MJones

In Monterey?
Your impressions and if you have the coin, would you buy it....

winkingchef

Will it still be around on Sunday? I'll be down there then.

Tacet-Conundrum

Did they do that already? I was at Quail Lodge today and they said they were going to have an invite only event Sunday morning to show it. Got to test drive a few cars, great fun; they really know how to throw an event!

Z356

The previews are being held at the Monterey Jet Center by the airport. Price is not being officially discussed. Pictures are being allowed to be taken, but the trunk and engine compartment are not being allowed to be opened. It will have a front axle lift system, which as we all know, was missing in the Carrera GT. They are saying that sales will be selective and direct to buyer, bypassing the US dealer network. Let's see if US franchise laws actually allow them to pull that off without major lawsuits by their own dealers. The prototype is also supposed to be displayed at Pebble Beach at the entrance by the front of Club House on the putting green with other 'future' production cars on Sunday for the Concours d'Elegance, which will be available for all Pebble Beach attendees to see as they walk into that event. Let's see if that happens. The 400 or so invited VIPs seeing exclusively the car at the Jet Center all get a lapel pin labeled "918 Spyder", which many are proudly displaying at other events (e.g. Gordon McCall Party tonight). I will let others comment if they are committing to purchase the vehicle based on what they have seen. z356 (Carmel)

sansh2o

+1
I saw it on Tuesday. Looks even better in person than in photos... They told me it will be at Pebble Beach on Sunday; however, they also told me it would be available through my local dealer. Given my previous poor experience with Steven's Creek Porsche, I would really prefer a direct sale, as mentioned by Z356. Depending on the price, which they wouldn't comment on, I may be interested in buying, if i get the opportunity...

ArcticGT3

Any info on the rearview mirrors?!

bbs993tt

There are no exterior ones on the proto. It has little cameras instead and they look weird imo. Will be interesting to see if they make production or if they put normal mirrors on.

Bill_C4S

Anyone know if this is the same car/chassis/VIN as shown in Geneva? Am curious if there are more pre-production prototypes..or if the concept is unique at this point.

CyCloNe!

Gorgeous car but I hear the price tag will be very very high... hopefully that was just a rumor on the article about the car... basically stated the price tag would be 500K plus.

MJones

No doubt that the concept car is beautiful.
The more important questions to me are...

What will NHTSA do re design of the car.
Will the technology be passé/outdated when this car finally comes to market?
The whole Hybrid thing is a moving target.

Your thoughts?

911SLOW

Car companies have invested money in excess of 4billion to the hybrid scene and still have 10-15 years to play with it until the next? step. VW wouldn’t green flag it if it was to be buried before birth.So I guess it will be hot news when it hits the streets the question is how will look at it in the years to come.

John

C.J. Ichiban

I've got the coin but would rather just get a VW TDI and a 599GTO. And save the rest of the money for who knows what. 600k for a car with a production number over 1000 is to me, not my cup of tea.

stout

Car is the same one. Only one in the world right now. A production-oriented prototype is underway, however. Car will probably get mirrors, too — which I am in favor of because they looked like the "small arms" character on SNL to me. I was surprised by how much more compact the car looked than the CGT, and liked its proportions better, too. That said, I did not like the squarish headlights and limo TV antenna-like rear wing support, as well as a bunch of other details. The basic shape, however, is beautiful, as are the various surfacing treatments. I am very hopeful re: the production car's looks!

I was able to spend some time with Mauer and posted some of the info I gleaned as well as come photos here:

http://www.excellence-mag.com/of-note

They started it up at the end of the night, something I waited around for. Took them 20 minutes with RS Spyder engineers and a warmer, but man did it sound good. Like an RS Spyder, in fact...

stout

All the right questions. The 918 "disconnect" for me, however, was and still is no manual tranny. A year of PDK has failed to convert me, at least for street driving. Ironically, I love PDK on track — but I don't think I'd be tracking a CGT or a 918 even if I had the money. Speaking with a PCNA executive, transmission type has not been finalized, but the production car almost certainly won't have a clutch pedal.

That said, the above probably doesn't apply to most buyers in this league, as the Enzo et al have so clearly demonstrated.

pete

A430v

Not true ~ love the left pedal. Dad has a Carrera GT, that's what makes that car so rewarding to drive. I've had a Superleggera before and Dad added a 599 to the garage, cannot compare to the Carrera GT or even GT3 RS for that matter in terms of driver involvement. Porsche ticks all the right boxes...

In terms of the 918 ~ I saw it. My verdict is still out there, not sure about this "hybrid concept." All I have to say is and I hope someone at Porsche is reading this...if this is how you intend to sell a $630,000 super car (I know, this price is speculative) even to your most loyal customers, good luck!!! You'll have to try harder than that in this economy and crowded market.

Dr. Mauer hid on a corner of the hangar and did not even attempt to talk or present the car to potential customers. Our 918/PCNA rep. pointed him out to us, said all the reps will debrief with him after the event and provide him with our feedback...but in my mind, I was like, what better way than to ask your customers directly, why does the rep need to channel you the info??? Hear it straight from your many Carrera GT, GT3, GT3 RS, GT2, etc. etc. customers. Many other niggling things I would vent about, but in the regard of "VIP" events, Lamborghini and Ferrari do it much much better. Porsche is "stuck in the middle," neither high or low end... Billing the 918 viewing event at the hangar as "VIP" with all the marketing materials = FAIL because the end result wasn't "all that."

Pix...(most impressed with the detachable steering wheel, very "race caresque," but doubt this will make it into production...