EX-OPC DEMONSTRATOR
- Thread starter Delbox
- Start date
Guest
New member
I did a Porsche GB Boxster track day a few years ago, where one of the activities was to be driven round by Tiff Needell (sideways), Johnny Mowlem and Richard Attwood at close to race pace. The cars (demonstrators) were driven to the limit - after a one hour session the brake pads had to be replaced. The tyres lasted < 1 day.
They were also spun through cones, and crashed into the back of an inflatable bus by one customer.
Great fun as a punter but i wouldn't want to have bought one of the cars they used.
They were also spun through cones, and crashed into the back of an inflatable bus by one customer.
Great fun as a punter but i wouldn't want to have bought one of the cars they used.
Helen Goff
No.1 Poster
agree totally with JCB and i have happily bought a ex demonstrator and would do so again.
Delbox
New member
Remember that the Press cars were not registered to OPCs - so a quick check of the V5 will give away that background. My car's V5 shows the first owner as 'Nottingham OPC (Dealer Demonstrator)'; I was assured, and have no reason to believe otherwise, that my car was only used by the dealership and - on being asked the specific question - not 'Test Drive Plus'! If there are any 'test drive hooligans' on this forum that thrashed my car before I took delivery then I don't want to know! However, I would ask them to reflect on their ill-advised actions.
Helen Goff
No.1 Poster
ORIGINAL: daro911
Would you happily by an ex-press car when TG or 5th gear have done with it [&o] And if so would you expect to pay the same price as say a gently run in and driven low mileage one owner used example []
i would not pay full asking for any ex demo car otherwise whats the benifit in it for me. theres plenty of Boxsters out there to choose from..
if you buy any low milage second hand boxster how do you know it hasn't done all those miles being thrashed on a track?
Delbox
New member
Not at all! However, I'd want to know the history of such a car and make a sensible judgement on its condition and price. We've all seen how the Press 'maltreat' cars and, from comments on this and other forums, how some people think that demonstrators are there to be thrashed.
Clearly, I don't have any misgivings about ex-demonstrators - or I wouldn't have bought one! However, I bought it with my eyes open and asked all the right questions; I have no reason to believe that I was lied to when they were answered. Remember that it is not in an OPC's interest to have its demonstrator damaged; they've invested in it and don't want it off the road through mechanical or bodywork damage. Moreover, the sales executive is in charge of the car and is responsible for it - even if you crash it!
I hear what Helen says about pricing but used 987s were in short supply when I bought mine and the saving on list was extremely small; however, I accepted that because I collected the car 3 days after first seeing and driving it!
I bought a Ford Focus RS demonstrator with 2300 recorded miles in a similar manner; saw and test drove it on the Saturday and collected it still bug-spattered the following day!
Clearly, I don't have any misgivings about ex-demonstrators - or I wouldn't have bought one! However, I bought it with my eyes open and asked all the right questions; I have no reason to believe that I was lied to when they were answered. Remember that it is not in an OPC's interest to have its demonstrator damaged; they've invested in it and don't want it off the road through mechanical or bodywork damage. Moreover, the sales executive is in charge of the car and is responsible for it - even if you crash it!
I hear what Helen says about pricing but used 987s were in short supply when I bought mine and the saving on list was extremely small; however, I accepted that because I collected the car 3 days after first seeing and driving it!
I bought a Ford Focus RS demonstrator with 2300 recorded miles in a similar manner; saw and test drove it on the Saturday and collected it still bug-spattered the following day!
Guest
New member
I wouldn't buy a Porsche ex-demo/fleet/press car for the following reasons:
It takes more than 10 mins of gentle driving to get the car up to temperature, ok, the coolant temperature may be just up to temperature, but the oil won't be, and the engine block certainly will still have cold spots, and I've seen demo cars caned from off the forecourt, billowing smoke etc. A press car will have been nailed to within an inch of its life, and we all know that its the first few thousand miles that are important as the components bed down with each other, ok, so they make change the discs, pads and tyres, but what about ball joints, piston rings, clutch, gear box etc. They're not going to replace everything!
Ok, you take a risk buying a 2nd hand car too, but I reckon it's less likely to have been driven as hard and for such long periods as demo/test/press/fleet cars. I mean, if you worked in a dealer and could take the Boxster demo home, would you cane it and red line in every possible gear? As long as it's not crashed they won't care.
It takes more than 10 mins of gentle driving to get the car up to temperature, ok, the coolant temperature may be just up to temperature, but the oil won't be, and the engine block certainly will still have cold spots, and I've seen demo cars caned from off the forecourt, billowing smoke etc. A press car will have been nailed to within an inch of its life, and we all know that its the first few thousand miles that are important as the components bed down with each other, ok, so they make change the discs, pads and tyres, but what about ball joints, piston rings, clutch, gear box etc. They're not going to replace everything!
Ok, you take a risk buying a 2nd hand car too, but I reckon it's less likely to have been driven as hard and for such long periods as demo/test/press/fleet cars. I mean, if you worked in a dealer and could take the Boxster demo home, would you cane it and red line in every possible gear? As long as it's not crashed they won't care.
Delbox
New member
Perhaps I've been lucky; ex demonstrator with 2600 recorded miles and no problems - yet! However, I've heard about many who purport to have run-in their cars carefully yet suffered RMS failures and bits of trim coming loose; not just Boxsters but 997s as well! Moreover, why would you 'red line in every possible gear'? The power band is well below the red line so you're getting less out of the car by 'red-lining' it! Consequently, I think that you either underestimate the knowledge of sales executives - or you're using the wrong OPC! There again, perhaps you're one of the test drive hooligans that I refered to earlier?[]
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If you are at the redline, then you are higher up the powercurve for the next higher gear...[]
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I agree with Jonathansbuk, all those short harsh journeys have to be some of the worst conditions you could treat the car to. If the salesman is on a short test drive with a customer he's not going to be spending any of that time telling the customer off for not keeping it below 4k 'till the oil heats up. Many people think I'm joking when I tell them I take those kind of precautions, they have no idea how to treat a car, nor would they care on a demo.
Bedding down the engine correctly has nothing to do with RMS failures, (unless you have evidence otherwise) and is not related to bits of trim falling off. Those are both manufacturing faults.
Bedding down the engine correctly has nothing to do with RMS failures, (unless you have evidence otherwise) and is not related to bits of trim falling off. Those are both manufacturing faults.
JCB..
Non-member
Why the hell not - it's a Porsche is it not? I'm pretty sure that wrecking a set of tyres on an old airfield does less harm to a car than a few thousand miles on A and B roads.
I don't see what the fuss is about, Derek has a warranty so if the engine is trashed I'm sure it will manifest itself before the warranty runs out.
What about all the other second hand cars that get bought and sold every week? Who knows what they have been through in previous owners hands?
If we all bought new you'd have a problem shifting your old one Robert! [&:]
JCB..
[8D]Never been a problem in the past John as my old one is often better than a new one
Gently run in, never red lined, never raced until at least 10 miles warming up of Mobil 1 has taken place, and finally more polishing inside & out than you probably get on a dozen brand new cars [] Sad git or what but great used car buys if I say so myself []MY03 Sold Sept 04 9K Very Dry Miles on the clock and mechanically just run in for next owners pleasure
Helen Goff
No.1 Poster
the reason i bought an ex-demo car this time around was i got a much higher speced car for my ££
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