Porsche's passport to performance

The current Porsche model lineup. (Porsche AG)

Following similar moves by Cadillac and Volvo, German sportscar maker Porsche is launching a subscription service which will enable users to reserve the Porsche they need, when they need it in return for a monthly fee.

The Porsche 911 may well be the ultimate sportscar, honed and perfected over 54 years and 1 million examples, but it's not exactly ideal for driving the family down to the coast for the weekend, or for doing a weekly grocery shop thanks to its tiny trunk.

Likewise the Macan is a great-to-drive compact SUV that's perfect for everyday family use, but it's not the most romantic of vehicles for taking a mini break.

Therefore, Porsche wants to offer clients the advantages of every model in its current core lineup yet with none of the drawbacks of owning any individual car with a new service called Porsche Accelerate.

"Our Strategy 2025 vision is to be the most aspirational brand in a new era of mobility and consumer expectations. Catering to customers' desire to experience our sports cars in new ways is a part of our core strategy," said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America.

So, for a monthly fee of US$3,000, clients will have on-demand access to a host of Porsches, from various high-specification 911s to the most potent versions of the Macan, Cayenne, Boxster, Cayman and Panamera.

The fee includes tax, registration, insurance and the cost of a concierge performing a white glove delivery of the chosen car to the location of the client's choice.

The whole system works via a smartphone app and the service is going live, initially in Atlanta, Georgia (Porsche's North American Headquarters) in November as a pilot program in partnership with Clutch Technologies who has developed the smartphone app and platform via which the system will function.

"Porsche Passport will provide increased choice and flexibility for new target groups in the Atlanta market," said Vince Zappa, President of Clutch Technologies. "Clutch is proud to be the enabling technology behind the service."

And for those that are taken by the idea of having access to the perfect Porsche for their needs simply via tapping and swiping their phone's screen but are put off by the premium subscription fee, the company is offering a second, lower tier program. For $2,000 a month, the Porsche Launch program will offer access to eight different Porsche cars, including the 718 Boxster, Cayman S, Macan S and Cayenne.

"With Porsche Passport, we now offer our customers a simple and flexible driving solution at their fingertips," said Zellmer.