TRAKCAR

My dealer just e-mailed me the forms .

I need to fill in the contract for the new Tourist Delivery program, sign my life away etc. I have not read all of it yet.

The good news is that it seems that they will do it, I do not know the cost yet.

The program provides for 2 weeks of insurance and I am trying to figure out what an extra month or 2 insurance will cost. 2 weeks is not long enough.

I know where to go and what to do (Thanks TDM) but any recomendations for service in germany, extra insurance and contract details to be aware of are welcome!

Peter

TeamDrugMoney

FANTASTIC!!!

Now refreh my memory, is this for your GT3, GT3 RS or a GT3 RX

TRAKCAR

LOL, no Rx for me just regular RS.

Edgy01

Check to see if Porsche AG is letting outside insurance companies underwrite for the additional 2 weeks. I had investigated this with my own insurance company (who underwrites in Europe) and their rates were less than half what Porsche charges, and with a substantially less deductible. But PCNA wouldn't let me do it in 06.

fuenfer

Can you tell me which insurance company you use? I've been contemplating sending my car over to Europe for use at track events, and have had difficulty in the past finding a company that would provide comprehensive insurance (ADAC offered only liability insurance). How much does your company charge for a month's insurance?

TRAKCAR

Thanks, good suggestion.

I'll be sure to ask my dealer to find out if 3rd party insurance is accepted.
I'll also check if my annual policy covers track events in Europe also, or exclusively in the US. The underwriter is Lloyds..

Z356

When I did my first Porsche European Delivery back in 1982, you got one month of registration and insurance as part of the program...and quite a bit of savings to boot. My first BMW European delivery in 1995 also included one month insurance, although I remember you could extended (by paying extra) up to a full year. On my last BMW European Delivery in 2006, I was given two weeks of insurance and registration, but the savings was still considerable. The auto manufacturers probably studied the historic data and found out that most ED buyers are using the cars two weeks or less in Europe. And thus decided to decrease the standard offering to two weeks to reduced their costs of insurance and temporary registration. But I would presume one can still negotiate with all of these auto manufacturers a longer stay with an extended registration and insurance if one pays for it, although not to exceed now six months or one year. The thing the German and EU authorities are most concerned re: extended stays is that the car exits the continent since the Value Added Tax that Europeans pay for, not to mention the lower price for the vehicle the manufacturer charges in this highly competitive US market which is not available to European customers, is not collected in advance.

Porsche abolished the European Delivery savings years ago. In fact, they started charging a premium for the service. But this was not always the case. The specific Porsche European Delivery program started back in the 1950's and took advantage of a tax provision by the German government (apparently thought of by Konrad Adenauer's brilliant Finance Minister Ludwig Erhard, later Chancellor himself) that was implemented to encourage the sale of German autos to foreign nationals. These tax benefits allowed the auto companies to offer a considerable savings to foreigners (aim at Americans) over stateside delivery, even though the costs to the factory were actually higher (processing fees, registration fees and extended insurance) than if shipped directly to US. The German government, via this innovative tax method, also benefited from a new source of tourist's expenditures, which was not that common in a post-war Germany still partially devastated by the conflict and still suffering the negative PR of starting the last major war not that long before. In time, the European Delivery programs of all German auto companies (VW, Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, etc) became very successful and has became part of the lore of the German Economic Miracle - the amazing post-war recovery of Western Germany in the 1950's and early '60's. Indicative of the success of this specific European Delivery program at Porsche, the newly established Porsche Club of America (founded 1955) organized in 1958 the first Treffen to Europe for its members, which included factory tours, dinners with Porsche executives and a large number of factory deliveries. In 1963 for example, over 40 cars were delivered to US customers in the PCA Treffen. This became a tradition every year and it is still going on, although the days of numerous deliveries to US customers is now past history. I have been on four Treffens and the most deliveries I saw was probably in 1983 when about 15 cars were delivered to our group in Zuffenhausen. The heydays of the Porsche European program were in the sixties and seventies. To my knowledge, there is not reason why Porsche does not continue to offer a 'savings' or 'discount' to European Delivery buyers. Mercedes and BMW still do. And I believe Audi recently started their program. It would not surprise me if the auto manufacturers still enjoy tax benefits for each European Delivery they make. Why Porsche has discouraged European Delivery in its recent past (putting a surcharge at times and eliminating it for periods) is beyond my understanding. Some of the best memories I still hold are of receiving my European Delivered Porsche, Mercedes or BMW and touring Germany & Europe with them. z356

Edgy01

My insurance company isn't available to many. USAA. Perhaps they have expanded it to all, I don't know, but it used to be open only to military officers (active or retired). I think they have expanded it so it's worth investigating. With so many military stationed in Europe, USAA has routinely underwritten policies in that part of the world for many years. They had even given me a quote for the 2 extra weeks I spent over there. Porsche was twice as high, and with a Euro 1000 deductible.

When I picked up a new Porsche at Zuffenhausen in 1977 it was quite simple--I went through a German dealer and ordered a USA model car. At times, Porsche can play hardball. For example, when the exchange rate was in our favor (e.g., 1985) Porsche would sell you a car over there, but only a 944. Never a 911 or turbo. They were playing games with their customers. I think that when things are tough, they will come around. When they have the game by the short hairs, they charge what the market will bear. It's interesting to see how quickly the market reversed. They are still catching up and figuring out what happened. And they lost control of the company because of this.

C.J. Ichiban

I just asked porsche to provide an extra 10 days or so to bump my coverage up to 3+weeks when I did mine, they charged a few 100 extra but it was all solved when I got there. best vacation I've taken...27 days in a gt3 across europe!

BuzzedHornet

I had heard that USAA was opening up to everyone a couple years ago. When I contacted them to see about signing up myself they said it was just a rumor that comes around every couple years. Too bad, they are the only insurance company I have NEVER heard bad things about.

Z356

In September of 1981, while we were in Stuttgart for the Treffen, Porsche took away the right of German dealers to sell US models to Americans, which one could do up to that time. Porsche dealers in America had pressured Porsche (then called Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche KG) to stop that practice. Some of our Treffen members walked into the Hahn dealership in Stuttgart just before the new edict and ordered the last Porsches before the program was abolished. From then on, European Delivery vehicles came from US dealer allocations and you can imagine how politicized that game got. This was also the time, as Edgy01 pointed out, that the exchange rate was in our favor. So a lot of games were being played out by a number of entities - the factory, the German dealers, arbitrage by exchange-wise US customers, the Porsche US importer and the privately owned US dealer network. All had a role to play in this change of the traditional European Delivery program. I ordered a 944 in Fall of 1982 and a 944 Turbo in the Fall of 1985, changing from a 911SC at the last moment. So I do remember 911's being part of the program into the mid-eighties at least. I do agree that Porsche AG's top management, as exemplified by their discouragement in recent years of European Delivery and showing disregard for that special bond that it creates between the buyer & the manufacturer via factory delivery in Germany, was shortsighted and dumb. And it is another indication of the hubris that eventually brought Porsche AG down into the arms of Porsche family member Piech and VW just months ago. z356

Rocci

I did the ED in 2005 for a BMW M3. Only 2 weeks insurance were included, and for a relatively low fee (I believe it was around $200) I extended coverage for 2 more weeks. I actually used the insurance to replace a scratched wheel. When I took it into the dealer and told him I wanted to replace the wheel he looked at me side ways. It was a minor blemish. He called the insurance company and without hesitation they replaced the wheel. I got to keep the other wheel and gave it to friend. I guess the point is that sticking with the same company, provided Porsche lets you buy more time, may be better if you actually have a claim overseas. IMO.

Glad to hear ED is alive and well. I am waiting to hear whether I can get a GT3 for May or June ED. Wish me luck.

Z356

Re: Using your own insurance on European Delivery. I am 99.9% sure that any European manufacturer will only allow their contracted insurance carrier issue the policy (the initial one plus any extensions, if allowed) for a vehicle they sell under the European Delivery program to Americans. You will be surprised how many accidents and claims occur on the program (e.g. my '96 BMW M3 was attempted to be hot wired in Bergamo, Italy and rendered inoperable for a day). The factory has to get these claims processed fast and on a routine basis...plus worry that no modifications are made in the vehicle that would be in violation of DOT and EPA once the cars get back to the US. So they deal with one carrier that knows exactly how it all needs to be handled so that they don't get into trouble with their ongoing commitment - to US regulators over compliance and to the purchaser over the 4 year warranty period when the car gets back in the States. They are not about to negotiate repairs, etc with an insurance carrier they don't know well or not have a smooth working relationship & experience. After all, they are under a lot of pressure from all sides - including the EU wanting to get these non-tax paying cars out of the continent without any delays and without any possibility of them entering the used-car market via hook or crook. So, I would not count on anything other than the manufacturer's designated insurance carrier as the provider of any extended coverage, period. It is part and parcel of the ED program. z356

dsu*

I just asked my dealer for the cost, he told me it'll be 6k which covers 2 weeks of insurance. And 15k of deposit, will be returned once the car arrives the US. The car can be there for 6 months, we just need to figure out the insurance.

TeamDrugMoney

Interesting! I just paid $4075 for a GT3. I know that they price each model (depending upon speed) differently. I guess the GT3 RS truly is a premium vehicle!