• Most Popular
  • Most Shared

Emergency services opt for luxury

BERLIN
Wed Sep 10, 2008 4:01pm EDT
A row of Porsche Cayenne are pictured in front of carpenters as they stand on the roof of a construction site during a topping-out ceremony at the Porsche plant in the eastern German city of Leipzig April 12, 2007. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

BERLIN (Reuters) - Emergency patients in the German city of Stuttgart will be rushed to hospital with extra speed and style after the fire brigade added two custom-made luxury Porsche cars to its fleet.

Oddly Enough

Each Cayenne model, a SUV worth about 70,000 euros, is equipped with a siren which Porsche says can be better heard by drivers and pedestrians and clears the roads faster.

"It was a difficult process; the interior had to be completely changed," Porsche spokesman Heiner von der Laden said Wednesday.

"We had to equip a standard model with ECG, defibrillator, oxygen supply and other medical apparatus."

Many other German cities use Mercedes and Volkswagen for their emergency medical services. Porsche said its reputation for quality and speed helped it win the deal in Stuttgart, where the company is based.

Porsche executive Thomas Edig said the company does not plan to pursue more business in the medical emergency services sector. Moscow is the only other city to use the prestigious luxury brand as an emergency vehicle, Porsche said.

(Reporting by Josie Cox; editing by Angus MacSwan)
Oddly Enough


More from Reuters

Joint Terminal Attack Controller SSgt Clinton J. Herbison, a U.S. Airman from the 817 Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron (EASOS) takes a break during a night mission near Honaker Miracle camp at the Pesh valley of Kunar Province August 12, 2009. Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Pictures of the Year

A look at the best photos of 2009.  Slideshow 

    PICTURES
    The Dalai Lama jokes with a nasal spray after being asked his opinion on the swine flu during a press conference after his first lecture in Lausanne, Switzerland, August 4, 2009. REUTERS/ Valentin Flauraud

    What a wacky year it's been...

    Um, what's up the Dalai Lama's nose? "Oddly Enough" editor Bob Basler rounds up the goofiest photos of the year.  Full Article 

    Oddly Enough
    A caution sign is seen next to a stock board at the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in Sydney September 5, 2008. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz
    Political Risk in 2010:

    Don't say we didn't warn you

    With the financial crisis (mostly) in the past, U.S. investors are eying a fresh start to the coming year. Here's a look at what speedbumps lie ahead.  Full Article 

    Global Markets