What Is Porsche Passport?

The other day, while browsing online, I came across an article from a while back stating that “In November 2017, Porsche launched ‘Porsche Passport’ in Atlanta, USA, allowing on-demand rentals of up to 22 Porsche models.”

Porsche Passport is a service where users can select their preferred Porsche model using a dedicated smartphone app and easily make a reservation. The vehicle can be delivered to your home or another desired location, and after the rental period, they will also pick up the car.

As for the cost, the most basic plan is $2,000 per month (about 220,000 yen), allowing rentals of 8 models including the “718 Boxster,” “718 Cayman S,” “Macan S,” and “Cayenne.” The premium plan costs $3,000 per month (about 340,000 yen) and offers access to 22 models such as the “911 Carrera S,” “Panamera 4S,” “Macan GTS,” and “Cayenne S E-Hybrid.” The monthly fee covers all taxes, registration fees, insurance, maintenance, and more.

To summarize the benefits of this service:

① You can drive various Porsche models with a lease-like feel
② No maintenance costs like taxes or insurance (gasoline costs are extra)
③ It’s cheaper and more economical compared to buying a new model with monthly loan payments

It seems that not only domestic cars but also imported cars have started offering such services recently.
*Reference article: Rent 22 Porsche models from home… unlimited rides for a flat fee

Points of Concern About Porsche Passport

Reading the article, I thought, “Wow, that’s amazing. Such a service exists!” but… $2,000 to $3,000 per month is quite a bit. I searched online to see if anyone had tried Porsche Passport in Atlanta and written a review, but I couldn’t find any articles outside of automotive media. (Maybe I just couldn’t find them because they’re in English)

I don’t know the current status, but according to the article at the time, if the response in Atlanta is good, they plan to gradually expand the service area. Based only on the press release information (I don’t know the details, so my thoughts might be off), here are some points that caught my attention:

① You probably won’t get the feeling of a beloved car or partner
Since it’s like leasing, you can’t shake the feeling of “I’m driving a borrowed Porsche,” so you might not get that “beloved car” or “partner” feeling. I often hear that with Porsche, even the same model can feel different depending on “the driver’s habits and driving style, which affect the driving and ride quality.” It seems a shame not to experience that sense of partnership when driving a Porsche.

However, for those who like to change cars frequently or always want to drive the latest models, this might be a good service.

② Can you buy the car if you like it?
Currently, Porsche Passport is only available in Atlanta, USA, because the North American Porsche headquarters and Porsche Experience Center are located there, allowing them to prepare the vehicles. If you rent and like a car, can you buy that vehicle at a used car price?

But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it have been better to just buy it outright instead of leasing?
(By the way, I’ve written about the actual annual maintenance costs after buying a Porsche in the articles below↓↓)

→[Reference article] Calculating the annual maintenance cost of a 981 Boxster GTS – gasoline, oil changes, insurance, fuel efficiency, etc.
→[Reference article] Actual annual maintenance costs of the new Panamera Turbo – results of the calculation

③ Wouldn’t a rental car or car-sharing service be enough?
For those who use a Porsche daily for commuting, Porsche Passport might be a good fit. But in that case, it might not be necessary to specifically choose a Porsche; other cars could work just as well. On the other hand, if you don’t drive on weekdays but want to go touring on weekends and experience Porsche’s driving performance, renting a car might suffice.

In Germany, renting a Porsche costs €179 to €249 per day. It’s more expensive than a regular rental car, but renting for three days in a month would cost around 60,000 to 80,000 yen. Also, in Japan, the car-sharing app Anyca currently has about 100 Porsches registered, many of which can be rented for less than 10,000 yen per day (though newer models are rare).

Now Introducing “Porsche Host”!

While thinking about this, I recently found an article stating that “On September 13, Porsche launched a new mobility service called the ‘Porsche Host’ program in the US, allowing individuals to share their personally owned Porsche vehicles.”

The Porsche Host program allows individuals to share their Porsche cars for car-sharing periods ranging from one day up to a month. Since Porsche is a high-performance premium car, only specially trained drivers are allowed to share these vehicles.

Interesting—a Porsche-exclusive car-sharing service. The pricing wasn’t mentioned, so maybe individual Porsche owners set their own rates.

However, I think such services are challenging unless the interests of both demand and supply sides align. Renters want to “easily try driving a Porsche” and “experience various Porsche models and years,” but owners worry about “rough driving,” “excessive mileage,” “dirty wheels or body upon return,” and “potential damage.”

Even though only specially trained drivers can share, from the renter’s perspective, having to undergo such training might be a hassle…
*Reference article: Sharing personally owned Porsches… Porsche launches new mobility service in the US

Personally, when test-driving a model I’m considering purchasing at a dealer, I wish I could rent it for half a day for a fee instead of just 1–2 hours, so I could freely drive on highways, mountain roads, and really evaluate it. (Though that’s probably impossible, haha)