Crown

OMG, what a roller coaster ride waiting for the 918.

This morning I got another phone call about the car, there 'might' be a problem with some parts that 'might' delay the car again. Plus I was told now I can't 'receive' my car at the Toronto airport when it arrives, only 2 918 specialists will be allowed near the car to check it over, which is not what I was 'promised' by the Porsche Canada CEO earlier in the year.

I was told what the problem is but I made a promise not to disclose unless I can find it on the internet. Being the gentleman that I am, I will keep my end of promises. 

While I think the clear and prompt communication is nice, but I still kind of getting disappointed with Porsche. Ever since VW bought out Porsche, everything seems like going down hill fast. The Piech effect is stronger than I imagine.

It used to be that Ferrari buyers are the one taking bullshit from the factory and if someone doesn't like that they go buy a Porsche, now the role is reversed. I went to the Ferrari dealership earlier after the bad news from Porsche and this ' ' close to buying a FF off the floor, it was a untitled 2013 from a bankrupted US Ferrari dealer which didn't sell a single car. I had that car on hold AND a allocation for a Sept production for a 2015 FF on hold for me to think over the weekend. And  they still aren't giving me a definite no for a LaFerrari, the answer is still a maybe.

Porsche is really cutting it real close to losing me as a loyal customer. They are not making stuff that I WANT to buy plus their quality is really dropping down to VW level.

It was so tempting to trade in the Turbo S for the FF earlier to get rid of some eye sore brand. That was how pissed off I was.

I am sure maybe tomorrow or next week or whatever when Porsche call again with some good news I will be ecstatic again.................

hang tight.....

I know if i was in your position i would be going nuts...

good luck

Give them the benefit of doubt Whoopsy, the car is worth it  I have a feeling that the CEO of Canada, or other countries representatives for that matter, do not always fully know what or what not to promise customers.. It's a fine line they are walking trying to make sales while also having to delivery based on the HQ plans and schedules. 

1991 BMW 535i Granitsilber/White Leather

Ex: '91 BMW 318i, '89 BMW 525i, '74 Mercedes-Benz 280E, '87 BMW 325is, '86 BMW 325e, '05 Ford Focus ZX4 S, '85.5 Porsche 944

Nick, you don't want a GT3 experience. A little delay is better than a recall. BTW, you probably could not back out of the deal at this stage.

I can understand your reason for the FF. AWD is a plus where you live. But be prepared to take a substantial hit in depreciation. Unless of course you negotiate a good price for it.

My new blog with automotive & motorcycle renders: tessoart.blogspot.com

Goes to show how fast a brand can lose a customer over bad service, even if the product promises to be stellar. Before they know it you'll have a garage full of Ferraris and only the 918 to remind you of what Porsche is "supposed" to stand for. 

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't waiting for the Sept production FF be a better choice than buying the one off the floor? I mean if the facelift is so close by, given the huge hit it's going to take in just a few months when they launch the facelift. Then again it depends on what you can negotiate for the 2015 vs the current price drop on the floor car, good offers are not to be ignored. Also I imagine that the purchase of the FF (and the Speciale for that matter) are all leverage "investments" to get you into the LaF. 

I would get the 2013 FF at a significant discount and trade the 911 in a heartbeat...

@SciFrog: admit it, you are a little biased :)

The 2015 will be of my configuration, I will get a decent discount off retail, and if I trade in the Speciale I will get a nice chunk up from that too, in the end money wise I will only get a little haircut. I do plan on ordering another Speciale if I do trade in the current one, as the current one is too heavily optioned and not exactly my kind of colour.

pdf_1406222476031.pdf

The 2013 one is not exactly how I wanted, grigio silverstone over cuoio, and no panoramic roof. But it can be had for not much more than what they want for a used 2013 that they had in stock.

I am dangling the carrot of the prospect of selling me 3 cars within 12 months and getting 2, maybe 3 cars back for resale to them as a incentive to give me good price. 

Right now Ferrari is a novelty to me and almost seems like I want to try out all of them. Even the F12 is not out of the question. 

Still discussing with my wife about it, she seems to hate the FF's design, and she absolutely hates the grigio silverstone colour, in her words "that colour seems like it's permanently looking dirty". She prefer me keeping the current Speciale and buying her a Maserati GranTurismo MC instead. 

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Your wife has taste.

The silver (not the silverstone) I forget what it is called is an amazing color in the flesh. The F12 is a fabulous car but probably undriveable in the snow or icy conditions. 

I am totally biased, but since it is from real Porsche and Ferrari ownership it's worth something... Porsche ownership is great like a good wife. Ferrari ownership is an amazing love/hate experience like a 20 years younger bombshell mistress 

I would never get a silver Ferrari, way too boring. The rear design of the FF is an issue. My wife doesn't like it but no complaints since I am thus keeping the manual 612 and saving tons of $$$, best car in the world right now for $100k IMHO... The V12 Ferrari is quite something, the FF is an amazing car but so is the F12. In your case you should really insider the F12 instead of the Speciale. You might want to look into the 599 GTO also. The FF is approaching redesign so just keep it in mind, and it doesn't sell well so you can negotiate a lot IMHO. If it gets you a LF just pay whatever they want for the FF...

SciFrog:

... If it gets you a LF just pay whatever they want for the FF...

Whoopsy, if I was in your position, I admit I'd probably be considering it this way. Technically a bad investment but ultimately the means to an end. 

Silverstone not a great colour for the FF. In the greys either Titanio or Ferro are much better.

If you do not need the rear seats than the F12 is the one to have - best normal production car in the world  - period.

As for buying the Speciale and FF to grease the LF pole  - it certainly would not work here in the UK  - too much demand, may be easier in Canada.

Best of luck with whatever you decide

Trust me, the F12 is REALLY tempting, there is a used one at the showroom right now that I can have. But as good as it is, a Corvette is even more tempting at a 1/5 of the price with 90% of the performance. The 2 car's layout is too similar. Just can't bring myself to pay that much for a better version of the Corvette. Had the F12 been a mid engine flat 12 monster, then there will be no contest.

Greasing the palms for a LaF is not actually the intention. It's more like egging on Porsche's parade. Vancouver is a small place, and in the car business it's even smaller. Just me showing up at Ferrari so often is already enough for some to ask what happened as I am suppose to be very close with the Porsche dealership. Ferrari is very eager to steal a customer from a competing brand. 

Buying a Ferrari right now almost seems like a sensible thing to do, the resale value is still up there plus the 7 year free service takes a big chunk off the buy-in price. Porsche on the other hand seems to have lost touch with the market regarding their pricing, I did a config a while ago and if I were to buy a 991 Turbo S comparable to my 997 Turbo S, I am paying an extra 60k!!! Unbelievable. If I ma paying that much I might as well step up a little bit and go with Ferrari, especially with the resale potential on new models. Granted that only benefits the early buyers but now that I am in the door without jumping through the typical Ferrari hoops, I might as well take advantage of it.

Whoopsy, get the F12.  Period.  

Nick, I cannot argue with your thought process. You make good points. Sadly, I don't think much will change with Porsche. That ship has sailed. The C2S that Porsche gave me to drive cost almost as much as my GT3. I would NEVER pay that amount for that car.

The new Honda NXT looks terrific and its price point is even better yet. It will be the price of a 911 and depending on who you believe have 500-600hp. Like the 918 it will also have electric power for additional performance.

the F12 will be the last of its kind. ever. I would pick it up if you like it, but pls no Corvette...

The first ever to be sold in Canada:

Hm, can imagine that you're disappointed to say the least Whoopsy.
When buying a car in the supercar segment, you want to be treated like a super customer.

Their statement that you won't be allowed near the car in Toronto sounds really weird... OK, so they will need to fix some stuff there... that's ok, but then they should tell you they need a day or two to prepare it for you and then go out of their way to make the experience top-notch for you... 

For this kind of money, porsche should be asking you what you would like and how, not be telling you all the stuff you can't do... 

Also, the technical delays sound weird... you can expect that with a car that has so much new technology, but why now still? There are three 918s already delivered to Dutch customers, they're already driving around here, so that can not be the issue.

Long stoy short: yes, it is nice they quickly communicate stuff with you, but now they should work on the contents of the communication :-)

Hang in there mate, I know your passion about Porsche, and we all know they car is worth it!

All the best,
-Joost-

You guys are too hard on Porsche.

My new blog with automotive & motorcycle renders: tessoart.blogspot.com

Milanno:

You guys are too hard on Porsche.

How so?
Allthough I think any company should always try to do their utmost for every customer, not just the high-value ones, I think that for customers who buy cars in this pricerange, you should have a special part of your organisation that is dedicated to making the experience of buying such a car a fantastic one... it's not just about the car anymore...

So rather than saying "you can't come near the car", they should say "OK, we understand your wish, please know that we need some time to prepare the car for you, after that, we suggest you pick it up, and we'll arrange a nice road trip from Toronto to Vancouver for you"... whole different experience if you ask me...

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My new blog with automotive & motorcycle renders: tessoart.blogspot.com

I have to disappoint you, Milanno...Porsche can do a lot of individual stuff...if they want to. I could tell stories...but I can't. Only thing I can say: Loyal customers, especially loyal high volume or Carrera GT/918 customers, get a special treatment but I guess this is no secret. If Porsche "promised" something to Whoopsy, they should keep their promise. I get his disappointment. I was promised a lot of stuff by my dealer but it didn't always work out. Porsche "jumped in" and made it happen. They can and they usually will but it really depends on the customer I'm afraid (which is kind of understandable, like it or not).

Maybe Whoopsy should remind them of their promise again, I am pretty sure they will try to make things right. 

Delays can happen, sometimes there is nothing Porsche can do about. Remember the delay of my Porsche Panamera Turbo S delivery? Porsche put a Panamera Turbo Powerkit factory car in front of my house and I was able to drive it free of cost until my car arrived. Their service is great, the people working there are great but the dealerships are sometimes not up to the task I'm afraid. Maybe it is a cost thing, dealerships have tight margins but if they want to sell premium cars, they need to offer a premium service.

Btw: The Ferrari F12 is and was a very tempting car. I almost got one. Superb product, this is a car I would keep forever. Same goes to the 458 Speciale by the way, why should I lie. These are cars you keep forever.

The FF should be a great daily driver, I've seen a couple of them in Bavaria, even in winter time. 

Whoopsy, if you want to learn more about the LaFerrari ownership, you should contact our moderator Futch. I am pretty sure he can give you a hint or two and especially how he likes the car.

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Porsche Boxster S (981), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014), BMW X3 35d (2013)

RC:

I have to disappoint you, Milanno...Porsche can do a lot of individual stuff...if they want to. I could tell stories...but I can't. Only thing I can say: Loyal customers, especially loyal high volume or Carrera GT/918 customers, get a special treatment but I guess this is no secret. If Porsche "promised" something to Whoopsy, they should keep their promise. I get his disappointment. I was promised a lot of stuff by my dealer but it didn't always work out. Porsche "jumped in" and made it happen. They can and they usually will but it really depends on the customer I'm afraid (which is kind of understandable, like it or not).

You just explained my previous words with your own experience with Porsche. They are BIG company, they cant give you much attention like, for example, Pagani. Its not that Porsche is mean to customers, they just cant. You must make zillion calls to make things just how you want them with Porsche, in Pagani you have one number that you need to call if anything goes like you dont want to 

On the end of the day, thats why Pagani have so many famous customers and they exist just over 20 years. That is insanely short time for any company in automotive industry to gain so big trust 

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My new blog with automotive & motorcycle renders: tessoart.blogspot.com

@ Whoopsy

Yesterday at Zuffenhausen, I saw some new furniture for your home?

Blueflame

Milanno,
Mind you, I am not talking about the technical side of the cars. I think they have that covered pretty much btw by means of the exclusive department.
I am talking solely about how people are treated, the way they deal with communication. All in all, I would have expected that they have a separate communication channel for customers like these, with special possibilities. 

Joost:

All in all, I would have expected that they have a separate communication channel for customers like these, with special possibilities. 

I mentioned that part too  Again, that is problem when it comes to big corporation. This sounds silly, but they cant afford separate communication channel, because they need to show revenue at the end of the year to their shareholders  Also, massive organization like Porsche makes your process of communication harder, because you must call various people to get right information. 

My advice to all buyers would be - sit tight and wait for call when your local Porsche dealer will let you know your car is ready for delivery  In meantime have fun, go to sunny beaches and play with some nice ladies. At least, you can afford those little sweet things in your life 

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My new blog with automotive & motorcycle renders: tessoart.blogspot.com

Apparently, PCNA has a "918 Client Relationship Manager" -- currently, David Donohue son of Mark Donohue -- but it's not entirely clear to me whether his job is to schmooze with potential buyers or actually keep a good relationship with actual buyers. One would think they would put as much emphasis on the latter as the former, since each 918 buyer is a potential brand ambassador for Porsche.

The F12 and FF are mid engine cars since the engine sits behind the front axle... They are not rear mid engine however, they are front mid engine...

The Corvette looks like a toy and its design will age very badly.

Cayenne Panamera and 991 prices are now in another market segment they used to be. The "value" factor is totally gone, in the US you can see Porsche everywhere so there is no exclusivity and interiors look pretty much the same from a $50k Boxster to a $200k 991 TTS... The list of options is an abomination on every models (my last 4 specs had no less than 16 entries, and that's trying to use some restraints not to blow the price up). Depreciation on higher priced models is really bad (after 3.5 years my Cayenne TTS lost 65% of its value, I lost the same money in 6 years on the 612 which is notorious for bad depreciation for a Ferrari). Performance of top models have fallen behind the higher segment competition when they used to be above. The best Cayenne is probably the S DIESEL (a heresy for a sports car company) and yet doesn't come with sport features like PDDC... The 918 is great but because of the price and high volume production they can't sell them (base price should be $600k) and the initial buyers will suffer the adjustment to where the price should have been.

blueflame:

@ Whoopsy

Yesterday at Zuffenhausen, I saw some new furniture for your home?

Blueflame

 

 

Those looked nice but doesn't look too comfortable :)

Porsche do have personal touches, at least for the 918 customers, we Canadians don't really go through the PCNA 918 Client Relationship Manager, that position is more or less for taking care of the Americans. We deal directly with Porsche Canada apart from the local dealer. And for those that have been to Stuttgart, there will be a contact at the 918 Concierge also.

As for the Toronto thing, the promise was made before details were known. Now that they had their first car into the country, somethings are beyond planning. I was told the car will be unload off the plane in a secured area of the airport as the car itself will need to clear customs first and stay in the bonded facility, and I won't be able to go near it as a result of airport security. After clearing customs the car will be checked over by a couple 918 specialist to make sure it survive the trip and then be loaded onto a truck to me. Theoretically after the customs part and before the loading part I 'could' see the car and go near it, but the timing will be tricky as there is no way to predict/plan for the time taken by the customs people and they want to get the car to Vancouver ASAP. So instead of promising me something again they just say I can't do it. The transport trip itself will be 3-4days cross country. 

Of the numerous delays, some I can understand which were out of Porsche's control or the delay was by designed. But this latest potential one is most 'upsetting'. Sorry I can't really elaborate, I would loved to but it will be too much of a low blow to them.

SciFrog has touched on some good points, Porsche has priced itself out of it's natural market.

Need to go and I will post more later but after some discussion with my wife last night, we will have a V12 in the garage