Anyone ever specced a Porsche with no options?

[brightmotiv]

Looking at DP's Cayman GT4 review, the option list made me chuckle.

It's been said a million times before, but adding options adds c25% to the car (£75,348 as standard; as tested £94,506).

How would I feel, sat in the OPC ticking the "steering wheel top centre marking in yellow" box for £168, I wonder?

It means little when you consider the big picture, monthly payments and crucially appeal for resale value.

But part of me would a kick of just of saying no to everything.

Anyone been in this position and done it?

[Porsche911R]

you cannot sell the car very easy and it's not nice to live with a £75k car with no options.

with a GT product you get 100% of your money back if you don't start specing the "tat" and just the nice main options.

the options are cheap vs Ferrari.

Edited by Porsche911R on Friday 11th December 10:13

[Twinfan]

A stripper spec on a GT4 isn't going to be a desirable car come resale, at the bare minimum you'd want bucket seats so that it's a true track hack which may have some appeal I guess. Although you can obviously swap seats out, there's the appeal of a factory specced car for extended warranty etc.

If you're primarily focused on the head side of things (minimal depreciation and ease of resale) then there's a balance to be had.

I did pretty much the exact opposite and specced almost everything! I bought the car to enjoy and worring about wasting money on the options I chose never entered my thought process. But then I'm not obsessed with resale values and minimising mileage....

[anonymous-user]

Going poverty spec on the base models probably makes more sense since you never really get your money back on the option spend.

I'd still add parking sensors, cruise and an extended tank. Possibly climate as well and the £200 for folding mirrors.

[andyeds1234]

Buy the car you want, not what the sales person or a forum tell you to buy.
Salesman: when buying you MUST spec x y and z for resale value.
Same salesman 2 years later: When trading in, the options don’t make much difference in the price we offer.

[Grantstown]

Search for 'Politeperson' and his review of his base 992 with the only option being the colour. Quite an amusing insight into the 'value' offered by a few of the potential options.

There are probably some general rules: Most people end up in the middle ground, most of the performance options are never really utilised to anywhere near their potential, generally it's nice to have the colour and wheels that suit and a bit of comfort, low volume/special models may require a different approach.

[av185]

andyeds1234 said:

Buy the car you want, not what the sales person or a forum tell you to buy.
Salesman: when buying you MUST spec x y and z for resale value.
Same salesman 2 years later: When trading in, the options don’t make much difference in the price we offer.

Only a fool would spec a Porsche GT according to what the salesperson says.

Spec the car firstly for yourself but keep one eye on what the market demands in terms of no brainer options that add value ££ over cost should you need to sell.

Never ceases to amaze how many folks often get these simple principles so wrong.

[Monch]

The last Porsche GT car I specced was missing a few key options.
The main option I missed off was a rear wing on a GT3, but that hasn't harmed its value much!
Although some will say its not a real GT3 now and its worthless.....

I think if I was ordering a new 992, a base Carrera with very few options would be perfect.

[MannyLon]

IMO spec what you want, not for resale. Cars are not investments on the whole. There will always be a buyer for your car.
Ask pistenheads what the essentials are and you'll open a can of worms

[Koln-RS]

A ‘no-optioned’ car would save some money at the time of purchase, but for the ownership pleasure and ease of resale, it is wise/necessary to spend £2-3k.

Most people would expect the things that provide an added function such as:
F&R Parking Sensors
Cruise
Heated Seats
Climate (718)
PCM

Extra leather, carbon or painted bits are what I would avoid

[Twinfan]

Koln-RS said:

Extra leather, carbon or painted bits are what I would avoid

Depends on the car IMHO:

- painted trim might work for some combinations and people in a convertible/Boxster/Spyder
- extra leather can lift the cabin from "low rent" to "luxurious", or in my case to what I would expect in an £85k+ car
- carbon trim to match bucket seats makes a lot of sense

[HokumPokum]

I would defo spec no options. or at least seriously consider it.

[anonymous-user]

Here's my attempt at a minimum spec GTS:

PMFNV5P1
http://www.porsche-code.com/PMFNV5P1

My only indulgence was GT Silver.

I think that should cover the basics ?

[Porsche911R]

Schmed said:

Here's my attempt at a minimum spec GTS:

PMFNV5P1
http://www.porsche-code.com/PMFNV5P1

My only indulgence was GT Silver.

I think that should cover the basics ?

Rear wiper, now we know you are taking the pi** :-)

[Twinfan]

Schmed said:

Here's my attempt at a minimum spec GTS:

PMFNV5P1
http://www.porsche-code.com/PMFNV5P1

My only indulgence was GT Silver.

I think that should cover the basics ?

Here's mine - keeping the alcantara interior and removing the godawful rear wiper. I'm not a fan of the silver interior trim personally, or the plastic dash, but there's no cheap way to fix both of them:

http://www.porsche-code.com/PMNREY50

I think that's the issue with a base spec Porsche, you end up with a below-average interior - one that's not up to the standard of the rest of the car.

[icekay]

My non Porsche experience with not getting popular options come resale time is that I had fewer offers, which as a bonus is less of a time waste, and perhaps took marginally longer to secure a buyer.

Price wise, even though my cars sold for less than those with higher spec, the difference was much lower than what those options cost new.

With the 911 I have a similar thing going as I foolishly service at a specialist and don't run a warranty. So far I'm several thousand pounds ahead by not going OPC with warranty and I'm pretty sure what I would lose out come resale is a smaller figure.

Besides, the cost of owning a Porsche is relatively high anyway (you're unlikely living hand to mouth if you own one let's say), so in the grand scheme of things I can't see options making a huge difference either way.

What will make a huge difference is you getting into the car each day / weekend and kicking yourself for picking the wrong things because someone told you to.

[Milnsey]

Kept spec on my 981 GTS fairly bare
Metallic
Satin platinum wheels
X73 (free)
Smokers pack (free)
PCCB ( not free !!)

[Cheib]

Twinfan said:

I think that's the issue with a base spec Porsche, you end up with a below-average interior - one that's not up to the standard of the rest of the car.

Yup...transforms the interior for me. Depending on the models there’s a list of options which are almost a necessity to bring the car up to a basic spec in line with much cheaper cars

Climate Control
Heated Seats
Cruise
Dimming Mirrors
Digital Radio

Then there’s the things i would want on a Porsche

Leather
Sun/Panoramoic Roof
Upgraded seats
Upgraded wheels

And ytou’re at £10k of options without any trouble. Unfortunately my average spend on options isn’t £10k !

[Twinfan]

Cheib said:

And you’re at £10k of options without any trouble. Unfortunately my average spend on options isn’t £10k !

The options on my 718 GT4 were over £17k, and the vast majority of that was the interior I don't have PCCBs and my colour was free. I've since added a spare set of wheels so that pushes me over £20k now. It's bonkers if you look at it from your head rather than your heart. I guess very few people spec them up like I did.

However, for me it was worth every penny as I love my car and wouldn't change a thing.

[MannyLon]

Twinfan said:

The options on my 718 GT4 were over £17k, and the vast majority of that was the interior I don't have PCCBs and my colour was free. I've since added a spare set of wheels so that pushes me over £20k now. It's bonkers if you look at it from your head rather than your heart. I guess very few people spec them up like I did.

However, for me it was worth every penny as I love my car and wouldn't change a thing.

It’s an addiction not confined to Porkers
My fiesta performance edition is going to mountune for various additions, don’t ask the cost, albeit much cheaper than Porsche tuning!