New Luxury Rental Service Lets You Try Out Any Porsche You Want

It’s a helluva lot cheaper than buying.

Buying a Porsche is a longstanding dream for many drivers, so like other luxury carmakers (like the Book by Cadillac, Care by Volvo, Access by BMW and the Mercedes-Benz Collection subscription services being piloted in cities around the country), Porsche is exploring alternatives to traditional ownership that can put you behind the wheel of one of the company’s iconic sports cars.

Recognizing that there may be interest from non-owners who want to get into a Porsche from time to time, Porsche has launched two pilot programs on the east and west coasts to give drivers short-term, on-demand access to the Porsche of their choosing. 

Porsche already offers a monthly subscription plan, called Porsche Passport, which lets drivers choose from a fleet of available Porsches depending on their needs. 

But the new Porsche Drive program, which launches in the company’s U.S. hometown of Atlanta, provides a way to drive a wide range of Porsche models from as little as a few hours to as long as a week.

Porsche Drive includes white-glove concierge delivery service that can deliver a car within two hours in metro Atlanta. The service features hourly (with a four-hour minimum), daily, and weekly usage options for current model cars from all six Porsche model lines, including the 911, depending on availability. 

Prices for Porsche Drive run from $269 (plus various taxes and fees, naturally) for four hours in a Macan crossover SUV, 718 Cayman or Boxster, to $2,909 for a week in a 911. Customers can make arrangements with Porsche through a chat on the www.porschedrive.us web site.

Meanwhile, out on the west coast, Los Angeles and San Francisco drivers will be able to use the Turo app to rent cars for as little as a day (like the time Maxim rented a classic VW bug convertible) or for as long as a month using the new Porsche Host program, which launches in October.

“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. 

“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.”

Wait until Porsche fanatic Jerry Seinfeld hears about this.