Porsche Partners With Turo, Announces VIP Rental Programs
You can now get the executive treatment while returning the car at the end of the day.
Porsche has announced two forward-thinking programs which will give drivers short-term access behind the wheel of the famed automaker's most popular models.
The manufacturer previously released what it called the Porsche Passport program which allowed drivers to buy into a monthly subscription, giving them limited on-demand access to drive cars like the Cayman and 911. Now, expanding beyond that initial idea, Porsche is launching a pair of new ventures: Porsche Host and Porsche Drive.
Porsche Host includes a partnership with the well-known car sharing marketplace provider Turo. It features top-tier hosts who have gone through training to provide the best Porsche experience with their cars, enabling them to tout a seal of approval of sorts from the brand. Drivers can book a Porsche Host car for one day to a month or even longer.
"Porsche is one of the most searched makes on Turo," Steven Webb, director of community and communications at Turo, told The Drive.
The Host program will be exclusively available to drivers in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“This partnership is an amazing opportunity to enhance Porsche trips on Turo and to engage with a massive group of enthusiasts on our marketplace,” added Turo CEO Andre Haddad. “As a lifelong Porsche enthusiast, I have personally enjoyed the experience of handing the keys of my 911 to Porsche connoisseurs.”
He should know, of course, as his own 2006 model was the first Porsche 911 to ever be shared on the innovative platform.
Along with the Turo partnership on the West Coast, Porsche will be launching the Drive program in Atlanta, Georgia, where Porsche Cars North America is headquartered.
According to Porsche, this service includes the same white-glove concierge delivery, gas, and insurance as the Passport program. It features weekly, daily, and hourly options with a four-hour minimum in current model year vehicles all the way up to a Porsche 911. On the low end, $269 plus taxes/fees for four hours will get you in a Porsche Macan, 718 Cayman, or Boxster while $2,909 plus taxes/fees will get you behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 for a week.
“By providing new and varied paths for Porsche enthusiasts to access our vehicles, we are able to add another layer to our vision of being the most aspirational automotive brand while meeting the changing mobility habits of today’s consumers,” said Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO of PCNA. “With Porsche Drive and the Porsche Host program, we are testing new options for access to our brand experience.”
Porsche Host will launch Oct. 8 while Porsche Drive customers can visit the website now to reserve their selection.
