Car hire for a film shoot in Malaysia is ordinary rental with a handful of extra questions, and the extra questions are where shoot days go wrong. Grandpride rents its cars by the day, from RM 200 for a Perodua Myvi up to supercars such as the McLaren 720S from RM 7,700. Its terms for commercial filming aren't published CHECK: does Grandpride allow commercial filming, music videos and adverts in rental cars, and is there a separate agreement, rate or fee?, so get them in writing before you lock the call sheet.
"We'll book it like any other rental"
Partly true. The booking itself works the same way: choose the car and the dates online, pick protection and mileage, reserve, then pay in store or in person. Only a RM 50 booking fee is paid online, and it comes off the total.
What changes is what you tell Grandpride. Say whether it's a couple's portrait session, a music video, a paid advert or a feature, and whether the car's badge or plate will be identifiable on screen. A brand that ends up in someone else's advert is a different conversation from a car in the background of a wedding video CHECK: rules on showing Grandpride cars' badges and number plates in commercial work, and whether a credit is expected.
"Anyone on the crew can drive it between set-ups"
They can't. Only the named renter may drive a Grandpride self-drive car. That rules out the shuffle where the director drives to the next location, the talent drives on camera and a runner returns it at night.
So decide early who is behind the wheel on camera, and book in that person's name. If the actor who drives on screen isn't the person your production wants on the paperwork, raise it before you book CHECK: can a production company be the renter with a named driver, and can Grandpride provide its own driver to move a car between locations?.
"Suction mounts are fine if we're careful"
A suction mount on a bonnet, a rig on a door or a tow rig for a tracking shot all put load on panels and paint that weren't designed for it. Smoke, water, confetti and props on the bodywork add their own risks, however careful the crew is CHECK: what rigs, mounts and effects are allowed on or near a rental car, and whether protection covers damage caused by them.
On protection itself: Basic Cover comes with every rental and leaves you liable up to the standard excess. The Loss Damage Waiver lowers the excess, and Grandpride Protection+ brings it to zero on damage and theft, with glass and tyres included. On a supercar with lights and stands crowding round it, take Protection+. Our guide to rental car protection explains the three levels.
"The car can stay on set all day"
The car is yours for the days you've booked, so yes, as far as Grandpride is concerned. Where it can stand is up to the location: a mall, a hotel driveway or a condo car park will have its own rules, and some will charge.
Getting it there is the other half. Grandpride delivers free within 10 km of its Petaling Jaya showroom and for RM 100 elsewhere in the Klang Valley; a location outside the Klang Valley is by quote CHECK: can delivery be timed for an early call time, and how much notice is needed?.
"Mileage won't matter, we're barely moving"
For one location in town, that's true. Every rental includes 120 km a day.
It stops being true on a road film. Tracking shots up and down a highway, a run to Genting for a mountain road, or two locations an hour apart all add up. Add 50 km or 100 km a day, or unlimited mileage, when you book; it costs less per kilometre than paying the car's extra-kilometre rate afterwards. If you're filming on the Genting road, read our guide to driving up Genting Highlands first, because it's steep and has escape ramps for a reason.
"Permits are the car company's job"
They're the production's. In Malaysia, film production is licensed by FINAS, the National Film Development Corporation, which also issues a filming certificate. As reported in 2020, licensed producers had to inform FINAS at least seven days before filming starts; check FINAS's current requirements for your kind of production before you set dates.
Public places have their own owners. Kuala Lumpur City Hall has been enforcing against unlicensed commercial photography around KLCC, seizing equipment in a joint operation with the police in June 2026. Parks, campuses, malls and heritage buildings set their own conditions, and some charge a shooting fee. Your location manager should have the paperwork for each site before the car turns up.
"Every supercar looks the same on screen"
Not to a camera. Shape and colour read differently against different backgrounds.
| Look | Car | Day rate |
|---|---|---|
| Low, wide, loud | Lamborghini Huracán, McLaren 720S | from RM 6,100, from RM 7,700 |
| Classic supercar | Ferrari 458 Italia | RM 7,200 |
| Urban, square and upright | Mercedes-Benz G63 | RM 5,500 |
| Old money, long bonnet | Rolls-Royce Wraith | RM 9,900 |
| Retro, 1960s | Mitsuoka Rock Star | RM 1,900 |
| Muscle car on a budget | Ford Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost | RM 1,400 |
Our photoshoot car guide goes further into colour, reflections and light, and car photoshoot spots around KL covers where to put the car.
Arrivals, launches and premieres
If the car is part of an entrance rather than the set, book it with a chauffeur. Grandpride's GrandRide Limousine, in white or black, is meant for event arrivals, and the BMW i7 with a chauffeur is RM 600 an hour. For a car that sits on display at a launch, our guide to cars for launches and roadshows covers venue rules and ramps.
Send the brief to Grandpride through the contact page: the dates, the locations, what the car does on screen and who drives it.
