Ron R
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Ron
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2018
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 106
- Reaction score
- 74
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Vehicles
- 2014 Porsche Cayman
Great write-up. The one thing that really struck me was the fact that you folks are all first-time Porsche owners! Not sure if you've all been to Germany, but I would HIGHLY recommend visiting Stuttgart (including of course the factory in Zuffenhausen) to get a feeling for not only the company but also the mindset of the people that design and build these incredible vehicles. I was there in both 2012 and 1999. The trip in '99 was an organized "Treffen" by the PCA (Porsche Club of America) that involved taking "hot laps" on the test track at Weissach in cars driven by Porsche test drivers. Truly mind-blowing what these machines are capable of doing!Today at noon, four TaycanForum members (myself, Ron_b, Reg, and ArtDept) met up with Don (louv) at Porsche Stevens Creek in Santa Clara, CA. We stood around his car for a few minutes until it was whisked away to be detailed and for data to be uploaded to the mother ship (science!). After preliminary introductions and generally geeking out about all things Taycan (and a group photo), we went inside the showroom and stood around talking. We were fortunate to be joined, not only by PSC General Manager Brook Margraves, but also the West Coast (or the "west area") Taycan trainer, Paul Steinbruner.
When it came time to sit down for lunch, (lunch was in the showroom...oh the horror of eating around all the beautiful cars!) we took turns asking questions of the Porsche personnel and Don had a chance to relay some of his stories. I found it most interesting to learn how he, by himself, is navigating this long journey. I also appreciated Paul's perspective of this new car in the Porsche lineup. I know we've been following the car since the Mission-E, but there simply isn't that many of these things on the road presently. I learned that by the end of 2020, they hope to have about 9,000+ in the United States. One thing is clear: being an early adopter means we all will be learning as we go...and we will all be helping Porsche make this a better car.
After lunch, we went back outside where Don's car was waiting for him, all clean and shiny. It was a beautiful day, about 73 degrees outside. We took a few more photos and went our separate ways. I had a chance to talk to Don individually and can attest that his sense of humor which is evident in his posts is as clever in real-time as it is on the internet. And that he's a genuinely down-to-earth, quality guy. I hope our paths cross again some day.
A huge shout out to Brook at PSC for lunch and for making this happen. Oh, and the gifts! We were all handed a bag of Porsche goodies (pic below) courtesy of (according to Brook) "Porsche" but I will give him full credit. And ArtDept even made us some custom shirts!
All in all, a wonderful couple of hours with Taycan enthusiasts who are patiently waiting for our vehicles to arrive. Incidentally, of the five of us TaycanForum members, precisely zero have owned a Porsche before. This is quite the coup for them, to attract so many new customers. Don and I actually had a conversation about his "Porsche experience" thus far, and he claims (and I believe him wholeheartedly) it is in a league far above any auto experience he's had before. That is, the buying experience and all of the first class people he's met along the way. He feels Porsche people are trained better for the level of service they provide. I know this car is expensive, but if the experience is qualitatively better than other high-end manufacturers, then I'm even more excited than I was before. I manage other people's investments and money for a living, and I find that the best use of money over the course of a lifetime is that it buys access to wonderful experiences. If my car can bring me joy, even when it's in the shop (because the Porsche personnel are world class), then I'm on board. August can't come soon enough for my 4S to arrive!!
Thank you Paul and Brook and Porsche for a wonderfully exciting afternoon!
