The Europeans get all of the cool stuff first, as BMW allows them to rent various BMWs->ke178, including M-Series models, hourly, daily, or weekly, as opposed to shelling out the $40,000+ required to buy one. Well, after successfully testing in the Euro market, BMW is finally bringing this system, called OnDemand, to the U.S.

Initially, the U.S. Launch will be isolated to only one dealership, BMW of Manhattan, and to one model, the 328i. BMW of Manhattan will offer up a total of 100 328is for people to rent to impress their boss, friends, or date. This system is also great for fleet companies deciding if BMW is right for them or prospective retain customers looking to take an extended test drive prior to lumping down thousands of dollars. It is pretty safe to assume that given this is the initial launch is in Manhattan, booking a rental 328i won't be as simple as booking a Taurus from your local Avis dealer.

Given this is all successful, we will see the available lineup slowly expand. Some of the models to be added to the available rentals include the new 7-Series->ke323, X5->ke326, X6->ke2396, M3->ke2366, and even the M5->ke2922. According to the report, however, to get premium rides, like the M3 and M5, the renter has to go through a more rigorous qualification process.

Pricing for renting the initial 328i will not be known until about August, but you can rest assured that it will not be a $20 per day rental and we bet insurance is not optional. We'll update you once pricing is released on this new system.

.