USMC10

So my build freeze date was Jan 21st for my RWD GTS Coupe (MSRP is $154,740). After talking with the SA and my wife, I jumped on the opportunity for ED taking the Leipzig option as I am a track nut and wanted the track time above all else to make the ED experience complete. I submitted my order and deposit by the January freeze date without issue. Then came the long wait for the production and finally my European delivery which was scheduled for May 16th at Leipzig!

Fast forward to early March and I get a phone call from my SA saying there's a production delay and Porsche NA has a few options to remedy the issue. I'm put in touch with the Delivery Programs Manager at Porsche NA (happy to provide the name of anyone is interested) and began asking what was up with my order?

​​​​I was told there was an issue with the supplier for the deviated stitching that would result in a 3 week production delay. After a cordial conversation and a slew of questions I was given two options to proceed:

1) remove the deviated stitching from my build to keep the approved ED date intact, or 2) rebook my ED to early June after the supplier issue is resolved. I proceeded to explain why neither option worked. First, this is a custom build and the whole reason I'm doing this is to own a 911 EXACTLY how I want it. If I remove the deviated stitching I'd kick myself as soon as I take possession and then have to live with that decision forever. It would annoy the crap out of me every time I get in the car, forever. Nope, not an option.

Option 2 was no better because I had already purchased business class tickets and took time off work for these specific dates. Porsche NA was kind enough to offer me reimbursement for any airfare change fees to adjust my flights. I felt that was quite generous, however the larger problem was my work schedule. I'm an active duty Marine stationed at the Pentagon and I don't have the ability to change my leave dates on the fly. I submitted for leave months earlier (back in January in fact), as soon as I was assigned the Leipzig delivery date, just to obtain approval for the May dates. Without significant hoop jumping and a serious expenditure of political capital there'd be no way to change my leave dates. Again, not really an option.

I proceeded to offer Option 3 to Porsche NA. If I keep my deviated stitching in the build and accept the delay in production would Porsche provide me with a like-model loaner car so that I can still get the full ED experience? I proceeded to explain that with a no-cost loaner car approved, I would authorize Porsche to remove my car from the ED schedule and instead ship it directly to my dealer as soon as production was complete...same as everyone else's build who don't take ED.

Guess what! Porsche accepted my proposal!

Wait, it gets better. So now I'm still doing ED per the original dates, my flights don't change, AND I take possion of the loaner as if it were my own car...essentially go through the same motions including being put up in the hotel, lunch provided, and 911 factory tour at Zuffenhausen. The loaner has to picked up at the factory so I technically now do ED at Zuffenhausen but Porsche also kept my track event at Leipzig scheduled! And because I've been inconvenienced (not taking delivery of my own build), Porsche also offered complimentary hotel nights at both Zuffenhausen and Leipzig! How cool!

Ok, so what loaner car am I getting? Well they didn't have any GTS models available. Instead they are providing me with a brand new Turbo S right off the production line!! I was blown away!! I asked about a GT3 and they said, and I quote "umm, no." The Turbo S is much more comfortable on the autobahn anyway. Twist my arm...I'll take the Turbo S.

Best part is I was nervous about driving my new car on the autobahn without PPF and also feeling castrated having to keep it below 4k RPMs during the break in (which would obviously have been the entire time driving it in Germany). With the Turbo S loaner....well let's just say I'll try my hardest not to smoke the tires off the wheels, and moreover I don't have to live with any rock chips in the hood.

In the end I'm not all that disappointed about not driving my car in Germany. Better yet, I'm very much impressed with the level of customer service offered by Porsche NA. They were flexible enough to turn a bad situation into a good one. Not sure many other automotive brands would go through all this trouble. Although, admittedly it is the third Porsche (and second brand new one) that I've purchased in the past 6 months, so there's that.
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I depart on my ED journey tomorrow! Thanks to everyone on the forum for all the insightful information about the ED process and 991 ownership overall. Will keep you all posted on the trip. I'll be in country for about 10 days. After picking up the Turbo S and doing the factory tour and museum visit I'll head up to Leipzig for the track day, then make my way over to Berlin, then Prague, then Zurich/Lucerne (have to attempt Swiss Alps passes if the roads are open), followed lastly by Munich before dropping off the car and flying home.

Then it's another wait until mid June for the arrival of my car at the local dealer!
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Cheers!

Hurricane

Porsche_nuts

Great story. Porsche did the right thing - and then some. Congrats and have fun driving the turbo in Germany. It's win, win, win.

I love happy endings.

Norsk

Hurricane

And bring your car to some PCA Potomac events when you get it!

USMC10

Absolutely will! Thanks! Where do I check the schedule of events.

Did you receive your new car yet?

USMC10

Thank you Norsk. Yes, props to Porsche indeed.
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Semper Fi,
Mike

bwiele

Great story. But I confess I have a lingering concern that once you've driven the Turbo S for a spell, you may be disappointed with your GTS when you get it. I sure hope not.

911boy

Glad that all worked out the way it did. I assumed Porsche did their own stitching at the factory? Its a rather odd thing to hold up production.

drcollie

Porsche AG went above and beyond - props to them for sure.

P.S. They ran out of that color thread.

911boy

[QUOTE=drcollie;15002337]Porsche AG went above and beyond - props to them for sure.

P.S. They ran out of that color thread.[/QUOTE]

C'mon...........

Hurricane

https://pcapotomac.org/

It finally arrived about a month ago (it's in my Avatar). I love this car! Your wait will be worth it.

Andial

Thanks for your service. Your proposal is more common than you think. A few owners have used Porsche's cars in lieu of their own for ED before.

Jsonorous

That is an amazing outcome for a situation that could have destroyed the experience. I've done ED once, and look forward to doing it again. Something tells me you might be buying 4 Porsches in 6 months after hanging with that Turbo S... Have a great trip!

USMC10

Yes, that did cross my mind. However, I'm confident in my decision for the RWD GTS. It's exactly what I wanted. I wasn't interested in a Turbo. The additional HP may be nice after driving the Turbo S, which can largely be compensated by adding an ECU tune to the GTS. The GTS sounds better anyway, IMHO.

Thank you for the comment. 18 years active duty...only 2 to go until retirement. I assume there are other cases out there like mine. Presumably Porsche is able to make good on these kinds of hiccups since they don't offer huge discounts on ED models similar to Mercedes, BMW, and others. I even looked into the Overseas Military Sales Program which offers massive discounts on Mercedes and BMW...yet virtually nothing for Porsche.