[smoseley]

Ok, it's that time... I got called yesterday to order! Car to be delivered ~ late Jan. / early Feb.

As excited as I was about that, I got word from a board member today of two Elises available NOW... AT MSRP.

This makes me wonder.... should I put in my order? The available Elises aren't to my specs (although one is pretty darn close!), but they raise the question of the Elise resale value... it seems to be dropping FAST. I've heard speculation in private that the market will have its bottom drop out quickly. I'm beginning to question that myself at this point.

So what do you do if you're me at this point? Go 2k non-refundable and wait 5 months.... or take a chance on getting a deal sooner (maybe below MSRP) and maybe wait longer or pay more?

 

[GatorFL]

2 cars at MSRP locally, in Miami?

 

[offroadr35]

i don't know how you could possibly think the bottom would fall out of this market any time soon. Demand is so far ahead of supply it's not even funny.

Buy the car now and enjoy it. None of the options are a big enough deal to miss 5 months of driving for.

EDIT: and i don't believe for a second that there are two cars available at MSRP anywhere.

 

[smoseley]

2 cars at MSRP locally, in Miami?

No... nationwide

 

[smoseley]

i don't know how you could possibly think the bottom would fall out of this market any time soon. Demand is so far ahead of supply it's not even funny.

Immediate demand is falling off daily - pretty much every third time someone gets called on to order (by my estimation). I think you'll see an anomaly in the demand for the car - a valley spanning the early demand created among knowledgeable consumers (car show / magazine junkies and true enthusiasts), and a secondary demand created by people actually seeing the car on the road. With few cars on the road, production up to meet the high initial demand, and consumers falling off the lists, I think that valley is approaching... unless, of course, dealers start pushing up their lists!

 

[Allan Gibbs]

What's that saying about a bird in the hand? If one of those two Elises are to your liking and it's at MSRP, then get it!

Don't worry about the bottom falling out. I don't think Elise resale values will be bad, it's just the market for over MSRP is starting to dry up. Also, if you're really worried about resale, you may want to consider just leasing it so there's no real commitment.....if you can find a lender that's willing to lease (but that's another story).

And, don't forget the value of consumption! For the two to three months you'd wait for your spec'ed car to arrive, you could be driving and Elise by next week!

 

[Stan]

Well in the Northeast at least...convertible car sales come to a near stand still when it gets cold. Sports cars slow way down too.

 

[Win]

If you post publicly where these Elise's are and the contact info, they will no longer be available at MSRP

 

[dez]

Transio:

Seems like going for a sure thing (if getting one at MSRP now is truly that) would be the way to go. Unless the specs are all that important, between now and your potential delivery there are too many variables that could be disappointing (critical production delays, importation problems, potential further MSRP hike, etc...) Given your previous experiences, getting a car now sounds fabulous. And if you don't go for one of the current MSRP cars, PLEASE pass on the info to me.....

Good luck.

 

[zvezdah1]

Transio,
If you're thinking of getting the car and worried about the value falling on it, I wouldn't get it, if you're getting it to enjoy, go for it. Hype or no, the elise value will depreciate the same as any car, maybe worse (time will tell). As someone else pointed out, with winter coming, these northeast dealers will be sitting on these cars as buyers won't be around.

I've never worried about depreciation on a car I bought, it's certainly not an investment, I look at whatever money I lose on it when I do sell it will be well worth it.

Again, rather than agonizing and waiting, get the car if you really want it and enjoy.


Chris

 

[bboersma]

Tough call, tougher if you lived in a cold climate, will be interesting to see what happens over the next six months during the cold weather. I would agree with the 33% drop off the list though, do we have any dealer contacts who could give an actual #?

 

[Allan Gibbs]

Tough call, tougher if you lived in a cold climate....

Transio lives in Florida were it's nice all year round. Except for the Hurricanes.


GET THE CAR NOW!!!!

 

[Ground Loop]

The fact that transio can't post the "2 at MSRP" details kindof shows that the demand hasn't quite cratered just yet.

When there are cars available for MSRP sitting in a lot, and nobody leaping on it, that's when premiums will vanish. Not sooner.

And I don't believe for a second that the depreciation on an Elise will be anything other than abysmal by the time any of us gets around to selling. It's an overhyped car with a niche market. Perfect recipe for depreciation. I'd care if I was planning to sell.

 

[zvezdah1]

I notice the wirewheels sports car dealer on ebay metallic car with touring and hardtop is bid up to $48 and change.

Chris

 

[eliseowner2b]

As someone who was going to wait a year for my car if I ordered it and went ahead and bought one very early at a little over msrp I would have to recommend grabbing one at msrp right now. I've never had so much fun with a car before.

 

[delliott00]

bboersma,

I think the 33% is close. A friend of mine went from #32 to #23 just when they started calling deposit holders and asking them for their specific orders. When he learned he was now #23, he asked to be bumped to around #40 so he could have time to save more.

I owe my early delivery to someone wanting to trade down for a later delivery car (mine was due in late Nov/early Dec) and someone else changing color choices (it was an elaborate 4 way swap where everyone got what they wanted). Since I wasn't as picky on color, and Bordeaux was one of my top choices, I jumped at the chance.

People are definitely dropping out or bumping down the list. But with lists 100+ people long it doesn't require many calls down the list to get someone who'll take it. Of course, I deal with Autostrada who appear to be the only honest dealer around and they seem to be getting a very good allocation. They sell at MSRP and have been offering any available cars to others on their list, for which I am eternally grateful!

-Dave

 

[Stan]

>>>I notice the wirewheels sports car dealer on ebay metallic car with touring and hardtop is bid up to $48 and change. <<<

He's a good guy, I've bought Europa stuff from him over the years. I hear that this is his own car, one that he ordered for resale purposes. So no one on a list lost their spot or what not. Cuz he was on a list too.

 

[bboersma]

Thanks for the info, I know at fox valley they are already taking orders for people on the list in the 90s, granted I am in the 180 figure and don't expect to be ordering for a while...but if the market does drop I would hold out for something below MSRP or used vs. ordering...

In any case I find watching the market amusing and fairly entertaining, yes i know that is really cool...

In any case having 90 cars to go until ordering vs. 60 is a pretty large difference and could mean 3-4 months difference in delivery time...thanks again for the info.

 

[smoseley]

Ok, back... sheesh, this thread took off!

I could post what I was told, but I wouldn't want to "out" my source without his permission. He told me in private, so I'll honor that privacy by not releasing the specifics of the info.

As for the cars themselves, one is black (no, thanks), and the other is BRG w/ LSS (close, but no cigar). I really want Saffron Yellow w/ LSS & hardtop. For me it's worth the wait to get the exact combo that I'll be happy with long-term. I learned that lesson with my S2000. I bought the only one on the floor (silverstone) and regretted not waiting for yellow the following three years.

As for the depreciation... I'm not concerned about it long term, as I plan on having this car for a long, long time. Short-term, though, if I could save myself $3-4k on the purchase price just by being patient for a couple months, is it worth it? Is it worth risking my guaranteed deposit, for that matter? That's kind of what the thread is about.

Maybe I'm a little pessimistic (or optimistic?) thinking the bottom will fall out early... that's kind of what I wanted to get your feedback on.

 

[911EATER]

below MSRP- go for that. I did not know the market was in the shitter. Maybe I will sell you mine for 40K, before it gets any worse.