Ever wished you had your own private racetrack? Well, if you’ve got a spare few million dollars and some rubber to burn, a bunch of motoring enthusiasts have built the perfect country club for you.
Nestled in the arid expanses of California’s famous Coachella Valley, The Thermal Club is the brainchild of entrepreneur Tim Rogers, who wanted to create an alternative to the classic members-only country club that was all about polo shirts and sipping Arnold Palmers back at the clubhouse.
“Not everyone plays golf… We’ve spent a lot of research in trying to figure out what would attract car-centric people, both the collectors and the racers,” Rogers told Autologic back in 2020. Rogers and his wife Twanna have invested over US$275 million into The Thermal Club, which now boasts 210 members, 75 properties and 135 lots sold, Desert Sun reports.
All that money has gone towards making something that could easily be described as heaven on earth for revheads – and the ultimate place to live if you’ve got plenty of money and cars you want to drive very, very fast.
WATCH what members can get up to at The Thermal Club below.
So, what do you get for your membership? The Thermal Club boasts over 5 miles of racetrack, split across 3 different circuits with 20 configurations, as well as a go-kart track. The club’s sumptuous villas are built right next to or are surrounded by the tracks, meaning you’ve got a perfect view of the action and easy access to high-octane thrills.
Members can use the track whenever they like, and you’ve got everything you need to go racing, including on-site private petrol pumps; an engineering centre with dedicated full-time mechanics to service your car; a tyre centre where you can store and order different tyres; a premium car wash and private driving instructors who can help you shave those crucial milliseconds off your lap times.
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There’s also a giant, air-conditioned vault where members can store their cars. Naturally, all the trackside properties also feature massive garages. If you want to buy or sell your cars, The Thermal Club has its own team of trusted, expert car salesmen that you can take advantage of.
The club also has all the amenities you’d expect of an exclusive country club, too: high-end restaurants and a ritzy clubhouse; a fitness club and tennis courts; a pool and spa… There are also plenty of guest houses for members’ friends and families, although all the houses on site are already pretty palatial.
Additionally, top sports car brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche regularly run driver development and track days that members can take part in. Rogers is even in talks with IndyCar to start hosting pre-season testing at The Thermal Club – something that’s not normally open to the public but would be open to club members to watch.
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The catch? It’s not cheap. There’s a US$6,000 per month membership fee on top of a $175,000 initiation fee. You’re also required to buy a lot and build a 30,000-square-foot home within five years of joining, which will set you back at least another $5 million.
There’s also an interview process to join the club, a design committee that needs to sign off on your house, and Rogers has the right to kick a member out of the club at any time.
Still, if you’ve got cash to spare and an addiction to driving fast, we can’t think of a better place to put down roots and lay down some rubber. Now, just to win the lottery…