Miami builds luxury garage space for city's supercar owners

Plans to build yet another luxury condo in Miami might not sound newsworthy at first, but AutoHouse offers something slightly different – a garage space like no other.

In an attempt to tap into the city's growing market for high-end cars, the building will be made up of "apartments" to house everything from Ferraris to Bentleys.

The climate-controlled auto storage facility will include 24-hour security. Each unit can be customised with amenities such as sound systems, wet bars and cigar humidors. Construction begins next year.

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"Miami is a very car-centric town – it's not really a walking city, people drive everywhere," says Louis Birdman, co-developer of AutoHouse and a car collector. "People are into the car culture; there are a lot of luxury cars sold in south Florida."

Birdman believes the building will fill a void in the market. "Because a lot of people travel in and out of Miami seasonally, a lot of people who own cars like this are looking for alternative solutions on where to put vehicles safely when they leave so they aren't exposed to the elements," he says.

The new condo will offer collectors a place to show off their cars, says Conde Nast Traveler, as buyers can combine spaces or take over an entire floor, which will have room for 55 vehicles.

Described by Birdman as a "space for owners and members to get together with like-minded people", the penthouse level will feature a members-only club complete with an F1 simulator should any petrolheads fancy a drive.

Prices for the 45 units in the seven-storey building start at $350,000 (£272,000) for a space that will fit around two cars, while the largest unit offers around 2,200sq-ft for $1.5m (£1.2m).

For those who only want to house their supercar temporarily, Birdman told RealClearLife AutoHouse is "planning an automated tower that would be available for rent on a monthly to annual [basis] for approximately $600/month (£470/month)".