What’s hot?
The Porsche Cayman’s combination of good looks and good handling continue to add up to good value in buyers’ eyes.
There’s never been a better time to buy a new car
The Cayman is outselling the rest of the Porsche portfolio whether in its new guise or the older model. Customers are looking at the 911 alongside and wondering why they should pay more for one of those.
Straying from the resale market for the moment, the battle among premium manufacturers for sales and market share is producing some interesting deals on new prestige brands.
Teamed up with the banks or finance houses rates continue to drop, mixed in with increasing deposit contributions allied to the now obligatory price discounts. There’s never been a better time to buy a new car – though next year might get better still!
The combination of ‘white’ and ‘sporty spec’ continues to attract fans. Anything sprayed white from Porsche, or an Audi S line or BMW M Sport, all look hot.
This doesn’t hold true for the bigger exec models though where customers prefer something a little more conservative. Values can be significantly lower for white cars here. Black remains a safe all-rounder, especially on higher spec SE or Executive models.
What’s not?
Interest in 4WDs is falling away, though a little later in the year than usual after that shocker of an early ‘spring’. Bigger models like the BMW X5, Range Rover Sport and Audi’s Q5 are worst hit, but even smaller ‘lifestyle’ models like the BMW X1 are suffering.
The extended honeymoon enjoyed by the Jaguar XF shows signs of coming to an end since the turn of the year – probably because of increasing volume.
Jaguar gets hit by its limited portfolio (compared with the obvious competitors) and that puts pressure on the best performers. Maybe the Sportbrake will help matters during the summer.
Rapidly sliding from HOT last month to NOT this month are late plate roadsters. Buyers are fickle and the Met Office’s prediction that the warm spell over the last Bank Holiday will prove a blip is not helpful.
Add in the fact that the prestige makers pulled a fast one and held back their stock from last winter until March (there were several large sales) and it’s no surprise that prices have now stalled.
Dealers will be better off looking to older cars – decent 3-4 year old soft tops will look a better bet from now on.
Interested in a Porsche Cayman? Read our car review here.
Richard Crosthwaite is the Prestige Car Editor at Glass’s Guide
