Periodically I get asked, or hear of someone asking, about the value of PCA membership. I'll give an example, or two, of how PCA membership has worked for me. Annual membership (if paid annually) is $46. If you have your dealership do a tune up, minor maintenance plus transmission or brake flush, then the 10% discount on work performed will pay for the membership alone. That added to the monthly get-togethers and seasonal rallies, PCA track days, breakfast clubs meetings, mystery tours, car shows.... NOT to mention the great magazines (local and national) and you come up with a value far exceeding the annual membership.

If your not into convivial soirees with other Porsche aficionados, don't care for glossy Porsche-filled magazines or don't even participate in PCA track days or racing, the 10% membership discount at your Porsche dealer can easily cover the $90 two-year membership fee. I had the dealership do some work on the Cayenne this week which my membership saved me $500 (that's 10 years of membership). Your appreciation my vary.

 

Just to play the Devil's Advocate here (as a PCA member on and off for decades)

The local PCA here is NOT responsible for many of the things you listed. Many of the breakfast club, coffee and cars gatherings, drives, shows locally are NOT PCA run. They also do very few non "club racer" track or TSD rally events....sometimes none in a year.

The local club is great at catering to the club racers and repeating the same old, mostly "come hang out in the dealership" social events over and over and over and over and over year after year. The events lack creativity, are very expensive compared to doing it on your own, etc. I've been on more than one PCA drive where the food cost was $50 for what would be considered the "free breakfast" at a cheap motel.

Seriously, some of our local drives constitute driving down the freeway for an hour and back to have lunch at the same place every year. When we have a MASSIVE network of cool mountain roads right behind us. We should never have a drive on the freeway or the same restaurant twice!!

Not a fan of our local dealers, prefer the independent shops. Saves vastly more money than being screwed 10% less by the local dealers!

The glossy magazine is also mostly 911 stuff no articles and ads from the east coast. The diversity in the magazine gets boring quickly.

 

Car corrals at Petit, Sebring, Barber and the like for less $s and preferred locations often offered.

 

That was probably me you heard asking.. and it is a bit more specific. For the average Cayenne owner - PCA membership, especially if you're a DIY, or use an independent for service basically gives me nothing of interest. The Cayenne (and Panamera) appear to the redheaded stepchildren of the PCA. The club centers around the 911 and variants. Anything else - well, the impression I've gotten is "It's not a REAL Porsche.."

My independent doesn't offer a PCA discount since he doesn't overcharge to begin with. There is no meat on that bone. I can easily save WAY more than the paltry 10% parts discount by simply looking on the net, and that includes OE parts from one of the several Porsche dealers who are selling discounted parts on line. My local dealership has oil filters for the Cayenne in stock. Anything else - "we'll call you when the parts arrive."

Is the PCA of value? Probably for a 911 owner. It's much more up in the air for the average Cayenne owner (one who isn't towing his 911 race car with the P!G.)

 

I've found the same thing at times from the PCA members, not always, but more often at PCA gatherings than not. Funny thing is that we have had Porsches in the family since 1976. None of which have ever been a "911".

I grew up dreaming of 356s, 944s, 928s and 914s. The 911 simply seemed "too mainstream" and "too plain" to me.


I currently own three red headed Porsche step children. Cars I dreamed about since I was a kid but when you go to some of the PCA stuff you get the "....so....no 911?" Comments! Yet, I obviously have a fascination with the brand

Go to other events and the attitude seems much better.

 

I went to our local PCA chapter's annual Concours and BBQ lunch last month in hopes of making some contacts and seeing some other Cayenne owners. This group is VERY centered around any other Porsche but the Cayenne. And... what really got to me was I was wandering around for over two hours looking at the displayed vehicles, nosing around the few displays and the swap shop, and not one single person had even the courtesy to say "hello" or talk to you. The group seemed ever-so-cliquish, they speak heavily of "outreach" for new members in their promotional materials but the only thing I saw them reach for that day was another hamburger. Nope, not my kind of car club, discount or no discount.

 

That's too bad. Many of our group's members have both Carreras and Cayennes so I have never experienced that type of behavior. I have a group to the south of us (Colorado Springs) that takes great trips and our local group does breakfast rallies and dinner events that are pretty fun.

I don't look for anything but "Porsche fun" at these events. Just Porsche camaraderie. Maybe make up an "I'm a new member" t-shirt and they'll reach out to you more. Auto enthusiasts are usually a pretty friendly group.

 

I find that often car nuts of the cheaper variety are often much more knowledgeable and fun.

 

Received an email from PCA (even though I didn't renew - apparently they don't clean their email list.)


The subject of the email was: "Is the new Macan worthy of the Porsche badge?"


We can guess what the answer was.. it was "sort of, mebbe, well it's really an Audi.."


A link to the article: http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/con...-porsche-badge


Just the fact that they used that subject line - which to me is insulting, inflammatory and sensationalist shows why I'm happy I didn't renew.

 

Interesting indeed. I would second the "insulting, inflammatory and sensationalist" sentiments.