SPYDER is a self-drive sports and enthusiast car experience from the team behind XtremeX. The idea is simple: cars you hire because you want to drive them, not simply because you need transport from A to B.

We are still completing the work required before taking live bookings, including the final operating, booking and rental systems. The website is being built now so the experience is ready when bookings open.

The initial operation is being built around the Wellington region. Exact collection and return information will be provided with each booking.

Legally it is a self-drive rental service, but the experience is deliberately different. We are not trying to build a fleet of generic transport. SPYDER is about roadsters, sports cars and enthusiast cars with personality.

Our first confirmed SPYDER is a BMW Z4 roadster. The fleet will grow carefully rather than simply adding cars for the sake of numbers. Every SPYDER needs to earn its place by being something people genuinely want the keys to.

It will depend on the individual car. The BMW Z4 is automatic. Future vehicles may include both automatic and manual options where they make sense for the experience.

Absolutely. That is rather the point. Where the vehicle has a convertible roof, you are welcome to enjoy it whenever conditions allow and the roof is operated in accordance with the vehicle instructions.

SPYDER is about freedom, but the rental agreement will define where the vehicles may and may not be used. Public-road touring is the focus. Track use, racing, speed testing and other prohibited use will not be permitted.

We are building several ways to experience the cars, including a Half Day Escape, Full Day Escape, Overnight Escape, Weekend Escape and Longer Escape. Availability will depend on the vehicle and dates selected.

SPYDER will operate from agreed collection locations rather than a home pickup service. Your confirmed pickup and return details will be supplied as part of the booking.

Yes. Each hire plan will clearly show the included distance and any additional-distance charge before you book. We want this to be obvious up front, not something you discover after returning the car.

The fuel and return requirements will be clearly stated in the rental agreement and booking confirmation. You will know exactly what is expected before collecting the vehicle.

Only drivers who have been approved and recorded for the booking may drive the vehicle. Any additional-driver requirements or fees will be shown before the rental is confirmed.

The final cancellation and date-change policy will be published before bookings open. It will be shown clearly during booking so there is no guesswork around what happens if plans change.

The hire will be structured with the appropriate rental-vehicle insurance arrangements. The exact excess, security bond and any excess-reduction options are still being finalised and will be clearly displayed before bookings open.

Final driver-age requirements are still being confirmed with our insurance arrangements. Different vehicles may ultimately have different eligibility requirements.

Drivers will need to satisfy SPYDER’s licence and insurance requirements before collection. We are building licence verification into the rental process, with the final rules to be published before bookings open.

That is very much part of the vision. International visitors will still need to meet New Zealand driving, licence and SPYDER insurance requirements, but we want the experience to work brilliantly for people discovering New Zealand by road.

A security bond or card pre-authorisation is expected to form part of the rental process. The amount and process will be confirmed alongside the final insurance and rental terms.

No. You can absolutely take the keys and create your own trip, but SPYDER is also developing suggested and curated driving experiences for people who want some or all of the planning done for them.

The vision is to combine a great car with a route worth driving, then add the places that make the journey better. That could include accommodation, food and wine, attractions and local activities. You choose how much you want to organise yourself and how much you want SPYDER to take care of.

Think places such as Martinborough, the Wairarapa, Napier, Taupō, the central North Island, the Desert Road and East Coast routes. These are examples of the type of journey we want to develop rather than a list of confirmed packages.

Yes, that is part of the plan for curated journeys. We want to work with quality accommodation, hospitality and activity businesses so a SPYDER road trip supports great local operators as well as giving customers a better overall experience.

SPYDER is being developed by the team behind XtremeX Supercar Experiences. It takes the same belief in memorable automotive experiences and applies it to a completely different self-drive product.

No. SPYDER is not the XtremeX McLarens becoming rental cars. XtremeX’s supercar passenger experiences remain their own thing. SPYDER is about creating another kind of automotive experience using sports, roadster and enthusiast cars.

Because memorable driving does not begin and end with supercars. We love the exotic stuff, but we also know a brilliant road in the right car can be every bit as memorable. SPYDER is about making that kind of experience accessible in a different way.