ErikP. Doom and Gloom?? Not really but a healthy dose of reality is needed. The story about the death of the British motorcycle industry after the Japanese swooped on it has been documented very well.
Note. We are talking about outrageously expensive cars here, almost none to be had under 100K (OTD - Out the Door). As a Porsche driver, I am buying the Marque (Porsche not the Volkswagen corporate parts bin) , the exclusivity in numbers on the road (limited editions - build to order) and the purpose (sports supercar not an ecofriendly piece of crapiola) and I am willing to pay a certain amount of money for that. You dilute any of these attributes and I will start looking elsewhere.
One more thing about quality or at least reported quality, almost never do I see in the general press the RMS, IMS, engine blowups, plastic water pipe issues and therefor I am putting to you that these numbers are just what they are, bloody lies AKA statistics.

 

When I sense dilution I will agree. We are nowhere near that. None of the points of the previous posters were valid. Not quality concerns, not power concerns, not KIA concerns.

 

I agree that the pricing is too high. I posted on another thread on the subject as well. I had a modded 996 Turbo that I bought pre-owned. I had that car since 08 and it was a blast and still a good value for the money! In my opinion $130K plus for basically a base model 991 is ridiculous (just my opinion by the way). I recently sold my 996 and picked up a nice 06 Z06 for driving around and the track. It gives me that raw feeling that I missed but didn't break the bank. I just feel that the Porsche options are starting to nickel and dime the purists to death! The 991 GT3 RS is probably going to be $180K at this point! I would be stressed out putting that thing on the track.

 

That's why these are called discussion Boards...

 

Discussion - agreed.

Well as we all know it's only too high when the market decides it's too high - not when an individual deems it so (whether that be you or I). I didn't see the market decide the 996 or 997 too high. And my dealer is sold out of 991's, as is Champion in Florida. So someone (in addition to the engineers) at Porsche is brilliant.

And this "ridiculously priced" car is outrunning cars twice it's price on the track. The 991 price is not arbitrary. It's a figure arrived at by way of a formula which includes R&D recoup, manufacturing modernization, and materials. They aren't trying to pull one over on anybody.

If it's "too high for a Porsche" and the "faster than cars twice it's price" isn't a valid argument then tell me why there is a $170k Turbo S on the floor of my dealership? (with a sold sign on it). Because that car is a LOT more than a 991. And it's still a 911. Just goes faster.

 

I look forward to seeing one at the track...

 

So, 1 % of the owners use their Porsche as a track car... at the most! The other 99% want a great daily driver with penache, composure and exclusivity, a car that does not get them stranded on the side of the road. I personally, am not too worried about my 0 to150 miles track times. I am more worried about the fact that the RMS is going to blow my engine to the tune of 15K or so. But, hey that is just me! It is that possibility (no matter what Porsche engineering and the Statistical Brotherhood in saying) is diluting my pleasure. That's why I sold my C2 and grabbed a Mezger engined car.
I am also still reading the Porsche has THE highest profit margin of any car manufacturer... They sure know how much they can get for their car(s).

 

My main confusion is how did the 991s suddenly become above the price threshold at $130k?

There is still a demand to get 997.2 Turbo's at $160-170k. <---how is this ALSO not too expensive if only 1% track their cars?

 

There are a ton of Porsche guys that track their cars, I would venture to say more than 1%. I just think that Porsche may lose some of the purists that like to enjoy their 911's. My feeling was that I would rather pick up a used Z06 and beat the hell out of that for basically nothing. I think you will see a lot of old school Porsche guys doing the same or at least going for used 996/997's instead of upgrading like I would have done.

 

The pricing on the cars (and everything else) really comes down to the company's bottom line. If they drop the price a lot, sales will likely increase, but profit per car will go down. Raise the price much higher and sales will likely go down, but profit per car will increase. Somewhere between, you get a price where you have maximum sales * profit per car = total profit. That's the price they're presumably shooting for.

As far as options prices, I agree that they're quite high. But the upside is that you can keep the price lower by avoiding most of those options; a 911 with no options is still a fine car. Same as going to a restaurant - if you want a good value, get a nice entree but avoid the fancy drinks, appetizers, and deserts.

 

Agree with the option piece. Note however that it is practically impossible to find a base Porsche... that is because options make the BIG bucks. Hey they will throw a set of floor mats valued at 250 bucks or so in the deal when you buy that 200K dollar car.

 

Yeah I used to ***** about the ala cart depth on the BMW line - then I saw Porsche and thought it to be even more nuts - but it really allows those who want an engine strapped to a chassis to get that - and those who want the fluff to get THAT car. So I'm good.

I still scratch my head about some of the interior bits you can wrap in leather or paint to match the exterior. I think they finally did away with the steering wheel attachment box in leather - and the overhead dome in leather.

 

I totally agree. In fact I can't understand people griping about option prices when in fact most options are totally unnecessary and not even desirable in my opinion. A more than adequate 991S coupe can be optioned under $120K, a minimal one under $110k, yet many option it in excess of $140k and most join in the complaining about how expensive the 911 has become.

 

+1. If you think a 911 shouldn't cost $135k then don't check the option for unicorn hide dash leather and the $3500 paint color.

 

To me, with a sports car, it's preferable to keep it simple. Just start 'er up and drive.

Now with a luxury sedan, I can certainly see why someone might want to option it to the max.