550 maranello

kds, your warning to tsang85 is that the resale value will hurt because it is a US car. yes, we all agree to that. but, is that a HURT that is greater than what he SAVED now?

so lets assume the buyer now saved oh, $80,000 CAD now importing a us spec 575M. 12 months down the road, two similar cars, one Canadian spec and one US spec legally imported into canada, the difference would be more than $80,000 CAD between the two in the resale value?

or let's say it is 200X and the value of a Canadian spec 575M is $200,000, while a similar US spec car is going to be $120,000?

your 2002 GT2, is, a 3 year old car. depreciation is not market adjustment. so assuming there is a 2002 GT2 US spec car here, it would have been what, $50k cheaper than your Canadian car on its resale value? which car would the buyer pick?

btw, I ordered my QP in canada, when the exchange is at 1.38 or so.
now it is at 1.18 :"(

just admit it. the weak USD compare to CAD is saving many people money now. I have friends who are buying everything from computers to home electronics now from the US before their prices 'adjust' to their weak USD, and everyone is saving money now. we are not talking about reselling it when it is used or anything, but it is money saved.

 

Maybe Ferrari dealers are a bit different but a friend of mine bought an Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Volante in the US and both the dealer and Aston Martin North America were extremely helpful in making the necessary changes and supplying the appropriate documentation.

 

That is also kinda like Aston Martin Of N.America kicking the dealers like MCL and Grand Touring etc. right in the nuts. These guy are sitting on stock because they can't sell them as it is. And I bet they offer good incentives here. One dealer I know still has (Or had up until renectly) brand spanking new 99's and 2000 models.

Unless of course your friend brought up a very specific model or colour combo no longer offered, Jubilee edition etc etc?

Vasco.R

 

Yes, he did have some pretty specific requirements in what he was looking for. I know Grand Touring has about 5 or 6 DB7s (last time I looked) of various specs, including a Jubilee Edition. They had one copper DB7 Vantage Volante a couple of months ago which was just stunning, not sure if it has sold. Good price too.

 

Kewpie....

I did admit it earlier.....but with items that you resell.....you have to be mindful of the consequences.....that's all I was saying. None of us have crystal balls (or steel ones for that matter)......but my client's GT2 dropped dramatically in CAD terms over about 8 months due to the currency differences....while depreciation only dropped by $10K USD on south of the border GT2 comparables. That is the dreaded market correction.

Of course......as you correctly pointed out the risks and rewards go up dramatically with the acquisition price and rarity of the item. If I am buying a TV I'll go for the cheapest price...bar none....if it's a limited production, desireable high performance car....it's another story all together. Each situation is different.

Glad to hear that you bought your car at FMoV...........!!

 

? you revived a post from a week ago ?

ok, then, let me ask again.

so, if there is a US imported GT2 similar to your clients', everything being equal, except that it was imported as new first hand, how much would be a realistic price difference between a US imported GT2 and a CDN GT2?

 

Picking a dollar figure is like trying to hit a moving target. Lead time and how long a product is in the pipe line tends to distort figures. Each market seems to have it's own price structure. Cars sold in GB by the manufacturers are some of the worst offenders for overcharging.

This is very fuzzy logic here with all this talk about Canadian and American Porsche models. They all come from Germany (mostly) and with the exception of DRL's and stronger bumpers not much difference here in North America. And who has the Porsche 959 sitting up front beside all the latest products? They were not selling those back in 1988. They did put on a good show when someone brought a red 959 in for some work when they were visiting... It's OK when it suits their purposes.

This is more about the manufacturer playing games with the model allocation for various markets. The implication for the consumer being that they will get better service from the Canadian dealer if they purchase a Canadian market specific product. Warranty may be a small or a very large problem. The GT2 is too much for a street car and compromised for the track because it is a street car. It's huge price difference compared to a GT3 for example is mostly Porsche spinning more money selling ego rather than reality. The fact that customers will 'jump the line' by paying huge premiums over list price merely compounds the problem. Then something newer comes along and the model suffers another big hit. Also some models drop like a stone in a pond when buyers finally figure out the new model fails to meet their expectations down the road. That can include performance and reliability. They can only hope that they unload it before the word gets around...you really can't use this car but I am sure you will enjoy looking at it in your garage. caveat emptor
The Carrera GT appears to be a little too 'racer' focused. An on off switch may be handy for a light bulb but not so handy for a clutch. But it's a Porsche! Ferrari on the other hand seem to have hit another 'home run' with the F430. It represents race technology but not a race car for the street. Porsche doesn't seem to understand the difference. The F430, like Jim said; a 9.5 out of 10. Say yes to F1 shifting.
ch

 

Kewpie....

In answer to your question about reviving an old thread.....I don't spend every waking moment on F-chat......and I am usually asleep at the times that I see you are posting at.

Anyways.....there is no sufficient formula to calculate what you are asking. But I can say that it is worth a minimum of 10% over and above the landed US car's final price to buy Canadian IMHO for reasons to be stated below.

You must first find someone "willing" to purchase the used US car in the first instance (whether it be a GT2 or 360 is irrelevant).....before you can go about determining what they would be willing to pay....and what you as the vendor would be willing to lose. That is the toughest part of the equation....finding a willing buyer.

"If it is such a good used car that you are trying to sell me....then why didn't it sell in it's local market first ?" is a common question that gets asked at this stage.

Case in point.....and I'll just use two cars to start with. "Ralfabco" who posts here mainly on the Lambo board .....sold my old employer his BMW Z3 about 8 months ago.....he got retail....we thought we stole it....and it's still for sale at my old employer.....why ? It's a US car and no one wants it. It has 4,000 kms.....is like new.....under warranty....correctly optioned and colored.....is not overpriced.....and Z3's are popular sellers here.....go figure......

Second is a 1997 355 F-1 spider with 23,000 miles being sold by a guy called Dino from Barrie, Ontario (while I know of several Canadian 355's that have sold during that time)......this car has been for sale for a year at least (it may be sold by now, I don't know).........it's a US car again........not to mention the other examples of US cars posted here by others.

Sure.....it's not logical......but it's reality.......so if it takes someone 12-18+ months to find a buyer willing to spend $150K+ then you've lost not only the depreciation....but the cost and use of the money that was stuck in the US car waiting for that buyer once the car was listed for sale.....as well as you have to take a haircut to get rid of it when it is all said and done.

Which is why you don't have dealerships in Canada currently filling their lots up with high end US cars despite an 80 cent dollar.

Toasters are another story however.