I am working my way to purchasing a 2021 992 C4S Coupe that with options on the configurator is coming out at around $157,000. After chatting with my nearest dealer I understand I likely won't see it turn up until spring 2021 earliest if I order in the next week or two.

This will be my first 911. When I raised the question of what size deposit would secure the order 10% was mentioned which is c. $15,000. Thats quite a lot for a dealer to be sitting on for 6-8 months.

Dealer commented that there is some protection here for them against orders with weird color schemes and option configurations that are hard to sell if the order is cancelled. In my case I am contemplating night blue metallic exterior with the (two-tone) slate gray and chalk interior loaded with options which would not seem hard to resell..

So if you have recently ordered how much did you put down for a deposit?

 

My car was around $156k msrp and in Python Green. My deposit when ordering was $2,500.

 

$2,500

 

It looks like you are in California, so by law the deposit should be fully refundable. I think $2,500 to $5,000 is reasonable unless you are doing lots of CXX / PTS or adding options like personalized door sills with your name on it.

 

$2500 is very much the going rate unless you're picking a spec that would be very difficult to sell, then you're looking at 10% if the dealer hasn't done business with you before.
For example. Racing Yellow, with a Bordeaux interior and Yellow seatbelts, the Classic McDonalds spec, could be difficult for a dealer to unload. It is important to understand that it's not just color combinations. Things like sunroof delete or ignoring popular options like Sport Chrono might also make your dealer queasy. Your color scheme sounds fairly conventional, so, there's likely something else in your configuration causing the dealer to be concerned. Your dealer is likely being straight with you.

It might be a good time to review your build to make sure that you're not doing something dumb OR if the sales guy was being unreasonable, ie crests on the headrests aren't a deal breaker.

 

Many thanks for input all. $2,500 is more digestible! Nothing unreasonable in my configuration I can see. The full details are:

• Premium Package
• Heated Steering Wheel
• BOSE® Surround Sound System
• 8-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK)
• Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS+)
• Interior Trim Inlays in Paldao
• Included First Year / 10,000 Mile Maintenance
• PDK Gear Selector in Aluminum
• 20/21 Carrera S Wheels
• Central Tachometer in White
• Steering Column Casing in Leather i.c.w. Electric Steering Column
• Porsche InnoDrive incl. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Active Lane Keep (ALK)
• Sport Chrono Stopwatch Dial in White
• Power Steering Plus
• Lightweight and Noise Insulated Glass
• Rear Axle Steering
• Leather Interior in Slate Gray/Chalk
• Night Blue Metallic
• Electric Slide/Tilt Sunroof in Glass
• Power Seats (14-way) with Memory Package
• Sport Chrono Package
• Window Trim in Silver
• Sports Exhaust
• Front Axle Lift System

Also the dealer has previously serviced my Panamera Turbo-S. (Though I did not buy it from them)

I was not aware that I had to be "in" with a dealer to get treated fairly. Pondering whether I should be looking elsewhere now.

 

I had no deposit, but this is not my first go around with my dealer. My first Porsche I put down ~$1500. This was 4 years ago.

 

The dealer from whom I had purchased multiple Porsche's, charged me $1,000 as a deposit. The one who, like you, who had only serviced my Cayman GTS and previous 911 TT, didn't require me to put down anything .... go figure. They also gave me the best overall deal so don't be afraid to look around. Good luck.

 

I would try not take it personally. It's commonplace for businesses to treat regular clients differently. There is a real risk when putting a customized $150K asset on their balance sheet and the opportunity cost of a build allocation going to waste if a client walks away.

That said, I agree your build is pretty safe. I would tell them you know the norm is $2500 (maybe $5K) and you're happy to do that. Otherwise, you'll look around.

 

I traded in my car which had a lot of equity ($60k+) so I had the dealer cut me back a check minus $2500 for deposit just so they knew I wanted the order and not just dumping my trade, though I shouldn’t have been concerned about that since they sold my trade two weeks later for what I know was a very decent profit on their end.

 

I would aim for $2500 and also make it refundable especially if you are not building a crazy build - which you are not.

 

I had to wire 10%. First time Porsche buyer and no trade in. MSRP mid 160s.

 

I put down around 10%, but I think I could have put down as little as $1,000 based on previous purchases from this dealer.

 

$2,500 with the dealership I decided to go with. Several other dealers wanted $5,000. With an MSRP north of $140,000 I was OK with either amount.

 

You can buy from any dealer you want in CA. I would recommend my Porsche Ambassador, Taylor Ferguson at Porsche Riverside. He will take care of you and they only ask a $2500.00 deposit at the time of the order lock. I'll PM you his mobile phone.

I live in Hawaii and I buy my cars from him every two years.