darren Fergus is an enthusiastic Scotsman who talks at 100 miles an hour. He likes fast cars too, especially those in the exotic category
Darren runs a business called XtremeX, based in Wellington, which offers rides in high-performance supercars to people who want to experience the thrill but are unlikely to ever own such a car themselves.
His fleet comprises a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, a McLaren 570S supercar and a Captain America themed Ford Mustang. Three fast and head-turning cars. Ride in any of them and you can escape reality for a short time and even pretend you are among the super-rich, if that’s what your dream is. Either way, you definitely come back to earth feeling more alive for the experience.
The XtremeX fleet of supercars
That’s why Darren started XtremeX. He loves fast cars and also enjoys sharing his passion with others. So taking people for rides in supercars is the perfect business for this energetic good sport.
His customers include all types - from parents who want to provide a unique experience for a child, to elderly people who have always dreamed of riding in a luxury sports car and never got around to doing it.
“I just love seeing people’s reaction when they’re in the car,” Darren says. “It gives me a thrill to share the experience with them.”
Darren used to ride motorbikes but decided to sell after a friend had a serious accident. This was also the trigger for fulfilling another dream.
“I’d often dreamed about owning a Lamborghini but like most of us, with juggling family, work and other life commitments it remained just that,” he says.
He started to seriously investigate buying a Lamborghini in 2018. And with the backing of Stadium Finance, he was able to acquire a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, which cost $150,000.
Darren says the idea of buying the Lamborghini was always to actually drive it, not just let it sit as a centrepiece in a garage. And this, combined with his generous nature, gave him the idea for XtremeX.
“I thought, it’s a lot of money to have invested in a Lamborghini and not share it,” he says.
The XtremeX Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder
Since then, Stadium Finance has been a partner in the purchase of several other vehicles, as XtremeX has grown.
Darren says finding the right cars has been a trial and error process. He’s previously owned a Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin but none of them quite worked. The Ferrari kept breaking down, the Maserati had cramped back seats and only two doors, and the Aston Martin was recapitalised into the McLaren purchase, as he sought for “the perfect experience.”
The current trio of Lamborghini, McLaren and Mustang seem to have hit the right spot. Darren says each of the cars appeals to a different type of customer.
“The McLaren is popular because of it can accelerate to 100k in under three seconds, and it’s a combination of British and kiwi. The Lamborghini is popular with just about everybody and the Mustang appeals to the American car lovers.” He says.
Customers can experience the performance of these supercars, while staying within the speed limit. Darren uses the features of the local Wellington roads to put the cars through their paces.
“We accelerate fast through tunnels, and the motorway on-ramps and side roads,” he says.
“People can feel the awesome acceleration, hear all the exhaust pops and bangs, and the incredible sounds when going through tunnels.”
Watching the reaction of other drivers on the road is also a great thrill.
“Sometimes I forget I’m in a McLaren and wonder why everybody is staring and tooting at me. I suppose it’s another reason that makes our experience unique. You can pretend to be rich and famous,” Darren laughs.
Darren’s generous nature has seen him do a lot of charity work with his cars, particularly for CanTeen and the Child Cancer Foundation. He offers rides for people with terminal illness, and has raised money through various ventures, such as offering the chance to have a photo taken beside one of his cars, and Facebook pay-it-forward pages.
Darren and the team at Armageddon where XtremeX raised funds for a the Child Cancer Foundation.
During the past two years he has given free rides to many people, of all ages and tries to give them the best possible experience.
“It’s not always easy to keep it together, knowing somebody might not have long to live. But to be able to provide some happiness during their tough time, it’s very rewarding,” he says.
“Sometimes it feels like you give a piece of your soul when you share a ride with somebody. It’s so important that you give everything – the first ride has to be as good as the last.”
You can find out more about XtremeX at www.xtremex.co.nz or www.facebook.com/xtremexnz.
Darren and supercar fans from Canteen.
