Would you buy a Porsche ex track day demonstrator?

[Tim718]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone.

So the track car is a no - I think it would always feel a bit tarnished and being my first Porsche / having waited for so long I don't really want to spoil it. I plan to keep the 718 a while.

So that just now leaves the choice between buying the 718 Boxster in the showroom (£67k) or going new new and waiting until Sep/Oct or even pushing it back a bit further until the 18 plates come out in March (once winter has passed and the sun comes back out).

I've never actually bought a brand new car before, so thinking if spending full price either way (i.e if theres zero savings to be had by going with the one that's been sat there a few months) it may be worth just waiting and getting the full experience rather than buy the one ready now in the showroom.

[BaronMcLaren]

Are you any good at haggling?

http://www.sytner.co.uk/car-search/7229593-porsche...

[Tim718]

BaronMcLaren said:

Are you any good at haggling?

http://www.sytner.co.uk/car-search/7229593-porsche...

I thought I was, until I visited a Porsche dealership lol - appears to be ZERO wiggle. I think the guy may have offered to give it a wash or something. They won't even wiggle on one that's been sat in the showroom for 3 months - they want full retail for it.

Do you think that may change as Winter approaches with it being a convertible, I'm okay to wait for the right deal/car. With new reg's due out soon waiting for Sept (or even next March) isn't the end of the world.

Got my heart set on Graphite Blue though.

[Si-3PO]

Would you not want a full leather interior Tim? From the spec of the showroom car it looks Ike it's just leather Sport Plus seats.

I'd personally be hesitant over the lack of PASM, I made that mistake before on a 987, altbough I haven't tested a non PASM 718.

[Tim718]

Si-3PO said:

Would you not want a full leather interior Tim? From the spec of the showroom car it looks Ike it's just leather Sport Plus seats.

I'd personally be hesitant over the lack of PASM, I made that mistake before on a 987, altbough I haven't tested a non PASM 718.

Yeah I queried the PASM with the sales guy as I'd read good things, but he kinda palmed it off and said it wasn't all that. If buying new I think I'd ad the be tempted to add the PASM. Especially if I go Coast 2 Coast and get some kind of discount as that would cover the PASM.

I wasn't aware of the difference on the full leather? What would I be missing (it looked full leather when I sat in it) here's a photo of the car and the spec list (dunno why it went sideways?):

Edited by Tim718 on Thursday 20th July 00:01

Edited by Tim718 on Thursday 20th July 00:03

[Si-3PO]

Yeah, that's just the standard interior so the dash and door trim is in a textured plastic. Best to sit in a car with full leather and see what you think.

[Si-3PO]

It's an odd spec tbh, typical of dealerships! On the spec you listed you wrote "exterior package painted" but the side air intake isn't painted in the photo so it doesn't have that. The photo of the spec shows front slats painted, really strange choice to make if you're not going to paint the side intakes to match.

[Tim718]

Hmm I didn't know about the leather!

Another for the list. Here's a video of the showroom one, to give you a better idea/incase you can spot any things it has not listed on that spec sheet... https://youtu.be/-ITk1J8S3ko

are the rear lights tinted?

[bcr5784]

Si-3PO said:

Would you not want a full leather interior Tim? From the spec of the showroom car it looks Ike it's just leather Sport Plus seats.

I'd personally be hesitant over the lack of PASM, I made that mistake before on a 987, altbough I haven't tested a non PASM 718.

I've tested a 718 with 20" wheels and no PASM. I considered the ride unacceptable - completely different to my 981 with PASM and 19" wheels. Personally I wouldn't want the spec of the showroom car - all bling and some serious omissions - those mentioned and climate controls springs to mind.

[Tim718]

Thanks for the advice glad I asked!

Tbh it's a new dealership and whilst the sales guy was lovely I knew more about the car / options than he did, I corrected him on a few of the things that were standard/optional (just from using the configurstor) as he wasn't aware that the dual climate was optional etc so it was a bit like the blind leading the blind.

[Si-3PO]

bcr5784 said:

I've tested a 718 with 20" wheels and no PASM. I considered the ride unacceptable - completely different to my 981 with PASM and 19" wheels. Personally I wouldn't want the spec of the showroom car - all bling and some serious omissions - those mentioned and climate controls springs to mind.

My spec is all bling and little else, I think that's fine as long as the bling all matches

[Si-3PO]

Tim718 said:

Hmm I didn't know about the leather!

Another for the list. Here's a video of the showroom one, to give you a better idea/incase you can spot any things it has not listed on that spec sheet... https://youtu.be/-ITk1J8S3ko

are the rear lights tinted?

Looks like they are. What's interesting there is the rear bumper is gloss black which I believe is a £330 option too, no idea why they didn't just put the full exterior package on to get the side air intakes painted.

[Tim718]

Apron is deffo gloss black. Other things I think it may have that are options, but not listed on that price list were the painted black headlight washers, smokers pack and painted handles - there may be more?

[Twinfan]

Tim718 - looking at the spec you want, which includes Sport Chrono and the Sports Exhaust, you may be wise to hang on until the 718 GTS has been announced. I think in the longer term it'll be a better buy and probably not that much more expensive than the S spec you're considering....

[Si-3PO]

Tim718 said:

Apron is deffo gloss black. Other things I think it may have that are options, but not listed on that price list were the painted black headlight washers, smokers pack and painted handles - there may be more?

Correct, painted headlight washers look great, never liked painted door handles though. You should get them to send you the proper spec. You still need to check out a car with leather and PASM though.

As for climate I've had a 981S without it and a 981GTS with it, I didn't bother speccing it for my 718 as it really doesn't bother me.

[Tim718]

Si-3PO said:

Correct, painted headlight washers look great, never liked painted door handles though. You should get them to send you the proper spec. You still need to check out a car with leather and PASM though.

As for climate I've had a 981S without it and a 981GTS with it, I didn't bother speccing it for my 718 as it really doesn't bother me.

Yeh I thought the same, I wasn't sure on those handles

[Tim718]

Twinfan said:

Tim718 - looking at the spec you want, which includes Sport Chrono and the Sports Exhaust, you may be wise to hang on until the 718 GTS has been announced. I think in the longer term it'll be a better buy and probably not that much more expensive than the S spec you're considering....

Ooh I hadn't heard about that, when is that likely to be?

Edit: just googled it, first time buyer so I'm not particularly familiar with GTS's - I think you could be on to something here!

Edited by Tim718 on Thursday 20th July 09:07

[Twinfan]

The GTS will be the top road-spec 718. The previous 981 series cars had Sports Chrono, Sports Exhaust, leather and alcantara interiors, styling tweaks, PASM suspension, 20" wheels, a bit more power and handling tweaks as standard. If you're after seriously speccing up an S then a GTS makes more financial sense, plus it will have better residuals.

The GTS is likely to be announced in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

[Boxster7]

Si-3PO said:

Tim718 said:

Apron is deffo gloss black. Other things I think it may have that are options, but not listed on that price list were the painted black headlight washers, smokers pack and painted handles - there may be more?

Correct, painted headlight washers look great, never liked painted door handles though. You should get them to send you the proper spec. You still need to check out a car with leather and PASM though.

As for climate I've had a 981S without it and a 981GTS with it, I didn't bother speccing it for my 718 as it really doesn't bother me.

Interesting to hear you've gone 981GTS to 718.
How do you find the comparison?

[DJMC]

Cheib said:

I've driven my own car twice at the PEC with an instructor and also done a couple of demo half days there. Apart from the acceleration and braking straights I don't think it's particularly taxing on the cars...most of it is driven in 2nd or 3rd gear and you very rarely get a chance to max out the revs. It's designed as a handling rather than a performance circuit I.e. It tests the driver much more than the cars. That said I don't know if the cars gets used elsewhere or on the main circuit. PDK cars obviously have electronics to protect the engine too.

And obviously the more capable the car the less taxing it is. I wouldn't want a a Cayenne that had spent its life there but a Turbo S apart from the PCCB's is so over engineered for that circuit it's ridiculous. I understand that PCCB equipped cars always do a cool down lap...

Big issue is running in I suppose...don't know if that can be chaecked in terms of rev range print outs etc.

I took my car for a half day "warm up" at PEC shortly after buying it. The instructor was careful to ensure engine and tyres were warmed up. I was at full revs going down the long straight on the track with the braking straight in the middle of it, but that didn't bother me because that's what the engine is supposed to do.

However, the perception here and elsewhere is that a PEC car will have been thrashed and that will affect re-sale. So, whether the car is good or bad (how will you know?), don't buy it because it'll be hard to sell it again IF your buyer knows its history.