At This Year’s Hampton Designer Showhouse In Bridgehampton Potential Buyers Test Drive Maseratis

It’s not every day you can test drive a Maserati.But those who stopped by the 2014 Hampton Designer Showhouse on Friday got to do just that.

Two Maseratis and a Ferrari sat parked in the pebble-infused driveway of the nearly 12,000-square-foot mansion on Paul’s Lane in Bridgehampton that afternoon, patiently awaiting drivers to plop into their leather seats for a spin. Vincent Horcasitas, one of the real estate agents from Saunders, said the brokerage decided to add the quirky attraction this year to get more potential buyers interested in seeing the residence.

“[We] just wanted to try to have an attraction for the house,” Mr. Horcasitas said. “It’s kind of a classy car.”

The three cars–a blue 2015 Maserati Granturismo coupe, a black 2014 Maserati Quattro Tour SQ4, and a yellow 2007 Ferrari F430 Spider–did not seem out of place in front of the house, which is listed on the market for approximately $13.5 million. Built by Paramount Custom Homes, it was open to the public for tours this summer as the 2014 Designer Showhouse after its completion in July, and since then it has been adorned with furniture and decor from Baker Interiors, Pearson, MYB Textiles and others.

This is not the first time an event has used extravagant sports vehicles. Over the summer, an event-production company called Rand Luxury held a private brunch in Southampton that showcased the latest Maserati models. Those cars, and the ones at Friday’s event, were brought in by the Experience Auto Group in Plainview. Lana Shanken, director of events and marketing for the company, said events like the Designer Showhouse tend to be beneficial in attracting interested car buyers because they bring the cars out of the showroom and into a more relatable scenario.

“It’s nice for [people] to come and, in a more relaxed environment, test drive a car,” Ms. Shanken said at the showhouse on Friday. “The cars attract a lot of people.”

They certainly attracted Saunders agent Noel Love, who, despite working for the agency that was hosting the event, said he really went just to test drive a Maserati.

Mr. Love slid on his tortoiseshell sunglasses as he stepped outside the eight-bedroom, nine-and-a-half-bath home that afternoon, the Granturismo coupe already idling before the stoop and ready to go. Once inside the vehicle, Mr. Love revved the engine before pulling out of the driveway and zooming down Paul’s Lane, taking full advantage of the car’s ability to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds.

And when he rolled back up to the house, he was as excited as a young boy on Christmas morning.

“It was awesome,” said Mr. Love, who had driven a Mercedes-Benz to the event that day. “It’s loud—that’s what you want. It’s a real sports car.”