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I also have the distinction of the RS60 owner in this entire group who paid the lowest price for my used RS60 of anyone (US$26,000 out the door).
I scored this insane win as a result of a mistake by a BMW Dealership which took one in at a trade-in and unknowingly listed it as a plain-vanilla Boxster and priced it over US$10,000 below the true market price of an RS60 with its mileage and condition.
Like most things in my life, there's a story - two stories in this case, one about the vehicle's official history/lineage, and the other about how I acquired mine.
I will share them in sequence:
First announced in November 27th 2007, the RS60 release commemorated Porsche's 1960 victory in the 12 Hours of Sebring Autocross race.
Its namesake, the silver 1960 Porsche Type 718 RS 60 Spyder earned the nicknamed "Giant Killer" because it was the roadster built by a scrappy no-name upstart, which was somehow able to steal racing victories from rivals boasting larger engines and more-prestigious pedigrees.
If you know me personally, you'd understand that every line of that last sentence resonates with me on a visceral level.
With the symbolically-significant 1,960 RS60s released to the public (and only 800 destined for all of the North American market), these vehicles were in hot demand, and Porschephiles threw money at dealerships to secure their orders; in many cases auction wars resulted in winners bidding them US$10,000+ over its equivalent non-limited-edition Porsche siblings.
Both as a matter of principle, and as a matter of acknowledging my own financial constraints, I do not participate in feeding frenzies and quietly watched rich Porsche enthusiasts knock each other out to snap up these 800 gorgeous vehicles.
Since 2011, I've been running a web script to ping internet vehicle listings for the RS60 Spyder and its Boxster S counterpart, to get a sense of how the depreciation affected the relative prices of the limited edition variant and its baseline Porsche sibling.
As expected, the RS60 held its value quite well compared to its sibko, and the occasional vehicles that I noticed that came up for sale were defective in some way (track damage, accident, automatic transmission, etc.)
Then in 2013, a miracle.
I got an alert about an oddly-priced Porsche at a BMW dealership just 20 miles away from my home. The advertisement lists it as a plain-vanilla Boxster, but having memorized every curve of the RS60 Spyder, I recognize it for what it truly was.
Could it be?
It appeared that the BMW dealership took an RS60 Spyder on a trade-in. Thanks to a staff member unfamiliar with Porsches who did not properly recognize the car, they mistakenly listed it as a plain-vanilla Boxster, pricing it over ten thousand dollars below its true value.
My excitement was tempered by my natural cynicism, and I made a beeline for the dealership, half-expecting to hear about some sort of mixup "Oh we are sorry - we used an old stock photo to advertise this car, we had no idea they were such different vehicles. Apologies!"
Nope.
There it was - a six-speed manual-transmission Giant Slayer clad in Porsche's GT Silver Metallic paint, priced ten thousand dollars below its market value, sitting at the lot.
My Giant Slayer.
A quick read of the CarFax vehicle history report and conversation with the dealership employee confirmed that this car was owned by a dentist who traded it in for a BMW X5, and was locally serviced.
A cream puff, as they are called in the car business, wildly mispriced by an overworked BMW employee ignorant of the vehicle's rarity.
The business of car dealerships is to trade on information asymmetry at the customer's expense - and business is very profitable.
Just like the average sucker who walks into a casino walks out with a lighter wallet.
But every once in a while, the little guy wins against the House.
And once in a great while, a little guy slays a Giant, and takes home a Giant Slayer for himself in the process.
So what does this all say about me?
1. I am patient and capable of deferring gratification for years, while sizing up a competitive landscape to get what I want, on my terms.
2. I am a ruthless opportunist and take goatish pleasure in turning rigged games around on the players who are accustomed to running them for their own profit.
3. I am a car enthusiast with a deep love of mid-engine manual-transmission roadsters.
4. As a resident of Oakland, CA, I notice that criminals give me a wide berth, as I am constantly mistaken as a Chinese gang boss because of my odd hours and penchant for wearing suits while running errands. I do nothing to disabuse them of this notion, and have made a habit of blasting loud gangsta rap through the RS60's stereo system when I am on surface streets in Oakland.
Last edited by Kai Peter Chang; 03-05-2014 at 08:00 AM.
Reason: stylistic tweaks of bolding and italicizing specific passages
Great story on a great catch and buy. I recently traded in my RS-60 on a new Cayman. Would still be driving it if it had been a manual. Just curious if you bargained them down from their asking price or was so anxious to secure the already good deal you didn't want to risk it getting away. Congrats, I know you will love the car.
Congrats and thanks for sharing your story and enthusiasm for the RS60. Its a great car and I'm sure you will enjoy it for many years. We had one for several years and really enjoyed it. Congrats again!
Great story on a great catch and buy. I recently traded in my RS-60 on a new Cayman. Would still be driving it if it had been a manual. Just curious if you bargained them down from their asking price or was so anxious to secure the already good deal you didn't want to risk it getting away. Congrats, I know you will love the car.
I did not negotiate further - US$26,000 for a RS60? While I was certain I was among the first to be aware of the absurd pricing of this RS60, I knew every hour I wasted trying to chisel another few hundred out of the price meant another Porsche enthusiast may be on their way to the dealership, realizing the same thing I did.
The most valuable thing is to get the salesperson in a room, start up the paperwork and make sure money changes hands and I lock this one in.
If I wanted to, I probably could have sold the car immediately afterward for a modest and tidy profit.
I did not negotiate further - US$26,000 for a RS60? While I was certain I was among the first to be aware of the absurd pricing of this RS60, I knew every hour I wasted trying to chisel another few hundred out of the price meant another Porsche enthusiast may be on their way to the dealership, realizing the same thing I did.
The most valuable thing is to get the salesperson in a room, start up the paperwork and make sure money changes hands and I lock this one in.
If I wanted to, I probably could have sold the car immediately afterward for a modest and tidy profit.
Not. Gonna. Do. It.
This is a great buy. I would have done the same even if I wasn't looking for one.
We're getting together at Alices this Sunday for the monthly Bay Area Breakfast club. 9am. Join if you can.
# 123 reporting from Las Vegas. Purchased at the Carmax in Phoenix, AZ a few weeks ago. (They didn't know that it was a special edition, with all the bells and whistles!) Turned 29K miles this afternoon. I'm a moderator over on VWVvortex.com, and this is my 2nd "fun" car. I have a '93 Corrado, but the RS will see more usage because it's more easily replaced than the Corrado. RS is bone stock, red interior, black top. I think the clear bra is the only add-on, and I just had 5% tint applied because of the wicked Vegas sun. The picture that made me fly to Phoenix:
And the other toy:
Just bought this RS60. I'm located in Santiago, Chile.
#0043
023 Silver instrument dials
098 Left-hand drive version
130 Control and indications in English lettering
195 Battery 70 Ah
198 Enhanced starter motor (1.7 kW)
199 Battery disconnection switch
218 Licence plate holder version 4
219 Differential
245 Internal production code
267 Automatically dimmable interior and door mirrors
268 Rain sensor
271 Door mirrors -aspherical- driver's side, electrically adjustable and heatable
288 Headlamp washer
342 Seat heating, left/right seat
375 Sports seat, backrest shell, left
376 Sports seat, backrest shell, right
407 SportDesign wheels 19-inch
424 CD compartment
426 Without rear window wiper (Cayman code)
434 Work instructions - cars for overseas
441 Radio preparation
446 Concave wheel centers with full-colour Porsche Crest
454 Automatic speed control
460 Smooth leather steering wheel with round center
465 Rear fog light, left
475 "PASM" electronic damper control
476 Porsche Stability Management (PSM)
480 6-speed manual transmission
502 Produced at Valmet plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland
509 Fire extinguisher
534 Theft security system, 433 MHz
567 Windscreen tinted, upper part darker coloured
571 Activated charcoal filter
573 Air conditioner
601 Xenon lighting system
607 Garage door opener "Homelink", 315 MHz
635 Parking assistant
659 On-board computer
680 BOSE sound package
689 Preperation for CD autochanger
694 CD radio "PORSCHE CDR 24"
706 Internal production code
709 Internal production code
754 Special model "RS 60 Spyder"
760 Internal production code
810 Floor mats
981 Leather dashboard and door panels
983 Leather seats
991 Steering wheel airbag module in leather
998 Natural leather
X70 Door entry guards in stainless steel with logo
X97 Gear lever **** with aluminium inlay
XLA Polished stainless steel exhaust end
XLF Sports exhaust system
XME Centre console painted in exterior color
XMK Roll-over bar painted in exterior color
XRP 5-mm spacers front/rear
XSA Sports seat backrests painted in exterior color
XSH Silver seat belts
XXF Red tail lights
Order Type 987360
Engine code M97.22
Transmission code G87.21
I just purchase RS 60 #1326, it currently resides in East Providence RI. It is perfect in every way. Full red interior with a black top. Options include:
Car has 63500 miles but the interior is mint.
PCM 2.1 with Extended Navigation
Sport Chrono Plus
Bi-Xenon Headlights
Rear Parking Assist
Automatic Climate Control
Heated Seats
Bose Surround Sound
Door Pocket LEDs
Center Console with Porsche Crest
Seats with Porsche Crest
Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers and Dimming Mirrors
CD Changer
This is my 3rd Porsche, traded my 2002 Speed Yellow Boxster S on it.
I just purchase RS 60 #1326, it currently resides in East Providence RI. It is perfect in every way. Full red interior with a black top. Options include:
Car has 63500 miles but the interior is mint.
This is my 3rd Porsche, traded my 2002 Speed Yellow Boxster S on it.
Hi Neighbor,
Congrats on your RS60. Great car! My wife and I had one for 4 years. We just traded it in on a 981CS earlier this year. You should join us in the Spring when we have some group meets for cars & coffee in Taunton, MA (there is a thread in the New England subsection of the forum). Many of our attendees are from RI.
Congrats again, you are going to love the RS60...its a blast!
Best regards,
Dino
03-03-2014, 08:10 PM
RS60 #1185/1960
