Hi all,

Long time reader, 1st time poster. Appreciate any advice.

I've always wanted the gt3. I have driven a friends GT3 RS, and though it was slightly different, I loved it. Loved the rawness and handling and of course, natural power of the engine.

I am #1 on my dealers list. I put my deposit down over a year ago, just in case and low and behold he called me to say I am in, 100% if I want it at MSRP. He happens to be a terrific dealer to say the least.

So MSRP is $112,000.00 plus a few small options and tax and you walk out for $122,000.00.

I doubt he will come off MSRP for the GT3. They are giving regular 997's S away at $80 grand, all over the country. But since he is probably only getting 1, 2 at the most. I'm sure he has 2 people who are recession proof and will spring for MSRP.

So here are my questions.

I know you guys are not my accountant as the old expression goes, but does the "you only live once" apply here? My portfolio has been hit hard, but I could still pull it off and not eat tuna fish for a year. Or in this economical climate, do I just pass and wait for a 998 GT3 or something like that in 2 years?

How good is this car going to be with the new upgrades? I'm a novice when it comes to the technical stuff, but what does everyone thing of the upgrades over the 997 GT3 .1. iS THIS CARE REALLY GOING TO BE THAT GOOD?

This is it for me. I will keep it 7-10 years with weekend use. But Im only buying it once so to speak, just want to make sure its the "one" if you know what I mean.

What would you guys do?

1. Go for it. Pay MSRP and have this baby for many years. And say you only live once....

OR

2. Say I'm sorry, please call the next guy on the list and please keep my deposit for next year or year after when things turn around?

Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

 

I know these kind of decisions can be hard to make when you are in that borderline area where you have to try to find a proper balance between what you want and what you think you can afford. Perhaps you can just wait and see how the reviews come out on the new GT3 and then decide if it really is worth it for you. Hopefully, you can have that information while you still have the option of purchasing the car.

 

I just cancelled my C2S order and ordered a GT3 too

for me i think the big plus is the fact that the GT3 has PSM and noselift, which makes it a more useable and safe car on the streets. Indeed it stretches the budget compared to a C2S, but if you can, just do it. Do not forget they never make this car in big numbers. If you wait too long you can end up waiting another year for your order to arrive, and if you plan keeping it longtime, dont worry about depreciation. After 10 years the shape the car is in will be much more important than the mileage. And they do tend to hold their value a bit better than a normal Carrera .

 

This post speaks to me as well.

I have wanted the GT3 for 2 years now and I believe I am #1 at a dealer also.

But now with a 5 y.o. son and being a Real Estate Broker for a living I am wondering with a clear conscience if I can take the car when offered.

The depreciation hit on my 997S doesn't help matters either.

 

Never over-extend yourself. Only use disposable money to buy cars, toys, etc. If things are tight right now, I would pass. Better to have cash in hand in this environment. You can always pick one up when things normalize and your portfolio rebounds. Don't buy into the hype of the "latest and greatest". And if you really want a GT3, get a 997.1 used one. There are some deals out there on solid GT3s. The pricing for .1's will only go down as the .2's start to roll out. If you want to "only live once", ask for your deposit back and buy a used, clean, low-miles 997.1 GT3 or RS and save +30-40K. Or ask for your deposit back, hold tight and buy a used 997.2 in a year or two for less than $100K. And in a couple years the 998's will be out and so on and so on.

 

Laguna_Dude you make sense.

BTW I think I saw your car at GMG last Thursday when I was there.

 

Some good advice, however, the 991/998 GT3 will not be out until the second year of the 991/998 Carrera, which will be the fall of 2012 as a MY2013 and 2011 as a MY2012, respectively. That's still three years from the release of the 997.2 (this fall) all things being equal. Also, even in this poor economy, the prices of 997.2 gt3s will remain strong as they all will likely be sold at MSRP. Anyone buying a 997.2 will already be well aware of our current economic condition so desperation sales will not likely prevail. Consider too, that the new car is selling for at least $6k more (base MSRP) without the new options and likely $8-9k (with some additonal options not currently available.) more than the old car. This will help to stabilize the 997.1 prices a bit. Yes, gt3 prices will continue to fall, imo, but by this autumn they will begin to stabilize, I predict.

With all that said, I love the new gt3, however, one could save tens and tens of thousands on a 997.1, like stated above.

 

Considering you can get a used one (1 or 2 years old) for 20-30k less than the numbers you list, and that you're extending yourself a bit, the bang for buck is on the used model. The base model is MORE than enough for you, especially considering you don't understand "the technical stuff".

 

Thanks. But I have to kindly disagree with regards to the original posters question. Tell that to the guys that paid over MSRP for their 997.1 GT3/RS's new and now see them selling well below $100K for a regular GT3. What we saw during the last couple years (new & used exotics trading over MSRP, etc.) was an anomaly and not normal. Expect depressed to normal conditions for the foreseeable future. Bottom-line, cars depreciate. And are not investments and when every couple years a "new and improved" version comes out, it's even worse. Although you are correct, GT3 do not depreciate as quickly, but they do depreciate. And I thought the 998 was coming out in 2011. I have already seen photos of them testing it. Now, if you are recession proof or lucked out and didn't lose a lot of money in the market and have a healthy savings, then by all means get the new GT3. But in the original posters case, I would see my prior post. However, I hope you are right and I am wrong.

 

I meant that the new gt3 prices would likely remain strong for the first couple of years for the reasons that I stated above. But, afterward, like you said, all of these cars do depreciate, no matter how much above MSRP they sold for.

Just my guesses anyway. I definately value your point of view.

Regarding the 991/998, I am pretty sure we won't see it until the fall of 2011 as a 2012.

 

We cannot calculate for you of course. You might as well get a second hand BMW M3. That would save you even more money in this economic climate. Or just get an Audi A3.

For some people just buying a used 997.1 already looks like throwing money away. Remember that most "normal" people cannot afford a Porsche, not new, not second hand, so we have what one could call a luxury problem on our hands here

Everything is relative and can only be judged by the one who owns the accounts and pays the bills ( your wife )

I could have saved a lot of money in the long run by sticking to my C2S order (and get a lot of extra toys like dynamic corner lights, leather centre console ...), and some people also told me I was crazy as I do not plan tracking the car. But then again, I had my mind set on that GT3 the moment I saw it, and considering I was already gonna pay a lot of money for a car, I did not want to find myself in a "what if ..." situation, and wondering if I made the right choice everytime I would see a GT3 (not that that happens very often ). So I dropped a whole bunch of the non-essential options and took the plunge.

 

Getting some work done as well?

I picked it up on friday. Got new seats and cage. It appears they added new pics to their site.
http://www.gmgracing.com/dave_gt3rs.shtml
(just scroll down to see pics of seats and cage)
Went with black cage, as green powder coat is not an exact color match.

 

Thanks. I value your POV as well. Another thing is that CA has been hit harder than the east coast. So that might explain my overly negative sentiment on the economy and pricing. Guys are buying exotic cars out here below invoice. Right now, CA dealers are more worried about liquidity than margin. Spoke to some east coast guys and they said it's not as bad out there. More stable. And again, I hope you are right. It would be nice to see prices stabilize. Especially for those trying to sell right now.

 

If you have a stable income and can afford it, I don't see a problem. The new GT3 is nice. That being said, I am not spending much right now. I am investing as much as I can in gold, silver and good cheap stocks. I think right now is a good opportunity to make some money. If all else fails. Tell the wife to make the decision. lol

 

Compared to a loaded C2S, a base GT3 is a pretty good value!