Tourist Delivery Information
Stuttgart, Germany, July 3-4, 1997
Last updated:
Wednesday, November 06, 2002 09:26 -0800
Weissach and Zuffenhausen Images:
We begin at the hotel in Stuttgart.
- First things first, we all sign ownership and
insurance documents at the Hotel Intercontinental in Stuttgart. One of the three
Tourist Delivery/Customer Service specialists, Herald Kruger, helps me with my paperwork.
- Barbara Phelps, from Porsche Cars North America in Reno,
Nevada, organized the tour and accompied us in Germany.
Early the next morning, we're at the R&D facility and test
track in Weissach.
- Volker Spannagel, a Porsche AG employee who heads Club
Coordination, addresses a question during our VIP lunch at the Zuffenhausen production
facility. He's the prototypical German: friendly and helpful, but very serious. He gives
his speeches in outline form.
- My turn in the Boxster... and here's the engineer who drove it. Weissach engineers design,
implement, and test their own changes on the track.
- Jacquie and the other two Engineers/Test Drivers:
Turbo driver in the middle, Carrera driver (a nut) on the
right. These three guys gave us each a one-lap ride around the test track at Weissach...
very quickly. They were driving hard; both the Turbo and the Boxster had to stop for new
tires during the ~40 laps. Burned rubber and clutch smells... yum.
Then, in Zuffenhausen, we have lunch, see the Museum...
...the Production facility, and finally the Delivery Center.
- While we were waiting for the Factory Tour, a new 996, back
from it's "through the streets of Stuttgart" road test, zips by. Two weeks later
(the middle of July) the 996 is a much more common site; Boxsters and 996s are coming out
of the factor in a ratio of about 60/40.
- Coming through the door and entering the Delivery Center
at Zuffenhausen. There are about 30 cars here waiting for their new, mostly German,
owners. A door on the right leads directly from the final inspection line. Eunice from
Bert Smith Porsche in Florida is here to sign for the Black Aero-kit Boxster in the middle
of the picture. Each U.S. dealer is allocated one Tourist Delivery vehicle.
- Finally, my first view of the long-awaited car. Mine
is fourth from the right. Jacquie meets the new car.
On the dash is an envelope with my name on it.
- Jacquie wonders, "How is he going to take both
kids to school?"
- Not just any crest. It's My Crest!
- Some of our new-Porsche-owning tour-mates: Dr. Pillsbury
is stoked, this Ocean Blue Metallic Boxster is the
only non-silver car in our group,
- A couple of months ago, I joked about a Pastel Yellow
car with a Green interior...
- Silver and
Green looks great. There's something about these
pictures, though... the green is much nicer in person... it's darker and not as blue. Be
sure to look at your dealer's actual leather samples.
- The Tan interior is available, too. The Wood and Grey Leather interior is distinctive.
- I though you hard-top owners might enjoy one or two photos of the carrier. It also handles a second set of
wheels.
Vacation Images:
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