Porsche Price Differentials

[Dottore]

Can someone explain to me why a Cayman that costs US$60,000 just south of the border, cost just over CDN$100,000 here when one CDN$ is worth US$0.88??

Any Canadians on this board have any experience in buying in the US and importing to Canada? I would be very interested to hear about problems, issues, costs etc.

[bryanthompson]

Just guessing here, but maybe the market for Caymans in Canada is smaller, so it's more expensive to import them, which makes them more expensive? Maybe there are other goofy trade laws or restrictions that Porsche has to deal with.

[Christien]

Nope, it has nothing to do with the model. My dad and I have researched this extensively, to the point of even speaking to a border-town dealership in the US about it. It's simply more expensive, and it's not just Porsches. It's cheaper to buy in the US, pay for shipping, exchange, sales taxes, RIV stuff if applicable than it is to buy here in Canada. It's just more of a pain, and financing can be an issue. The guy at the dealership said a lot of Canadians across the border buy or lease cars from them.

If you have access to dealer auctions, US Porsches are an excellent short-term investment. On late model vehicles you can turn a quick $10, more if you're able to do it in conjunction with a dealership, to avoid taxes. (perfectly legit, too). 01 to 03 911's are the best, because of their point in the depreciation curve, availability and local market demand.

[Steve PH]

Befor you make direct price comparisons, have you taken local taxes into account?

[Christien]

Local sales tax (i.e. from the seller's state) doesn't apply to exports. We pay sales tax here once it's imported.

[Tervuren]

Taxes in Canada jack local prices up.

[jorian]

Dottore,

I bought my car in the US and imported it myself with minimal hassle. Saved 10K and had a great time driving it home. I'm currently bidding on a 03' cab to import and flip. PM me your contact info if you want any more info.