Track days and warranties

[toppstuff]

Fellow PH ers,

I have started on some interesting correspondence with the people at CarCare who run the Master and Master plus approved Porsche warranty product.

In the exclusions, clause 5 (page 11 of the booklet) specifically excludes "any sort of competition, rally or racing of any kind".

This has led me to ask for clarification.
I have been on track days which are strictly non-competitive , and where in some cases timing is also banned.

Furthermore, even a visit to the Ring could be described as non competitive. It is not a race ( there are no prizes ) and it is not a time trial ( timings are not possible because you have to come into the paddock after every lap ) . So how can this construed as racing?

Indeed, legally you are driving on a piece of toll road which it so happens , has no speed limit. But you are not racing.

I await a suitably opaque and obfuscatory response from the underwriters..

Is this worth a punt, or is it a hiding to nothing? New cars are treated with some latitude from Porsche, so it makes sense to better understand the position on older cars under the approved Porsche scheme.

We'll see...

[domster]

As far as I'm aware, trackdays are fine on Porsche warranties as long as it is use and not abuse. The wording of your policy seems fine to me anyway.

Search the forums as there is a lot on this topic.

Getcarter and I had a good old bust up with BMW over this, and got them to honour a warranty after trackday failure of his gearbox in an E46 M3. This led to national press coverage re sports cars/trackdays/warranties and a few skeletons came out of the closet (Caterham went from exclusion to inclusion after a groundswell of opinion if I remember, and Noble had to make concessions, too). Porsche was very much 'trackdays no problem' of I remember. Of course, they may have rewritten their warranties subtly since then

[toppstuff]

Indeed Dom, I am concerned that the warranty provider for Official Used Porsches is not singing from the same tune as Porsche are for new cars..

When pushed on the phone they did wriggle somewhat.

The guy on the phone was adamant that
"all track days are the same as racing".

I suggested that a lawyer might suggest otherwise, as trackdays often forbid racing or time trials, award no prizes, and can even include sections of public road in mainland Europe.

I have put my question in writing and they have referred to their underwriters.

I knew that you and getcarter had done some great work on this one regarding a broken M3 - well done for getting the issue some profile !

I will post the outcome as it occurs. We can't have Porsches under the approved used warranty being treated differently to new cars !

Cheers

[domster]

Nice one TS. I didn't realise there was a difference between a new and approved used warranty, thought they were two sides of the same coin.

Our biggest gripe with BMW was that they tested the M3 around the Nurburgring and launched it as a hyper sports model. If a 316 compact exploded on the track, then that is one thing - but a Motorsport division car should take a grilling in its stride.

Steve and I had a lot of fun rattling BMW's cage, and bringing the wider issue up with other manufacturers. When solicitor's letters don't get you anywhere, it's time for a press release

[toppstuff]

Yup - there is a big difference between new and old car warranties.

The new car warranty is a Porsche AG underwritten affair, while the used car one is actually a Car Care warranty with a Porsche label on it...

You call up the Porsche Master Plus warranty helpline and you actually speak to CarCare warranties in Leeds...

HOWEVER - if you buy a Porsche in Germany and have it checked by an OPC in Germany, you can take out a Porsche AG underwritten used car warranty. This is a pan - European warranty that applies in the UK and will be honoured by UK OPC's.

It seems that Porsche GB choose not to use the same scheme. Instead, they outsource to Car Care and slap their name on it...

Intruiging is'nt it?

[getcarter]

Interesting reading.

What Dom said obviously - and may be worth clarification *before* the stuff hits the fan (or the rad).

...still, me and the Domster had quite a laugh taking on Bavaria.

>> Edited by getcarter on Thursday 19th February 18:56

[AdamS]

I have the same question but on a new car warranty. the dealer could not give a proper answer in relation to the warranty on a new GT3 and has referred the question to Porsche GB.

Will have to wait and see!