The Odd Saga of X51
For the last few months, I have been attempting to build a C4S with the X51 powerkit option (which is heavily detailed in both printed Porsche literature in the USA and is a checkable option on the Porsche website). After putting in for February 06 production, my dealer indicated that Porsche was not accepting the X51 option. Since a decent number of posters here have X51s, I figured this was just an oddity. After a couple months of an information vacuum, I get a call. My dealer claims to have lobbied Porsche AG fairly hard to make an X51 available and called me today to indicate one was available for June production if I still wanted it. I had heard from some sources that the issue with X51 was inventory availability, i.e., that Porsche ordered the parts set for a certain number of X51s and demand exceeded supply so they cut the market off for awhile. I was understandably perplexed that my dealer's "lobbying" efforts finally secured an X51.
Making matters a bit weirder, my dealer has suggested that X51 probably won't be an option in MY2007 or beyond according to Porsche. It is not outside suspicion that they just want to sell me a heavily optioned car and are embellishing reality - but leaving that motive aside - I come up with a few plausible explanations for all this.
1 - Porsche only planned on making a small run of X51s and they are down to a small remaining number of cars and are allocating these sparsely. Maybe they don't want X51s competing with turbos for wallet share?
2 - There are glitches with reliability in X51s and Porsche does not want to build too many more but will still take a few overzelous fans' money.
3 - There is some bump in capabilities brewing for 911 engines pending and Porsche does not want to sell this expensive option right into that upgrade. FYI - I have heard that some form of DFI engine system is eventually planned and may coincide with the introduction of DSG systems in 2008 or 2009.
I am portfolio manager and follow the german automakers at a corporate level and have heard from the source (porsche cfo) that the 997 refresh was fully planned before the first 997s were on the road. DSG is definitely a large part of the refresh; not so sure on the DFI.
Well - what do you think? Explanation 1,2, or 3, or maybe something else that explains all this. Please leave dealer motivations out of this discussion.
Thanks