Have Porsche Lost the Plot?

[LordMarcher]

Another week gone by, another full vehicle Transporter sailed from Emden to Grimsby at the weekend and still my car is in Germany six or seven weeks or more after being built.
Nobody at Porsche GB seems to care about why my car is still in Germany or when they are going to ship it.
My lifelong admiration for the Porsche brand has turned to bitter resentment and I’m seriously considering washing my hands of it and telling the dealer to put it into stock and flip it to the next mug. I really am that pissed off that I don’t want to give Porsche one more penny of my hard earned money.

 

[Schuey]

Another week gone by, another full vehicle Transporter sailed from Emden to Grimsby at the weekend and still my car is in Germany six or seven weeks or more after being built.
Nobody at Porsche GB seems to care about why my car is still in Germany or when they are going to ship it.
My lifelong admiration for the Porsche brand has turned to bitter resentment and I’m seriously considering washing my hands of it and telling the dealer to put it into stock and flip it to the next mug. I really am that ****ed off that I don’t want to give Porsche one more penny of my hard earned money.

I think there must be a part on your car that is in short supply. It's not uncommon for certain parts to be fitted on your car once it has left the factory and sitting at the port. This is what I've learnt from speaking to some people who have been dealing with Porsche for many years. I feel your frustration though, about 7 months ago I was feeling like you. But I tell you what, it's worth the wait, so hang in there! If you cancel, then some lucky sod will just snap it up, when it was you that specced it and waited this long for!

 

[bl0498]

What Schuey suggests is most likely correct. My C4S sat at Emden for around a month last September/October simply because it needed standard parts fitted which had to be fitted before it was shipped to the UK. My OPC told me that they had 2 911’s waiting at Emden for exactly the same parts.

it will be worth the wait I can assure you…

 

[The Eagles]

Agree it is definitely worth the wait. If it is any consolation, warmer weather will be here when it lands.

 

[TonyJW]

Brian, Could you list the parts that your car waited for? It would be useful for any of us who are hoping to finalise specs in near future to have the best list we can of parts that can cause these delays. Also if others who have had this experience could add their parts that caused delays. Many thanks.

 

[bl0498]

Unfortunately I dont know what the parts were. All I was told was they were standard equipment parts - rather than options and thus the car couldn't be shipped to the UK without them fitted. Both of the OPC 911's affected needed the same parts so its easy to envisage there may be hundreds of 911's awaiting just one or a small numbers of parts. I guess when the parts arrive they go directly to the factory first before being issued out to Emden to fit to already built cars. Hence the delays can run into weeks.

 

[dkm2103]

Please dont get down, is dam frustrating for sure and we all appreciate that.
The parts that I know are in back log are:
1. The Bose Sound system
2. PCCB Brakes
3. USB-C

I am certainly no expert here and its no way near an official or exhaustive list but may offer some insight.
Personally, I will probably find myself in the same position . My Targa 4 GTS is due to 'Exit factory compound Kornwestheim" 14th April and "Exit port Emden" 28th April . I have expectations that Bose may be the cause of any delay for me (expectation on schedule was at dealer 5th May 23........... Lets see

 

[Jon_N]

I have to say, my experience with OPC Bournemouth has been brilliant… from order to allocation & delivery of my 992 C4GTS they kept me up-to-date at all stages… I was so impressed I actually placed a deposit for 992.2 Turbo S before I’d collected the GTS!


I also completely support the right for them to allocate special cars to their VIP customers to protect the brand.

 

[checkers]

Interesting view
Since I tend to buy OPC used 911s I guess I am helping VIP customers into there next special cars , although they may find a u tube account with 70k plus
subscribers a cheaper route

 

[Jon_N]

I’d imagine allocation to a YouTube journalist can be good promotion for Porsche U.K., they may not own lots of cars, but they do review all their models & support the brand in that way?


Personally I rarely track my cars, so a GT3 or GT3RS is wasted on me, but I do know people who have a longstanding history with a dealer (buying, servicing & always trading in cars for many years) who have received GT3 allocation - it’s all about relationships… same with a LamborghinI & Ferrari.

 

[AndrewCS]

I have to say, my experience with OPC Bournemouth has been brilliant… from order to allocation & delivery of my 992 C4GTS they kept me up-to-date at all stages… I was so impressed I actually placed a deposit for 992.2 Turbo S before I’d collected the GTS!


I also completely support the right for them to allocate special cars to their VIP customers to protect the brand.

Protect the brand from what ?

 

[MJB]

I have to say, my experience with OPC Bournemouth has been brilliant… from order to allocation & delivery of my 992 C4GTS they kept me up-to-date at all stages… I was so impressed I actually placed a deposit for 992.2 Turbo S before I’d collected the GTS!


I also completely support the right for them to allocate special cars to their VIP customers to protect the brand.

Protect the brand from what ?

Perhaps themselves?

 

[Jon_N]

I have to say, my experience with OPC Bournemouth has been brilliant… from order to allocation & delivery of my 992 C4GTS they kept me up-to-date at all stages… I was so impressed I actually placed a deposit for 992.2 Turbo S before I’d collected the GTS!


I also completely support the right for them to allocate special cars to their VIP customers to protect the brand.

Protect the brand from what ?

Perhaps themselves?

Surely it's all part of building & maintaining a prestige / luxury brand? Desire & scarcity creates increased demand, the brand controls the supply.... the halo cars like the GT3 & GT3RS create even more hype & demand... if just anybody can rock up & order one takes away a lot of the general desire to obtain the product.... same with Rolex & many other luxury brands. People want what they can't have, then more limited the supply & the more difficult it is to get the product, the more they want it! There's a fascinating book on driving sales & profit this way called "Oversubscribed" - the benefit to those that own products from the brand is that the price remains high & depreciation is much lower.

I'll openly admit I'm a sucker for it myself, there's plenty of other very good quality car brands, but I like the prestige & status that comes with a Porsche, combined with great service and an excellent vehicle to drive. Porsche, Lamborghini & Ferrari has an almost cult following.... now that's how to build a "brand"....

 

[Lancerlot]

Interesting perspective from an owner new to the brand. Some of us old cynics feel the market is disrupted and distorted by inter-dealer flipping. Always a perception when allocations are made at local rather than manufacturer level.
Regards,

Clive

 

[Longp2]

Personally when I hear the the 3 words "Very Important Person” uttered I have the urge to vomit - there are a few exceptions, Doctors, nurses, wife etc…
Porsche "Halo” cars are some of my favourite cars of all time and I would love to be able to walk into my dealer and order one as easily as I ordered my latest car, however because I’m not VIP enough I can’t.
IMO some Porsche dealers have missed a trick with their allocation strategy and tbh I don’t think it would make a jot of difference to them financially or to the image of the brand if they just sold them to any Tom, dick or Harry on a first come first served basis.
BTW I can’t afford a GT3 and the resident "VIP” said I couldn’t have one!!

 

[Jon_N]

Interesting perspective from an owner new to the brand. Some of us old cynics feel the market is disrupted and distorted by inter-dealer flipping. Always a perception when allocations are made at local rather than manufacturer level.
Regards,

Clive

Thanks Clive,

I'm sure there's an element of it with some dealers selling units & immediately receiving them back to sell at a higher margin as stock. Whilst I'm new to Porsche, I'm familiar with Lamborghini & Ferrari, it's not too dissimilar in terms of a model.... Ferrari probably the best at keeping control from the factory, equally, if you flip a car & don't offer it back to the approved network, good luck ever getting another allocation! Lamborghini has suffered more from flippers, they're now trying to get more control from factory as well.... easy to do when demand is so crazy I guess...


Personally I just treat all the dealers with respect & understand they're running a business, I'm quite happy to trade a car back at a lower price than I can sell in the open market if I know they'll look after me on my next car(s).

Maybe in a few more years I might be a lot more cynical! lol

 

[findtom.com]

Lets be honest, GT cars are not about enthusiasts. They are money spinner for Dealers, plain and simple. I get it, it frustrates me too, I‘m 20 years in and on my 11th Porsche, I still can’t get a GT3. (After 16 years with the same dealer)!

The good news is I have solved the problem. I ordered a new 296GTB instead of a GT3 Touring.

 

[Jon_N]

Lets be honest, GT cars are not about enthusiasts. They are money spinner for Dealers, plain and simple. I get it, it frustrates me too, I‘m 20 years in and on my 11th Porsche, I still can’t get a GT3. (After 16 years with the same dealer)!

The good news is I have solved the problem. I ordered a new 296GTB instead of a GT3 Touring.

Lets be honest, GT cars are not about enthusiasts. They are money spinner for Dealers, plain and simple. I get it, it frustrates me too, I‘m 20 years in and on my 11th Porsche, I still can’t get a GT3. (After 16 years with the same dealer)!

The good news is I have solved the problem. I ordered a new 296GTB instead of a GT3 Touring.

Congrats! The 296 is quite a car! Bit of a crazy lead time, but same with Porsche at the moment I guess… enjoy!

I’m keeping an eye out for a good used 296GTB once GTS allocations start flowing as I understand a lot of people will be swapping them out then.

 

[Lancerlot]

The good news is I have solved the problem. I ordered a new 296GTB instead of a GT3 Touring.

Quite a price hike over the GTS. of course and chances are there'll be a replacement model launch before you can take delivery!
Still it's a very fine piece of kit - just a pity that transparent engine cover only reveals orange battery cables. []
Regards,

Clive

 

[findtom.com]

Well, I still stand a chance of getting one, unlike a GT3…. Secondhand prices of a Touring are not a million miles away from the 22 price of a 296 GTS. That was until the price hikes in Jan 23.

I have actually asked for one of the last ones off the production line. I‘ll be living overseas for another 24 months so it should arrive about the right time. And if they add a new model, I’ll have the option to move to that. Dealing with Ferrari has been very refreshing. So far…