This is exactly what I want to hear! Sounds like the under dog is closing the gap with the heavier big bro S. I must also point out that some of you guys tend to say that the S is better because it is "only" 15k more expensive, but would that be the case if you lived outside the US, in Europe for example, and had to pay a 40k USD premium for the S? I don´t know about you folks but I actually prefer the C2 exhaust tips over the S. What do you guys think?

 

Great info, I prefer the quad tips vs the ovals, feel like they break up that gorgeous round back end a little bit. Adding a little bit sporty look, but are they worth the 10k premium? No, don't even think they are worth the 3k PSE premium. The ovals are still very pretty.

 

I think the S makes sense with US pricing but with a $40K difference, no way, I am out. Also the general pricing of porsches in some countries is 2-3 times higher than that of US, in those cases I probably would never consider buying one.

 

No question, but you could look at it another way. I sometimes ask myself why I don't just buy a Turbo or GT3 given how cheap they are relative to other countries I have lived in. Who knows. Perhaps I will in a few years.

 

I agree the turbo and GT3 are a great deal in the US. I will definitely consider buying a turbo in the future if prices don't rocket up too much. GT3 no, coz I only want to buy DD cars.

 

A just for fun numbers comparison:
991 S well equipped in
US:
USD $120,000
AUD $112,000 (Conversion rate)
Australia:
AUD $377,000 (Shocked by the options on an S, floor mats and TPMS?)
USD $403,000 (Conversion rate)

991 Base
US:
USD $110,000
AUD $103,000 (Conversion rate)
Australia:
AUD $365,000
USD $390,000 (Conversion rate)

Seems the premium difference is about the same but dear god are they paying more than us. I hear China pays even more which is why they are getting the most allocations followed by the middle east the the US.

Not that this information really effects the current debate in this thread, just some food for thought.
At those prices you could buy 2x 911's of your choosing!

 

That should then encourage those in the US to get a Turbo S or heavily optioned 911S and still pay much less than a base elsewhere.

 

Agreed, but fortunately were more reasonable creatures than that. Plus it's all relative.

 

Just for curiosity, I visited Porsche Australian web site and Base 991 without any option is $248,414 in AUD, which translates to approx. $266,500 USD. That's insane.... which middleman is making money there? Does it include luxury tax? Can you just buy from the U.S. and transport it to Australia?

 

China is similar to Australia... Base 991 is:

1,476,000.00 CNY = 234,268.58 USD

In Germany:

88,037.00 EUR = 115,813.75 USD

So U.S. is still cheaper.... Interesting....

 

Mostly import taxes I think. No, you can't just import it from the US yourself. We're just very fortunate in the US to have some of the cheapest cars in the world.

 

Not only do you get the cheapest porsches in the world, you also get a 4 yr warranty compared to the 2 yr standard by porsche worldwide. So that pricing leaves little justification for a US customer to order a base model. In fact porsche should realize this and stop sending the base models to the US. Other brands have done that, they don't send their lowest models to the US. For example an e-class merc starts worldwide with a E-200, then E300, but the entry level in the US is with an E-350. Merc starts it's S class with a 550, in the US, elsewhere it sells the S 350 and S 300. You don't get a BMW 520i in the US do you, but they are sold worldwide.

 

Without wanting to go off on a tangent, there are other things that cost more in the US than many other countries e.g - Health care, property tax etc. Swings and roundabouts. You could pay $50k a year or more for just those two items for a family in a nice neighborhood around here. Throw in some college fees and you could be looking at close to the price of a base carrera every year.

As for MB and BMW not sending over the smaller engined versions of their volume models, that has started to change. The base US 5 series is a now a 4 cylinder turbo. The same is true for the 3 series and MB C class. Audi dropped the 6 cylinder A4 a few years ago.

 

Note, German price includes 19% VAT.

 

You're logic is flawed. BMW Audi and Mercedes entry level cars don't start at $90,000. I was thought your view was a little off the wall then I realized you aren't in the US. So to an outsider it may feel that way when you are paying more, that us Americans should stop whining and pony up for the biggest baddest 911 since its cheaper than anywhere else, does not make sense to us.
I ask you to perhaps use a better perspective when giving out advice to people who are coming from a different approach. As Sapster said the US has many more things that cost a lot more. Education and healthcare are 2 very good examples of high costs items that are government paid in many western nations. Another is the extremely high tax that most of us who can afford a Porsche to begin with pay. Being at a 40% tax bracket hurts a lot, if I didnt give half my money away to the government then I might consider being more frivolous in my financial decisions. As it stands I cannot in good conscience throw around $15k unless I feel it is worthy. Maybe you can...