Earlier today, I published an article regarding the newest Porsche Club of America auction. Shortly after it went up, I received an email from Vu Nguyen, PCA’s Executive Director. In this email, Mr. Nguyen managed to refrain from calling me an idiot or implying that I could not read contest rules. But this is what he did say:
Just wanted to clarify (and hopefully make your prize decision easier) that the winner of the Grand Prize uses the vehicle spec listed as a starting point. Winner’s [sic] can change, within factory available options, the spec of their car. Unlike most raffles, PCA specs a fairly loaded vehicle so that the winner doesn’t get stuck with a base model. If you choose to spec a lesser cost car, then PCA actually gives you the difference. If you spec a more expensive car, you just pay for the difference in cost.
He then went on to say that PCA would be happy to provide me with the white manual Cayman S described in my article. But wait a minute. If I can run this cash register all the way to $99,000…
Visit my dream Cayman S on the Porsche website. Featuring:
- Paint to sample 1973 Lime Green, as with my old Audi S5
- Natural leather interior in Espresso, with full Carbon Fiber trim
- Premium Package Plus, LED headlights, 18-way seats
- High-gloss aluminum exterior trim for that vintage look
- Sport Suspension and Torque Vectoring
- Fire extinguisher
- Burmester sound
Now that is a frog I could live with. I’d just have to also live with not being able to keep up with Mrs. Baruth on a racetrack… but you’d be surprised what a low-power mid-engined car on Hoosiers can do. So what if it sounds like a WRX, right?
I saw that Lime Green colour on a new 911 Targa yesterday while coming home from work. Looks awesome!
I’d take one in Sapphire Blue over Black/Bordeaux Red hides.
I’d take a pair of Porsche Design sunglasses, and then use the rest of the cash on a 964.
+1 on that, although make my sunglasses Serengeti Drivers.
Wow, Porsche really has tuned the art of the steal in terms of “options” down to a finely, precisely honed science.
$100,000 for a Cayman S.
Are they not even remotely embarrassed that a Corvette Grand Sport that can run with cars costing two to three times more is the same price range as a base Cayman S before options? I just shake my head. I am not hating — if people have money to throw away good for them. Like you, I do find it rather astonishing.
Drive a Corvette back to back with a Cayman and you’ll understand.
I was fortunate enough to do so and would take the Cayman every time.
It’s not always about pure performance. I can outperform both of those cars with a 1992 Civic, a little boost on a swapped motor and some nice suspension/wheels/tires.
This reminds me about an enlightening video by TJ Han, a guy on Youtube who gets hundreds of thousands of views by posting videos about wrapping his GT86 with custom vinyl. In other words, TJ revolves in the remnants of the street tuner crowd in L.A.. Also, it should be noted that he’s relatively young. So, an acquaintance let him drive a Boxster. His summary was that it’s a car on entirely different level and “it’s a car one buys when he grows up”.
I’d take the 718 Cayman S also and I’ve driven both.
Besides, Porsche (and to their credit, in my opinion) offer a vast array of options. Many are cosmetic or for pure customization. You really have to try hard to push a 718 into the 100k territory.
They’ve been that way for a very long time. When the 240z came out, that car was cheaper than its German competition, the 914. I think the Germans *usually* but not always beat it while racing.
The catch being that Porsche never raced the 914. The 240z was easily in the 911’s league in speed (although unfortunately hardly in longevity. Something I think the Corvette Grandsport is less concerned with.
$5,500 for a factory-applied custom color is something of a deal.
Audi charged me $2,500!
Even better! I wish more manufacturers would offer this sort of thing.
No kidding, it seems like being able to purchase the car you want would be a compelling reason to buy new.
Audi now charges $3,900. I should have done it on my old A3 when it was $2,500.
No 6 cylinder option, no care. If I wanted a mid engined flat 4 car with godly dynamics I would get a Factory Five FR818 and get the chassis sorted. Even after taxes I’d still come away with enough $$$ to bump my retirement ahead a year or two.
I like the cut of your jib.
Almost without exception (and I can’t think of any on the spot):
12 > 10
10 > 8
8 > 6
6 > 4
I’d happily take a 4-cylinder 1981 Honda CB900 over the contemporary 6-cylinder Honda CBX.
Pretty much yea.
I think some of the more famous I6 offerings (Jaguar, BMW, Cummins) go toe-to-toe or beat their brand’s V8s.
There’s also a few competitive sets where I would personally prefer the 8 to a 10 (like AMG vs Audi), but I’d never consider going for 10-cylinders a bad call.
How many V10s are there other than the Viper? I suspect that in many cases (BMW 7-series, Jag XJS) I’d want the Viper (especially second or third gen). The catdh is that the V-12 is simply “the right way to design an engine” (although when the viper was designed it appeared to be the “ideal” balance between power and weight. You still wanted it to be a V-12, but then I don’t think it would be the same Viper).
10>8 Could only come down to Viper vs. Hellcat. Let the Mopar heads argue that one.
8>6 – note that in Jacks “engine lust list” V-8 is artificially high. Engineering wise it is only slightly better than the V-6 (and is missing the virtues of the I-6) and mostly lusted over for historical chance. I’m guessing the following:
The 6s that beat V8s are most I-6s (the better BMW I-6s, especially if turboed. plus godzilla’s mill and similar. Oh, and lots of 911 flat 6s. But even they probably won’t beat the mighty LS series.
The 8s that lose (to the 6s above) are Northstar, some of the unloved Mustang modular engines, and tiny V8 imports.
6>4 If your six cylinder engine loses to *any* four cylinder (with the possible exception of that funky “ideal” Nissan engine mentioned hear a month or two ago, especially after a couple years to sort out the bugs), you should probably turn in you autocad license and stop calling yourself a mechanical engineer. I’d probably want an old 90s GM 3.1 over most modern 4s, but that’s probably nostalgia talking.
– NOTE: Tesla has shown just what electric motors can do. Don’t be surprised if at some point hybrids simply provide nearly all of their acceleration from electric motors and the engines like a prius 4 (or as wimpy) plus Tesla-sized electrics can take on comers of all cylinder sizes.
If I have my facts right, the Viper V10 is based on the old 360 V8, which in turn was based on the 318 V8 in the early 60s. It’s not really a modern engine (not that there’s anything wrong with that!) That even beats the Jeep I6 which started as the Rambler American 6 in 1964 and ran until 2006.
You forgot the Cadillac V-16 FTW! Also the possibly hyperbolic “Mercedes 700 V-14” mentioned in “Bling Bling”
You did read the part about it being a free, right?
Its not free unless they cover the taxes as well. Winning the raffle is income in your pocket even if its a set of shiny new wheels.
Just add your income to the value of your prize and bingo your in your exciting new tax bracket and on the hook for the additional taxes that year so really what this is – is a banging great deal on a Cayman for which Joe average with decent credit can just get a loan to cover the taxes (or take out a second mortgage I guess if it works out better that way).
If I missed the part about the club covering the taxes as well then hell sign me up! I need a car I can track and don’t have to worry about wading it up when I hit the wall!!!!
Says if you don’t spec the car out to the full 99k then they give you the difference. I think I could make that work.
That would be an interesting exercise playing the numbers so that you end up tax neutral or pay the minimum.
I’m a PCA member and the owner of raffle tickets for this drawing.
The car is a Cayman S with some options 9as discussed). The grand prize also includes $25,000 cash top go with the car.
FYI, the spring raffle will be the choice of a 2017 718 Boxster or 2017 Macan GTS. Both will include $25k.
The only thing you missed checking is European Delivery.
Good call on Paint to Sample. If you’re going to be buying a new Porsche, personally I think it’s one of the few must haves.
If you can make so many changes to the configuration, can you change it all the way to make the vehicle a base 911 instead of a 718?
The 911s start below $100k…
Same thing I was thinking. Although I think I’d swap to a Panamera myself, as the new ones are somewhat respectable looking and it’s a model that has some relatively decent resale value.
Or to take it a step further, a CPO car, so you can get a non-Turbo 991.
Well if we are going down this rabbit hole then can I just get them to find me the nicest 928 on the planet?
Just FYI, PCA usually changes up the cars for every raffle.
Last round was a 911S if I remember correctly and the next raffle will be a Boxster S or Macan GTS…winners choice. I want to say they raffled of a Cayman GT4 a couple rounds ago.
I just can’t see spending 5 large for “factory applied custom paint”, Wife says “on a good day, LTD can make T. Jefferson scream in harmony”, when I must spend 2 nickels more than I want to. Personally, I would super aggravate the Porsche world by scuffing the clear coat and freehand flaming the car with various colors of spray can Rustoleum. Garish ? Perhaps, but, I will be inside the car (driving it). And, I will have about $4950.00 more, in my pocket. You really don’t pay attention to a cars color when you are inside it.
Lime green. *gag* I don’t know what it is, maybe I had so much disdain for the Kawis of the 70s that I never got over it.
Good thing you added the fire extinguisher though ;)
Well you know I’d have to go for a Lotus Evora 400. It’s a few dollars more but you get a reliable Toyota engine.
Awesome, now the only thing that needs to happen is…winning the contest!
(Cool to dream, though…)
Does a Renegade Hybrids LS swap count? I wonder if anyone has brought them a 718 yet.
What is the PCA exactly? Does it actually represent Porsche owners and fans, or is it a lobbying / brainwashing group controlled by the manufacturer (i.e., NRA)?
PCA is an independent organization.
I don’t think they do any brainwashing. They have been loath to criticize the company but with the exception of Satch Carlson’s writing in the BMWCCA club magazine years ago — I can remember one column in which he said every CCA member should sell their 3 Series and buy a new Honda Accord — it’s fairly unusual for marque clubs to kick back too hard against the marque.
Which manufacturer controls the NRA?
What does Mrs. Baruth drive?
A Fiesta ST, a Tahoe, an MX-5 Cup Playboy car, and a Corvette.
How much of the curb space in your cul-de-sac are the two of you taking up?
PCA is an enthusiast organization officially independent of Porsche, but with some connections. AFAIK, PCA is not a lobby. NRA refers to itself as an advocacy group, and does lobby for gun rights. Both organizations have members, but the NRA does also lobby on behalf of gun manufacturers.
AFAIK, the NRA Institute for Legislative Action receives corporate donations for lobbying and issue advertising.
Thank you both for the helpful responses.
Jack, this proves you have too much money.
I’m with those who say skip the stupid 4 cylinder and buy that ace of base 911 with a proper engine for the same price.
There was a guy who won a Countach, but couldn’t keep it.
http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/throttle-back-thursday-lamborghini-countach-winners-dream-became-bureaucratic
Should have better luck with with this P car