For anyone looking for a sweet 987S

[Sharp11]

Everything that's for sale seems to come in three levels; base, mid and high end.

I recall purchasing my Vector Research receiver (still use it) in 1979, I got the VR5000 - the "middle" model, there was a VR2000 below it and a VR 9000 above. The middle model had the best combination of features and value, but the VR9k had cool lights ( and a lot more of them) and the VR2k reminded me of a Chevy Biscayne.

Ed

[clyde]

Originally Posted by JST

The mental thing is a good point. And the marketers, with their red brake calipers and so forth, are very good at stoking the "you don't really want to settle for the base model" feeling.

It is purely irrational, but that doesn't make it less real. I just wonder whether it's something I could work around.

Non M E46? Check.
Non M E90? Check.
Non JCW Cooper S? Check.

I think you've done it before.

But did it work?

Non M E46 replaced (eventually) with an M? Check.
Non M E90 replaced with an M? Check.
Non JCW Coops S replaced with JCW? Not yet...

[wdc330i]

I would buy the non-S. Happily. But then I am not power hungry.

[SARAFIL]

Originally Posted by JST

The mental thing is a good point. And the marketers, with their red brake calipers and so forth, are very good at stoking the "you don't really want to settle for the base model" feeling.

It is purely irrational, but that doesn't make it less real. I just wonder whether it's something I could work around.

Its also how they generate the profits on these cars. The fixed costs of building a Boxster are essentially constant whether you buy a base or S, and the variable costs per car do not vary much from a base to an S. Some of the parts might have a slightly higher cost, but the cost is minimal. The real cost of red calipers is not much more than regular ones, etc. But they make you feel warm and fuzzy, they get our desire for status to overpower our sense of reason, and "bam"... Porsche just made a few thousand dollars extra off of us.

[TD]

Originally Posted by JST

The mental thing is a good point. And the marketers, with their red brake calipers and so forth, are very good at stoking the "you don't really want to settle for the base model" feeling.

It is purely irrational, but that doesn't make it less real. I just wonder whether it's something I could work around.

If *I* know that I can't work around this "issue", there is no way that you can.

[FC]

Originally Posted by SARAFIL

Its also how they generate the profits on these cars. The fixed costs of building a Boxster are essentially constant whether you buy a base or S, and the variable costs per car do not vary much from a base to an S. Some of the parts might have a slightly higher cost, but the cost is minimal. The real cost of red calipers is not much more than regular ones, etc. But they make you feel warm and fuzzy, they get our desire for status to overpower our sense of reason, and "bam"... Porsche just made a few thousand dollars extra off of us.

...those bastards!

FWIW, it seems dumb, but just the 18" wheel upgrade (which IMO is necessary and std on the S) costs $2K. Is the difference still huge? Sure, but a .7L bump with its corresponding additional output in Porscheland is insanely expensive (see 911 vs 911S - and that is porportionately a smaller bump). Add the 6th speed, and much better sounding exhaust while surely a big premium, it's not vaporware.

A real 6K spent on a larger engine and better tranny and exhaust bitchslaps 6K spent on personalization which many do on a base 987. Nevermind that you get a bunch more in resale for the former. But this is nothing new. It's the "business case" made whenever anyone wants the premium trim on a model line.

[SARAFIL]

Originally Posted by FC

...those bastards!

FWIW, it seems dumb, but just the 18" wheel upgrade (which IMO is necessary and std on the S) costs $2K. Is the difference still huge? Sure, but a .7L bump with its corresponding additional output in Porscheland is insanely expensive (see 911 vs 911S - and that is porportionately a smaller bump). Add the 6th speed, and much better sounding exhaust while surely a big premium, it's not vaporware.

A real 6K spent on a larger engine and better tranny and exhaust bitchslaps 6K spent on personalization which many do on a base 987. Nevermind that you get a bunch more in resale for the former. But this is nothing new. It's the "business case" made whenever anyone wants the premium trim on a model line.

You are making my point.

$2000 wheels; $6000 engine, tranny and exhaust.... how much extra does this cost Porsche when they are making the car? What is the extra cost of making a 18" wheel vs. a 17" wheel? The mechanicals do have an extra cost I'm sure, but is it even 10% or 20% of the extra retail?

Marketing 101... "price has nothing to do with cost." Do a good job of convincing people that they need the better model, and they'll spend thousands extra... and you're making tons of profit. And I'll say I'm guilty of falling for it too... we all are.

[JST]

Originally Posted by SARAFIL

You are making my point.

$2000 wheels; $6000 engine, tranny and exhaust.... how much extra does this cost Porsche when they are making the car? What is the extra cost of making a 18" wheel vs. a 17" wheel? The mechanicals do have an extra cost I'm sure, but is it even 10% or 20% of the extra retail?

Marketing 101... "price has nothing to do with cost." Do a good job of convincing people that they need the better model, and they'll spend thousands extra... and you're making tons of profit. And I'll say I'm guilty of falling for it too... we all are.

There was a story I heard someplace, perhaps apocryphal, about two laser printers, one of which cost $X and the other cost something like $2X. The primary difference between them was that the X unit was actually just a slowed down version of the 2X unit. No difference in manufacturing costs at all.

[Plaz]

Originally Posted by TD

...I know that I can't work around this "issue"

[SARAFIL]

Originally Posted by JST

There was a story I heard someplace, perhaps apocryphal, about two laser printers, one of which cost $X and the other cost something like $2X. The primary difference between them was that the X unit was actually just a slowed down version of the 2X unit. No difference in manufacturing costs at all.

Wait, you mean like when BMW put the same engine in the E90 325i and 330i and tweaked the output a little bit... and then charged $5k more for the 330i?

Yeah, stuff like this happens alot actually. Cost difference between two items might be "x", but if the market research shows that people are willing to pay "10x" extra for the better model you sure bet they'll charge it.