the problem is "email/online forms"

I've been toying with getting a new Porsche and contacted two local dealers (DC area) by email/online forms. Neither has gotten back to me. Now, it could be because I'm looking at getting a Panamera E-hybrid before Porsche stops making them in 2024. Possible that it is the new excuse for everything: supply chain issues. Regardless, you'd think they'd get back to either keep a fish on the line or maybe try to sell me something else. It's a head scratcher, though. People that work on commission leaving a potential sale dangling out there when there are other dealers to contact (brought my current Porsche from a dealer in Connecticut).

Any one else experienced a lack of enthusiasm from dealers when buying a Porsche lately?

The main information I get from my NC dealers is that they want to buy my car.
Try this one for info.
[www.porschegreensboro.com]

Maybe not. All dealers have few, if any, cars to sell. With your stated model, there may not be any allocation at all - so anything coming in has been sold some time ago. Further, the dealers might be precluded by contract from selling above MSRP. I have heard stories (true?) of dealers selling to each other at MSRP then selling the technically pre-owned cars at massive overages. If that is true, dealers might not actually want to sell to you.

That said, they should respond as a courtesy if nothing else. We have all encountered dealers who are less than courteous.

If you are serious about getting a car in this market, you should expand your request to at least 500 miles from your home.

I had to buy a car for my kid (a Subaru Impreza) this quarter. I found exactly 3 potential vehicles between DC and Boston. I am in CT, we bought in Delaware. The other options were in Pennsylvania.
All were substantially over MSRP, but the Delaware dealer was not too insulting. A week later, a NY dealer had a car, (preowned) for which they were asking about 40% over the MSRP was when new. There was only one dealer (Garavel in Norwalk, CT) who stated they would sell a new car at MSRP and not above. But all of their incoming cars were sold out for the next 4 months (that was February).

I can only imagine what the Porsche dealerships are doing. Even before COVID and Ukraine and the ship sinking, Porsches were in short supply. Now....

Thanks, all. Might wait a year and hope things settle down.

i find that email, online forms, and other means of electronic communication simply have no value. since rarity directly impacts the value of things, and we simply have way too much email, text messages, twitter, et al, it simply has no value. like grant says, i would just drop by IRL to see what's happening. if you get blown off then as well, i guess you have a problem. try and find another dealer or just wait it out.

--
MY 2000 S, Ocean Blue, Metropol Blue, Savanah Beige.
Bought June 2000 - Sold May 2010

Its no secret that cars are in short supply, and Porsches are essentially unavailable - on tight allocation, sold before they arrive and going either to the best customers or the highest bidder. So no, not surprising. I'd walk in, sit down, get the lay of the land, and find out what the process and timing is - or wait for a better time.

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

In case you haven't noticed used Porsche's are going for 25K over sticker (eg [finder.porsche.com]). Like housing prices I just don't 'get it', perhaps prices will come back to 'normal' at some point. In the meantime I'm sure dealers are quite happy to sell new GT3's at 50k ADM (additional dealer markup) and used 911s rather than the hassle of ordering a new Panamera for some paltry markup. YMMV.

Marin Porsche has this 2019 Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid Sport Turismo Turbo S Premium Package Plus