Porsche Panamera Available for Rent from Avis Germany

People travelling in Germany and/ or those who can't afford to buy one can now rent a Porsche Panamera S or Panamera 4S from selected Avis rental points. According to Avis Germany, daily rentals (Monday to Thursday) will start from €189 while weekend packages (Friday to Monday) will be offered at a minimum price of €567.

This is quite a coup for Avis to avail the Panamera so soon after its launch. Renters will be able to enjoy its massive V8 power combined with the practicality of a four-door sedan, the luxury of a home lounge and the driving finesse associated with any other Porsche product.

The selected locations can be found in some major cities and at certain airports. Unfortunately the service is offered exclusively in Germany.

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BMW with 4-cylinder engines for U.S.

With C02 emissions regulations getting stricter than ever, BMW of North America has decided to introduce compact four-cylinder engines to its next-generation 3 Series models. In Europe and other parts of the world BMW already gives consumers the choice of four-cylinder petrol and diesel motors.

The Federal government has proposed that automakers improve their fleets' fuel economy by 5% per year for the next 5 to 6 years. Thereafter a national standard of 35.5 mpg takes effect. According to Jim O'Donnell, CEO of BMW of North America, the measures taken will help the company reach these targets before 2015.

The next-generation four-pot twin turbo engines have long been rumoured and will reach the US by 2012, powering the upcoming 3 Series. O'Donnell's team is also investigating the possibility of adding four-cylinder petrol power for the 1 Series, X1 and X3 models.

"We see potentially a significant market that could get to 100,000 four-cylinder engines in the United States," O'Donnell said.

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