I've been toying with the idea of a used 997(Mk2) but I confess the 718 looks and attractive pricing/performance got me wondering, despite the 4 banger...I wanted to hear one in the flesh... Went to the dealer today, hadn't been in ages..
First things first, no cars. At all... I mean a ridiculous small number of used or certified cars (90% convertibles and 100% PDK). No 718 at all... I mean all this media stuff on the 718 and they are actually not showing up for another 45 days in showrooms... The salesmen knew nothing about them other than what *we* already read... No videos, nothing... Odd !
Amusingly, the dealerships are loaded with 2015-2016 Cayman/Boxsters which are slower than the upcoming cars and none of them was to be had under $80K !!! Who's going to buy a *base* 981 for 80 grand when the new base is as fast as a 981 "S" for 25K less?!!! You look at MSRP of a base 718 Cayman of 53900 and you think, "eh, maybe I can pull that off, if it doesn't sound too bad". You quickly realize the dealer only has cars with 15-20K of options... I really wonder how on earth they think they are going to offload the old ones at those prices, esp. considering the reversal of Cayman/Boxster standing in the lineup...
I toured the entire showroom and parking lot, even the area with newly arrived cars still cocooned: Zero stick shift cars... Kid you not, not one ! The only 2 sticks to be seen were a customer 991 not yet retrieved and my parked car. I ask the sales guys where the sticks are, he laughs at me like I'm a few fries short of a happy meal... calls me "old school", says they don't order them anymore unless it's a GT4 or something, and I should not hold my breath to see one here... I briefly argue the "fun car = stick" POV, he's now looking at me like I dropped more fries! Well, then !! I guess I'm not a proper customer for the new Porsche world, I went back to my 72 911 - which had a small crowd of dealership employees gathered around it, and left.
Kinda dissapointed here... First in us - we either buy all PDK or they make us, either way that's out bad... Also in the bad strategy (media barrage before actual availability, especially considering that 4 banger has up and down reviews on sound), the lack of cars on the lot (not just the new models, not much choice in current ones or certified or used), the 100% PDK tack and all the BS that came with it (salesman telling me the gov't is "making them do it" - not exactly, you are free to spec out manuals, still), the gazillion $ of options on *all* the cars - I get it's a biz but I'm sure strippers would sell, and generally the condescending attitude and lack of product knowledge of the sales people... And that's a certified premier dealer or whatever... I'm thinking a dealership that would order enthusiasts cars and not load them like pigs might do well, but I guess I'm wrong - enthusiast are just not the target market anymore... Guess I'm a "used" Porsche buyer now and forever...
