If you haven't paid or signed anything, I don't see how you can negotiate down? If your situation has changed are you sure it's a good decision?

 

If you did not sign a contract the dealer cannot enforce the purchase against you, and the Uniform Commercial Code furthers this because certain transactions must be in writing to be enforceable. A contract for value beyond $5K is unenforceable unless in writing!

So then what's the problem?

Just tell the dealer you financial situation has changed and it is doubtful you can accept delivery of the vehicle.

 

I feel the same way too, that is why I put off on ordering mine. It is too early to negotiate a good deal at this point, as mentioned in one of the reply.I was asking around(3 dealers) for fun, but I told them upfront I am not ready. But If I were to order a car, what is the best offer I can get. I got from zero to $3K.

I do believe the economy will impact high end cars no matter wut they told me at the dealers. There are tons of 08 sitting on the lot, will the 09 fly out of the showroom, I am not sure that will be the case. I am hoping to get 5% off if I buy one. But i am not sure of anymore than that or California...

 

mass-i would go online and check the incoming inventory at porsche.com of a bunch of dealers, find some cars that you would be interested in, offer a price that you would like to pay, and see what happens. i can tell you that internet car shopping has worked out for me-i just purchased a 997tt a couple weeks ago from the internet (a new 09) and received a substantial discount. i can tell you that a lot of dealers wouldn't budge below msrp, but all you have to do is find 1 who will give you what you are looking for-the internet is uniquelly set up to give you that chance.

 

not sure if this applies to 997..

i just got my cayenne gts last weekend. i was told by beverly hills porsche on the phone that there was no reason to discount 09. i then went to a local dealer who offer 3k without any hassel, but they didn't have the car i want. i then went to downtown la knowing they have what i want. i was able to speak to the manger and gave him my offer after getting his proposal. we were only slightly off and i left but was very appreciative of their professionalism. they told me they couldn't do it for me and i belive they really tried. anyway, few calls back and forth and i got my deal at the end of they day. i ended up with around 6k off.

 

Can you PM where on the east coast? Thanks!

 

trovan-obviously, as you know, socal is a different world. in the northeast, the dealers are loaded with gas guzzling cayennes-a buyer who knows the northeast market could get a huge discount on a cayenne. you obviously did pretty well in your dealings with the socal porsche dealer. the dealer who told you that they can't see a reason to discount an 09 cayenne is obviously way over market. i had a cayenne since 04 and thought that it was a great suv, but after fuel went up to $4.00/gallon for super, even i had to sell the cayenne and buy a subaru forester that gets 24-26 mpg and burns reg unleaded. combine that with the economy, and you got to laugh when the dealership tells you that they want to sell their cayennes at msrp.

 

You will not offend the dealer you ordered the car from by asking for a discount once the vehicle arrives. The end result is they are a car dealership, honestly I can't believe they would order a car without a deposit and a written agreement. Especially a vehicle they more than likely wouldn't order for stock anyway.Their loss is your gain. As nice as the cars look sitting in the showroom it isn't a museum and will never be treated as such. What this means for you the buyer is if you ask for a fair price you should be an owner at the end of the day. It sounds like in SoCal a fair offer would be 3% off. I know some others say different but the end result is Porsche did pull back the profit margin on 09 vehicles. Good luck with your new 911.

 

I agree with your statement. You sound like a knowledgeable guy-do you have any idea when the 09 turbos are going to hit the dealerships from the ports, where they have been sitting for up to a month-it seems like the longer they wait in this time of tightening credit, they are only hurting themselves.

 

Thank you everyone for your advice. Next time I will be more vigilant in negotiating the price before hand. I think that 3-5% is considered very good in So CA. I got 2%, so I am happy.

 

I've been told they are now released as of Yesterday and should start shipping within the week. This was not a case of Porsche holding cars at port. It had to do with certifications and the reality is probably more to do with US Customs/CAFE finding a way to pick on someone to make money. I've also heard Porsche is sending a letter to all pre-order clients that have been affected by this with a small sorry gift. Again don't quote me on that, as I'm in fear of sniper fire from a local roof top.

 

I would go to the dealer and tell them that with the current economy you are not sure you can take delivery of the vehicle. They will then do one of four things -

1 - they will have a fit, threaten you, etc. At this point you should leave and be happy you didn't enter into a long-term relationship with this dealership.

2 - they will say they are sorry but you have a deal. You should tell them you signed nothing and left no deposit, so there is no deal. Probably an oversight on the salesmans part. They may be willing to offer something at this point. If not, time to walk again.

3 - they may just say, OK thanks for the update. Again, I'd leave as they don't really want your business.

4 - they may say - what can we do to get you in this car? Stay and work out a solution. You have found the right dealer.

Remember, this is a brand new model. There will be hundreds of them, it's not a limited edition. Don't jump at the first one you see if it's not right. In a couple years they will update it again and the value of this model will drop like a rock. Just ask about the trade-in value of an '08 997 and you'll see what I mean! In all honesty, unless you have a physical disability and need PDK, I'd find an '08 on some dealer lot and get a huge deal instead.

 

For reference - I negotiated 7% off an ordered 2009 months ago, actually without even seeing the final 2009 design. East coast dealer. You should be getting 10%+ at least on a 2008. If you didnt sign/deposit dont feel bad...they took the risk (for whatever reason) and it came back to bite them.

I have to disagree on the notion that luxury/exotics arent getting hit in this market. I would imagine any ferrari, lambo or porsche dealer will support my view. Gallardo/430 prices have plummeted recently. This market sucks for all cars from Fords to Porsches and everyone is dying to get cars off their lots, especially with 09s coming in, high 08 inventories and ridiculous floorplan financing costs. You can steal a car in this market if you're patient and aggressive.

FYI - i have gotten a bunch of emails on discount 08s like this one below:


2008 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Coupe...MSRP 82,015 NOW 69,900

 

Dr Bill - I can tell you that after discussing it with them, the dealer chose option 2 and I chose to stay. Once again, maybe it's the CA market, but there are some regions where the dealer can afford to wait, because eventually someone will come in with money and pay MSRP.

Silver, congrats on that great deal.

Bottom line, I could be a monster dick and say have fun selling a very lightly optioned, non typical colored car. It would sit on the lot. That would sever my relationship with that dealer for sure. Since I have some history, I don't think that is the right thing to do nor do I believe it is the right way to conduct business. I tried to get a greater discount to no avail. No harm no foul. So, I will take delivery of one of the first ordered 09s in the state. To me that is worth something and so is my time.

As far as getting an 08, all of you are right. I think you can get 12k off an 08. That coupled with the 2k increase from 08 to 09, you are talking a 14k discount. But, there are other factors.

1. you will be stuck with color and that is very important to me
2. you will be stuck with many options that I do not want, at least 5 grand worth
3. the 08 will be worth several thousand less than an 09 when you sell due to a model change and 1 year older
4. the enjoyment of the new model and the increased power and the better looks and the fact that the engine is completely different are all worth something to me.

In the end, this car is also an emotional purchase for me therefore I wanted it just the way I want it.