New Turbo: took the plunge!

[Alex L]

Well I finally bit the bullet and placed an order for a MY08 Turbo coupe.

My earlier battle of the brain vs the heart was settled on a cost basis in the end. The Turbo, despite its much discussed short-comings, is still the best all round choice Supercar (at least for me anyway).

I will get to my spec in a minute but first I wanted to let you know some MY08 options that I saw today on my OPCs internal car configuration system. New for MY08:

* Turbo sports Body-kit (around £3500): includes revised front spoiler lip, and fixed rear wing. There was a warning about ground clearance on the system. Available from Sept 07, although the sales guy suggested that Dec-Jan was more likely.
* No extended navigation option: this is now included in the base model as standard
* More colours including that brown currently illustrated on the Porsche site with the Turbo Cab pictures.
* Thicker leather multi-functional steering wheel

I think that was about it from what I recall. Oh yes, and a 2.3% rise in base price. Outch.

OK, so my spec is the following:

* Midnight Blue Metallic
* Leather interior in special colour cocoa
* Windscreen with grey top tint
* Electric slide/tilt sunroof
* ParkAssist (parking aid rear)
* Sport Chrono Package Plus
* Sport shifter
* Manual Transmission
* Adaptive sports seats
* Heated seats
* Floor mats
* Three-spoke multi-function steering wheel in Aluminium Look
* Gear lever and handbrake lever in aluminium
* Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS)
* Telephone module

I am currently on the fence over the following:

* Rear centre console: Aluminium vs Leather vs Standard
* Steering wheel: Multi-Function Thicker vs Aluminium
* Rear axle-differential lock: yes vs no

Any thoughts?

I am also going to add privacy glass (tinted windows), and ClearBra/3M chip protection coating protection.

I am waiting to find out an exact month that I will get the car, but it should be somewhere between Oct and Dec. So at least I get to enjoy my Cabriolet for the summer before I trade in.

Pic as below, although the brakes will be yellow instead of red...

 

[YvesD]

Alex,

How could you and after all we've been through together !

Yves

 

[YvesD]

Alex,

Thats quite a short lead in time for the car, by my reckoning, you are going to miss X50 otion by a month or two ? []

What did your OPC tell you regarding this ? [8|]

Yves

 

[graham m]

Nice one Alex - you won't regret it! I've got the Ally (painted) centre console + silver seat belts. IMO breaks up nicely the black leather. Did consider Red belts but happy with the choice.
Graham

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: YvesD

Alex,

Thats quite a short lead in time for the car, by my reckoning, you are going to miss X50 otion by a month or two ? []

What did your OPC tell you regarding this ? [8|]

Yves

OPC Reading (UK HQ) knows no details on the powerkit. It wasn't an option in the new configurator system they have.

I don't have to finalize my spec until 2 months before build date so I still have time to change my mind on anything.

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: graham m

Nice one Alex - you won't regret it! I've got the Ally (painted) centre console + silver seat belts. IMO breaks up nicely the black leather. Did consider Red belts but happy with the choice.
Graham

Yes, it's between this and this:

 

[garyw]

Well done Alex []

I'm glad that someone else looked at Blue with Cocoa, my OPC from the very start tried to talk me out of it, saying it would kill residuals.. I know we should buy the cars for ourselves but with that in my mind !!
Luckily Meteor was launched so I happily changed..

I'm glad they will now be doing the MF thicker wheel, I couldn't spec that at the time.
You can see what I spec'd in the way of Ally to add to the interior, I also have the Silver belts...

Only additions I would have next time if going with ally would be the seatbelt outlet surrounds.

In addition the Logo on top of the armrest, for both ally or leather, the insert between the centre console and Gearstick in leather, its a plastic insert and somewhat bugs me that I missed it.
One last thing with picking non black colour is the steering wheel column surround will be left in black plastic if not spec'd []

I read that the US is fixed on diff lock...

whilst its nice to get the extended navigation (which I have never yet used)[] its a bit of a price increase just for that [] even at 2.3% !!

I'm sure the choices will be going over in your mind, even after you do the final spec....[8D]

garyw

 

[YvesD]

ORIGINAL: Alex L

ORIGINAL: YvesD

Alex,

Thats quite a short lead in time for the car, by my reckoning, you are going to miss X50 otion by a month or two ? []

What did your OPC tell you regarding this ? [8|]

Yves

OPC Reading (UK HQ) knows no details on the powerkit. It wasn't an option in the new configurator system they have.

I don't have to finalize my spec until 2 months before build date so I still have time to change my mind on anything.

Perhaps we can twist Mr Turral's arm at the 997 Register day to offer us a titbit or two on this.

Youv'e got me going again now.

Can I afford it ?, Yes.

Can I justify it ?, No !!

Yves

 

[okellyt]

ORIGINAL: YvesD

ORIGINAL: Alex L

ORIGINAL: YvesD

Alex,

Thats quite a short lead in time for the car, by my reckoning, you are going to miss X50 otion by a month or two ? []

What did your OPC tell you regarding this ? [8|]

Yves

OPC Reading (UK HQ) knows no details on the powerkit. It wasn't an option in the new configurator system they have.

I don't have to finalize my spec until 2 months before build date so I still have time to change my mind on anything.

Perhaps we can twist Mr Turral's arm at the 997 Register day to offer us a titbit or two on this.

Youv'e got me going again now.

Can I afford it ?, Yes.

Can I justify it ?, No !!

Yves

You haven't even run your X51 in properly yet, and your already craving more power.........[:-]

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: okellyt

ORIGINAL: YvesD

Perhaps we can twist Mr Turral's arm at the 997 Register day to offer us a tidbit or two on this.

You've got me going again now.

Can I afford it ?, Yes.

Can I justify it ?, No !!

Yves

You haven't even run your X51 in properly yet, and your already craving more power.........

I haven't got the Turbo yet and I am already[/b] craving more power!!!

I don't know whether my neck muscles have just acclimatized or something but I don't think the Turbo is actually that brutal when accelerating. I was expecting more from nearly 500 ponies. It's certainly a step up from a Carrera S though, especially that extra torque.

So that new DMS powerkit looks tempting if X50 is not retrofittable once it comes out.

The best thing for me about the Turbo though is the ride. It feels more comfortable, however at the same time it seems to corner flatter than my C2S Cab. But best of all is how the car feels so much more confident accelerating. The car seems to just hunker down and just launch forward. Conversely, my C2S nose just goes light and steering gets a bit twitchy when you put your foot down (in comparison anyway).

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: garyw

Well done Alex

I'm glad that someone else looked at Blue with Cocoa, my OPC from the very start tried to talk me out of it, saying it would kill residuals.. I know we should buy the cars for ourselves but with that in my mind !!
Luckily Meteor was launched so I happily changed..
...

whilst its nice to get the extended navigation (which I have never yet used) its a bit of a price increase just for that even at 2.3% !!

I'm sure the choices will be going over in your mind, even after you do the final spec....

garyw

Cheers Gary!

OPC Reading's head sales guy thought blue and cocoa would be a killer combination, so I don't think residuals are an issue.

With regards to the 2.3% increase, I am guessing that some extras are going into MY08 cars that Porsche are not officially going to announce - a tweak here and there.

For example, there's been rumors that the latest Turbos off the production line have better sounding exhausts than early models "" after numerous customer complaints.

Also, there is another rumor that the X50 powerkit when it comes out may not be retrofittable. So perhaps some big changes are happening under the skin of MY08 models to allow that compatibility to happen.

I am sure with all the recent R&D on the new Turbo Cabriolet and the GT2 that some lessons learnt could be shared with the Coupe. I know the Cab recently announced prices are inclusive of this 2.3% rise.

 

[richardgilbert]

Well I'am still not sure about taking the "plunge" test driving a tiptronic next week. But I think think the cocoa leather is a great option, got talked out of it on my 4s and regretted untill the day I sold it.

 

[Alex L]

Upon reflection following the extremely valid points-of-view on this and other boards, I have updated my spec a little:

* Manual Transmission
* Midnight Blue Metallic
* Leather interior in black - saves a little money and also I am hearing stories of other OPCs saying cocoa results in £5k less resales value!
* Rear axle-differential lock - would rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it!
* Thicker three-spoke multi-function steering wheel - moving more towards leather and less towards fake aluminum
* Rear centre console in leather - I think the most classy option
* Gear lever and handbrake lever in aluminum - still thinking about this one
* PCCB
* Sport Chrono Package Plus
* Sport shifter
* Adaptive sports seats
* Heated seats
* Windscreen with grey top tint
* Electric slide/tilt sunroof
* ParkAssist (parking aid rear)
* Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS)
* Telephone module
* Floor mats

Much like the following:

 

[garyw]

ORIGINAL: Alex L

* Leather interior in black - saves a little money and also I am hearing stories of other OPCs saying cocoa results in £5k less resales value!

Agreed, but only when spec'd with a Blue exterior.... other combinations are somewhat equal.. []
I still think its the OPC bullying the customer to spec what they want to resell.

If you end up like me, they'll be plenty more changes to come... but I have to agree, you have picked a good spec for the car.....

Rear wiper and sunroof or not ? []

garyw

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: garyw
Rear wiper and sunroof or not ? []

No, deleted the rear wiper as I garage the car. When the car is moving it doesn't need one. Plus there's the issue of no cleaning water jets and also spoiling the cars lines.

Yes on the sunroof option - I am coming from a Cabriolet remember so it would be too much of a shock otherwise []

 

[Lancerlot]

I'm pleased that I spec'd mine with a rear wiper.[]
Regards,
Clive

 

[Alex L]

ORIGINAL: Lancerlot

I'm pleased that I spec'd mine with a rear wiper.[]
Regards,
Clive

Please tell me why, I am curious, and still open-minded on this point...

 

[graham m]

I've got the rear wiper - it's a load of tosh that it spoils the lines[][]. Fact is it rains here in the UK, and when you stop in traffic or when you reverse into your garage, it will get wet and you'll get reduced visability. OK so you've got reverse sensors, but seeing through the rear screen is a big advantage[8|]
Graham

 

[Lancerlot]

I fully concur with Graham.
I'm particularly thankful on a wet evening, progressing slowly in traffic and wanting to squeeze into another lane.
This would be horrific with an obscured rear screen. []
Regards,
Clive

 

[garyw]

This is becoming Scary !! all of us Turbo owners have rear wipers []...

For exactly the same reasons as above...

and I'd spec it on the next one aswell

garyw