Christien

Is that with the new MY08 pricing change?

Pfaff Tuning GM

yes MY 2008.

was just looking at both sets of web sites.....

Christien

Right, and MY08 prices were changed significantly to reflect the fact that, as one of your own service technicians put it, Canadian dealers were "getting their asses handed to them" because of US imports, were they not?

The free market will always win out.

BTW, do you know or can you confirm what Ian mentioned?
"I have heard/read that Canada will be buying direct fron Jan 1."

I'm assuming he means buying direct from PAG. I thought PCNA had exclusive rights from PAG to be the sole importer of new Porsches for North America?

Pfaff Tuning GM

As far as i'm aware Porsche Cars Canada will become its own entity and have a direct relationship with PAG.

i dont know if it has been publicly anounced, but that is my understanding. Just as the price drop was going to happen anyway, not because of the dollars rise..... takes a little long than a few weeks to make a cross board change in price.

Once upon a time VW was the importer for Porsche to Canada..... not PCNA, this was in the days when my Dad was a GM at head office here in Toronto.

I have a very long history with the P brand

Christien

Is this good for you guys? Have PCNA been difficult?

I've heard both things about CDN dealers relationships with PCNA - that PCNA sets prices and dealers hate it because it's too high, vs CDN dealers pressuring PCNA to keep prices where they are. Of course it's all 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand info, not from anyone actually associated with dealerships. Again, in the end it all means the customer gets screwed, but it's definitely important the blame doesn't get placed on the dealer's if it's not their fault.

Pfaff Tuning GM

Sales have still risen albeit less than what may have been expected. Us imports are high and climbing.

but if my calulations are correct, when the loonie gets back to where it probably should be, this price drop will remain, this is not a temp fix to appease the public.

by one get one price.... buy 50000 and get another..... 30 million vs 300 million.....economics can be a bitch

Pfaff Tuning GM

Not the dealers fault.... the CDN dealers fight hard for competitive pricing..... and now the first step has been taken..... unfortunaltley a price was paid....

can't get into specific details, but we your dealer body have the customers best interest in mind and that of our market.

Bob Rouleau

Christian - You need to consider a few facts. First of all, Canadian dealers are getting hosed by PCNA. Wholesale price (i.e. dealer cost) is 30+ percent higher than in the USA. DO you have any idea how annoying it is for a dealer in Canada to know that RETAIL in the USA is CHEAPER than dealer COST in Canada? Contrary to what you think, the problem is with PCNA not Canadian dealers.

The other thing you want to consider is that Porsche (among others) is subsidizing US cars. The Euro went from 85 cents US to 1.55 US. Did the price of US cars go up in any proportion? No. I doubt that PAG will ever subsidize cars in Canada, our market is too small. By the way, the value of theC$ against the Euro has not changed all that much. The issue is not that cars are grossly overpriced here, rather that the US is getting a helluva deal considering the value of the US dollar against the Euro. I suggest you stop badmouthing Pfaff for a problem that hurts them worse than anyone. Leasing companies are bringing in Porsches from the US by the truckload. Nothing Canadian dealers can do about it. PCNA doesn't care because volume in NORTH AMERICA is up.The fact that US sales are up because of the cars they ship to Canada doesn't seem to register. I hear that we will have Porsche Canada in the new year, independent of PCNA (US). Maybe that will help. Here in Montreal, dealers just cross the border are having a field day. They advertise in the Montreal papers and wil deliver the car to your door for a huge savings compared to buying from a Canadian Dealer. Nice ...

Regards,

Pfaff Tuning GM

It is better and it is one step closer..... if the dollar falls to the US saw buck tehn we will be even closer. the yanks wont stay down forever..... Bush is gone soon...lol

Christien

Bob, if you keep reading a few more posts, that's exactly what I asked Eric:

And he responded with what you said, that it's PCNA's fault, and they have their customers' best interest in mind.

It still doesn't excuse Pfaff's actions towards UCR and others in my mind. Why wouldn't they have made some public appeal explaining why they're losing sales so fast, instead of playing dirty? Why didn't the CDN dealers band together and sue the hell out of PCNA? Or form Porsche Canada 5 years ago?

imcarthur

It was working then. Now it isn't.

Ian

Pfaff Tuning GM

Christien,

to quote you, "actions speak louder than words" think they heard us? Price drop suggests they have.

what's done is done, hopefully this is just the beginning of strong and more successful Porsche market in our country.

Pfaff Tuning GM

You dont want to jeprodize your franchise. there are limits to what the manufacturer will tolerate...

i'm sure they have clauses in any agreement that would prevent such actions....

they are bigger than all of us combined.... hell Porsche owns a big chunk of VW now....

Christien

Ok, fair enough. I know you can't speak to your predecessor's or boss's actions, but do you have any why Pfaff or DFC hasn't confronted this issue publicly (and rennlist barely counts as public) until now? I don't ask to antagonize, and continue to draw out a conversation which has been beated to death, but more to try to put the issue to rest.

Pfaff Tuning GM

will you be at the GTG on Dec 8th? perhaps i can shed some more light for you by then.

have to hit the sack..... be back in the AM


Brad