Targa Tim:

I don't see why you guys are complaining about the Cayennes prices, which I think is reasonably priced in North America.  It is the Panameras that are overpriced.

X5M is the performance bargain SUV no doubt, but I don't think Porsche is a company that will look at BMW and adjust its prices at all.

And if you guys think Porsche is expensive, then don't even think about buying Aston, Bentley, Ferrari and Lambo...

OK, my flamesuit is on.

 


 

Even the Panamera is a bargain in the US, compared to german prices for example.

The Panamera Turbo is 132600 USD in the US, incl. lets say 8% tax, it costs 143200 USD.

In Germany, the price tag of the Panamera Turbo is 135154 EUR incl. 19% german VAT.

Taking the current exchange rate of 1.36 USD for 1 EUR, the Panamera Turbo costs 183809 USD in Germany. This is a premium of 40609 USD.

I know I shouldn't do this and there are more factors involved in exchange rates and market prices than I'm taking account of but still...40609 USD ?

Compared to the US, the Panamera Turbo should cost 116025 EUR incl. 19% german VAT in Germany and this would definetely be a much more competitive price in Germany.

I understand that Porsche is charging a premium but the question is: who is going to pay this premium ? Customers like me, longtime Porsche customers and hardcore Porsche fans, aren't stupid. We love to pay a premium if the product is worth it and if it stands out of the crowd compared to the competition. I can't see that regarding the Cayenne Turbo right now and the Panamera Turbo is a fine product and definitely competitive...until the new BMW M5 shows up.

Sorry, Porsche but paying a premium for a superior product is one thing. Getting ripped off is another one, I'm just not into that stuff.

Lets take the Cayenne as an example: almost everything you can't see on this car has actually a VW logo on it. Does this mean it is better quality than BMW ? Lets take the engines, Porsche-made, right. BMW has raced in the Formula One over the past few years, do they build bad engines ? I doubt it.

Customers like me or like others here in the forums are car nuts and pretty much aware of the value a certain brand and model is providing. Porsche can't fool anybody and if they think that just the brand is worth a premium of 30%, I'm sorry, it isn't.

The only Porsche products I really call "competitive" right now and I would pay the price for them are 997 GT3, 997 GT3 RS and the 997 Turbo/Turbo S. Even the regular 997 Carrera is a pretty competitive product but the competition already moved up (BMW M3, Audi RS5, Nissan GT-R, etc.).

Remember the time when Porsche put the 993 Turbo on the market ? This car almost annihilated the competition in many ways, it was a fantastic offer at a somehow reasonable price. 

The Panamera sales strategy should have been different: Porsche should have offered the Panamera at exactly the same price tag (incl. options) as the Cayenne. Let people decide what they want to drive, a SUV or a sedan. I bet they would have sold much more Panamera and trust me, they wouldn't have lost a dime in the process.


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M (on the ship), BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW