For the first time in Canada, motorists can rent a Porsche from a banner dealership for as little as one hour or as much as one week. The German automaker has just introduced its Porsche Drive program in the country. The program has been in place in Germany since 2014, and has been introduced in Switzerland as well.
The program is limited to the Montreal region, however. The access point for renting the cars is Porsche Centre Rive-Sud, a Porsche dealership located on the South Shore of the city. Rented cars must be picked up and deposited at that location. Porsche specifies that in its view the program is a short-term rental service and not a car-sharing program.
And how much does it cost, you ask? Depending on which model you choose, rates start at $149 per hour, or just slightly more than a rented Yaris or a Car2Go will set you back! Available models for the program include the 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne and 911.
The Drive program is part of Porsche’s plan to expand mobility solutions beyond the traditional ownership model. Obviously, it also opens the door into the Porsche universe to a new slice of the market. New motorists will be able to enjoy the experience of driving one of the brand’s cars, and who knows, maybe they will choose to buy one down the road.
In Germany, Porsche offers several programs as part of Drive, which elaborate further on the basic service. Drive on Demand lets users to have their rented Porsche delivered to a specific place, and Drive Chauffeur adds a driver. In the U.S., the company also offers Porsche Passport, a monthly subscription service that allows users to reserve Porsche models and have them delivered to the location of their choice by a concierge.
For the moment, there’s no indication whether the program will be expanded to other cities in Canada.
