Whenever you buy a new car, the dealer selling it always likes to present you with a list of optional extras to make your purchase that little bit more special. But they’re usually overpriced (or oversold) by a sleazebag who would auction his grandmother given the chance.
Moving out of the realm of dodgy neighbourhood lots, however, and into the more premium space, there are some cool add ons to be had. And though they may not be essential, they are more often being offered to buyers who can afford to splurge on them.
In these scenarios, it’s usually the case that the more expensive the car, the more expensive the extras. Take Porsche for example and the latest 911 Carrera 4S. If you want a full leather interior, it’ll set you back AU$8,350. Adaptive Cruise Control is another $3,570 and a Burmester high-end surround sound system will cost you $6,700. Expensive? Maybe. Necessary? Debatable (apart from that sound system).
But there’s one extra you may not know about that could just be the only one you’d ever want to spec with your next car: the tourist delivery program option.
We’ll be honest, we’d never heard of it here at DMARGE. It wasn’t until we were browsing the Carsales pages and stumbled upon this 1976 911 Carrera that we noticed it mentioned in the description. After a bit of searching online we came to a rough conclusion as to what it was, but to find out for sure, we reached out to Classic Car Addict Damian Royce, a man who knows Porsche inside out, to get the full lowdown. (He also told us there’s more to that 1976 911 than meets the eye).
Damian told us, “A tourist delivery program is where the buyer purchases the car and takes delivery at the factory in Germany, rather than ordering and taking delivery from say, Porsche Centre Melbourne.”
Porsche isn’t the only manufacturer to offer such a luxury, other German carmakers such as BMW have similar programs. However, they’re usually only available if the particular model you want isn’t manufactured closer to home. We reached out to Porsche Australia for more information but unfortunately for us down under, it’s not available, it’s for North American customers only. Sorry, Australia.
Damian continues, “It used to be a popular method of buying a Porsche for people who could afford the trip and process, as it adds a touch of adventure and romance to the purchase.” It also offers the owner to take his new car onto Germany’s famed Autobahns with their ‘anything goes’ approach to speed limits, to really test out just how powerful his new baby is.
The tourist delivery program is still active too, as Damian tells us, “Rod Emory, the man responsible for giving the world the Porsche 356 Outlaw, recently bought a Porsche Panamera and picked it up in Germany, drove it around on a holiday with his family and then brought the car back to L.A.”
You can find out more information regarding Porsche’s program on the company’s website. Not only can you take your new car on a short holiday while in Europe, but you also get lunch, a visit to the Porsche museum and a factory tour included in the price (not right now, however, due to the pandemic).
The fee you pay to Porsche also includes delivery of your vehicle to your home country once you’re done blasting it around Europe’s roads, as well as insurance to cover you should anything go wrong.
So next time you find yourself sitting in a Porsche dealership, ask them about a trip to Europe before you sign on the dotted line.