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A bird in the hand, or one in the bush?

3K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  Milehigh981 
#1 ·
Hello all,

Long time lurker, first time poster...

Like many of you, I am on the wait list at my dealer, hoping that an extra GT4 allocation comes up.
I'm actually next in line, so if they do get another allocation then it's mine! But there is no info so far about if and/or when that will happen.

My dealer called me this week with some news. Another buyer backed out of buying their car, and they offered it to me (at MSRP).
It is a stripper, the only option being the fire extinguisher. No deletes though, it does have the single zone A/C and standard stereo.
It's white with platinum wheels and black wing supports.

My original plan was to order GR with 18-ways, climate control, dimming mirrors, PDLS, and red deviated stitching.
Looking over the standard options the GT4 is pretty well equipped, but I think that I will miss climate control and dimming mirrors most.

So here is my quandary... jump on the stripper and have a guaranteed car, or keep my place on the wait list and get the car with the options I want.

What do you guys think?
 
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#6 ·
Depends on if you like the white or not. Both the Ac and mirror can be retrofitted with porsche parts after the fact. But to be honest in such a small car I think the auto climate is a waste. I would grab the current car and stay on the list if it were me. But if you don't like white I would just wait. For now it seems like you would be able to flip the white one for little to no loss when your new one comes in. That is if porsche releases more allocations to your dealer
 
#8 ·
TG:

How much experience do you have driving Caymans and Boxsters and even Porsches for that matter? If this is your first, you're going to experience a whole different genre of driving. You may like it and you may not.

I'm asking because you're in line for a GT4 and you're putting a lot of luxo stuff on it that adds weight. You're defeating the purpose of having a GT4. This is a track machine that can be driven on the street. There's no way I'd buy 18 way seats for a car like this. I can see where a GPS and Bose would be nice to have. You can find the track and be entertained on your way there. You can always find your way home. I really like the sport bucket seats. They're light and comfortable. Unless you change drivers a lot, you can customize them to fit you by pulling foam out of the cushions.

You can, of course, do whatever the heck you want. Just saying the point of the car is to go fast and be a ball to drive. Don't dilute that by confusing things you like in a sedan.

OK, I'll shut up now.

That said, I'd try and make the deal on the white one. It's equipped like a GT4 probably should be. I would want a few more things, but nothing is really important here. The basic car is going to either blow you away or you won't know what to do with it and you'll flip it.

:cheers:
 
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#9 ·
Thanks for the responses and advice.

Take it, get your allocation, and swap. You are lucky to be able to get your hands on one.

That was my initial thought, but dealer has said that if I take this one, I have to give up my spot on the wait list.

How much time between the one "in hand", and the unknown one? Id take the white one

This is the $64,000 question. I've been scouring the forums etc, and I don't think anyone can say for certain IF there will be another block of allocations this year. It could be a long wait.

How much experience do you have driving Caymans and Boxsters and even Porsches for that matter?

My DD is a 991 911 C2S. It is my first Porsche, but I've owned various other sports cars in the past. I've put around 15k miles on it, done some autoX and car control events, and am dipping my feet in DEs. The GT4 will also serve double duty as a DD and my track toy.

Thanks!
TG.

 
#10 ·
Take the white one. It may not be exactly what you would have ordered, but it will be IN YOUR GARAGE. if you never get an allocation, and you let the white one go, you'll kick yourself.
 
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#11 ·
Used ones will defiantly come available. Getting the car you want without the options you want is not getting the car you want. On the other hand this is the hottest car on the planet right now. That's a tuff one.

How does the saying go? Damned if you do Damned if you don't!
 
#13 ·
Oh wow.. That is a tough decision.

Not sure I could compromise on color for most cars but this is a bit different.
2 questions:
how do you feel about the white?
and the seats.. Have you sat in the base seats?

Ive bought cars that were compromises with color or seats. Wound up regretting later on each time.
Tough to pass up a msrp GT4 though.
 
#14 ·
TG:

OK, well, here's my take now that I know a little more about your situation....

As a DD, I think the GT4 might be too track oriented. GTS or even a nicely equipped S might suit you better. GT4 has even bigger tires and that will make bad roads worse. Can't be very good for tooling around town. I do like the idea of the new rear suspension and you can only get that on GT4 at the moment.

Bear in mind that this 3.8 is not a GT3 motor but a normal 3.8L Carrera motor. That means the internals etc are going to be no more track-ready robust than the 3.4 has in the S or the GTS. This is not a track car that you can run hard every weekend without consequence....just so we're clear on that one.

I prefer the 2 way Sport Plus seats to the 18 way. Here's why: 1, they're lighter in weight. 2, they slide very quickly forward and back for getting in and out of the car. You will wait a while for the 18-way to go all the way back and all the way forward again. I put my seat fully back to get in and out, then slide forward to driving position. It becomes second nature when you've done it a few times. Takes about a second. 3, they still do the micro-reclline function which is nice for getting the backrest angle just right. 4. You get a bit more forward and back range and a bit more height adjustment with these seats than with 18-way, so if you're an extreme sort of person in any dimension, you may like these better. 5. you still get the bolsters, which are all-important on a car like this.

I'd still rather have Sport Buckets even without the ability to adjust the backrest angle (I'd like mine to be a bit more vertical, please.) They're pricey but quite a bit lighter than either of the other choices and they are amazingly comfortable and can accommodate harnesses, but my second choice is the plain Sport +.

If you're thinking of keeping this car, well, I like my Bose and my navigation. Use both a lot and probably wouldn't buy a car I was going to take on trips etc that didn't have this option. Aftermarket stereo? Get the best, most reliable you can find and buy it from a top rated installer familiar with Caymans and Boxsters.

The car comes with hands-free and a place to plug in an iPod. It also comes with Sound Package Plus, which really ain't bad from what I've heard from people who have it.

I don't like the GT4's fixed wing for DD.

I think GT4s look great in white. Can't say that for some other Porsche products, but I like this and the Spyder in white. Platinum wheels don't show brake dust. Great for a DD. White is easy to re-paint if you get some chips at the track or on the freeway.

I'd still buy it. Take some of that option money you're not spending and try to find some GT2 seats on classifieds. (My GT2 seats have red deviated stitching, btw, and Alcantara cushions. Unfortunately, NFS....Do they fit in 981s? I wonder...)

Buy an aftermarket stereo system...a really good one from a reputable installer. Chances are it'll sound better than the Bose system anyway...although Bose sounded pretty good in the 981 I tried.

PDLS is no big loss. The car comes with Bi-Xenons standard. They have the self-dipping feature. They are about the same as the bi-xenons on 987s, which makes them pretty great imho. They just don't turn with the front wheels. Not a huge sacrifice at all.

I would order climate control if I were ordering, but I have manual one-zone control and it's not awful at all. The idea of multiple zones in a car this small is really sort of silly. The real issue is auto climate. Again, you get used to adjusting and you just do it. Not a deal killer for me. Wifey and I just went on a nice car-trip through the Rockies. I just showed her where the adjustments were and let her have her way with them. All good. Some girls like a bit of control. I don't think they need their own side, just control, so giving them the full control of temperature definitely works...at least at our house.

Dimming mirrors can actually be a negative, especially in a car like this with limited view behind. I like being able to tell if the car behind me is a Police Interceptor or not. This is difficult in my A6 with self-dimming. I assume self-dimming comes in a package with rain-sensing wipers. Those are nice if they work right. I've heard that Porsches system is very good. I've also heard of people having a lot of trouble replacing windshields on 981s with rain-sensor. Something about air-bubbles between the glass and adhesive and repeated tries by the pros are still not getting the job done? Down the road, this might be a blessing not to have. These German windshields are softer glass and need to be replaced more often than our good ole US of A windshields. Probably a function of autobahn speeds and higher shatter-proof requirements in Germany.

So, color looks good on GT4, seats will probably endear themselves to you quickly or can be replaced, media system will need some attention, PDLS is really not needed at all. Climate would be nice, but really not a biggie either.

There is no way this car is not going to look and actually be fabulous. What are you waiting for?

:cheers:
 
#15 ·
Technic,

I say TAKE IT.

But, surely by now it has been scooped up, no?

Here the deal - other than the color, you will not miss those other options. Had 'em, don't need them.

You can certainly drive this car around for the next 6 months and if you don't like it, sell it. Someone will SURELY pay you all the money you have invested and then some. So, I don't see the downside to taking the car now.

Good luck I hope you get it.



So here is my quandary... jump on the stripper and have a guaranteed car, or keep my place on the wait list and get the car with the options I want.

What do you guys think?
 
#17 · (Edited)
Thanks again for all the constructive feedback, especially to sixisenuff for the point by point analysis! :thanks:

As you mentioned, the reason I wanted climate control was for set-and-forget temp control, not for the dual zones which is not a priority for me at all! :)
I have the Bose in my 911 C2S, and honestly I don't think it's that great. Too much boom, nothing in the mid range. I'm thinking about switching out the stock speakers on the CDR system in the GT4 if they don't cut it. The feature I'd like is bluetooth audio support for my iPhone, but that can be solved via an adapter plugged into the aux input.

Good point on the 2-ways! I have my seat almost all the way back, and down, so some extra room there will be useful. I did try them in a CGTS and found them to be comfortable for my *ahem* husky figure. LWBS are too tight. I will be the sole driver 99.9% of the time, so I can set and forget them.

I've decided to buy it, because I think I can live without any of the options I planned to order, and I really want a GT4.
The car has not been delivered yet, it should be here by the end of the month!

I'll look into a wrap as HOLYGRAIL suggested if the color doesn't grow on me!
:cheers:
TG
 
#20 ·
:dance:Awesome and congratulations! Enjoy in good health.

I've decided to buy it, because I think I can live without any of the options I planned to order, and I really want a GT4.
The car has not been delivered yet, it should be here by the end of the month!

:cheers:
TG
 
#19 ·
Congrats man, better to have one then to miss out. Also if you want to solve that bluetooth problem get an arcade mini link. I have been hearing great things about it. Supposably a high fidelity transfer. Just bought mine as crutch field had them 33% off. Car should be delivered this week so I will report back on how i like it.
 
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