BHANE

OCBen:
Personally, I didn't opt for the Chrono package. I hate that ugly "wart" of a useless lap-timer (I'll never track my car) sitting atop and ruining the smooth surface of a finely crafted hand-stitched leather dash (I'm getting full-leather). Nope not for me.

BHANE:
Hehe... I never thought of it as a "wart" but good terminology thou Same here, I not into the Track scene either... Maybe in my later years...


OCBen:
Also not for me are either of the sports seats options. The shoulder constraints on the seat force you to keep your arms outstretched and both hands on the wheel, which is fine for racing. But on long trips I like to relax one hand and rest an elbow on an armrest. Those seats make it uncomfortable to do that, not to mention the added firmness which contributes to discomfort on long trips. But power seats, I consider a must have.

BHANE:
Is the sports seats are really that uncomfortable on long drives? I sat in a standard seat before... I might have to go back to the dealers and compare the comfort of the two. Seat comfort is important to me cus of my back problems.. My normal drive home is like a long trip for some of you.. I commute 80miles one way to work Not that Im using this car for everday use, only on Saturdays when I have to be at the office... Unless I get addicted to this car and most likely to happen

Fast40th

I agree with Moogle. Even in the tight market that the LA area has on Porsche sales, there is always room for negotiation. I don't buy the BS crap from any dealer saying that they have limited supply and thus a need to not offer discounts. It is a matter of patience, perseverance, and pounding the pavement looking for the right deal/discount. They are out there I've done it in all my car purchases. And even if the dealer refuses to give an MSRP discount, you can get accessories or services thrown in for free.

BTW I didn't buy my car at Circle in Long Beach, but that is where I have it serviced. They are very good and attentive to all my service needs. Highly recommend them.

OCBen

That's exactly what I was able to swing when I ordered my Boxster four years ago. I had a wish list that I gave my sales guy and he gave me most of what I had asked for. I got a free top-of-the-line car cover, the Boxster bra, the cabrio cleaning kit that comes in an aluminum case, clear side markers, and a few smaller items such as a key chain, coffee mug. Made me feel that at least I got something that not everyone got.

You're right, Circle is a good dealership. Parts are cheaper there too.

OCBen

BHANE:
The best way to judge for yourself is to sit in a 997 with sports seats and then immediately switch to one with standard seats. That's what I did. And then assume all the positions you're likely to be in while driving, especially on long trips. For me I like to occasionally place my right hand palm down on the center console with my elbow back as a means of stretching my shoulder and relaxing the tension that builds up on long trips, and vice versa with the left arm, though with the left arm I like to slide my elbow as far back as I can on the armrest to achieve the same result. I found that I couldn't do that comfortably on the sports seats because of those "nubs" on the side. They look great, but for me comfort is the most important attribute a seat should have.

OCBen

BHANE:
By the way, that "wart" is what someone else here on this forum called it. I had no idea what he was talking about and when he told me, I just had to bust out laughing. The ugly chrono wart.

jcf7

I wanted something right away and didn't want to wait to have one built, but I couldn't find an s in stock that wasn't loaded....the lowest msrp I found was $99K, so I went with the base 997 w/chrono and sport mode, navigation, heated seats (I'm in Connecticut), rear wiper (I don't like it, but I'm getting use to it), lights (great option), and the cd changer/bose system (also great) you also have a single changer over the navigation screen.

My list was $78.9 and I got it for $74.5.

anthement

I live near Newport Porsche and the best offer I've had was on a C2 cab a few years ago when they were stuck with several sitting on the lot. Everything since then has been at list - on the 997S, I was shut down at all attempts to negotiate anything else (they are even a little stingy on negotiating on Audis compared to other Audi dealers in So. Cal.)

I've purchased my last few Porsche's from Pacific Porsche in Torrance - they are smaller and I have what I feel is a good relationship with their staff. I did pay MSRP on the 997S, but they did get it to me 2 months quicker than Newport, Circle or Beverly Hills said they could, they gave me $2K more on my trade-in than any other dealer ($4K higher than KBB value) and I got a bunch of accessories thrown in with nearly free installation on a few items I purchased separately (steel door guards, exhaust tips and alum. look center console).

If you are looking for the best deal, I would definitely shop around outside of the So. Cal. area.

OCBen

anthement:
Do you have a recommended contact there at Pacific? Who's your sales guy? I'd like to give him a call today and stop by on my way home from work. I'd like to see if I can get a similar deal. BTW, do you have pics of your Slate Grey?

Speed

In terms of getting a discount, I have a feeling So. Cal. is a lot like the New York metropolitan area--there's just too much demand so there's no real incentive for the dealers to discount. I contacted a dealer in Ohio and was able to get a $4k discount on an ordered cab with an April build date. PM me and I'll give you my salesman's name and number.

In terms of options, I would also recommend the self-dimming mirrors and the multi-function steering wheel which a lot of people have reported makes it a lot easier to access the PCM without taking your hands off the wheel.

BHANE

I worked with Pacific Porsche last summer, great guys there. I just recently found out a couple of them moved or transferred to other Porsche dealerships, hmmm... There goes my hook up...

cannga

Hello everyone,
It seems there are a few of us here working on getting this car. I too am "working" towards" 997 Guards Red. Has *anyone* been able to get the 911 for less than MSRP in Southern California? If yes, if you don't mind, would you please post how much so the rest of us has an idea of what to shoot for? Group buy anyone :-) ?
Also, is it true a particular Porsche dealer will only give you loaner if you bought the car from them? What do they give for loaner anyway? Hopefully not Corolla?
Regards,
Can

BHANE

I called Pacific Porsche in Torrance yesterday, they have a 997 S Guards Red just came off the truck, its non-ordered. Im heading down to Pacific on Thurs. or Fri. to check it out... The options on that car is not what I had in mind, For sure im getting one ordered next month. The sales guy im workin there with is Mark Ruben, hes a cool dude... Oh did I mention only $1K deposit I thought it was the standard $2.5K...

Right after I got off the office phone with Pacific, my cell rang, its BH Porsche hehe... Shop shop shop...

Hmmm.. group buy, why not! PM me then i will give you my cell number.. I rather speak over the phone...

*SoCaL, Rain Rain Go away...*

Cheers!

Bhane

cannga

Hi Bhane,
I actually live in Torrance (city hall area). You could move this to email (cannga@pacbell.net) if it's better that way.
I already know exactly what I want (997/Bose/Electric Seat/Sport Chrono), am on the fence only because I am debating whether to wait for next model year to avoid first year glitches.
Do you think it's realistic to aim for 3k off MSRP in Southern Calif? Have you considered going to peripheral area? (My best deal ever was my Land Cruiser in Hemet. :-) )
Is it true they only give loaner if you have bought the car from them? This will influence my decision a little bit.
Regards,
Can

jcnesq

In SoCal, there is not much 997S inventory around, so I expect discounts are not readily available, though having said that, I still think a little discount is attainable for a car on the lot. (I got $1,500 off MSRP on my 997S on launch day, August 28th, and a really great trade price; but I have a long and good relationship with the dealer.) For 997S cabs, I would guess dealers expect similar strong demand and, even with an ordered car, it still uses up an allocation slot. Keep in mind that there really haven't been cabs available for a while (except some 996's), so there ought to be some pent up demand.

I also heard from my dealer that PCNA is intentionally holding production to keep prices up, which kind of makes sense given the small sales figures, especially for S's. There's more C2 inventory around and discounts should be available though you may have to search for them.

997S sales in No. America reported by PCNA:
December 04: 234
Total 2004: 1,194
January 05: 150

That's not a lot of cars for 6 months of sales.

OCBen

Can:
I stopped by Pacific yesterday after work and saw the Guards Red 997S there. It has the tan (Savannah?) interior and the sports chrono. I spoke to the sales manager regarding a deposit on an order and he told me $2500, which is higher than the $2k for Newport and the $0 for Circle. I too had the same concerns ordering a first year production run vehicle. But any major glitches will have been ironed out by now (e.g. RMS leak). These are immediately addressed and corrected when they surface, and recalls are issued on those cars out there with potential problems. Many owners of cars built early in the production run have experienced problems and have voiced them here on this forum. It will have been 10 months into the production run by the time they build my car, so I am confident the bugs will have been worked out by then. If there are option changes for '06 or anything that will be different, it is reasonable to expect that there will be glitches when production starts up , though minor, early on in the next model year run. IMO, it is better to get a car that was built after the production system has settled down and is humming along efficiently.