Porsche to enter the hire car business

Heads up if you’ve always wanted to drive a Porsche but not a clapped-out 25-year-old Boxster from a shonky hire car business.

Porsche has long offered its latest models for hire in Europe through its Porsche Drive Rental program and now it’s coming to Australia – with a few catches.

carsales understands Porsche Cars Australia will launch Porsche Drive Rental locally in December before making its new model line-up available for hire in January.

However, Porsche Drive Rental will initially only be available in Victoria – and subject to current COVID restrictions – via the German sports car brand’s head office in Melbourne as part of a pilot program.

Our sources say the rental program could be expanded in future, but findings from the study are expected to establish whether that will include other capital cities or holiday destinations and the like.

Further details, model availability and pricing is yet to be determined, but a range of Porsche coupes, convertibles, sedans and SUVs are likely to be offered, just as they are in Europe and North America.

In the US, where the rental program was previously called Porsche Passport, the car-maker also offers a subscription service as part of its repositioning as a supplier of premium driving experiences (rather than just vehicle ownership) targeting a younger audience.

In Germany, the Porsche Drive Rental program is available via 16 different locations. Cars are booked online via credit card for a maximum of 28 days and prices start at a cool €299 ($A482) per day for the Porsche Macan mid-size SUV and the mid-engined Cayman coupe.

German prices increase to €319 ($A515) per day for the Porsche Boxster roadster and Cayenne large SUV, €369 ($A595) for the Panamera, €399 ($A643) for the 911 coupe and Taycan EV, and €419 ($A675) for the 911 Cabriolet.

Drivers must be at least 25 years old (35 for Turbo models) and have held a licence for five years.

Prices include a second driver, 24/7 roadside assist, free mileage up to 300km (€1 per km beyond that) and comprehensive insurance (with a €2500 excess or €5000 for Turbo models).