New 997 - Deposits being taken!
New 997 - Deposits being taken!
Author
Discussion

dougie_wh

Original Poster:

53 posts

258 months

Tuesday 11th May 2004
quotequote all
I read an article in Autocar Magazine today with great interest. Deposits are now being taken for the 997 with a sussex dealer already having 99 people with deposits down - all 3 grand. He's done okay then! In London a different story, one dealer having 40 names down with just a grand deposit. I remember a situation a little while ago where people early on in the 'list', think it was possibly for the new TVR, were selling their deposits for quite a profit. Does anyone know the score with regard to doing this. How do you go about changing your name? I.E If I put deposit down and decide in 12 months to sell it to someone elso as I am much further down the list what do you do? Simply ring the dealership and ask them to change the name to 'Joe Bloggs' who then takes the car on?!

On the car front it is very '911', with much visual simularity with the 993. I have to say the interior seems to have many simularities with VW though. The steering wheel is much like that of the MK5 and the gearknob seems very VWish. The press say the interior is an attempt to 'address long-running concerns over quality', I have to say at first glance it doesn't seem that great, hopefully these first pictures we are beginning to see don't do it justice and in the flesh it will be pleasing to the eye.....and of course the touch!



>>> Edited by dougie_wh on Tuesday 11th May 22:33

>>> Edited by dougie_wh on Wednesday 12th May 10:59

poorcardealer

8,609 posts

258 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
quotequote all


Firstly your too late now to make a profit on your deposit/place as there are too many people in front of you on the lists.........dealers tend not to like this behaviour and may make life difficult if you choose to buy their products again....they may well lose out on servicing work if the car is sold to another area etc.........
As somebody who used to run a Ferrari dealership I would not supply another car to anybody who clearly had just bought to speculate.
In the 80s a chap I know made £100K profit by picking up his new Testarossa and trailering it 100 miles to its new waiting owner!
Nice work if you can get it!

996Turbo

37 posts

257 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
quotequote all
deposits have been being taken for a while now so youve missed the boat for making a large amount

sprior

96 posts

261 months

Wednesday 12th May 2004
quotequote all
Don't worry, the news of variable rate steering should put enough people off to reduce the waiting list to something more sensible!

jjr1

3,027 posts

277 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
I placed a 1000 down a couple of years ago and now have to put a further 2000 down. Is this normal to pay such a large deposit even before I get to spec the car?

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

256 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
I don't understand why people commit to buying a car before they've even driven it. Also there's usually a facelift after a couple of years so u get a better car (initial gremlins sorted etc) and no waiting list.

I can' see myself commiting to a 60-70 grand car without taking a proper test drive. What about others here?

jjr1

3,027 posts

277 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
Bought my M3 without getting to drive one and loved it, so I see no problems doing the same with a Porsche.

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

256 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
I drove a few 996's when I was thinking of changing my Boxster S but didn't like them. It didn't give me much more over the Boxster and some things less. If I'd ordered a new one I would have been very dissapointed for that amount of cash.

I ended up with a 993 turbo (and test drove it of course) which is fabulous in comparison (my opinion of course).

dds1

1,407 posts

275 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
The 3k deposit I think is there to try and deter speculators, a couple of dealers I spoke to said you wouldn't be staying on the list if you didn't stump up the 3k now.



Also: re: committing, the deposits are usually refundable right up until spec date - to give people a chance to pull out once they have seen more details / seen the car in the flesh.


>> Edited by dds1 on Thursday 13th May 16:29

pgm

2,168 posts

266 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
I am an existing customer with a deposit down for nearly a year now.

I think i might get my £1k back now - not being ripped off for another 2 for their profit - they make much more money than me as it is

f**k them! I don't want one any more

Cheers
Paul

jjr1

3,027 posts

277 months

Thursday 13th May 2004
quotequote all
Tough choice for me as I quite like the idea of one even though paying 3 grand is a rip off

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

256 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
I don't have a problem with a deposit as long as when the cars are available you can have a proper test drive, for say a day and then decide if you want to proceed. If you decide not to proceed, your deposit plus base rate interest should be refunded. Otherwise I think it's just a gamble. This view isn't just for the 997 but for any new car.

GuyR

2,469 posts

299 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
How is 3 grand a rip-off if its a deposit and refundable if you cancel before you specify the exact details............?

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

256 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
yes but the spec normally needs to be agreed and committed to 3 months before the build date. Therefore you have a committed 3 grand and still haven't seen or driven the car.

jjr1

3,027 posts

277 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
[quote]How is 3 grand a rip-off if its a deposit and refundable if you cancel before you specify the exact details............?
[/quote]

Because the £1000 shows you are serious about the car and up until the point you commit the poor dealer to taking delivery of a flamingo pink car with polka dots, I see no reason to ask for any more.

£3000 to be held from now until I get to spec the car is a blatant piss take

pgm

2,168 posts

266 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
jjr1 said:
[quote]How is 3 grand a rip-off if its a deposit and refundable if you cancel before you specify the exact details............?


Because the £1000 shows you are serious about the car and up until the point you commit the poor dealer to taking delivery of a flamingo pink car with polka dots, I see no reason to ask for any more.

£3000 to be held from now until I get to spec the car is a blatant piss take

[/quote]

exactly!!

Jay-Aim

598 posts

258 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
£3k just to reserve is OTT - £1k should be enough

and full deposit on specifying the car

That would be fair

As for cancelling your order and getting interest on your money is like wanting your cake and eat it.
If you want to reserve your turn, then the cost is the loss of interest on your money. Hardly expensive is it?

Silver993tt

9,064 posts

256 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all
The interest on the deposit costs the OPC absolutely nothing, it comes from the bank they use. It would just be a nice gesture to a potential customer at no cost to the OPC.

Over here in Germany if you rent an apartment, you might need 2-3 months rental for the deposit. The landlord has to put this money into an interest bearing account by law. When you get it back on leaving the apartment you get the original deposit plus the accumulated interest. Ok, an apartment isn't a car but it's the same principle on holding someones money for real additional return of service.

poorcardealer

8,609 posts

258 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all


When the Lotus Elise first came out we had 160 deposits of £1000, some of which we had held for 2 years.........delaers will of course allow you to pull out and have your deposit back if you dont like the demo car when it arrives.

£1K deposit is the general rule of thumb until you spec the car.

poorcardealer

8,609 posts

258 months

Friday 14th May 2004
quotequote all


PS Always put it on a credit card as a few dealers have gone bust in the past!! (thinking Lotus delaers here)