Porsche Has an Interesting Idea to Prevent Buyers From Flipping the 911 S/T

Prime for Profit

The Porsche 911 S/T was just revealed back in early August, and for purists, it might just be the best overall choice in that model's expansive lineup. After all, we are talking about a car that weighs a svelte (by today's standards) 3,056 pounds, making it the lightest 992-gen model thus far. However, Porsche only plans to build 1,963 of them, which means that the S/T will undoubtedly be tough to get, making it prime for flippers seeking to make a potential profit. However, Porsche has a new and rather interesting plan to prevent that from happening - at least in the first year of ownership.  

Photos: Porsche

Forced Wait Period

As The Drive discovered at the recent Rennsport Reunion 7, it seems as if Porsche intends to make owners of the 911 S/T essentially lease their cars for the first year of ownership before they can rightfully take possession of it, meaning that they won't be able to simply take delivery and then list those cars for sale on various auction sites around the web. 

Photos: Porsche

Hold On

"When the 911 S/T - marking 60 years of the 911 - was announced, we received unprecedented interest in the car, far outnumbering the number destined for the U.S.," Frank Moser, who leads the 718 and 911 product lines, told a media roundtable at the event. "We want to ensure that cars are available to reach true enthusiasts, to be driven and enjoyed for years to come. For this reason, those allocated a 911 S/T in the U.S. will be required to adhere to an agreed minimum retention period, set at one year."

Photos: Porsche

Unique Process

"In practice, this will mean that cars in the US will initially be leased for this period before ownership is transferred," Moser said. "This process is currently unique to the 911 S/T, with the first cars due to arrive in the US in Spring 2024."

Photos: Porsche

Learning From Mistakes

Of course, this will only prevent owners from flipping their new 911 S/T for a year, but it should at least somewhat dissuade those folks from trying to acquire one of these cars, in theory. But given the mess that occurred with the release of the 911 R a few years ago, we certainly don't blame Porsche for implementing such an action.

Photos: Porsche

Not Unprecedented

It also isn't exactly anything new for a car company to prompt owners to hold on to their cars for a set amount of time before selling them. We saw this previously with the Ford GT and its two-year resale wait period, as well as the new 2023 Corvette Z06, which GM has pulled warranty support from if owners sell the car before one year.

Photos: Porsche

Will It Work?

Whether or not this practice actually works remains to be seen, but for now, at least, it seems as if we won't be watching a number of 911 S/Ts popping up at Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids days after deliveries begin, hammering for tens of thousands of dollars more than the sticker price. For those of us who simply want to buy one of these cars to drive and enjoy, that's certainly a good thing, no matter how you slice it.

Photos: Porsche

>>Join the conversation about the 911 S/T right here at Rennlist.com.

>>For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section.