WHY IT RATES: Travel agents can book a Porsche rental car for their clients in select markets.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.
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Porsche is unveiling two pilot programs on the U.S. East and West Coasts to give drivers short-term, on-demand access to Porsche sports cars.
“We want to offer a choice in how people experience the thrill of driving a Porsche,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA). “Our market research shows that consumers want options across a spectrum from access to ownership. The Porsche Drive and Porsche Host pilots are exciting, non-traditional ways to let customers choose how they get behind the wheel of a Porsche.”
Porsche Drive
PCNA is following up on its monthly subscription plan, Porsche Passport, with a short-term rental pilot called Porsche Drive. The program, powered by Clutch Technologies LLC (Clutch), offers a wide range of new Porsche models for periods from a few hours to a week. It launched this week in Atlanta.
Porsche Drive includes white-glove concierge delivery service. Once a reservation is confirmed, the vehicle will be delivered within two hours to the customer’s requested location in metro Atlanta. The service features hourly (four-hour minimum), daily, and weekly usage options for current model cars from all six Porsche model lines, including the iconic 911. Access to specific model variants will depend upon availability.
Prices for Porsche Drive run from $269 (+ taxes and fees) for four hours in a Macan or 718 Cayman or Boxster, to $2,909 (+ taxes and fees) for weekly usage of a 911. Clutch will manage customer interaction as well as the end-to-end service delivery for Porsche Drive.
To reserve a Porsche Drive vehicle, customers can make contact with Porsche directly through a chat on the www.porschedrive.us website, by phone at 678-831-6291, or by email at [email protected].
Porsche Host
A second short-term program, Porsche Host, is a peer-to-peer pilot developed by Porsche Digital, Inc. with car-sharing marketplace provider Turo. The Porsche Host program will be available in Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Turo platform. Porsche cars in the program are owned by Turo hosts.
The Porsche Host program will launch October 8 in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The program includes a group of outstanding Turo hosts who have been trained to offer a five-star Porsche experience. Guests can book a Porsche from a Porsche Host via the Turo app or website, for periods ranging from one day to a month or longer.
For more information, reach out to your local travel agent.
SOURCE: Porsche Cars North America press release.
