Formula One fever\u2014fueled by the success of Netflix\u2019s documentary \u201cDrive to Survive,\u201d Brad Pitt\u2019s blockbuster \u201cF1\u201d and a string of U.S. races\u2014is spreading beyond the track to high-end real estate.<\/p>\n
Luxury condo developers have been adding car simulators, some F1-branded and others not, into new projects as a marquee amenity, giving residents an adrenaline rush and a slice of the sport at home. The niche perk is especially prevalent in South Florida, which hosts the annual F1 Miami Grand Prix in early May.<\/p>\n
At Porsche Design Tower Miami, for example, the clubroom is outfitted with two sleek Porsche simulators, which are equipped with more than three dozen international racecourses\u2014including every stop on the Formula One circuit.<\/p>\n
MORE: In a North Carolina Nascar Town, the Housing Market Is Vrooming<\/a><\/p>\n Alan Wildstein, who owns car dealerships in Florida and Michigan and lives in a penthouse in the building, is a self-described race car aficionado and said that the simulators are a \u201cvery nice perk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI have my friends over, and we head to the clubroom with wine and race on the simulators late into the night,\u201d he said. \u201cThe club room is always open, so we can use them 24 hours a day.\u201d<\/p>\n Wildstein noted that he races on a variety of different tracks, but has his favorites, including Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida, which he has raced on in real life before. \u201cThe simulator actually feels like being on the track,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Estates at Acqualina in Sunny Isles, Florida, near Miami Beach, features an F1 simulator on its subterranean amenity level, which also has a bowling alley, a movie theater and an ice-skating rink. Produced by the simulator production company Wave Italy, based in Verona, Italy, the race car is loaded with more than a dozen courses, including the Imola Circuit in Italy and Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n James Zaratin, the general manager of the Estates, said that the car is one of the development\u2019s most popular amenities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe sometimes organize resident races on weekends, which have been very well received and are spirited events where everyone is engaged,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Resident Lourdes Patron Trueba, a retired banking executive, and her husband, Juan Antonio, a former finance executive, are race car enthusiasts, and Trueba said that the simulator was an attraction when they were home shopping more than three years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n MORE: Prince\u2019s Bandmate Lists Castle-Like 1920s L.A. Home She Bought After Purple Rain Tour<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor a moment, you really feel like you\u2019re on the track,\u201d Patron Trueba said. \u201cWe have five adult daughters who visit with their husbands and always make it a point to book a time and use it.\u201d<\/p>\n Related Group is betting big on F1 with two forthcoming Miami developments featuring simulators as a highlight.<\/p>\n Viceroy Brickell Residences, set to deliver units in January, will have a virtual reality lounge with an F1 simulator and a golf simulator, located off its lobby.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nick Perez, president of condominium development for Related, said that the space will also offer a bar, couches and a television, encouraging residents to linger. \u201cI can\u2019t emphasize enough how big F1 has become in Miami among people of all genders and ages,\u201d he said. \u201cThe simulators give us a point of differentiation.\u201d<\/p>\n Perez noted that the project\u2019s sales center already has the simulator and has been a \u201chuge draw,\u201d which has brought in prospective buyers.<\/p>\n The other Related Group project, W Residences Pompano Beach, slated for completion in 2029, will offer an F1 simulator in its lounge. Echoing Perez\u2019s statements, sales director Sivan Koster said that the amenity has been a magnet for prospects.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe did an email campaign specifically on the simulator, and the response we got was more than we got with any other email,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople were really excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n For the future owner of the $150 million penthouse at Rivage Bal Harbour\u2014set for delivery in early 2028\u2014the thrill of life as a race-car driver will be a private indulgence. Spanning 22,000 square feet indoors and an additional 11,000 square feet outdoors, the penthouse will come with a Formula One simulator that can be customized to reflect the buyer\u2019s team of choice, such as Aston Martin Aramco and Oracle Red Bull Racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n