Porsche Needs 100 Buyers To Make The Cayman GT4 Rally Car Happen

Okay, so who's in?

Last August we learned of the existence of Porsche’s Cayman GT4 rally car, based on the outgoing 718 Cayman GT4. It looked incredible. Unfortunately, we couldn’t confirm whether or not it was slated for production, even in limited numbers.

Fortunately, Top Gear received an answer from Porsche’s motorsport chief Frank-Steffen Walliser. “We had drivers, teams, fans, everybody excited (about the GT4 rally car)”, he said. “Even the WRC’s top five drivers all wanted to drive it. It’s pure rear-wheel drive and just the sound of the car as it comes through the woods, it’s really loud.” Walliser and his team even built a demonstration model to get “some experience, (and) how to set up and where to put a spare wheel. What to do with tires, everything.” So, why not build it?

Well, Porsche wants to, though under one condition: “We need to sell 100 to get the green light,” Walliser said. The prototype built has, more or less, resolved all outstanding mechanical and technical questions, thus making a production version good to go. But this business, and any business has to make money. Porsche’s bean counters have done the math and concluded the minimum number of buyers required. So, any takers out there?

If you need any additional convincing, Walliser also told Top Gear why the Cayman was chosen to be transformed into a rally car. In short, its size. “Just by the width of the car, the Cayman helps because it fits exactly the WRC track.”

Furthermore, it sounds like there's a solid chance the GT4 will race, assuming it’s built. “We are in conversations with the FIA about the RGT category. I expect if we enter a category, others will follow.” To be clear, Porsche has no intention of running its own rally team. A Dakar rally return is also ruled out. The Cayman GT4 rally car would be solely for private teams.

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Most recent car buyers deem FandI process transparent

Despite the stigma that sometimes surrounds the dealership F&I office, most consumers surveyed find the F&I process to be transparent.

More than two-thirds of consumers who recently bought or leased a vehicle said the F&I manager shared the numbers step by step throughout the process in a transparent way, according to a DealerRater-Automotive News survey of 12,755 sales and lease customers fielded July 9-15. Survey results from about 4,000 respondents who visited the dealership for service were excluded from the findings.

About 20 percent of the sales and lease customers said the F&I manager presented the numbers at the end of the process in a way that seemed clear and concise, and only 2.7 percent said the process lacked transparency or was confusing or overwhelming.

The transparency level varied little among new- and used-vehicle buyers.

Among new-vehicle buyers, more than 70 percent said the F&I manager took them step by step through the process in a transparent way. For used-vehicle buyers, 64.8 percent agreed.

The positive experience in F&I isn't entirely new, although it seems that F&I managers and dealerships still carry a calculating reputation in general. But based on their most recent experiences, consumers feel otherwise.

In late 2016, Automotive News and DealerRater asked about customers' perceptions of F&I managers. Most respondents called F&I managers "warm and welcoming," "polished and professional" or "knowledgeable and helpful."

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Only 3 percent called them "cold and impersonal" and "pushy and aggressive."

The industry has made great strides in improving the retail experience, and it shows. Based on the survey, dispelling the negative notions about F&I managers will likely follow soon.

Just like many of the old-school F&I sales tactics have become dated, so has the stigma of the shifty F&I manager.

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