Monday 13th February 2017

Preuninger: Porsche is not a hedge fund

Porsche's GT boss on why R owners shouldn't view their cars as cash cows

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Few cars have the cage-rattling ability of the Porsche 911 R, the sheer outrage of those denied the opportunity to spend £140,000 on a rare-groove GT 911 variant shocking in its strength. Were those people truly heartbroken at missing out on a great driving experience though? Or was it a less dignified huff by those motivated by a fear of missing out on a healthy return on investment?

If you're among the latter it'd seem R development figurehead and the public face of the Porsche GT department Andreas Preuninger has little sympathy. "We are not a hedge fund," shrugs Preuninger with characteristic bluntness. "We are a company that produces cars, we live because we sell cars and we have to make a profit to go on. So we cannot offer cars with a built-in promise to keep value for a small amount of chosen people, this wouldn't be fair."

And as he points out whatever products come down the line R values are hardly in peril. "The R will stand on its pedestal for ever, as with the 997 GT3 RS 4.0," he says. "With that car it didn't hurt that there was a 991 GT3, it didn't hurt that there was a 991 RS, it didn't hurt that there was an R with a manual gearbox - RS 4.0 values are sky high. It is the same with the R."

After initial rumours of Rs swapping hands for seven figure sums and an awful lot of speculative 'POA' adverts it's hard to pin down the actual transaction prices for those that have been moved on. DK Engineering lists one as sold for £459,995 which, indeed, would make the person who slipped their Official Porsche Centre the £136,901 list price very happy indeed. With 'regular' 997.II 3.8 RS models knocking on £200,000 and 4.0s around double that it would indeed seem your money is safe in these cars.

More encouraging, however, are signs there are owners out there ready to enjoy cars like the R for what they are, not what they represent as part of a portfolio. You get the impression Preuninger and his team would approve.

[Porsche911R]

"Andreas Preuninger has little sympathy. "We are not a hedge fund," shrugs Preuninger with characteristic bluntness. "We are a company that produces cars, we live because we sell cars and we have to make a profit to go on. So we cannot offer cars with a built-in promise to keep value for a small amount of chosen people, this wouldn't be fair."

But this is what they are doing "offering cars with a built-in promise to keep value" and yes it's not fair.

Do what you say and build more cars so we can buy them and you make more money !

Porsche created the Cash cow car, they can put a stop to it at any time by not making cars which are ltd to 36 UK units !

Edited by Porsche911R on Monday 13th February 11:46

[Porsche911R]

sidesauce said:

Mr Preuniger is the Director/Head of Vehicle Projects, (specifically Porsche cars made in the GT department). He's an engineer, not a bean counter and he does not have the final say on how many cars Porsche sell, he simply designs and develops their GT products.

The ridiculousness of peoples misplaced anger at him on here is simply staggering.

If you REALLY want to have a go at people at Porsche, maybe write a strongly worded letter addressed to Detlev von Platen, member of the Porsche Executive Board for Sales and Marketing or maybe Albrecht Reimold, member of the Porsche Executive Board for Production but you won't as it's much easier to spout st about the Porsche engineer Pistonheads interviews even though he has nothing to do with the production numbers.

Oh, and you're all welcome.

He should NOT do interviews talking such bks then !
Why did the interview even happen , if those were the questions asked !

[Porsche911R]

sidesauce said:

xactly. The public face of the Porsche GT department - not the public face of the Sales department or Marketing Department.

And hence he SHOULD NOT be talking about hedge funds and values !!!

The interview was pointless crap and every one in it talked crap.

That's about the sum of it.

If one were to interview the man, one would ask, if there is going to be a manual GT3, not talk values as every one does !

[Porsche911R]

Ugly with those comic rear arches imo and daft centre petrol filler is hassle
£350k as well, I don't get the Singer hype.
And as there is not one in the UK still, I guess not many others do either, so when push comes to shove would people really buy one !

get a nice rennsport remake for £80k and a 991 RS for the same money ! even with overs ! and still have change :-)

or just buy a real 911S