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GT4 - Bucket Seat Global Pricing...Are Americans getting Ripped Off??
As an Englishman living in the USA I'm very used to exchange rate / international product pricing variances. The US has always had incredibly good retail value / consumer buying power (read: cheap goods). However, I was quite surprised to notice today that the UK market can spec the full carbon buckets seats for the GT4 for 1907 GBP (INCLUDING 20% VAT). That means the price before sales tax is 1589 GBP. At today's exchange rate of 1.47 the cost is $2336 USD.
On the US configurator the cost of the same bucket seats is $4730. MORE THAN DOUBLE!!
I suppose I'm posting this because it seems like an egregious delta. Does anyone have any insight into why this would be true? is the US market overpaying or is the UK market underpaying?
Before anyone points out how weak the pound is right now, let's do the maths with a more typical exchange rate of 1.7:
1589 GBP = $2701
Not half the price, but nearly. So I don't think it's a currency fluctuation issue.
Seems like rather more than the usual gouge.
At a guess, I'd say it's a supply and demand "price discovery" by the marketing folks.
It's one of those things where, for those seats, if there's ten buyers pushing past you as you negotiate on price ...
If I was to make some more wild *** guessory, I wouldn't be surprised if the short term cost recovery of the new seat is an issue, supply to production line taking a priority has to meet business profit center targets versus over-the-counter spare parts, and Porsche AG or European market reseller contractual obligations might not be so expensive as Porsche North America as well as a general trend towards both US market prices in "hurry up, catch up" with world market prices (the USA is still a "cheap" place to buy German marques) and all the Porsche prices have this "reversion to the mean" as they raise too quickly, then plateau, and repeat this "stair step" instead of a more orderly market (the more "orderly," the more price fixing and anti-trust conspiracy at the consumer side and the more sweat-shop on the supply-side, if you look at Apple and its ability to fix its prices around the world ... : )
Short answer form me would be to say it's an overpriced seat, but it's the only game in town for the newest vehicles (I prefer the 997 folding bucket and "carrera GT" seat by a mile compared to this new sport bucket, but it is an impressively well-made and attractive seat design.)
I prefer the 997 folding bucket and "carrera GT" seat by a mile compared to this new sport bucket, but it is an impressively well-made and attractive seat design.)
When you say "prefer" do you mean ergonomically? Have you spent much time in the new seat? (if so, which car?) What do you prefer about the old seats? (or dislike about the new one).
As an Englishman living in the USA I'm very used to exchange rate / international product pricing variances. The US has always had incredibly good retail value / consumer buying power (read: cheap goods). However, I was quite surprised to notice today that the UK market can spec the full carbon buckets seats for the GT4 for 1907 GBP (INCLUDING 20% VAT). That means the price before sales tax is 1589 GBP. At today's exchange rate of 1.47 the cost is $2336 USD.
On the US configurator the cost of the same bucket seats is $4730. MORE THAN DOUBLE!!
I suppose I'm posting this because it seems like an egregious delta. Does anyone have any insight into why this would be true? is the US market overpaying or is the UK market underpaying?
Before anyone points out how weak the pound is right now, let's do the maths with a more typical exchange rate of 1.7:
1589 GBP = $2701
Not half the price, but nearly. So I don't think it's a currency fluctuation issue.
My question to you is do you see this with a lot of other items or is this unique to Porsche?
Historically, I've seen very little that was cheaper in the UK than in the USA. Between VAT and the exchange rate it's just never been possible (unless you're talking about something manufactured in England that is not officially exported, and so freight etc makes it more expensive elsewhere).
However, funnily enough, I have seen one other recent example on Amazon vs Amazon.co.uk
Start Trek TNG Bluray, complete collection:
UK 134GBP
vs
US $299 USD
Since the Blu-rays are region free, I ordered from the UK site and saved $100!
Jesse, I think the reason for the pricing difference is that the 'old' GT2 bucket seats are standard in the GT4 for ROW, while in the U.S., the pricing reflects only the 'sofa' sport seats. Therefore we are paying for a 'double' upgrade whereas in the UK it is a single step up.
FWIW: the base GT4 as well as Spyder comes with features that are standard for the US that are options in other markets. Would not be surprised if PCNA is adjusting prices to reflect that.
Since PCNA is a wholly owned subsidiary of PAG/VAG they probably have an idea on what they are doing in regards to global volumes regarding different configurations as well as profit margins for each market.
Looks like I was mistaken about the bucket hierarchy in the ROW.
It looks like the new boxster spyder gets the GT2 buckets standard and no option for LWB
The GT4 has no GT2 bucket option and only LWB at the lower pricepoint than the US
When you say "prefer" do you mean ergonomically? Have you spent much time in the new seat? (if so, which car?) What do you prefer about the old seats? (or dislike about the new one).
Zero track time, but I swapped from the sport plus seat in the '14 GT3 to this new sport bucket in the '15 GT3 and it's a compromise because it doesn't fold, so the capacity of the seat-less rear area is less accessible. Of course, once you've got a roll cage, or you're in the Cayman GT4, it's less of an issue.
Ergonomically, I'm sure they're top notch and Recaro (right?) construction is stout, plus they look very well made and arguably the best seat Porsche has made (the laws allowed for the svelte Carrera GT bucket ... basically a fancy-shamcy Recaro Pole Position shell with a nice head-rest makeover ... now, the new seat has an integrated thorax bag and details like the routing of the belts, the positioning of the buckle receptacle ... a very nice result. I find the backrest too upright, and a lack of lumbar support. Once I wear a helmet, and pad the lumbar and remove the lower cushion, it will be fully custom fit, then I can start explaining how the seat is costing me those precious 1/10ths around the track ... : )
On the high cost of the 918-type bucket seat in US market...
Originally Posted by jmenczer
However, I was quite surprised to notice today that the UK market can spec the full carbon buckets seats for the GT4 for 1907 GBP (INCLUDING 20% VAT). That means the price before sales tax is 1589 GBP. At today's exchange rate of 1.47 the cost is $2336 USD.
On the US configurator the cost of the same bucket seats is $4730. MORE THAN DOUBLE!!I suppose I'm posting this because it seems like an egregious delta. Does anyone have any insight into why this would be true? is the US market overpaying or is the UK market underpaying?
J: We touched on this subject back on March 2 at this Spyder thread:
I think it merits looking at the sport bucket seat options offered in the UK for other Porsche models (not including the 918):
UK gt3 - no 918 type bucket offered and gt2 type bucket at 2258 Pounds.
UK gt3 RS - Both types buckets offered at no cost!
UK gt4 - 918 type bucket offered at 1907 Pounds
UK Cayman GTS - Only gt2 type bucket offered at 1914 Pounds
UK Spyder Only gt2 type bucket offered at no cost.
German Market Spyder - gt2 bucket at no cost. 918 type bucket at 1428 Euros.
As you can see from the examples, Porsche sets the pricing all over the place and is not consistent. Why would the identical gt2 types buckets on the UK gt3 be more expensive (2258) than those same seats on the Cayman gts (1914)? Why doesn't the Spyder in England gets the choice of a 918 bucket seat which is offered to their customers in Germany?
As to why Porsche decided to price the 918 type bucket in the US so expensive in the US, it's a very good question. It might involve recuperating the cost of having the seat approved by DOT/NHTSA. US dealers hate these seats and will not order them on cars they specced. So only the track hounds that custom order the gt3, RS and gt4 will specced them for their cars. That means very low anticipated demand. So any cost associated with getting this seat approved by US authorities is allocated to just a very low number of seats expected to be sold in this market. So if you add that to the normal high cost of producing this seat in Germany, it translates to the high retail cost of the 918-type bucket seat for the US market.
Z35, thanks for the great analysis. I would agree federalizing such a seat at such low production numbers must amortize to quite a high unit cost. In addition, I am sure some sort of liability reserves are set aside as well in the US.
I myself can't decide whether to get the standard sport seats plus or the LBS. The whole forum says YES but I am not so sure myself.
I myself can't decide whether to get the standard sport seats plus or the LBS. The whole forum says YES but I am not so sure myself.
I was all set to order the LWBs, sight-unseen (unsat?) but, luckily, was able to try out a set in a GT3 that was being PDI'd. While they look great, offer good lateral support and are "thematically right" for the car, they just weren't comfortable for me (particularly, a lack of lumbar support). Given that I will be taking long trips in my GT4, in addition to numerous track days, I decided to forgo style and rock-solid support for a modicum of comfort.
If you want heated seats your only choice is sports seats in the US.
Interestingly, Porsche currently offers a heating option for the gt2-type sport bucket seats in ROW since intro of the 991/981 models. We are no longer offered these seats in our US market.
When PAG/PCNA last offered the same bucket seat in the US (e.g. on the MY2012 Boxster Spyder), heating was NOT an option. So this is a great improvement.
The new 918-type bucket seat, when installed on a gt3, RS, gt4 or Boxster Spyder, doesn't offer a heating option...even in Europe.
This is a big negative for that version of the 918-type bucket seats. And it doesn't make sense they could not engineer heating into it...like they did post-2012 on the gt2-type bucket seats!
There is a heating option for that seat in the 918 Spyder so its all doable.
04-13-2015, 02:01 PM
GT4 - Bucket Seat Global Pricing...Are Americans getting Ripped Off??
