How to drive your dream car on the cheap?
Australian Porsche fans will soon be able to rent the car of their dreams with minimal hassle.
The manufacturer’s rental business is expanding to Australia, starting with a six-month trial in Melbourne.
Customers can rent the famous Porsche 911 sports coupe, Boxster convertible or Taycan electric sedan.
Porsche's car rental business has arrived in Australia.
It’s not a cheap exercise.
A day behind the wheel of the latest Porsche 911 Carrera S or 4S costs $911.
The Porsche Boxster attracts a $718 fee, while the electric Taycan is $899 for 24 hours.
That’s cheaper than hot laps in the brand’s latest machines through the Porsche Track Experience, which starts at about $1700 – but includes pro driver coaching and high-speed laps on track.
Extend the loan to a week and the bill for a 911 or Taycan will be $4999.
Porsche’s Taycan electric car set a new benchmark for battery-powered machines.
But that’s a fraction of the $333,000 (plus optional extras) required to drive away in a 911 Carrera 4S, or the $210,000 required to own the mid-range Taycan.
The electric machine is the most powerful car offered, with 390kW of get-up-and-go. But it can’t quite match the blistering 3.6 second sprint to 100km/h claimed by the all-wheel-drive 911.
The latest Porsche 911 Carrera S is likely to be a popular pick.
The scheme could expand beyond Melbourne if it proves popular.
American customers can go a step further and borrow Porsches with Netflix-style subscriptions that allow drivers to sample different models on a month-to-month basis, paying a set fee to steer cars such as the Cayenne, 911, Taycan and Panamera.
Customers need to be aged over 27, and have $6000 pre-loaded on their credit card to cover an insurance excess.
Porsche’s Australian prices are competitive with exotic car rental businesses.
Having experienced prestige rental cars with engine warning lights, no-name tyres and a tricky approach to fees and deposits, we reckon the manufacturer’s package could be worth a look.