Is there a right "time" to buy a Porsche that will get you the best price? How much should you expect to pay above invoice?

Yes, when the economy is not good, assuming your personal economy IS good

Depends on the model and the specific supply-demand for that model, and whether any incentives exist, that changes all the time. When I was shopping for new CS's 3 months ago leftover 07's were more discounted than 08's and near invoice deals could be had on the 07's.

My suggestion would be to read through recent posts here on what people are paying. Several members here report under invoice deals recently on leftover 07's just a few posts down. There also appears to be some members with recently purchased 08's and even ordered 09's who got near invoice deals.

As with anything, competition in your area will mean a lot as well. I've had St Louis dealers virtually dare me to drive to Chicago to get one...so I went to Colorado instead. This despite the fact that I was willing to spot them a couple % of the purchase price for the "local relationship".

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'07 CS, '07 335i

At the end of the model year, if they have left over inventory.

At tax time in March & April.

At the end of every month, if you seek a "hot" model that the dealer is trying to move, because the number of cars they get the next month depends on how many they sell the previous month.

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Rex
Cayman S 2006 - Slate Grey, Sand Beige full-leather interior, manual, Preferred Package, Bi-Xenons, Adaptive Sports Seats, PCM2.1, 19" Sport Design with Pilot Sports, PASM, Sport Chrono, Stainless Steel Tailpipes, Short Shifter, 3-Spoke Multifunction Steering Wheel, Colored Seat Backs, Black Floor Mats, 3M clear bra, de-badged, clear sidemarkers, K40 Calibre, de-snorked, mesh grills all around, WeatherTech floor mats.
///M5 E39 2000 - daily driver

speaking of invoice v. sticker pricing, i'm currently wondering whether i should wait a bit and special order a car done to the teeth the way i'd want it (basically, set up pretty much like a PDE1 inside, but with non-metallic paint to order and all-black sport design wheels), or continue trying to game my way into one of the PDE1's that's still silently decaying on dealer lots around the country (there are quite a few here in california and surrounding states). i would be happy with the PDE1, so i'm not worried about being dissatisfied down the line.

however, i'm in no huge rush to commit the dough, so having one now v. in a few months isn't a factor. i guess the only real issue is that the PDE1's i've talked $$$ about are down to the neighborhood of a decent near-invoice deal on my custom-build car (according to edmunds invoice info); if dealers don't deal aggressively on custom builds, i'm better off buying the PDE1 sooner so no one else buys up the few i'm interested in; on the other hand, it'd be mighty cool to have a cayman S in the custom color (tangerine) i'm thinking about...

what are dealers inclined to do, generally (or specifically if you know of a particularly good place to shop - i'll go nationwide 'n drive home when it arrives in [several] months), as far as % markup above invoice on a specially-ordered car? is it "pay sticker b/c we have you by the short 'n curlies", or do they deal with these pretty much like any other car on the lot?

by way of comparison, the bimmer dealer at which i bought my wife's x3 sells everything at $150 over invoice. ordered, in stock, traded w/ other dealers' stock, regardless. too bad they don't sell caymans!

would appreciate the fine insight fellow members of this site may provide. thanks in advance!

vic

You should factor into your thinking that right now, there are no build slots (dealer allocations) for any more custom built cars for the 2998 model year. What's been ordered by either customers or dealers for their stock has been, or is in the process of being built, so if you want a 2008 car, you're not going to be able to custom order one. If you order a 2009 MY car, you'll probably see it in the Fall. If you're talking about a custom paint-to-sample color (tangerine) than be prepared for about a 6-7 month wait, and an extra $4,715 price tag for the paint when you do order it for next year.

brad

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21-year PCA Member
PCA DE Instructor

Thanks, I'm aware of that b/c when you do the custom build, the charge appears. Also aware of the extensive wait because of what others here and on Rennlist have experienced; did I mention I don't mind waiting b/c I don't need the car immediately?

Back to my question, though, anyone have any thoughts on the markup? I'd like to think that b/c the dealer would essentially be a portal and the car wouldn't take any time, space, or investment (advertising or otherwise) on the dealer's part, a custom-build should be very close to invoice. But, this being Porsche and judging by my experience with a few of their dealers, I have a feeling I'm far off the mark with that idea!

anyone?

bueller?

i thought there were some dealer types around here, or at least those with some experience of the custom build/order process and negotiating these types of deals?

anyway, thanks in advance for your thoughtful responses.

vic

Vic, I agree with your thinking! A custom order sure thing no-risk sale seems to be the best of all transactions for the dealer, and should also be for the buyer.

However, I'm not sure many dealers are as logical about this as we are. My past experiences have been that a car they have had for a long time with a greater investment on their part will be discounted the most. Makes no sense to me.

Good luck on finding a smart dealer who understands this.

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Formerly 914Geezer