Where best to buy new in Germany - recommendations please
Discussion
Bones Festas all! 
Anyone had any experience (good or bad) of buying a porker from a dealer in Germany and getting it registered in the UK? I'm looking for a NEW LHD car.
It should ideally be LHD because:
1. It will spend more time driven properly
on European roads than on roads in Blighty;
2. I'll probably save money on the RHD version (UK resale is not so important as it will be kept for circa eight-ten years, and will likely be sold back to a Continental user);
3. I'm told the standard manufacturing warranty is two years for UK and German models (happy to be corrected).
Constructive ideas very welcome.
Thanks!
Anyone had any experience (good or bad) of buying a porker from a dealer in Germany and getting it registered in the UK? I'm looking for a NEW LHD car.
It should ideally be LHD because:
1. It will spend more time driven properly
on European roads than on roads in Blighty; 2. I'll probably save money on the RHD version (UK resale is not so important as it will be kept for circa eight-ten years, and will likely be sold back to a Continental user);
3. I'm told the standard manufacturing warranty is two years for UK and German models (happy to be corrected).
Constructive ideas very welcome.
Thanks!
nevetas said:
Treat Yourself!
www.pistonheads.com/sales/121093.h
www.pistonheads.com/sales/121093.h
oooooooohhh....
But I can't afford it (besides, my partner would kill me!)
However, the ad does address one issue I'd forgotten - the imminent rise in German VAT.
Thanks!
silver993tt said:
OPC Duesseldorf. 3.5 hour drive from Calais. That's where I bought a Boxster S about 6 years ago. Fantastic service.
Nice option and thanks for this.
Duesseldorf would be good - we've friends living near enough to said city.
Could you recommend a particular sales person? Thanks again!
If you register it as a new car in the UK (i.e. you get export plates in Germany) than you pay UK VAT and the change in German VAT as of 1.1.07 shouldn't affect you.
You may run into some trouble with the alarm/immobiliser in a LHD car and proving it the same as that in a RHD car thereby satisfying the insurer that it's Thatcham approved.
You may run into some trouble with the alarm/immobiliser in a LHD car and proving it the same as that in a RHD car thereby satisfying the insurer that it's Thatcham approved.
phelix said:
If you register it as a new car in the UK (i.e. you get export plates in Germany) than you pay UK VAT and the change in German VAT as of 1.1.07 shouldn't affect you.
You may run into some trouble with the alarm/immobiliser in a LHD car and proving it the same as that in a RHD car thereby satisfying the insurer that it's Thatcham approved.
You may run into some trouble with the alarm/immobiliser in a LHD car and proving it the same as that in a RHD car thereby satisfying the insurer that it's Thatcham approved.
Good points. Will add the latter to my list of issues to clarify when ordering and insuring.
Thanks
bcnrml said:
arwebs said:
I bought from OPC Hamburg - speak to Herr Zimmermann
Thanks.
Can you share what you saved (a percentage figure will probably do)? I expect to save about 5-8% (which should easily cover our insurance).
I saved around 25% but in 2000 the Euro was significantly weaker. That was for a RHD so LHD were cheaper again. Best if you email the main dealers and ask them for a price.
Edited by silver993tt on Wednesday 27th December 08:51
silver993tt said:
I saved around 25% but in 2000 the Euro was significantly weaker. That was for a RHD so LHD were cheaper again. Best if you email the main dealers and ask them for a price.
Wow! 25% would be marvellous!
Will email them though I won't expect to save better than 10% today. Still worth the effort........
Thanks for this
By the way, hutchinsp, easy_rider911 (rennteam forums) appears to have saved circa GBP7k on a RHD 997S. Great write up of the collection and trip.
bcnrml said:
arwebs said:
I bought from OPC Hamburg - speak to Herr Zimmermann
Thanks.
Can you share what you saved (a percentage figure will probably do)? I expect to save about 5-8% (which should easily cover our insurance).
The saving wasn't massive - maybe 7% or so. However, that was for RHD - as a left hooker you won't have to stump up the surcharge (or RHD "option" as the dealer called it) so you should be able to get 10% ish. A lot depends on the exchange rate of course...
Oh, and one thing to remember - you WILL get a discount off the list price, probably without having to ask. I think I got 2%
arwebs said:
Oh, and one thing to remember - you WILL get a discount off the list price, probably without having to ask. I think I got 2%
Good (and thanks
)! When asking for a discount in the UK, I was told I JUST MIGHT get some mats..... OPCs are definitely doing very well in the UK, what with a resurgent City
When I got my previous car (Merc), I got some good freebies thrown in (the Covercraft fully breathable car cover was probably the best ever), and this from a Central London dealer in one of the wealthiest boroughs. So I wasn't too pleased at the mean OPC response earlier this year.
Getting offered 2% before I even ask hard is good news, and I'm counting on a slow Jan/Feb in Germany (VAT rise, post-Xmas sobriety), and a slightly weaker Euro (UK interst rate rises factored in) to help in the bargaining and budgeting.
Will keep you posted, but I'd still appreciate further suggestions, tips and warnings folks.
bcnrml said:
silver993tt said:
OPC Duesseldorf. 3.5 hour drive from Calais. That's where I bought a Boxster S about 6 years ago. Fantastic service.
Nice option and thanks for this.
Duesseldorf would be good - we've friends living near enough to said city.
Could you recommend a particular sales person? Thanks again!
The sales guy I dealt with left for Mercedes Truck division about 4 years ago but I've been there for a couple of services and a few parts and they're nice and efficient.
VAT won't be an issue for you since you'll pay it in Germany first and then once you've paid it in the UK (so that's two VAT payments for a few weeks) you'll get 100% of the German VAT refunded. It's really very easy to by a UK car in Europe with the added bonus of a very good chance of much, much better service
Let me get this straight you can walk into a German opc and order car in rhd bring it back to the uk, and have an opc here service it and sort out any problems you may encounter under warranty. I am suprised Porsche U.K. dont kick up a fuss about this, or do I remember an E.U. law coming out a few years ago allowing free trade?
911wise said:
Let me get this straight you can walk into a German opc and order car in rhd bring it back to the uk, and have an opc here service it and sort out any problems you may encounter under warranty. I am suprised Porsche U.K. dont kick up a fuss about this, or do I remember an E.U. law coming out a few years ago allowing free trade?
Why would Porsche UK kick up a fuss?
1) They make money out of the servicing and any non-warranty repairs
2) They reclaim any warranty work from Porsche Germany
3) The warranty is an EU wide warranty (even on cars bought in the UK)
I never had any problems with my old Boxster S that I bought in Germany as a UK car. Got it serviced and a couple of (small) warranty repairs in the UK. When I sold it as a p/ex, the OPC wasn't bothered at all that it was sourced from germany because it was a C16 car which is excactly the same as those offered by UK OPCs
edited to add: the waiting time for my RHD car ordered in Germany was 3 months LESS than that from an OPC in the uk
Edited by silver993tt on Wednesday 27th December 18:50
911wise said:
It makes you wonder why anybody bother's buying them here. I'm sure you would probally get a better deal on used cars too. More than likley have to settle for a lhd though. Not a huge problem apart from carparks when your on your own.
if I ever buy new again it will certainly NOT be in the UK. The OPC I bought my car from in Germany told me that they have around 20 regular customers from the UK. Now, how many OPCs exist in Germany
Also, the cars have far less to travel from factory to OPC in Germany so they're actually that much more factory fresh than those offered by UK OPCs
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