[perryeyges]

Randy and guys,
I am currently staying Disney's Grand Californian hotel (w-kids, etc.)
This AM I called Symbolic and got a bit of a brush(not too bad though) they asked if I had a deposit with them. I asked if it wouldn't be too much to ask if I could just look at the cars since I was actually buying a car from another dealer. They sort of discouraged it so I immediately sped off for La Jolla in my buddies 04 Audi Nogaro Blue S-4 Sedan.
The first car to arrive at the sales dept from PDI was a starlight black/blk, hardtop, touring, w/clearbra. The black is the least attractive color IMHO, and the car was still stunning. These cars are soooo special. The detailer was very cool and had his 6-7 yr old daughter help detail the interior (nice touch). I had to coach the detailer as to how to start the car(starter button/unlocked alarm, etc).
The sales staff was pretty nice once I got there. They told me that they had received approx 60 calls this AM in regard to the cars.
We are now entering the mania phase we will see people paying astronomical sums for these cars in the next few weeks. I'm here to tell you that when you get your car be prepared for pandemonium to erupt wherever you happen to park your baby Elise.
My wife came along for the ride as well as my dayghter's boyfriend and his pal(17 yr olds). They were completley blown away by the exoticness of the car. My wife says " if you get killed in that car I'll be so mad!" Pretty nice statement!! I assured her that thecar was one of the safest cars on the road(big rigs excuded)
One of the guys at Symbolic said that he knew Randy and that his car was a bit delayed..

 

[Randy Chase]

Thanks for the info. Nice hotel in a faux Awahnee sort of way. I really like it for a Disneyland hotel.

I am going up in a week or so.

I am getting my car very soon. I expect driving it around will be interesting. I have wondered... at what point will it seem old hat? I am thinking that point is pretty far away. There will just not be that many on the road.

 

[Vantage]

Hi Perry,
Sort of OT, but do you find it hard to heel-toe the manual '04 S4? Your buddy's may be Tip? Can't get to the other pedal under braking using the normal method! Great color however.

That's a lot of phone calls - I bet it gets tiring. Glad you made it down to SD.

 

[_JD_]

Off Roadfly:
"Anyone else out there offered a 'lise at 10k over sticker by Symbolic? Got the call today, but turned it down. I'm on the list, and I can wait for MSRP

Supposedly, a customer turned the car down for delivery. Not sure I buy that. Offered choice of yellow or silver -- they claimed that they need to keep one as a demo.

My guess is that they have more than two and are working the lists to see who'll bite. I'm WAY down, so maybe they have no/few takers at 10K over"
e-noni-mous

 

[Au111]

Sort of OT, but do you find it hard to heel-toe the manual '04 S4? Your buddy's may be Tip? Can't get to the other pedal under braking using the normal method! Great color however.

[hijack]

After the "unintended acceleration" fiasco, it seems like Audi repositioned the accelerator to make it more difficult to engage at the same time as the brake. On my S4 I installed just the gas pedal from a billet pedal set over the stock part. This allowed much easier heel-toe by bringing the surfaces to nearly the same level. With wide shoes you could use the "roll" method, or with driving shoes, the "reach" method.

[/hijack]

 

[iwilson]

I have wondered... at what point will it seem old hat? I am thinking that point is pretty far away. There will just not be that many on the road.

Seven years and still waiting....

 

[roadrunner]

Updated...

Off Roadfly:
"Anyone else out there offered a 'lise at 10k over sticker by Symbolic? Got the call today, but turned it down. I'm on the list, and I can wait for MSRP...SNIP...e-noni-mous

Report of someone paying Symbolic +$4k on same thread.

http://lotus.roadfly.org/lotus/forums/elise/5460139-1.html

 

[Ground Loop]

$4k? That's it? For one of the FIRST west-coast cars ready to drive off the lot? From Symbolic?

There's more to this story. Like a garage full of Bentleys and Lambos with Symbolic plate frames...

 

[Randy Chase]

$4k? That's it? For one of the FIRST west-coast cars ready to drive off the lot? From Symbolic?

There's more to this story. Like a garage full of Bentleys and Lambos with Symbolic plate frames...

Agreed. We have a user here if you recall, that paid a $6-7k premium to get one of the first cars and he is still waiting for a car (he was not offered one of these two).

 

[Gromit]

Agreed. We have a user here if you recall, that paid a $6-7k premium to get one of the first cars and he is still waiting for a car (he was not offered one of these two).

This looks like a good thing to me. It suggests that the acceptable markup price is dropping rapidly because people are being patient. The fewer people who take a markup, the sooner we can start dishing out the cars to real people.

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

This looks like a good thing to me. It suggests that the acceptable markup price is dropping rapidly because people are being patient. The fewer people who take a markup, the sooner we can start dishing out the cars to real people.

I wouldn't bet on it, the dealer haven't had the cars in hand to try to sell, they were selling an abstract, now they will have something concrete to give people: Pay me 10k over MSRP and you take this beauty home today! Don't and wait 2 years and still pay the almost the same price because we will have had 2 prices increases by then! That being said I don't think too many people are really going to pay 15k over MSRP.

 

[jml1952]

acceptable markup

Adding that to my list of oxymorons.

 

[Richard 350z]

The only thing worse than a car salesman is a car salesman with something that everyone really wants. Oy vey.

 

[Randy Chase]

The only thing worse than a car salesman is a car salesman with something that everyone really wants. Oy vey.

Excluding those on our forum of course.

 

[mact3333]

The only thing worse than a car salesman is a car salesman with something that everyone really wants. Oy vey.

well...how bout trial lawyers???...


or dentists?...

 

[cobalt]

This looks like a good thing to me. It suggests that the acceptable markup price is dropping rapidly because people are being patient. The fewer people who take a markup, the sooner we can start dishing out the cars to real people.

I wouldn't say that just yet. Someone paid $10k over yesterday @ Symbolic.

 

[NtflBlueLiz]

I wouldn't say that just yet. Someone paid $10k over yesterday @ Symbolic.

Do you guys agree that California and Florida are the worst as far the the markups?

 

[Randy Chase]

I wouldn't say that just yet. Someone paid $10k over yesterday @ Symbolic.

Tell me you didn't "upgrade".... did you?

 

[Randy Chase]

Do you guys agree that California and Florida are the worst as far the the markups?

Too early to tell. California market has a lot of people with a lot of money and the car culture here is such that for many, the value of having the newest hot car is worth a premium.

 

[Ground Loop]

$10k. Yow.

Look for a dude driving up and down La Jolla shouting "I'm first! I'm first! Nyanyahahahaa"

I'll check the insurance holding pen on Sorrento to see if it shows up next to the smashed yellow Gallardo that depresses me on the way to work.