Maxy, interest rates are still pretty attractive. I got 4.45% on a *used* car. Took the money I had for new ride and used it for better returns.

Moogle, my short story:

Found car, decided last Tuesday to buy it, booked one-way ticket to Lauderdale Tuesday night, drove two days averaging 73mph, car safe in garage by Thursday evening.

 

Signal 9,

I think that ok is an ok way to describe the deal you got on that car. Not great, not terrible but ok. I have an '03 C4S and think that you will really like it. It's interesting that your wife insisted on carbon fiber. Most women don't care about cars, I think it's great that your wife is interested.

 

Moogle - I'm curious as well. in your signature you have a link to your boxter pics and it has your birthday listed as 10 April 1986. Either that is a typo or you are doing very well for an 18 year old....

 

Yeah, you're the man Moogle. Like Colin Quinn who was hosting the news on Saturday Night Live said the the seventh grader that slept with his teacher: "You don't know this yet, but you're doing good, kid. Real good."

I thought I did well for myself getting a new 944 in high school. But you have a Boxster and a BMW with a 911 Turbo ordered? You make me look like the Beverly Hillbillies before they struck oil. lol. Are you one of the Backstreet Boys? N'Sync?

By the way, what is the significance of the picture of the GQ magazine next to your Boxster pics? Don't tell me you're in GQ too.

 

Well, it seems that there is quite a range in different markets. I found that cars on the West coast held their values a bit more than on the East coast. So when I was seriously hunting for the right car, I ended up boiling it down to 3 cars which were all on the east coast. The difference in freight getting it to the west was $1600, so If I was saving $3-5k (or more) it was worth it.

New C4S's on the showroom floor in Honolulu are stickered at around $85k +/-. They are not offering any incentives at this point to move the cars before the 997's arrive, as other dealers are. But many other dealers have had these very same cars listed much higher. It's the opposite with less expensive brands, such as my wife's Nissan. I saved $8k buying it in CA and then $1k to ship it over here. P-cars seem to be less expensive (new) here in HI than in CA or elsewhere.

I personally think that finding the "right" car is far more important than finding the right "deal". If you found a car that you feel something for, and it costs a bit more than something that doesn't quite elevate your mood as much, why settle? We are into these cars for a little self-indulgence, are we not? If you love your new car, enjoy the heck out of it. And forget about whether you could've save a couple of grand or so.

 

That is not a typo, I am 18

that probably does raise a red flag in more than one brow, what I will disclose about my personal life is that I was able to purchase these marvelous cars through some honest hard work,

these days I am doing some careful(read: very lucky!) investing with money I made in my younger years ( ) as a writer

Fishman: I am not a backstreet boy/entertainer (even though that is a very tempting lifestyle) - PS. doesn't my use of 3 syllable words exclude me from that clique?

I am very lucky to be able to enjoy so many nice things, realizing the true nature of capitalism. In retrospect, I will admit I was brought up in a priviledge family environment, the only male hier of a long extended family of business minded people (an environment which likely contributed to my own competance(?) at investment banking)

but I work for all my 'toys' and there was no leg-up, - no old-boy network for me, things are that much sweeter when you buy them with your own 'blood money' (as we say in China)

getting back to a few of the other questions,

I was able to get some great interest rates when financing these new cars, 4.25 on the Boxster S back in october 2002 (when the 03s JUST landed)

and i was able to get 4.49 on the M3. all of this through chase manhattan (great service in my experience).

On the turbo Im guessing it may be closer to 4.75, as interest rates aren't exactly nosediving... an come november, ...

On another note, I don't see these cars as investments, so I don't heavily consider the long term effects of locking in a low interest rate/depreciation/etc.etc.

that is what you have a job for, if you absolutely have to consider these factors when buying a car, it is probably 1. not the right car for you. 2. not the right time financially to buy said car. or 3. forget it and take a dive!

anyways I'm happy to answer anything that isn't too personal,

Thanks for all the helpful and positive support.

Best,

Tom