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    Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Well, Mr and Mrs Dreamcar have now taken delivery of our new Boxster 3.4S at Zuffenhausen.

    We used just about every form of transport; taxi collected us from our home at 08:30hrs on Thursday 28th September and delivered us to Southampton Central Railway Station. The train was on time but unfortunately felt that the wheels were hexagonal rather than circular. However, we arrived at London's Waterloo station, black cab across London (no underground - SWMBO is claustrophobic) - to London City Airport. We were then in the hands of Porches appointed travel agants, DER Travel. The Lufthansa flight to Stuttgart again left dead on time and arrived in Stuttgart 10 minutes early. Report to the appointed taxi desk iin the arrivals hall and whisked away to the four star Stuttgart Maritim Hotel, in the centre of the city. Vast, Hilton - like very modern complex, nice comfy room and an excellent three course meal. Few beers in the bar for a nightcap and off to dream about the days to come.

    After breakfast mini-bus arrived to deliver us and two other couples to The Factory. Turned out we were the poor relation; one couple were collecting a 997 turbo tiptronic in arcti silver, complete with PCCB etc and the other a black 997 C2S with black / tan bicolour leather. We checked in, our guide arrived and the tour of the production line followed, unfortunately strictly no photographs. Only 997's are made at Zuffenhausen, (160 cars per day) all Boxster / Cayman production is at Valmet (120 cars per day) and Cayenne at Leipzig (130 cars per day). The factory is turning out the maximum 160 997's per day, with two shifts operating from 0500hrs to 2200hrs. Paintshop is working three shifts per day. The tour started with the engine assembly, two lines, one building the 997 engines and the other the Boxster / Cayman. All variants of the 997's are made on the same line, 3.6, 3.8, GT3, turbo. (Cayenne engine assembly has been transferred to a separate building recently vacated by the demise of the Carrera GT). Each technician builds the complete engine from start to delivery to the "hot room" sound proofed test facility, where each engine is tested for 35 minutes, power tolerance is +/- 5%. An engine is selected at random by the quality department, dismantled and checked down to the smallest detail. Engines are then delivered to the transmission area where the two components are mated. A digital stop watch on the wall counts down from 5 minutes, to time the two completed engine gearbox assemblies that have to be completed in that time for delivery to the assembly line. Boxster / Cayman engines are packed here for shipment to Valmet. We then moved to witness the "wedding", where engine /transmissions are married to the bodyshells. "Jumpers" are employed on each station, ready to fall in if one of the workers needs a comfort break to ensure no interruption of production. We then moved on to the trimming area, here it was explained that everything delivered by suppliers is not only "just in time" but even in the correct order for produaction. For instance, suppliers delivering carpets deliver on the right date and also are packed in the right sequence for the production lines. We then witnessed the only automated robot outside of the welding areas (which like the paintshop we did not see) fitting the front and rear windscreens. The final stop in the tour was the leather shop where the hides are laid out, meticulously inspected for defects, digitally mapped before being delivered to the cutting area. The hides are cut by ultra high pressure water jets using the digital map to ensure the best use is made of the hides. The leather shapes are then delivered to the upholsterers that stretch, fit and sew the hides. Boxster / Cayman interiors are also trimmed here for shipment to Valmet.

    Tour over, we returned to the Customer Car Collection Area and taken by a representative to greet our cars. As much explanation as required is given during the handover procedure, photograph taken and silver key fob presented. Once documentation completed, we were invited to drive our cars down the ramp to the visitors parking area, then to partake in an excellent lunch in the guest restaurant, finally a look round the small museum (new, bigger one under construction for 2007) visit to the shop, in the car and drive home.

    Then it all began to fall apart. Unbeknown to us at the time we booked, it was the start of a German Public Holiday weekend (Tuesday 3rd October is Reunification Day), and most people were taking the opportunity of a long weekend. The autobahn north of Stuttgart was virtually gridlocked all the way to Sinsheim, where we had a good if very sad view of a decommissioned Air France Concorde mounted at take off angle on the roof of the Air and Space Museum, alongside a Tupolev TU 144 "Conkordski". We eventually arrived at SWMBO's daughter living in NATO's JHQ in Rheindahlen, for a few days, before driving home, but not before a super evening out with porsche-jeck in Dusseldorf.)Once again, many thanks for your hospitality).

    The factory collection is a great experience and thoroughly recommend it. It's a great way to see first hand the workings of Porsche - but just make sure it is not a Public Holiday Weekend!

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    ..

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Customer Car Collection Area, all monochrome colours apart from ours.

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    Our car alongside a GT3

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    and again..

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Hand over briefing...(SWMBO and Porsche representative)

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    outside in the customer car park...

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    the other two British customers taking delivery, black C2S and arctic silver turbo, alongside a red GT3..

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Saturday afternoon, outside porsche-jeck's apartment in Dusseldorf. Certainly no regrets over our choice of colour or wheel design.

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    ...

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    shot from the balcony..

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Unfortunately not as clear as intended, but our car alongside porsche-jeck's beautiful seal / cocoa 987s

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Our run home from Rheindahlen was also dogged by hold-ups, this one, west of Eindhoven was caused by three trucks fighting over the same piece of tarmac. We stopped here for over an hour whilst the wreckage was shovelled away. Next, Antwerp was grid-locked and took over an hour to drive 6 miles.

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Tim, great write-up! Man, I wanna try and pick up a car from the factory...if only I didnt have to get raped by Danish customs and taxes in the process!

    I love the color! Cobalt really becomes the car. Not crazy about blue inside, and wtf?? U picked the old Carrera S rims? Did u sell off mine?????

    Congrats m8 and I wish you many happy hours of solitude (where SWMBO cannot reach you) and fun driving!

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    PS: I like the photo tactics you use: Make sure the queen bee is in the picture while shooting loads of pics of your true love....I use the same dirty tactics...hehe

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Calais at last! When I get more time, I'll write up our comparisons with our previous 3.2, and post some additional pictures. But its late, I'm tired and off to bed!

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Great write up and good colour choice. I am with you the others all look drab (appart from the white GT3(drool))

    Are those German export plates? Do you have to get it put over the pits in UK when you licence it or does your dealre do all that?

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    thanks for the report and the pics, the 987 looks great, I really like the front air intakes, its turbo style.

    We are getting more and more attention to this new 2007 model, those 295bhp have to give the boxster S, probably the best roadster in the market for price, performance, sound, utility and fun factor.

    We have been talking to the dealer about what do they have in stock, and well, probably we get one in the next couple of days.

    Dealer told us, that this boxster S is better than a 997carrera , except for the 2seater, but that its no big issue for the 987customers or future ones.

    Again great report, and I hope you can tell us more about the engine in the next days/weeks, specially your opinion vs the 3.2liter engine...


    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Quote:
    Woolfe said:
    Are those German export plates? Do you have to get it put over the pits in UK when you licence it or does your dealre do all that?



    The plates are German "zol" plates. They are temporary only and those expire on 7th October. Factory collection includes 9 days comprehensive insurance ( Euro 1,000 excess) and green card. Porsche GB factory collection terms and conditions (scanned and posted here for info) require the car to be presented to the UK dealer within two days of retuurn to the UK for a further inspection and UK registration.

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    PAGE 2

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    German Insurance "Green Card"

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Thanks Tim for the superb write-up and the nice pics
    We enjoyed your and SWMB's company very much
    It was very nice to see that Dreamcar II now is equipped with all the goodies you couldn't order with Dreamcar I - love the Cobalt blue, a fantastic colour in the flesh
    Sorry to hear about the difficult traffic conditions on your way back home - at least you made it to the ferry on time And now enjoy the break-in (German style )

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Nice one DC, glad to see you phoned ahead and got your car front and centre!

    Look forward to seeing the car in the flesh and hearing more about the experience, if the timings right I'd like to do the same with my next car.

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Stunning car, fantastically written review of the pick-up!

    Makes me want to trade my seal 2.7 now to a cobalt or midnight 3.4!

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Great writeup!
    Thanks and enjoy your car.
    Winter driving top down on a sunny day is very cool!

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Good write up DC, very much looking forward to the comparison against the 3.2....

    Great color choice as well... Think my next baby will be a shade of blue or if I'm really brave a gaurds red would be ideal..

    What options di you spec???

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Simply awesome report! Thanks very much dreamcar and many, many congratulations on your new car. You are going to have many miles of fun driving it...

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Quote:
    RichJ said:
    What options di you spec???



    Metallic paint - cobalt blue
    Full leather - ocean blue
    Park assist
    autodim mirrors / rain sensing wipers
    Bi xenon lights
    Wind deflector inc. storeage box
    PASM
    Automatic climate control
    Seat heating
    PCM
    Sports steering wheel
    19" Carrera Classic wheels
    Coloured wheel centres
    Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
    Electric memory seats (not sports)
    Sound package plus
    Rear section of centre console in aluminium look
    Roll bars in aluminium look

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    CONGRATS Dreamcar
    Many safe miles AND fun driving from me too

    Re: Boxster 3.4S Factory Collection Experience

    Definitely have to meet up for a soon.

     
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