Imports - 997

[Lagerlout]

Bit quiet round here everyone got a long weekend??

But seriously, I'm considering my 997 C2S purchase after I sell my F & 996. Couple of questions, what if at all would a P dealer discount by end of September? Do they negotiate on new 997's? What about options? Some insider info please!

I was browsing on Autoebid and they are offering 997's at around £5k under list, but these are marked as UK spec imports. What in 997 parlance constitutes an import and how can they be spotted? I imagine by UK spec, they are C16, but aren't all UK cars C16's so how can an import be discerned? I imagine Porsche will know come trade in time but joe public on the street?

[porkersc]

There would be no discount of any new 997's. If you are considering an import make sure it has a C16 code as this is full UK spec including emissions and alarm system etc. Also a Porsche centre can retail a C16 import. If its a c98 then it's probably from Cyprus and can't be retailed or have a Used Car warranty put on it. Hope this helps.

[Lagerlout]

So let me get this right, C16 is standard UK, but a C16 import could have come from the continent? In other words there is no way to know this unless you are a main dealer as both cars are coded C16?

[cardigankid]

I think that discounts are being offered on new 997's, see the Sunday papers.

As I understand it, C16 is shorthand for UK spec. But I assume that given the chassis number it will still be possible to check who the car was supplied through, certainly for dealers.

[Koln-RS]

cardigankid said:

I think that discounts are being offered on new 997's, see the Sunday papers.

As I understand it, C16 is shorthand for UK spec. But I assume that given the chassis number it will still be possible to check who the car was supplied through, certainly for dealers.

It's normally in the service book. You can save money importing from europe, or buying from one of the specialists, but it's usually worth less when you come to sell it.

[porkersc]

Lagerlout said:

So let me get this right, C16 is standard UK, but a C16 import could have come from the continent? In other words there is no way to know this unless you are a main dealer as both cars are coded C16?

If it's a non uk supplied car then it will not come on some of the systems that use the chassis to check the spec.

[worldwidewebs]

porkersc said:

Lagerlout said:

So let me get this right, C16 is standard UK, but a C16 import could have come from the continent? In other words there is no way to know this unless you are a main dealer as both cars are coded C16?

If it's a non uk supplied car then it will not come on some of the systems that use the chassis to check the spec.

But can be added easily. In fact, when you take it to a UK dealer for a service they will generally just add it as a matter of course.

I imported a Boxster in 2000 from Porsche Zentrum Hamburg (Herr Zimmermann), got a good discount on top of the already cheaper price, picked it up from the factory (again cheaper as they didn't need to deliver it - try that one with your UK dealer), ran it for 2 years then had it on sale or return with my local OPC. Lost about £5k in that time. The OPC would have taken it off me but I knew I'd get more on the SOR and it sold within a couple of weeks.

Don't let people try and put you off with tales of "you'll get less when you sell it". That "may" be true in some cases but not in my experience, and I've personally imported 4 cars and helped dozens of others too. If you do end up getting less for it when you sell the only question to ask is whether the total cost would be greater than if you hadn't imported ie you buy for less, you sell for less but the loss is the same. In that case the benefit is that you have the extra cash sat in your account and not some stealers.

But as has been said above, make sure it's C16 spec - any EU dealer has to sell you that if you ask for it. And C16 is C16, no matter which dealer supplies it.

[MogulBoy]

Can you order a C16 spec car from a US dealer? I doubt it! The ultimate would be to order a C16 from a US dealer and then tick the factory collection option! :-) We can dream but how are they legally allowed to stop this happening!

Do European supplied C16 cars come with their service book (the one with the chassis number and options sticker in it) in English? When I bought my C10 (local spec.) car in Switzerland, I asked for an English handbook and that was no problem but the service book was available in French, German or Italian only.

The example above of a 2000 car imported and sold for a GBP5k loss 2 years later was possible at the time due to the Euro FX rate, Porsches differential pricing, UK waiting lists etc. Since then base prices have been equalised to a large extent, the Euro is stronger making the savings much less so that the personal import market has almost dried up.

I imported a Scooby in 1999 and sold it after 2 years. I lost GBP 5k on it which was more than I hoped to lose when I bought it but I was certainly better off than if I had paid UK list. The trouble was everyone was doing the same thing and clued-up buyers knew that they could squeeze the sellers of imported cars as they assumed that they probably paid 30% less for it than UK list.

If I was in the UK today looking to buy a recent Porsche and found one that was a C16 import, I wouldn't assume that the seller had saved 30% but I would expect that my bid would be adjusted down by a few k, not because the car is any different but because I would assumed that the 1st owner had paid a few k less. Whether or not an owner would choose to sell at the lower bid is their choice but it is generally a buyers market but they just have to wait for the next buyer who isn't so clued-up (and there is one of those born every minute) to turn up!

[cardigankid]

I would expect to pay a few k less, as you say, for the simple reason that I know dealers and buyers generally are going to turn their noses up at it for no particularly good reason.

WWW, did PZ Hamburg charge you extra for the C16 spec?

Edited by cardigankid on Saturday 1st September 15:29

[worldwidewebs]

From what I remember, there is a "European" price for Porsches - ie the same Euro price in each EU country, and the same spec. The C16 "option", if I remember rightly, comprised of right hand drive (plus headlights facing the right way) and top tint windscreen - that was it, and cost about a couple of grand.