jerryrice

From a Forbes.com article today, does the median income seem accurate
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Take the Porsche 911. Its buyers are 86.8% male with the average age of 51 and median income of $390,000. They are driven to succeed and like to reward themselves for achieving their goals.

FlatSix911

Yes - remember this stat is for new car buyers and includes all 911 variants...Turbo, GT3, GT2, etc...

MartyB

Based purely on wild speculation, I would say the median annual income of new Porsche 911 owners is significantly lower than 390k.

Deanski

[QUOTE=jerryrice;5113541]From a Forbes.com median income of $390,000/QUOTE]

Now that would be nice. Maybe somewhere it's true, but not in this household.

Deanski

Edgy01

A few major league buyers probably move up the average substantially. Numbers are misleading.

greenhouse

It's nor average in the mean sense, it's median, 50% owners above $390,000. Bill Gates wouldn't change anything.

ajag

Both the age and income medians seem a little high. I would think the large % of Boxsters/Caymen sold would drop that (in comparison to the small % of GT2/3, Turbos, and Carrera GTs).

MUSSBERGER

The way some guys wad up GT3's at the track I could almost believe it.

fast1

The $390K refers to the median income of 997 buyers, not Boxster and Cayman. I wouldn't think it would be that difficult to make the determination, since the data is available for buyers of new cars. Therefore, I would expect that Forbes is referring to buyers of new 997s and I would expect that they are referring to family income. Since the price of a decently loaded 997 is around $90K, a median family income approaching $400K sounds reasonable to me.

Of course this doesn't mean that you need that kind of income to buy a 997. You could easily afford a 997 with half that income, if you have a small debt load and you are a Porsche enthusiast like most of us on this forum.

Vjgtrybno1

So how do they collect that data? I don't remember filling out any survey. But it is interesting that I bought mine at 50 years and 7 months! A buddy of mine just found out about Great White a week ago. The conversation:
Him: Wow, a 997, those are expensive, right? Over a hundred grand?
Me: I bought mine used so I didn't spend a hundy
Him: But new, over a hundred, right?
Me: Yes, sticker was over a hundred.
Him: What is this - mid-life crisis?
Me: You bet.
Him: SWWWEEEEEEET!! (High five)

MrBonus

My guess is the income information is gathered from surveys? I seem to remember filling something out asking for my "income range" in one of the 27 satisfaction surveys I received after buying my car.

911Dave

PCNA collects the data from the dealers. Credit applications, driver's license, etc.

Obviously not every buyer is represented in the data because many don't finance the purchase.

ajag

Ah, that makes more sense. Aren't the majority of these cars leased?

Jlangmd

When I was at the dealers buying, there was a TTcab and a GT3-RS, both done out nicely, deviating stitching, floor mats with trim, leather fuse covers, etc, etc, and both bought at the same time by the same buyer. Apparently he purchases a couple new ones every couple years for road and for track. So I assume this buyer has very deep pockets, and comes up repeatedly as a purchaser, skewing the median.

cello

I do not find this that hard to believe. The data ignores the second hand market entirely; there are a large number of buyers which own stables of cars of which include (multiple) Porsche(s); there is a large business contingent leasing these cars (like me for example where the business - and its income - is the "owner" for tax reasons); and included are the overseas owners in Europe/Dubai/etc (and the dollars relative debasement against such currencies). If you start from the lowest income level buying these cars and then factor in the above it is not that hard to come into the high $300Ks at all IMHO. I am somewhat surprised on the demos re age tho from what I have seen. I would have thought somewhere in the 40s as a median age.