{"id":37784,"date":"2019-12-19T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-12-18T21:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=37784"},"modified":"2021-07-29T15:52:01","modified_gmt":"2021-07-29T06:52:01","slug":"how-to-buy-luxurycar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/how-to-buy-luxurycar\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Buy a Car at a Luxury Import Dealer \u2013 From Order to Delivery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recently, after writing an article about luxury import car dealers, I received quite a bit of feedback. So this time, I decided to organize the process of “from ordering to delivery<\/strong>.” While there may be differences depending on the dealer or the model you purchase, I want to write this based on “our family\u2019s experience buying a Porsche<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

About Ordering<\/h3>\n

Buying Without a Test Drive<\/h4>\n

I used to think that “since cars are expensive purchases, you should test drive, check, and be convinced before buying<\/strong>.” Especially for luxury cars like Porsche, I thought this was even more true. However, I heard that some people buy Porsches without even test driving or seeing the actual car<\/strong>, which surprised me at first.<\/p>\n

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In fact, when my husband bought the GT3, he didn\u2019t test drive it at all. When I asked him, “It\u2019s amazing to buy without test driving. What if you get the car and it\u2019s not what you expected? Haha, what would you do?<\/strong>” he said:<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t many GT3 test cars available. When I bought my Boxster years ago, the dealer told me, ‘Many customers buy without test driving. Everyone trusts that Porsche never disappoints.<\/strong>‘ But back then, I thought, ‘Buying without a test drive makes no sense.’ After driving several Porsches, I finally understood. Now I know Porsche\u2019s new models never disappoint, and I trust their engineering, so it\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

Once the car is delivered and you drive it, you immediately realize it “far exceeds the expectations you\u2019ve held<\/strong>.” After experiencing this several times, Porsche owners\u2019 trust in Porsche becomes unshakably strong, leading to situations where they “don\u2019t test drive, don\u2019t even see the actual car, and even place orders before the model is officially announced or arrives in Japan<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

Not to mention, my husband had already reserved a Taycan last month.<\/p>\n

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Production Allocation<\/h4>\n

When buying a new Porsche at a dealer, you rarely hear, “If you decide by the end of this month, we\u2019ll give you a discount and can deliver immediately!<\/strong>” This is because Porsche cars are highly customizable, essentially made-to-order, and production slots are limited, so even if you want one, you might not be able to get it.<\/p>\n

Of course, if you buy an existing stock car already in Japan, you might get a slight discount and quicker delivery, but the stock might not be the model you want, and even if it is, the options may not match your preferences<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Each Porsche dealer is allocated production slots from Porsche headquarters in Germany for each model. So even if you want a car immediately, if the dealer hasn\u2019t secured a production slot, it\u2019s impossible.<\/p>\n

The number of production slots varies by dealer, but the dealer we use is said to have relatively many slots based on past sales performance.<\/p>\n

By the way, the “911 Targa<\/strong>” I once wanted is a regular model but has very limited production slots. I heard it\u2019s produced even less than the GT3. No wonder you rarely see Targas on the street.<\/p>\n

Also, when my husband bought his first Boxster GTS with a manual transmission, the production slots for manuals were far fewer than for automatics, so the delivery took longer than for an automatic.<\/p>\n

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Because of this, even for regular Porsche models, it often takes more than six months, sometimes nearly a year, from order to delivery.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the time of ordering, you won\u2019t know exactly when the production slot will be secured, so the delivery date is also uncertain. You place the order after hearing an approximate schedule like “probably around this time<\/strong>.”<\/p>\n

That said, timing matters, so the delivery date can vary quite a bit depending on when you order.<\/p>\n

Reservation Deposit (Down Payment)<\/h4>\n

To order a Porsche, you need a reservation deposit (something like that)<\/span>. The amount varies by dealer and model, but from what I know, it\u2019s often between 1 million and 5 million yen<\/strong>. Of course, this money is credited toward the car\u2019s purchase price later.<\/p>\n

You can use the deposit as a down payment at delivery and finance the remainder with a loan, or you can get the deposit refunded and finance the entire amount with a loan.<\/p>\n

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The deposit usually must be paid within a few days to a week after ordering. (This may vary by dealer.)<\/span> At first, I was surprised, thinking, “We don\u2019t even know when it will be produced or delivered, but we have to pay the deposit so quickly\u2026!<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

Regarding discounts, Porsche rarely offers large discounts on custom orders like other brands. However, for stock or ready-made cars, some discount may be possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Next page \u2192 How long until delivery once the production date is confirmed?<\/strong><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Production Date Confirmation<\/h4>\n

A few months after ordering, when the production date is confirmed, delivery starts to feel real. When the production date is confirmed, our contact person H always contacts us immediately<\/strong>, but I\u2019ve heard some dealers don\u2019t notify customers, so it\u2019s good to check proactively in those cases.<\/p>\n

Timing is also important, but Porsche model years change around summer (July to August)<\/strong> (which is different from the vehicle inspection year shown on the Japanese registration)<\/span>. For example, models produced after summer 2019 are 2020 models.<\/p>\n

Porsches receive minor improvements every year, so the same model may have slight specification changes depending on the production year (model year)<\/span>. Think of it as a very minor facelift or update.<\/p>\n

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Therefore, the year on the registration certificate at delivery often differs from the production year (model year)<\/strong>. For example, our Panamera Turbo\u2019s registration shows 2017, but it was actually produced as a 2018 model (MY2018). (Also, I\u2019ve heard Porsche factories close for a while in summer, so production stops during that time.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of this, the price at order and the final price often differ<\/strong>. For the Boxster GTS and Panamera Turbo, the final price was about 200,000 to 300,000 yen higher than the order price.<\/p>\n

When I asked, “Why!? Isn\u2019t the price fixed at order? Isn\u2019t it strange for them to raise the price due to their circumstances!?” my husband said:<\/p>\n

Well, that\u2019s how it is with Porsche. They explained this at order. The final price is the one at delivery.<\/strong> Price increases or specification changes during production are common.<\/p>\n

Once production starts, it takes about a month to complete the car (though this varies by model)<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Final Order Procedures at the Dealer<\/h4>\n

When production nears completion, you complete the final order procedures at the dealer. You bring necessary documents like the parking certificate, confirm the final price, and sign the dealer\u2019s order forms. Even then, my husband always says, “I still don\u2019t feel like it\u2019s really coming.<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to feel it until you actually see the car. Regarding the GT3, he said:<\/p>\n

\u201cEven when I see the actual car, it doesn\u2019t feel real. It feels like someone else\u2019s car.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transport and Arrival at Dealer<\/h4>\n

After production finishes and the car rolls off the line, it\u2019s shipped by sea from Germany to Toyohashi Port in Japan (all Porsches are unloaded here)<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Since sea transport takes about a month and a half to reach Toyohashi Port, if you “can\u2019t wait that long!<\/strong>“, there\u2019s an express delivery option called the “Air Delivery Service<\/strong>” that ships the car by plane. This can shorten delivery from line-off to delivery to just one week. However, as of this article, it costs an extra 600,000 yen. (Source: Response: \u201cAs expected of Porsche, the fastest delivery in the world!\u201d<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the Porsche arrives at Toyohashi Port, it\u2019s inspected again and then transported to each dealer for final checks. Our contact H always sends us photos of the Porsche as soon as it arrives at the dealer, saying, “It just arrived. We\u2019re sending it for coating and inspection now!<\/strong>” (This is very much appreciated.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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It takes about a week for all the maintenance and coating before the car returns to the dealer. For the GT3, since it was just before Golden Week and the factory was closed, the inspection took a bit longer.<\/p>\n

Delivery<\/h3>\n

After that, the dealer and you arrange the delivery date, and finally, the delivery day is set. In our case, H picks us up at home and we complete the delivery at the dealer, but I imagine there are other delivery methods as well.<\/p>\n

I wrote about the delivery day for the GT3 in this article, so please take a look if you like:<\/p>\n

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