Porsche makes testing cars easier

Porsche facilitates access to the wheel of its cars and SUVs without having to make serious commitments.

The German automaker, famous for its sports cars, is launching two separate pilot programs in the US that will allow people to rent Porsches.

One of them, managed by Porsche Cars North America, will only be operated in the Atlanta area, where the North American headquarters of Porsche is located. Called Porsche Drive, it was launched this week and will offer weekly rentals of new cars and Porsche SUVs.

Fully insured cars will be delivered to customers with a full of gas. Prices range from $ 269 for four hours – the minimum rental allowed – in a compact Porsche Macan or 718 Boxster sports car. A week with a Porsche 911 will cost $ 2,909.

The other pilot program, available in San Francisco and Los Angeles from October 8, is run by the Turo peer-to-peer car rental company. Dozens of Porsche cars and Porsche SUVs are already available in these markets. Turo will select the top rated owners, or "hosts," and these owners will receive special training on their cars and customer service at the Los Angeles Porsche Experience Center.

"These are people who know Porsche a lot and are Porsche evangelists," said Turo CEO André Haddad.

He is one of them. Haddad has his own Porsche 911 for rent on the site for $ 200 a day. Turo will create a page on its website listing all selected Porsche hosts in one place.

Porsche is the fourth most sought after Turo site, said Haddad. In the case of this pilot program, called Turo Host, the cars will not necessarily be new Porsches. Some could be older models or even vintage ones.

"Our market research shows that consumers want options ranging from homeownership," said Klaus Zellmer, president and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, in a statement. "Porsche Drive and Porsche Host drivers are exciting and non-traditional ways to let customers choose how they drive a Porsche."

Porsche is also one of many luxury automakers to test a "car subscription" service. Customers who use the Porsche Passport service, also available only in the Atlanta area, pay a few thousand dollars a month, which allows them to change Porsche models at any time.

Those who wish to try a Porsche car in the shortest possible time can go to one of the Porsche Experience Centers in Atlanta or Los Angeles and spend 90 minutes on a specially designed test track.

Porsche is not the first automaker to embark on renting its own cars. For example, General Motors has its own car-sharing subsidiary called Maven, which offers short-term rentals for just a few hours of various GM models, including Chevrolet and Cadillac. Audi operates Silvercar, which only leases silver Audi cars.

If these Porsche rental programs prove popular, they could be deployed nationwide.

CNNMoney (New York) First published on September 12, 2018: 10:00 am ET