Owners Have TikTok Tantrum Over Turo Porsche Boxster Being Driven Like A Sports Car

Oct. 09, 2022 6:01 PM ET by Chase Bierenkoven Sports Cars / 22 Comments

Giving someone a sports car they don't own usually ends in tears.

A Florida couple has taken to TikTok to share tracking information on renters of their 2013 Porsche Boxster.

The couple's video, shown below, reveals they use third-party consumer-facing GPS tracking to keep an eye on their 987-generation Boxster while it is out on a rental via Turo.

Turo is a popular car rental app that hosts several exciting cars, and finding cars like the couple's Boxster on the app is a regular occurrence just about anywhere in the US. People even use the app to fund their purchases. However, tracking the car, and by extension, its temporary owner, has stirred up some controversy in the last few weeks.

In one video, the couple complains about being notified of the car's whereabouts at "all hours of the night" and how the vehicle is being driven. The app used by hosts Kyle and John tracks speed, throttle, and brake inputs. The pair are upset someone is driving the Porsche Boxster like, well, a Porsche.

"Our guests are racing up and down the scenic highway in Pensacola. If you can see those little stop lights, that's every time they do rapid acceleration, and the exclamation points are hard braking," Kyle said in the video. "Like, what the hell are you doing, dude?"

We'd be upset if someone took out our Porsche Boxster for a joyride. Driving someone else's car like you stole it is largely considered worthy of a "what the hell are you doing, dude?" However, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the kind of people looking to rent a Porsche will drive the car hard.

"We'll see how long before it gets totaled," John said. We should point out that Turo's policies do allow for the tracking of a vehicle. Other rental companies have similar policies, especially for more expensive cars like the Boxster in question.

What we have here is a catch-22. John and Kyle are well within their legal rights, per Turo policies, to track an owner, monitor how their car is being used, and even be upset if someone isn't treating their vehicle the way they would. Do unto others, et cetera.

On the other hand, John and Kyle have put a Porsche Boxster on a car rental app for anyone to use as they see fit within the realm of reason. And the Turo profile for this car expressly notes the performance improvements, including a Borla performance exhaust and H&R lowering springs - although this is followed by a disclaimer to drive with caution. We've all put our foot to the floor in a rental car before, but being called out for it on TikTok could be a bridge too far for some.