Z356

PCNA's Schedule of Test Drives for Deposit Holder & Prospective new clients!

New York: April 30th - May 1
Miami: May 19 - 21 (Homestead?)
Chicago: May 27 - 29
Austin: June 17 - 18 (Circuit of the Americas?)
San Fran: June 24 - 26 (Infineon/Sears Point/Sonoma).


Follow up on thread started on 4/04/2014:

https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...us-market.html

"Latest on the 918 front in the US market!
PCNA has communicated today the following:

A) PCNA has created a new “Start the Engine” program for 918 Spyder depositors to experience the vehicle in a race track environment. The venues will be New York, Miami, Chicago, Austin and Sonoma. Personal invitations are forthcoming. So if you are a 'contender', and have a large enough wallet, get on the invitation list!

B) The New York International Auto Show from April 18-27 will feature a 918 Spyder on display. (That has now been confirmed: https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...press-day.html)

C) As we were informed by Brian a few days ago (see link) http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...80-leno-4.html, Daniel Eastman, former manager of the 918 Spyder Client Relationship Team, is no longer with PCNA. Until a successor to Daniel is identified, PCNA has assigned Melissa Witek to serve as the point of contact for 918 Spyder Client Relationships in the US. As most of you know, Melissa has been the assistant to Sascha Glaeser as the US representatives of 'Porsche Exclusive'. She has worked closely with 918 US clients in customizing their vehicles prior to production and is a dedicated professional. Below is a photo I took of Melissa (standing) at The Thermal Club event in California last November.

What it means: Porsche needs to generate more sales for the 918! A potential 918 customer I know well who was courted by Daniel Eastman last December was told then point blank that there would NOT be any more 'track' dog & pony shows like the one PCNA held at The Thermal Club in California last November for 918 depositors & potential customers. The fact that a new 'Start The Engine' program has now been put in place at this late date signals (at least to me) that Porsche is a bit short on the total sales numbers & is sparing no cost to get each & every one of these 918 sold! My dos centavos, for what it's worth.

PS If you want to preview what the 'Start the Engine' program might be like, take a look at what they put together at The Thermal Club last November. The set up and driving experience should be similar."

https://rennlist.com/forums/porsche-...st-2013-a.html

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Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

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Tacet-Conundrum

What happened to Sascha?

Z356

Nothing. Sascha Glaeser is still PCNA's 'Porsche Exclusive' manager. As it happened, the 918 test drive I attended at The Thermal Club coincided with the LA AUTO Show last November. So Sascha was in LA & Melissa Witek was at Chino/Palm Springs. Melissa is quite up to date with the 918. In fact, until a permanent replacement is found to Daniel Eastman as 918 Relationship Manager, she is stepping in to do that job too!

Saludos,
Eduardo
Vail Valley, CO

Guest89

Eduardo,

Any details on Eastman's departure? PM if you prefer.

Thanks

Z356

I truly don't know the reason(s) for his departure. It is rather unfortunate since it came just as the first North American customers' 918's are about to be delivered! Also not all 918 examples expected to be built have been sold. So PAG needs to replace him ASAP with a dedicated professional & enthusiast for that important role as 918 Client Relationship Manager! My understanding is that Melissa Witek (of 'Porsche Exclusive'/PCNA) is just temporarily filling-in re: that position until a permanent replacement is found!

**********************

Below is Daniel's Linked In page. He is still 'exploring opportunities'! I only met him once. It was at The Thermal Club 918 test drive last November near Palm Springs, CA. I found him a little distant & hard to read. However, I do wish him the best of luck with his next career move!

Daniel Eastman
Exploring new opportunities
United States Automotive

918 Client Relationship Manager
Porsche Cars North America
December 2012 – March 2014 (1 year 4 months) atlanta, georgia
• Manager of PCNA 918 Client Program Portfolios
• Worked with dealers network managers and sales force promoting the 918 Spyder and Porsche 918 VIP Program
• Created and Managed 918 Client specific activities and events
• 918 Spyder Exclusive Consultant, Approved Driver and Delivery Expert

Selected accomplishments:
• In one year, more than quadrupled sales of the 918 Spyder from the previous year, through implementation of an unique approach
• Generated a ten-fold plus increase in other vehicle sales under the 918 VIP Program
• Guest on Jay Leno's Garage
Lead Instructor

Porsche Sport Driving School - USA
January 2000 – December 2012 (13 years)
• Presenter, driver, instructor - On track and off-road specialist.
• Expert speaker and driver for Porsche Boxster heritage and Men's Journal "Spirited Escapes" video series
• Motoman.tv expert guest speaker - "Cayenne Can" and "2013 Boxster S" episodes
• Selected as the only instructor/driver to accompany the first U.S. Travel Club Event, held in California (Rennsport Reunion IV)
• Only U.S. instructor/driver for the 2010 Qatar World Road Show.
• One of two U.S. instructors/driver for the duration of the 991 World Press Event held in Santa Barbara, California
• Driver for most major model launch events for Porsche. Including the first Cayenne, Cayman and the latest Cayenne and Boxster.
• 918 Spyder - Approved Driver
• Porsche Certified on full model line.

****************************************

Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

.

mtbscott

So Eduardo, you seem to be in the know for these affairs....what would it take to get an invitation to say...the COTA event? Would contacting my salesman and expressing my interest be enough? Or is PCNA likely sifting through their files and selecting only clients with long histories of buying anything they offer?
I would love to drive at COTA, doing it in a 918 would be icing on the cake.

Z356

Scott: What does it take to get an invitation to drive a 918? The answer is 'money'. You either have to appear to have lots of money...or actually have lots of money. Either will work. PAG is getting down to crunch time on the 918. They have a self-imposed quota of 918 cars that they have said need to be sold of this model. They are short of that goal at this time. So they are looking for serious customers to seriously consider making an investment in this serious sports car. All you, or anyone else similarly interested in driving a 918 at these 'dog & pony' shows, have to do is convince your friendly local P-dealer (or your contact at PCNA) that you have the means & the desire to buy one of these 918 Spyders. If you can do that, the invitation will be forthcoming! It's that simple...or conversely, that difficult!

A bit of history. The first 'exclusive' marketing event for the 918 Spyder that I remember was in August of 2010 at the Jet Center in Monterey during the Historic Races week. A prototype 918 was shown to a very select crowd of VIP's and high-end customers (mostly those that already owned Carrera GT's, etc). After that, those that put a deposit ($200K or so) were invited to a series of follow up marketing events (at Zuffenhausen, at Las Vegas, at The Thermal Club, etc) which tried to cement the customers to their 918 orders! The Thermal Club event in Nov. 2013 was scheduled to be the last group test drive of the 918 in North America. But it didn't work out that way. Something happened that made PAG & PCNA change their plans. The 'Start the Engine' program was just recently put into effect as a means to further the marketing effort for the 918 in the Americas. Existing deposit holders (and potential new 918 customers) have been asked to attend from Canada, US, Mexico, Central and South America. So a full court press is on to get the last of these cars sold to customers! If you have what it takes (money)...you too can be invited to drive a 918 at COTA! I wish you the best of luck in getting your drive at Austin! And if you, it will put a smile on your face like the one I had after my ride at The Thermal!

Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

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Porsche-Suchtig

Eduardo,

I hear they are going to be holding more of these events. I think I'm going to need to attend them to keep from going crazy with anticipation. .

Have you heard when/where the next events will be held?

Thank you for keeping us all up to date on the latest happenings.

mwar99

There are a list of dates for Birmingham, AL at Barber Motorsports Park. I am going with a friend on 9/18 (I started telling him he needs to buy it since we are going on 9/18 :-))

July 10, 15, 16, 31
August 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, 20, 27
September 3, 4, 16, 17, 18
October 1, 2, 28, 29, 30
November 4, 5, 18, 19, 20
December 4, 5, 10, 11

I am looking forward to being there on 9/18.

CGT000

Any dates for Northeast?

Z356

I asked David Donohue about this when I attended the June 25th 'Start the Engines' 918 Spyder 'road show' at Sonoma Raceway. Then answer was interesting. But first some history. I attended the last 918 Spyder track day at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, Ca on its first morning - Thursday, November 21st of 2013. That event was scheduled to go on for 6 days (until just before Thanksgiving) with various groups from the US, Canada and South America flying in expressly for that test drive because it was to be the 'Last of the Mohicans'. Almost all deposit holders, before then, had NEVER actually driven a 918 Spyder to this point. They had only been given a ride as a passenger at a previous US 918 event, which in the case of my friend Doug happened to be held in Las Vegas. Daniel Eastman, then Client Relationship Manager, made the point of saying that The Thermal would be the last 918 road show OUTSIDE of Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama. From then on, it would all be one-on-one drives at the Porsche Sports Driving School and just for 'hot prospects'!

Right after Daniel left the program in March, PCNA had a change of heart and embarked on this very expensive 'Start the Engines' program with 918 road shows near five major metropolitan areas - NY, Miami, Chicago, Austin & San Francisco. My understanding was that these indeed would be the 'Last' of the 918 Spyders dog & pony shows!

After I started my thread about an upcoming attendance to the June 25th 'Start the Engines' event at Sonoma Raceway, Mike V. posted that his Porsche dealer had sent him an email informing him:

"Porsche is now hosting 918 Spyder Driving Events at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama... The following dates are open:
July 10, 15, 16, 31
August 5, 6, 7, 8, 19, 20, 27
September 3, 4, 16, 17, 18
October 1, 2, 28, 29, 30
November 4, 5, 18, 19, 20
December 4, 5, 10, 11
The 918 Spyder Driving Event is free. You provide your own transportation and lodging".

These are the same list of dates posted above by mwar99! That was a surprise to me & to my friend Doug who is a deposit holder! We thought Sonoma Raceway was to be the last event! But they need to find homes for another 200 of these very expensive puppies. So thus David Donohue arrives and a further marketing effort is announced. That brings us to the present.

At Sonoma, David Donohue explained to me that the above 'open' dates are nothing more than days when the Porsche Sports Driving School will be renting the track at Barber Motorsports Park for their scheduled 'schools' - Precision, Performance, Masters, gt3 Cup, etc. As '918 Client Relationship Manager', he will have access to the track for prospective 918 clients only at NOON during the school's lunch break and perhaps at the end of the afternoon if the school winds-up early! The rest of the day, prospective buyers with appointments will be met at a mobile Porsche Zentrum, be shown the vehicle, explained its characteristics and allowed to drive it on Alabama public roads near Birmingham to get acquainted with the car! But your ability to drive on the track can/may be limited! However, if the appointments are restricted to just a few prospects per day (rather than the larger groups normally seen at 'road shows' across the nation), the time you actually get to drive a 918 at the track might be equal, or greater, than the two laps allowed to each participant of past road shows!

To my knowledge, there will not be 918 driving events outside of the Barber facility in Alabama. But Porsche always reserve its right to change its mind...at a moment's notice!

Saludos,
Eduardo
Carmel

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mwar99

Eduardo,

That makes sense. The date we chose is a day when they have a woman's only driving school there. Not sure how much track time we will get, but I will report back in September. We are scheduled from 9:30-12:30 and it was confirmed we would be driving the car on the street.

Mike

STLPCA

FWIW, I was told by a Porsche rep a few weeks ago at Le Mans that about 1/3 (i.e., 300 +/-) of the cars remain to be sold and that sales are "slow." There was a group of 918 owners enjoying Porsche's VIP hospitality at the track and touring the French countryside in a small convoy of Panameras.

superquant

There are test drives in the hamptons next fri/sat. Public roads. I am going on Saturday morning. Will be interesting to see how that works.

CGT000

Can you please send me the details? I would like to attend the event.