Hertz Australia taking on Porsche!

[austgap]

I admit that information has been very limited and secretive from head office, yet thought I'd pass this on nevertheless and update when I know more. Since Hertz has taken on the Mini's, BMWs then the Toyota 86s the other (read: bad guys) have also taken on fleet similar options, so the belief from Hertz head office was to once again offer a point of difference. So now we can welcome the Dream Car range to Australia.

In July the Hertz offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (airports and downtown) will take initially two (2) new Porsche Cayman per state with reports that more and possibly the Cayenne will be taken on afterwards if demand is suffice.

No other details have been released yet. So I'm unsure about anything like: excess, bonds, cost, colour of the door handle, km limits, spec, if it comes with a good looking counter staffer..etc. So please hold the flaming questions.

Will keep you posted for more information when it comes to hand.

 

[markis10]

So if I book a Yaris, I get upgraded to one of those :shock:.

I should be careful, one day I will get a yaris, especially as my Gold Profile and I have had a divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable frequent flyer differences.

 

[boomy]

Good news!
I wonder what the rental cost will be include insurance. Probably more then $200 per day.
I guess it will be almost impossible to get a free upgrade to one of those, same as the X5 at the moment.

 

[docjames]

Wow. Interesting news, thanks for sharing.

/IMO/

Porsche are crazy selling cars to Hertz to be used as rentals.

Bye bye exclusivity of owning a Porsche.

/

 

[markis10]

Wow. Interesting news, thanks for sharing.

/IMO/

Porsche are crazy selling cars to Hertz to be used as rentals.

Bye bye exclusivity of owning a Porsche.

/

At 200 sales a month hardly exclusive!

 

[The Rok]

Wow. Interesting news, thanks for sharing.

/IMO/

Porsche are crazy selling cars to Hertz to be used as rentals.

Bye bye exclusivity of owning a Porsche.

/

It actually makes incredible commercial sense.

When selling a car to a buyer who is sitting in the fence the dealer will suggest they go and hire one for a few days to get a good feel for the car.

Most dealers would be reluctant to give out such a car for an extended period of a few days so it works for Porsche.

They will sell more cars because if it!

 

[Homer]

Most dealers would be reluctant to give out such a car for an extended period of a few days so it works for Porsche.

Just FYI in my experience both Porsche (and well above) dealers are happy to give a demonstrator to a qualified potential purchaser for a weekend if they believe they can finalise a sale. In fact I think it's part of their closing technique.

 

[docjames]

It's not particularly aspirational to own a Porsche when you can just rent one.

Eg. BMWs as rental cars was certainly a factor in why mrsdoc is not currently driving an X5.....


I'm not convinced it helps sales - as homer points out, genuine (potential) customers will get all the test drive they need to get sold into one - 10mins or multiple days. All seeing them in rental fleets does is make current and potential owners feel less "special" about owning one.

Anyway, it's off topic and as I noted, IMO not a great move by Porsche.

Happy for others to think its a great idea. Time will tell - it's not even confirmed as happening yet!

 

[lovestotravel]

It's not particularly aspirational to own a Porsche when you can just rent one.

Eg. BMWs as rental cars was certainly a factor in why mrsdoc is not currently driving an X5.....


I'm not convinced it helps sales - as homer points out, genuine (potential) customers will get all the test drive they need to get sold into one - 10mins or multiple days. All seeing them in rental fleets does is make current and potential owners feel less "special" about owning one.

Anyway, it's off topic and as I noted, IMO not a great move by Porsche.

Happy for others to think its a great idea. Time will tell - it's not even confirmed as happening yet!

Ah yes the less than 30 X5's that Hertz have in their fleet makes them just visible everywhere...................

Just FYI in my experience both Porsche (and well above) dealers are happy to give a demonstrator to a qualified potential purchaser for a weekend if they believe they can finalise a sale. In fact I think it's part of their closing technique.

Correct, very easy to get a BMW/Merc/Porsche for a weekend if you are serious about buying!

 

[The Rok]

Well I have never worked for Porsche, but I have worked for both Mercedes & Audi and it's not as easy as you think!

My staff would literally see dozens of "potential customers" who were "serious about buying" every week. All wanting a 3 day test drive. It's simply not feasible to offer it to everyone. It's far easier to suggest they hire one, then if they buy from you within 3 months you refund the hire cost.

It happens for most mid to high end brands all across Australia. Volkswagen use it a lot.

 

[lovestotravel]

Well I have never worked for Porsche, but I have worked for both Mercedes & Audi and it's not as easy as you think!

My staff would literally see dozens of "potential customers" who were "serious about buying" every week. All wanting a 3 day test drive. It's simply not feasible to offer it to everyone. It's far easier to suggest they hire one, then if they buy from you within 3 months you refund the hire cost.

It happens for most mid to high end brands all across Australia. Volkswagen use it a lot.

Yet I have had BMW's, Mercs and Audi's for weekend test drives, no problems, on multiple occasions!

335's
M3's
X5's
Q5
Q7
C250
E250
ML250

Even Subaru's for the weekend

Porsche less easy though I must admit, but the worst was Ford, can't even get a test drive alone for a few hours

 

[Homer]

Well I have never worked for Porsche, but I have worked for both Mercedes & Audi and it's not as easy as you think!

It's not what I think. I've experienced it. But then I was a qualified potential purchaser, as I believe I pointed out. And I bought one. My point was just that I don't think this is necessarily a Porsche sales strategy as they do give out demonstrators for a weekend.

 

[lovestotravel]

It's not what I think. I've experienced it. But then I was a qualified potential purchaser, as I believe I pointed out. And I bought one. My point was just that I don't think this is necessarily a Porsche sales strategy as they do give out demonstrators for a weekend.

Indeed, as I said

However, having prestige vehicles in a rental fleet also gets more people into a prestige vehicle

They MAY turn around and buy one day, after not having driven a prestige vehicle prior or even considered buying one

 

[The Rok]

It's not what I think. I've experienced it. But then I was a qualified potential purchaser, as I believe I pointed out. And I bought one. My point was just that I don't think this is necessarily a Porsche sales strategy as they do give out demonstrators for a weekend.

To somebody they have spent weeks or months working on, yes. That does not mean it's standard industry or easy to get a demo for 3 days!

Your handful of experiences are unique to YOU!

In the many years I worked in the automotive industry I saw thousands of you! And each set of circumstances is different. While working with one German marque I would refund probably 30 hire cars a year!

 

[Homer]

In the many years I worked in the automotive industry I saw thousands of you!

You said you worked for Mercedes and Audi. With respect, you never saw me. Not once.

 

[docjames]

Ah yes the less than 30 X5's that Hertz have in their fleet makes them just visible everywhere...................

It's not the volume, it's the perception.

YMMV

 

[lovestotravel]

To somebody they have spent weeks or months working on, yes. That does not mean it's standard industry or easy to get a demo for 3 days!

Your handful of experiences are unique to YOU!

In the many years I worked in the automotive industry I saw thousands of you! And each set of circumstances is different. While working with one German marque I would refund probably 30 hire cars a year!

Oh don't forget my list of cars that I have had for 3 day weekends

The dealerships that you worked for must have been shocking for customer service then if they never gave out demonstrators!

I have never had to be "worked on" for weeks or months to get a demonstrator.

Usually 1-3 hours is all it takes, and then come back on Friday and pick it up for the weekend

It's not the volume, it's the perception.

YMMV

LOL right...........

 

[quick_dry]

It's not the volume, it's the perception.

maybe the smaller market here makes a difference, but has it really hurt sales significantly in the USA where everything from Audi R8 down is available as a Hertz rental?

 

[lovestotravel]

maybe the smaller market here makes a difference, but has it really hurt sales significantly in the USA where everything from Audi R8 down is available as a Hertz rental?

It if hurt sales, then car companies wouldn't sell to rental fleets, but never let facts get in the way of a cool story.

Do you think BMW would happily let Hertz promote their BMW fleet ?

Keeping in mind the average person wouldn't even know that you can rent an X3 or X5 from Hertz, only those that travel or rent vehicles often

Besdies that the ML and GL is 10000 times better anyway

 

[quick_dry]

It if hurt sales, then car companies wouldn't sell to rental fleets

that is my assessment as well. The number of people who know what inventory a hire company has is miniscule compared to the pool of potential buyers, the number who would let that negatively influence their decision to buy even smaller.