ByronBayChris Posted 28May, 2013 Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 What would be your thoughts on setting up a car rental company in an Australian holiday destination renting porsche? Perhaps a couple of boxster, some 996 and maybe air cooled? Would insurance be a killer, or would the drivers trash the cars too much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC9911 Posted 28May, 2013 Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 Chris, Yes I think it's possible, but, unless the deposit you ask for is super substantial then you are going to get done over with damage. I have often been O/S & looked to hire a prestige car. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie944S Posted 28May, 2013 Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 Not to burst your bubble but doesn't this already happen with exotic car rentals in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne. http://m.sydneysportscarrentals.com.au/vehicles/porsche-911-turbo Example.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveF Posted 28May, 2013 Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 Great idea although there are a number of companies already doing this. I did a drive day with this company www.sportscarrentals.com.au last year via Adrenalin and it was fantastic. Wasn't just Porsches although you could hire the cars separately. With regards to your comment on trashing the cars, there maybe some truth in that although I would prefer to call it spirited driving. Having more car brands makes it appealing to a wider market. My only negative, if there was one, is that none of the cars were a proper manual, mainly paddle shifts. Good fun all the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBayChris Posted 28May, 2013 Author Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 Thanks. Yes I know they are running in cbd, however I am researching coastal. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnr356 Posted 28May, 2013 Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 one of the big boys(think it was avis) used to do boxsters man,those cars got hammered Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9fan Posted 28May, 2013 Report Share Posted 28May, 2013 although I would prefer to call it spirited driving. I admit - I am guilty of thrashing my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveT Posted 30May, 2013 Report Share Posted 30May, 2013 I remember looking on Google a year or so ago at P hire. I seem to recall something about actual owners being able to hire out their cars via a broker type rental system. The broker - rental agency never actually bought any cars so he was just taking the bookings and a slice of the cash. Locations only limited by car owners willingness to participate. Insurance is always going to be a big $ issue with anything to do with luxury car rental of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeM Posted 21December, 2014 Report Share Posted 21December, 2014 I'm asking if there are any Porsche hire cars, possibly a Panamera, In Adelaide? Or if SA residents have a friends that own one, that would possibly be interested in taking 3 or 4 blokes in May 2015 for a friends 40th in the Mclaren Vale wine district. Theyre all respectable blokes that would respect the vehicle and its owner, and the owners conditions. Failing that, we may also consider a couple of coupes, plus my car, in return for a suitable 'non hire car' arrangement. Any ideas would be appreciated via pm please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 21December, 2014 Report Share Posted 21December, 2014 Isn't one of the advertisers/members on here 'drive porsches'? Isn't that exactly what he does? The cars will have a short life. As long as you are getting the return, doesn't matter. I think most policies have massive excess costs for the renter - $3-4k and up. I think that tempers most peoples enthusiasm a little. When I turned 25 I went straight down to the car rental place and got a MR2 for the weekend. That thing certainly got run in well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeM Posted 21December, 2014 Report Share Posted 21December, 2014 Yes, but I dont think theyre in SA I am aware of the legalities with the hire car scenario, as I have been asked if I want to do it when my 912 I looked into it, and in a nutshell, its more hassle than its worth. If there are people available that are not officially chauffers, nor there cars registered as hire cars, i would compensate them for their time 'unofficially' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstone Posted 21December, 2014 Report Share Posted 21December, 2014 The company that operates through the Tweed area use a pilot vehicle, and the 3 cars must observe the speed limit and not overtake the pilot. Lambo, Ferrari, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
550Spyder Posted 21December, 2014 Report Share Posted 21December, 2014 Chris I like the idea! A lot in fact. You will be getting some cashed up middle aged couples in Byron who are your target zone. I would also align with a dozen or so high end holiday rentals who are likely to have your target market staying. Reflecting back to my own mis- spent youth I would just make it for over 35's. And yes there is an insurance product for everything, you just push the cost back to the renter. As pointed out typically the excess is eye watering and the hirer needs to leave a credit card with $5k bond. Fleet: I am 100% air cooled hard core but in your market I would be getting a 2007+ boxster (heavily depreciated by now, cheap to buy, past the highest risk of ims failure, headlights non egg so to the average punter looks current shape, would go the lower spec engine). I would also get a similar aged 911 for the same reasons. I think you need a 911 not a cayman for the hardtop option at punters will want to drive the 911 name. I think an air cooled option is much more problematic. Much more limited market given what you will be charging. Early gearboxes not ideal for a rental to the publics and rear bias handling likewise. Perhaps a 964 Carrera 4 would be viable as g50 box is user friendly and handling is pretty good for beginners. You probably could do a tip tronic. I think you need to separate out what you like / we think is a good car vs. what will rent out to joe public / is economic to maintain and to rent. I read the other day that 90% of Mazda MX5s sold last year in Australia were retractable hardtop automatics (made me shed a little tear as this SO misses the entire point) so I think you can take that as a que to your target market. I actually really like your idea and think the Byron angle is a good one. If you were serious I would fly down to Sydney and spend some time with Matt from Prancing Horse rentals. They have been going for 10 years and run a very professional show. For the price of a coffee he would share ten years of expensive lessons on the do's and dont's of classic rentals. Best of all your entire Porsche collection becomes tax deductible! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 That's good advice in the prior page. All people want is to tell their friends they went and drove a porsche. They will want to take photos grinning in the drivers seat. If anyone is going to seek out someone renting an older air-cooled Porsche, they are going to be a porsche tragic and may be a high chance of being an 'anorak' who will want to discuss models and options in details and ask questions whether said car is in original colour. I have given quite a few friends a drive of my car and most of them are just happy to have driven it and hand it back in one piece. Only one or two of them actually want to push the throttle down. The fact is most people get a kick of just being in the drivers seat and driving something different. When most people drive bland econoboxes in traffic it's not surprising that even sitting in a Porsche feels exciting. I read an interesting factoid about a company in America that rents out planes for 'high altitude romance' (read: mile high club). They position it as a romantic adventure and don't talk about sex in any of their ads. It's bloody obvious what a plane with a curtain and a bed in the back is for, but they go the romance angle with champagne and smiling couples. The kicker is that 95% of the bookings are done by females and business is booming. If you set up a rental sports car company the right way, I would expect a big percentage of bookings coming through from partners wanting to book their bloke a drive day, perhaps a consolation prize when that 40th, 50th, 60th birthday goes by and there is no Porker in the garage. So if you were to go down that path, I would expect going the 'couples romantic drive day' route rather than the 'bucks party lets thrash some porsches route' you'd not only get more bookings, but your business might last longer as well. Just my 2c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 A fine for each overrev! Bit like the swear jar in Crackerjack. All sounds good on paper, but IMO could end in tears. Def no <25s as they take too many selfies, even when driving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveF Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 If you set up a rental sports car company the right way, I would expect a big percentage of bookings coming through from partners wanting to book their bloke a drive day, perhaps a consolation prize when that 40th, 50th, 60th birthday goes by and there is no Porker in the garage./ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBayChris Posted 22December, 2014 Author Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 Great to see this thread alive again, and just when I was rethinking about it. Opening a yoga studio here shortly, so the two could be combined Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 Opening a yoga studio here shortly, so the two could be combined Sounds like "exec stress relief" in a nutshell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 Sounds like "exec stress relief" in a nutshell! A poser next to a Porsche , lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazzieman Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 I think most policies have massive excess costs for the renter - $3-4k and up. I think that tempers most peoples enthusiasm a little. $3400 XS with Europcar for a lowly Hyundai in Victoria (ask me how I know - fortunately the fine print on my CC covers this , otherwise I'd be several 100 extra out of pocket to buy Europcar's "XS insurance" premium). For exotics , XS would be much higher I presume? & How much to factor in keeping these top end cars looking suitably schmick bodywise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike737 Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 Hertz now offer rentals of Boxsters and Caymans in Australia too, but only for a 24 hours periodhttps://www.hertz.com.au/rentacar/vehicleguide/index.jsp?targetPage=vehicleGuideHomeView.jsp&countryCode=AU&category=Adrenaline%20Collection%20AU Excess details: Damage to the rented vehicle and other vehicles or property When you rent a vehicle from Hertz, you are responsible for returning that vehicle to Hertz in the same condition it was in at the start of the rental, with the exception of fair wear and tear. If you return the vehicle in a damaged state, generally speaking, you will be liable for the cost of repair of the damage (plus the cost of repairing damage to any other vehicle or property with which the rental vehicle collided) up to the amount of the Accident Damages Excess (ADE), which is a maximum of AUD $4,000.00 (inclusive of GST). If you return a Prestige or Fun vehicle, or the Toyota 86 in a damaged state, generally speaking, you will be liable for the cost of repair of the damage (plus the cost of repairing damage to any other vehicle or property with which the rental vehicle collided) up to the amount of the Accident Damages Excess (ADE), which is a maximum of AUD $5500.00 (inclusive of GST). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastr Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 Ps I could never run a Porsche rental business as I would fall in love with the cars, and not treat them as the economic return units they need to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asyd Posted 22December, 2014 Report Share Posted 22December, 2014 I've heard of a new company called sportscaronhire.co.au that do a group hire of Boxters. The owners are Porche Club NSW members looking to live the dream. Good luck to them No affiliation Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hounddub Posted 24December, 2014 Report Share Posted 24December, 2014 This thread took me back to 4 years ago when I went to a conference at St. Andrews golf club in Scotland. Europcar didn't have any Golf's left at Edinburgh airport so I took the 987 Boxster they offered. Now considering I did not own a Porsche at that time it was so enjoyable I returned home to Singapore and bought my 997 two weeks later. Talk about a rental car having a BIG impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko Posted 7January, 2015 Report Share Posted 7January, 2015 Found these two Caymans sitting in the HERTZ bays yesterday at Melbourne Airport. They looked very inviting...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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