MANHATTAN — While some residential buildings might boast about onsite Zipcars or bike shares, the latest perk at Midtown West’s Sky, the city’s largest rental tower, is use of a $105,000 chauffeured, Volvo XC90 Excellence — fitted with massage chairs and crystal champagne flutes.
But the “house car” isn’t for the 1,175-unit building’s hoi polloi.
It’s only for the penthouse residents.
In this case, that means 83 units spanning five floors at the top of the building. (As the definition of penthouse has expanded in recent years, penthouses are no longer just top-floor units with verdant terraces; now they include groups of units on the upper floors.)
There has not been heated competition for the car since launching last month, insisted Mitchell Moinian, of The Moinian Group, which developed the71-story building at 605 West 42nd St., at 11th Avenue.
“There haven’t been any issues,” Moinian said in an email Tuesday. “Also, residents have the ability to travel together if they prefer — one way they can get to know their neighbors.”
It’s unclear whether any sharing is happening with the residents in the penthouse units, where current listings range from a $4,840 a month one-bedroom to a $6,970 a month two-bedroom.
The $105,000 custom-outfitted Volvo — with such in-seat amenities as massage, heated and air-cooled seats, beverage heating and cooling options and crystal champagne flutes — was converted from a seven-seat SUV to a four-seater to provide more legroom.
The building promoted the house car as a way to ferry residents who want to see a Broadway show or attend an event at Madison Square Garden. The car only goes on short rides, though already its boundaries have expanded from its original coverage zone on the West Side — from the High Line to Columbus Circle — to now span from West 14th to 72nd streets between Sixth to 12th avenues.
But perhaps residents will have to take an Uber or Lyft home, since the car is only available each day from 4 to 9 p.m.
Still, the building operators believe the house car will be a selling point in addition to the tower’s other high-end amenities such as a professional-size basketball court designed by Carmelo Anthony and David Rockwell, two outdoor pools and an indoor lap pool.
“Our house car bests other car services in terms of unmatched luxury, exclusivity, and convenience,” Moinian said. “And residents can build a relationship with the driver, which makes them feel comfortable. Also, the house car is right outside the Sky lobby, parked in the building’s motorcourt, so tenants don’t need to wait for a car to pick them up.”
