Experience with ED in April 2018
05-05-2018, 08:23 PM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Experience with ED in April 2018
I’ve just joined the Rennlist community. Been postponing it for quite a while but the recent purchase of a 2018 911 Turbo with European Delivery (ED) served up some new pieces of information that I wanted to share.
One of the things we did not know is that ED is specifically designed for Canadian and US customers. Those from other countries can, and do, participate, but it’s strictly on an a la carte basis and the customer pays Porsche GmbH directly without any dealer involvement in those payments. One couple in our group was from Sweden and that is what he told us he and his wife were doing. Serving as somewhat of a confirmation point was when we learned that although some 250 sports cars are produced each day at Zuffenhausen, only about 2 are given the ED treatment each day – i.e. the customer will be from the US or Canada.
A lot of discussion in Rennlist about ED has had to do with the mounting of the tourist front license plate. When I was filling out the ED forms I requested “no drilling of the front bumper” and in preparation purchased a tow-hook-mounted license plate holder. When I arrived in the delivery hall I was relieved to see that the plate had been affixed in the centre of the bumper using strong two-sided tape. Apparently, this is what the factory will be using from now on, unless the customer requests a drilled mounting.
While there I took the opportunity to discuss with as many Porsche employees as possible the awful communications job that Porsche did when ED was suspended temporarily last year. It seems that the real reason was indeed that there had been a change to the EU emissions rules as they affect tourist deliveries and for whatever reason Porsche wasn’t prepared. It would have been so much better had they said, “Yup, we weren’t ready, we’re fixing it and will let you know as soon as possible when we can resume.” Companies mess up all the time. The great ones know how to deal with it well.
The new delivery centre apparently is only temporary but is a nice experience. A part of the original assembly building, so called #1, has been set aside for this purpose. There is a waiting area with leather couch seating, a complementary coffee bar with snacks, a nearby gift shop and the delivery area itself. All in all, this does the job nicely. Incidentally, Building #1 is just one of scores of structures in the Porsche complex. There are so many, in fact, and they have been built over such a long period of time, that the employees refer to the factory as their “Collection of Huts”.
The newest “hut” is far from being a hut. It is a huge concrete building being built for MissionE. It will sit where the ED centre and other activities used to be so maybe that project as well had something to do with the ED interruption. And yes, those sexy suicide doors on MissionE have gone for the chop. The production version will have four conventional doors. Too bad.
Seems that right now the factory is having issues with quality control in the paint department. Our Saffron Yellow Metallic car – yes the rather expensive paint option, with four hand-applied coats and the promise of perfection – had two small flaws and I understand there have been others reported recently on GT3’s. You would think that in my case where the factory boasts about the 4 hand finished layers, etc., that a perfect finish would be a foregone conclusion. Well, ah, no. The finish on our car is indeed nice and is striking. Just not perfect. And it should have been.
Two other points. First, make certain that if you are going to be driving in countries other than just Germany that you are well informed about “vignettes”. These are windshield decals indicating that you have paid a tax to drive on the autoroutes of a given country. For Switzerland, the fee I paid was 38.50 euros (approx. $50 US). The fine for not having it would have been 200 SF (approx. $200 US). In Austria I understand the fine is double that amount.
Secondly, when you re-enter Germany to return your car to Porsche you should assume that you will be stopped by the German Border Police. They will want to see all of your paperwork on your car and will verify that it has not been counterfeited. Apparently, high-end cars stolen in Europe soon end up with counterfeit papers to make them more saleable. This is happening with some frequency and the German authorities are trying rigorously to do what they can to help stop it.
One of the things we did not know is that ED is specifically designed for Canadian and US customers. Those from other countries can, and do, participate, but it’s strictly on an a la carte basis and the customer pays Porsche GmbH directly without any dealer involvement in those payments. One couple in our group was from Sweden and that is what he told us he and his wife were doing. Serving as somewhat of a confirmation point was when we learned that although some 250 sports cars are produced each day at Zuffenhausen, only about 2 are given the ED treatment each day – i.e. the customer will be from the US or Canada.
A lot of discussion in Rennlist about ED has had to do with the mounting of the tourist front license plate. When I was filling out the ED forms I requested “no drilling of the front bumper” and in preparation purchased a tow-hook-mounted license plate holder. When I arrived in the delivery hall I was relieved to see that the plate had been affixed in the centre of the bumper using strong two-sided tape. Apparently, this is what the factory will be using from now on, unless the customer requests a drilled mounting.
While there I took the opportunity to discuss with as many Porsche employees as possible the awful communications job that Porsche did when ED was suspended temporarily last year. It seems that the real reason was indeed that there had been a change to the EU emissions rules as they affect tourist deliveries and for whatever reason Porsche wasn’t prepared. It would have been so much better had they said, “Yup, we weren’t ready, we’re fixing it and will let you know as soon as possible when we can resume.” Companies mess up all the time. The great ones know how to deal with it well.
The new delivery centre apparently is only temporary but is a nice experience. A part of the original assembly building, so called #1, has been set aside for this purpose. There is a waiting area with leather couch seating, a complementary coffee bar with snacks, a nearby gift shop and the delivery area itself. All in all, this does the job nicely. Incidentally, Building #1 is just one of scores of structures in the Porsche complex. There are so many, in fact, and they have been built over such a long period of time, that the employees refer to the factory as their “Collection of Huts”.
The newest “hut” is far from being a hut. It is a huge concrete building being built for MissionE. It will sit where the ED centre and other activities used to be so maybe that project as well had something to do with the ED interruption. And yes, those sexy suicide doors on MissionE have gone for the chop. The production version will have four conventional doors. Too bad.
Seems that right now the factory is having issues with quality control in the paint department. Our Saffron Yellow Metallic car – yes the rather expensive paint option, with four hand-applied coats and the promise of perfection – had two small flaws and I understand there have been others reported recently on GT3’s. You would think that in my case where the factory boasts about the 4 hand finished layers, etc., that a perfect finish would be a foregone conclusion. Well, ah, no. The finish on our car is indeed nice and is striking. Just not perfect. And it should have been.
Two other points. First, make certain that if you are going to be driving in countries other than just Germany that you are well informed about “vignettes”. These are windshield decals indicating that you have paid a tax to drive on the autoroutes of a given country. For Switzerland, the fee I paid was 38.50 euros (approx. $50 US). The fine for not having it would have been 200 SF (approx. $200 US). In Austria I understand the fine is double that amount.
Secondly, when you re-enter Germany to return your car to Porsche you should assume that you will be stopped by the German Border Police. They will want to see all of your paperwork on your car and will verify that it has not been counterfeited. Apparently, high-end cars stolen in Europe soon end up with counterfeit papers to make them more saleable. This is happening with some frequency and the German authorities are trying rigorously to do what they can to help stop it.
05-06-2018, 10:18 AM
#2
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Thanks for the post.
Did you get PAG to do anything to compensate you for the flaws in the $11k paint?
Did you get PAG to do anything to compensate you for the flaws in the $11k paint?
05-06-2018, 02:13 PM
#3
Intermediate
Thread Starter
No, because I didn't notice them at the time of delivery. That would have been the time to seek a correction or compensation. Granted, the flaws were minor, were down low on the car, just above the rockers, and are barely visible. They were shown to me by the guys at Schwabenfolia, but by that point I was committed to the wrapping and so went ahead anyway. Had I had the luxury of lots of time, and had seen the flaws upon delivery, I certainly would have done things differently. The car in the flesh is just a stunner, but it's just a bit disappointing that given the cost of this paint option that the result wasn't perfect.
05-07-2018, 01:44 PM
#5
Intermediate
Thread Starter
The four-week-long road experience was wonderful and the car performed flawlessly. I did respect the break-in recommendations, but even more importantly, there were no short runs and the oil temperature was always good and hot. I was careful to always vary the engine speed and not lug the motor.
Right now it seems that Germany is reconstructing its entire autobahn system. This is an exaggeration, of course, but especially in central and southern Germany there were countless autobahn construction zones. Not only did traffic move through these zones slowly but usually the inside temporary lanes in particular were very narrow and it made for some uncomfortable situations. There were much better driving conditions in northern Germany where it was easier to enjoy the high speed abilities of the car and construction zones were much fewer in number. In Germany, France and Switzerland the country roads were just a joy, and of course, you see much more of the countryside.
Having visited Europe many times and actually lived there, I can offer some advice about timing. Obviously, avoid July and August. The roads are very crowded and there are lots of RV's that further slow the flow of traffic. The same thing is true for the month of May. This month has many religious holidays and lots of Europeans take 3 and 4 day long weekends to take advantage. So, I was very happy with our early April delivery and would have been equally pleased with any time from mid-September to the end of October.
As far as gasoline is concerned, the prices are somewhat eye watering, often in the range of $6.00 USD a gallon for premium. In one case at an autobahn location I had to pay $8.00 a gallon (1.75 euros per litre). Just as we find it in Canada and the USA, better prices are found away from the autobahns and autoroutes. The best prices are frequently offered at gas bars that are part of major grocery store chains such as Intermarche and Champion in France. However, in France right now many sectors of the economy are suffering through national strikes and on a couple of occasions I could not get premium fuel at the station I had stopped at. There were no problems buying fuel anywhere in Germany or Switzerland.
Right now it seems that Germany is reconstructing its entire autobahn system. This is an exaggeration, of course, but especially in central and southern Germany there were countless autobahn construction zones. Not only did traffic move through these zones slowly but usually the inside temporary lanes in particular were very narrow and it made for some uncomfortable situations. There were much better driving conditions in northern Germany where it was easier to enjoy the high speed abilities of the car and construction zones were much fewer in number. In Germany, France and Switzerland the country roads were just a joy, and of course, you see much more of the countryside.
Having visited Europe many times and actually lived there, I can offer some advice about timing. Obviously, avoid July and August. The roads are very crowded and there are lots of RV's that further slow the flow of traffic. The same thing is true for the month of May. This month has many religious holidays and lots of Europeans take 3 and 4 day long weekends to take advantage. So, I was very happy with our early April delivery and would have been equally pleased with any time from mid-September to the end of October.
As far as gasoline is concerned, the prices are somewhat eye watering, often in the range of $6.00 USD a gallon for premium. In one case at an autobahn location I had to pay $8.00 a gallon (1.75 euros per litre). Just as we find it in Canada and the USA, better prices are found away from the autobahns and autoroutes. The best prices are frequently offered at gas bars that are part of major grocery store chains such as Intermarche and Champion in France. However, in France right now many sectors of the economy are suffering through national strikes and on a couple of occasions I could not get premium fuel at the station I had stopped at. There were no problems buying fuel anywhere in Germany or Switzerland.
05-07-2018, 04:30 PM
#7
Race Car
Good info passed on here 
FWIW: Autobahn has been refurbished as long as I'm been traveling thru and to Germany.
Sometimes it feels like every time you hit +180kph the sign "Roadwork in 2km" appears.
FWIW: Autobahn has been refurbished as long as I'm been traveling thru and to Germany.
Sometimes it feels like every time you hit +180kph the sign "Roadwork in 2km" appears.
