Kobalt:Gnil:Porsche can not make this program work . They are now in the impossibility to make any real limited production, as they would only go to 918 buyers .
Do you know if the 918 VIP program is worldwide or just North America?
It is worldwide. The situation is insane. I was offered a left hand drive car for £50K over list! I said you can put that where the sun doesn't shine and I will wait for my Singer.
Kobalt:Gnil:Porsche can not make this program work . They are now in the impossibility to make any real limited production, as they would only go to 918 buyers .
Do you know if the 918 VIP program is worldwide or just North America?
PCNA is the one that think of the VIP program, and USA is the only country with an official VIP program. Porsche UK doesn't have something like that. Porsche Canada also doesn't officially have that program either. But being a 918 customers means they will do everything they can to secure cars for their top customers.
This sounds really good! Here in Germany it is all very personal between you and your dealer. And even if you are a 918 client, you might get that special treatment or not.
I have to say after all those years driving Porsche, I just own that SLS for 6 months but really feel to be a client. Huge difference. Invited to many private lounge event - approx. 50 % of them free of charge - which is cool, too. But at least you feel that they care about a client. At Porsche I always had the feeling that you have to ask and beg if you can buy a car. And this not only in the dealership - also the workshop was kind of arrogant and snobby.
So - cool, that at least in Canada they care about their clients!
Lars997:This sounds really good! Here in Germany it is all very personal between you and your dealer. And even if you are a 918 client, you might get that special treatment or not.
I have to say after all those years driving Porsche, I just own that SLS for 6 months but really feel to be a client. Huge difference. Invited to many private lounge event - approx. 50 % of them free of charge - which is cool, too. But at least you feel that they care about a client. At Porsche I always had the feeling that you have to ask and beg if you can buy a car. And this not only in the dealership - also the workshop was kind of arrogant and snobby.
So - cool, that at least in Canada they care about their clients!
Yeah, I have nothing but compliments towards Porsche Canada, and same with the dealer.
Porsche's mistake regarding the VIP program is to assume it would be a marketing tool. Buy this car and you get ahead of the line for future models. I doubt very much that was a major consideration for 918 buyers. More importantly, it alienated many long time customers by pushing them back toward the end of the line on new models.
Of little, to make much: That is the dream of a human life.
nberry:Porsche's mistake regarding the VIP program is to assume it would be a marketing tool. Buy this car and you get ahead of the line for future models. I doubt very much that was a major consideration for 918 buyers. More importantly, it alienated many long time customers by pushing them back toward the end of the line on new models.
+ 1 . That offer was not thought trough properly . I am also certain no one bought the 918 because of that .
It is good to treat well the 918 buyers, but it should of been by offering other kind of gifts, or privileges not related directly to the ' normal' customers .
997.2 C2 , -20mm I 964 Carrera 4 I 991 GT3 RS on order delivery early Sept .
Gnil:I am also certain no one bought the 918 because of that .
Well, it might have been a smart reason to buy one. I have a friend who has spent millions on Porsches, had no interest in 918 and now can't buy limited cars as he would like (he is the one that I gave my 997 RS 4.0L allocation to). Even though he doesn't care about 918, he wishes he bought one just for the VIP Program.
73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550
Grant:Well, it might have been a smart reason to buy one. I have a friend who has spent millions on Porsches, had no interest in 918 and now can't buy limited cars as he would like (he is the one that I gave my 997 RS 4.0L allocation to). Even though he doesn't care about 918, he wishes he bought one just for the VIP Program.
This is exactly the kind of example that shows that this VIP programme is counterproductive and will hurt more Porsche then do good .
So an R&B kid , who has never owned a Porsche but bought a 918 will have more privilege then a long time loyal and excellent customer
--
997.2 C2 , -20mm I 964 Carrera 4 I 991 GT3 RS on order delivery early Sept .
It was the fear of not getting cars that drove more people into fighting for limited production models.
Even without the VIP program, I tend to believe all the 918 customers will still get preferred treatment from their dealerships, and Porsche. It could have been a unwritten perk that no one else noticed. But now because it is in print and well circulated, the backlash built against the 918 buyers.
In my mind the VIP program changed nothing. Did the average joe have a chance in getting the 997 4.0RS back then? Nope. it was at the mercy of the dealership, just like now with the 991 RS, the average joe still don't have a chance. Dealers employ the same dirty trick of tagging on unreal sums of 'market adjustment' to hard to get cars, at least in the US market.
With the PCNA 918 VIP program, at least 'some' customers won't get gouged by the dealers. The average joe will still need to pay market value for a car, except this time around the profit goes to the 918 buyer instead of the dealer.
In the end it wasn't Porsche's fault nor the 918 buyers, it was the dealers. They have poisoned the market for so long it is almost unfixable no matter what Porsche do.
The VIP program was a desperate move from Porsche to sell the 918... I sure helped selling some cars. Had I bought a 918 I would totally use and even abuse the system Porsche put in place. Like Nick said the program was existing before but wasn't put in formal terms. Another horrible PR move from Porsche going after 918 buyers.
Dealers should not be allowed to sell new cars above MSRP. They should however allocate them among their best customers to maximize profits and move other cars... Ferrari is actually handling this part much better than Porsche since it isn't a fair game in the first place anyway.
Drove at a Bilster Berg trackday today (invited by Donkervoort) where the burned GT3 RS was parked. A sad sight. Smelled bad too. They told me it was the second (!) engine fire on this car and the fourth on a GT3 RS. Any evidence on that?
anyway, the UV looks Ubercool. Hope it was just a freak accident.
spudgun:Drove at a Bilster Berg trackday today (invited by Donkervoort) where the burned GT3 RS was parked. A sad sight. Smelled bad too. They told me it was the second (!) engine fire on this car and the fourth on a GT3 RS. Any evidence on that?
anyway, the UV looks Ubercool. Hope it was just a freak accident.
Was the engine running ok when the fire happened or did it have an obvious mechanical running problem that caused the fire?
73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550
spudgun:Drove at a Bilster Berg trackday today (invited by Donkervoort) where the burned GT3 RS was parked. A sad sight. Smelled bad too. They told me it was the second (!) engine fire on this car and the fourth on a GT3 RS.
Smoked salmon?
2015 981 Cayman GT4 | White | Full Bucket Seats | Sport Chrono
2014 991 Carrera 4S | Dark Blue Metallic | PDK | Sport Chrono | SPASM
spudgun:Drove at a Bilster Berg trackday today (invited by Donkervoort) where the burned GT3 RS was parked. A sad sight. Smelled bad too. They told me it was the second (!) engine fire on this car and the fourth on a GT3 RS. Any evidence on that?
anyway, the UV looks Ubercool. Hope it was just a freak accident.
I assume you are referring to the car shown on a YouTube video which Kobalt linked to in this thread a couple of days ago?
The video has been declared "private" in the meantime so it's no longer accessible, but I did look at it at the time and got the impression that the first engine "event", was a mechanical failure of some sort, but not a fire. It happened (at a track day ) when the car had done less than 500km. There was talk of that engine having been changed under warranty by the dealer, in spite of the car's owner not allowing Porsche (factory) to inspect the car to try to establish the cause of the failure.
The fire arose after the engine swap (at about 1400km IIRC), and was sited at the rear left hand side of the engine bay.
The whole story sounded a little bit "fishy".
PS: I just read Bluelines post, so should explain that I was not thinking in terms of smoked salmon when I wrote the above.
IIRC, the car was silver.
PPS: OK, it's ultra viole(n)t . I knew it wasn't salmon.
--
fritz
Aug 24, 2015 7:16:11 PM
This car run to well to have problems...or at least is what i think.
500kms on the speedo and be on a track day for me is just a cause of the problem.
Someone can think that a proper run-in is a waste of time,but for me it isn't.An engine that make so much rpm NEED a minimum of adaptation before to reach his maximum rotation.Maybe tomorrow also mine will collapse,but i tried to let not this thing happen...at least.
good luck to us!
997TT RS Tuning stage II(sold),2011 Cayenne Turbo(sold),waiting 991 GT3 RS
Aug 24, 2015 8:03:03 PM
I was also at Bilster Berg today for the trackday and I confirm everything stated above by spud gun. It looks like it was a mini-fire on the car on the rear left in the engine bay. The fire got well contained and not the whole engine caught fire. But not nice... Hopefully an isolated case.
My GT4 did not catch fire today during the trackday and I achieved the same lap time I had with my 997 GT3 MK2 (3.8) two years ago. The GT4 is the perfect car for this twisty and hilly track.
Cayman GT4 / Awaiting 991 GT3 RS / Gone: 997.2 GT3 RS 3.8, 997.2 GT3, Lotus Exige S, 964 Turbo 3.3
Aug 24, 2015 8:13:02 PM
GoHardGT3RS:My GT4 did not catch fire today during the trackday and I achieved the same lap time I had with my 997 GT3 MK2 (3.8) two years ago. The GT4 is the perfect car for this twisty and hilly track.
Excellent! Pretty impressive considering the +50hp deficit. Was there any trouble with noise regulations?
--
73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550
Aug 24, 2015 8:17:42 PM
No trouble at all today for me with noise with the GT4 where I got systematically taken out with my previous GT3 and GT3 RS at Bilster Berg. I must say that I drove today with the valves closed to avoid trouble, but not sure if this makes any difference when you drive full throttle.
Cayman GT4 / Awaiting 991 GT3 RS / Gone: 997.2 GT3 RS 3.8, 997.2 GT3, Lotus Exige S, 964 Turbo 3.3
Aug 24, 2015 8:27:06 PM
GoHardGT3RS:My GT4 did not catch fire today during the trackday and I achieved the same lap time I had with my 997 GT3 MK2 (3.8) two years ago. The GT4 is the perfect car for this twisty and hilly track.
That is not bad my friend. Not bad at all
2015 981 Cayman GT4 | White | Full Bucket Seats | Sport Chrono
2014 991 Carrera 4S | Dark Blue Metallic | PDK | Sport Chrono | SPASM
Aug 24, 2015 8:59:51 PM
GoHardGT3RS:No trouble at all today for me with noise with the GT4 where I got systematically taken out with my previous GT3 and GT3 RS at Bilster Berg. I must say that I drove today with the valves closed to avoid trouble, but not sure if this makes any difference when you drive full throttle.
Good! Maybe I should consider adding this track to my schedule
73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550
bluelines:spudgun:Drove at a Bilster Berg trackday today (invited by Donkervoort) where the burned GT3 RS was parked. A sad sight. Smelled bad too. They told me it was the second (!) engine fire on this car and the fourth on a GT3 RS.
Smoked salmon?
..
throt
"I Have Done It!".
991 GT3 pick up in October.