
Porsche will begin an app-based subscription service next month - rayuela
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-10/drivers-to-summon-porsches-with-new-2-000-a-month-subscriptions
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kylec
This might be interesting if there’s no long-term commitment. While leasing
and financing would obviously be much cheaper, those involve three to five
year terms. If I could pay $3000/month and drive a 911 for a summer I might be
very tempted to do that.

~~~
Retric
At 3k / month you could buy a new one in under 3 years. Looking at resale
prices a ~2-5 year lease would only be ~1k / month.

However, if you are say taking the summer off to do a road trip then I could
see spending quite a bit more to avoid a long term obligation.

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DKnoll
You're forgetting the 3k includes maintenance (fluid, brake pad and tire
replacement are of particular note here, if we're comparing it to cost of
ownership in the first 3 years) and insurance, both of which can be
significant on a sports car.

Although if I were in the position to decide between using this service and
purchasing (I can dream, can't I?), I would purchase the vehicle (well
actually I would buy a Dodge Demon, still dreaming here).

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tryingagainbro
Maintenance in a new car at Porche level the first few years will not be much,
so don't get fooled by it.

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DKnoll
That's why I noted consumables, which you will need to replace more often and
will be more expensive in a sports car.

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bytecodes
Clutch, mentioned in the article as the company behind the subscription, is
interesting in their own right.
[http://www.clutchatlanta.com/](http://www.clutchatlanta.com/) It's a car
subscription where you can trade your car out for another type. Insurance is
included, so it's a flexible alternative to buying.

A bit pricy, though. So really only an alternative to buying new.

~~~
jasongill
It appears that the way Clutch works is that a dealer group can basically act
as the Clutch "franchise" for a metro area. Here in NC the local luxury dealer
group runs the service and sets their own pricing and cars available. It's one
of those services that seems so awesome but the pricing is just "too high"
enough that you put your credit card in repeatedly but never click submit.
Can't wait for the price to drop by ~30% (which might not happen since it
seems that each metro has an exclusive dealer for Clutch - no competition)

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stevencorona
Cool service but it ends up being like 2x the price of leasing. For
comparison, I've leased two Porsches through PFS in the past and the all-in
monthly payment (incl tax/insurance) was around $1500/mo for a 911 C4S (36
month) and $900/mo for a Cayman (24 month).

And for the $2000/mo subscription, it doesn't seem like you even get access to
the 911.

~~~
heimidal
I don’t see how that math works out. A base model 911 C4S has estimated lease
payments well over $1500/mo, not including insurance.

Perhaps in a state with no sales tax?

~~~
pc86
Lease offers are regional (down to the county level sometimes) and can easily
swap a lease payment by hundreds of dollars, especially on something like a
911. Lease offers also change monthly. It's nearly impossible to know if a
given number is reasonable for a lease. One person can lease something on
December 1 for $1k a month and it can be available for $600/mo a month later.

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amelius
$2000 a month??

Wouldn't it be possible to lease at least two Porches permanently for that
amount from an existing car-lease firm?

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SimbaOnSteroids
Insurance on these cars would cost a small fortune as well, as would replacing
the tires, also maintenance because it has that special, not a v6 or inline-6,
but flat 6 engine design, so gotta go to a special shop.

~~~
Viper007Bond
Insurance can be weird. For a while I was paying less for insurance on my 2008
Dodge Viper than I was on my 2001 Ford Mustang GT. It's all risk tables.

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nunez
Aren’t Mustangs more common and thus easier to steal?

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mulmen
Why would they be easier to steal because they are more common? Criminals have
more experience with them?

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dragonwriter
More common cars are easier to sell (or sell parts from) after stealing, and
easier to avoid getting caught after stealing.

The _act_ of stealing them may not be easier, but the _enterprise_ of stealing
them is.

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IgorPartola
I wonder if a car rental company could pull this off. $100/month gets you 10
car days or some such. Would be a no brainer in some situations.

~~~
tedmiston
That'd be really nice for me. I live in the city and drive infrequently. My
garage pass costs $100/month just to park anyway. If there was some sort of
on-demand delivery it would be great.

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IgorPartola
Do you have Zip Car there?

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fmsf
The best entry level porsche is second hand. I got my first porsche like that.
It had porsche warranty for 2 years and it costed 2/3 of the retail price. I
love every moment driving it. The best part of owning a porsche is the
sentimental value and the experience. Here you drop one, and only get the
experience. I wonder how that will play out.

~~~
got2surf
Completely agree. Plus, after initial depreciation, 911s hold their value
pretty well (particularly the 1999-2004 996 models). I view a used Porsche (as
compared to new) as "90% of the fun for 50% the cost".

~~~
pryelluw
The 996 turbo is currently an awesome deal. The regular ones are a good deal
but one needs to check up on the service history.

Weird tidbit: I once put a 993 engine into a 996 rwd chassis and fit very
well. The old 993 mount fit rather well and only needed some modifications to
work. The engine had a 930 tranny bolted on (g50) and it fit perfectly as
well. Of onlt that car were finished some day...

~~~
coredog64
> The regular ones are a good deal but one needs to check up on the service
> history.

As long as the IMS bearing hasn't already gone out, it's just(!) a matter of
budgeting for replacement when you price the car.

I've been seriously thinking about getting one but haven't found what I want
yet.

~~~
got2surf
I bought mine through a mechanic/dealer, and had them fix the IMS bearing,
rear main seals, chain tensioners, and switch to a metal water pump. Those
were the main recommended preventative fixes I heard about.

~~~
pryelluw
Yes, thats it. Enjoy it! :)

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tehsah
A lot of people in this space now...especially at the premium tier. Canvas
([https://drivecanvas.com](https://drivecanvas.com)) is another, but more
targeted at the mainstream.

