Lava Orange 991 Carrera T - Path to Ownership
So where do I start with this one? Sometime around late 2020, I started making plans to purchase my first Porsche - a 718 GT4 once they became available (and god willing if I could get an allocation). As a first time Porsche buyer, I rated my chances at low, but I figured if I was persistent enough and forged enough relationships with dealerships I may have a better shot than average. Months went by as I patiently searched (and waited). I kept seeing some available inventory of Carrera T’s moving around. I was always shocked that these cars didn’t sell like hotcakes, but being that the 991 model was getting long in the tooth, and most folks were shooting for whatever leftover GT3’s they could get (oh and the GT3 touring) the Carrera T seemed to go largely unnoticed - despite rave reviews from press and enthusiasts alike. Months continued to go by, and I found a dealership that would happily take my deposit for a GT4 allocation. Some more time went by, allocations for GT4’s were delayed getting to the US due to federal clearances.
In the background of all of this going on, I suffered an abrupt ending to my triathlon season last year with a case of mononucleosis - leaving me with months of exhaustion where just the idea of leaving the sofa to make dinner was overwhelming. I recovered from that and noticed that as I ‘fell out of triathlon shape’ that I was experiencing debilitating hip pain. Turns out I had a severe labral tear and a FAI impingement that required immediate surgery. More months on the sofa, out of work on disability, and learning to walk correctly again. Honestly, I was pretty down in the dumps, stuck in recovery, and unable to engage in any of my automotive or fitness passions. Visions of taking delivery of a car I've aspired to my entire life is one of the main things that kept me going. I even sold my BMW M3 (F80) in January 2020 in anticipation of making this happen, someway, somehow.
Then, sure enough, in March 2020 a contact at a local dealer called me and said he has an MSRP GT4 allocation for me. Sweet! Time to order my ‘dream car’. I quickly sent my spec, put down a deposit, and got the V200 order in the system. The wait would be tough, but I was very excited, head filled with visions of enjoying the car this summer. Then we found ourselves in the world that we are today. Coronavirus has shut down factories in Germany with no reopening expected in the near term (and I just heard the first GT4s coming into the country are now being held in port till June). I felt my GT4 delivery aspirations slipping into winter, which then the car will go in my garage and sit till the next spring. I know, first world problems right?
This got me thinking about Carrera T again, a car that in many ways is the most boiled down / refined version of the 991 in existence. I pulled up some searches of any leftover ‘new’ inventory cars which showed only a handful. Excitedly, I noticed that a Lava Orange car that I had bookmarked many months ago was still available for ‘new’ sale from Porsche West Broward with full unticked warranty (sometimes these cars start to ‘tick’ after they have sat on the lot long enough, and/or get labeled as ‘used’ with 100miles on the odo). This was one of the last fully ‘new’ Carrera T’s in the country, and I had been eyeing it since last summer. The spec was ridiculous, a $130k build Carrera T which frankly is overkill for this type of car, and the high MSRP is what likely scared buyers away from so long. Very fortunate for me, the timing was great and the dealership cut me an insane deal to get it sold. And BOOM, it was mine, a brand new 2019 Carrera T in Lava Orange, Sport Design, Sport Buckets, PDK, and a few other fun options. We did the entire transaction remotely, through a series of PDF’s and FedEx, with a visit from a notary in the middle. Honestly, it was one of the easiest car buying experiences I’ve ever had - didn't even have to do the dreaded ‘desk’ with the finance guy who tries to sell you a lifetime's worth of tire shine for $2500. The car was loaded on a truck in South Florida on Tuesday and delivered directly to me in New Jersey. Ecstatic is not the right word to describe the delivery experience!
We immedately took the car on a nice 35mile cruise through some of the lakes and mountains in far North Jersey. The overall solid feel of the car is remarkable, with great noises and that rear bias. All I wanted to is drive this thing and get more accustomed to it. I am thrilled that this entire scenario worked out the way it did. In many ways, I actually feel that the Carrera T may actually be the ‘right car’ for me right now vs. the GT4. Oh, and my spouse loves it as well - I am thrilled for us to be able to share in the experience together.
