Odds of buying a BRZ off the lot?
 

Not sure if this has been brought up before in another thread did not find anything. What do you all think the odds of being able to walk into a dealer after they get their first part of the allotment sometime in may would be? I know myself being out here in afghanistan for a little while yet, I am starting to think in my case it might be a better option.

I know I will be taking the chance of all the first shipment of cars being pre ordered already but I was thinking there might be a chance that a dealer did not fill all the orders, or that some people will back out after pricing, etc is revealed. Just thought I would see what you all think. At least from what I can tell from being out here PA does not seem to have the big amount of people waiting compared to the larger areas/states IE CA, TX etc. What do you guys think?

I have a feeling those who WANT the car NOW has already placed an order...
Personally I will wait till I can sit in it / test drive it before I put down a deposit..
After 7 months or the initial orders I got a feeling Subaru((FUJI)) will ramp up production

I believe this vehicle is SOLD at a lost initially for good PR...
so pricing should not be too bad since they will want to get that initial grasp of the market for 2+2 sports coupe

It may swing both ways... there should be at least 80-90 BRZ within 50miles of me
but I have a feeling all those had been spoken for... except a few. In Ne,PA you have
fare a better chance.

I think it's unlikely at least for the first few months. But if you'd be willing to travel a bit it might be possible in some locations. I'd start hitting up the dealerships using the allocation thread and find out how many cars they have on pre-order and maybe explain your situation to them and ask them to give you a call if anybody pulls out of their pre-order.

I think it's also going to depend on how picky you are about the colour.

Well I am not too picky, I do have my top 3 color choices already 1)CBP 2)GBS and 3) DGM I have been in touch with a few dealers back in PA while out here, but for some reason I have been trying to learn their allocation numbers but most won't give and exact or for that matter how many they already have pre ordered. Other than the one that on the Mar 1st order day said about being above sticker price. I am not too worried about that dealer as there are quite a few more around my area, I would say approx 5-6 within the distance and driving time I am willing to go to pickup. I would like to get one when they first are released but I am not 100% set on getting it right away. I can wait if there are none available or if the pricing is too high IMO to what I am willing to spend on one.

With those color choices, I am hoping to get the Limited w/ 6MT with probably the chrome vent insert and auto dimming mirror w/ compass. At least that is what I would like to get. So far my only complaint with the dealers at least that I did talk to through email is they always seem to just keep sending me the auto reply emails. Like what the dealers offers. IE free services, rentals, etc. But not one has really replied in person with an email specific to what I asked. My best one had to be to give them a call and set up an appointment to speak with the dealer in person.:confused0068: This would be fine other than the fact that I made sure to emphasize that I am in afghanistan and email is the only way to contact me currently till I am back in the states. Got to love the dealers some times.

Again: limited production on a car like this is mystifying. An STI version would make sense to do that. Let the early adapters get theirs, I'll wait for mine. And if prices are ridiculously high or it's uber hard to find a BRZ the FRS is available. X]

I'm sure it will possible to find one using a dealer inventory or eBay search. However, the dealers that have them on lots, will likely be the ones charging above MSRP.

I think the odds of finding a BRZ on the lot for sale will be very slim.. But, that depends very much on price. If it comes in at $25k or less (like most people who've already ordered are expecting), then the demand will be very high and nearly all BRZ's will be pre-ordered. Your chances would be very slim. If it comes in higher priced, then many of the existing orders will be cancelled and the demand will not be so high. I'm sure Subaru will sell all their stock, but they won't be hotly contested pre-orders.. Many will hit the lots and people will get a chance to test drive, etc..

Probably not in may but I bet in July or August you'd be fine at least at the delers getting 30+ cars.

I think it'll be a pretty good chance. I don't think they've all been spoken for. You may not get the very first, but it is possible. What it will take is a lot of effort on your part. You're going to have to do the footwork, finding and calling dealerships, to find one available. It's possible you may have to go a state or two away. But I'm sure there will be one sitting on a lot somewhere.

The limited production makes a lot of sense for a couple reasons, and neither are marketing related.

First, this car is WAY out of Subaru's usual market. It's a small car with barely any back seats and not a whole lot of practicality. It's also RWD instead of AWD. This car could be a success or a flop, and no company is going to commit to a large production run if there's a risk they'll be sitting on a ton of inventory at the end of the year.

Second, while Subaru did the heavy lifting and the majority of the engineering on this car, Toyota footed the bill. Additionally, Toyota's yearly sales are literally multiples of Subaru's and they have the marketing power to back that up. So while the future of the FT platform is not 100% certain, it's pretty clear that Toyota is going to sell more than Subaru. Since the plant the FT is made builds other cars, it makes sense for Subaru to give Toyota the lion's share of production resources.

This could all change next year depending on sales numbers. But for a first year car, I'm not surprised they are taking things conservatively.

I think the explanation above pretty much sums up the situation as to why they're building the car in such low numbers. at least initially. However, and at least in my memory, production numbers this low for a car at this price point seems somewhat unprecedented. besides that, I just really want one and hope I can get one when I'm ready. :D

I honestly think you'll be fine after a few months. IMO its better to wait and save the headache of paying over msrp, getting the color, transmission, trim you want and definitely a test drive. I actually got an e-mail from a dealer that was checking to see if I wanted to be on the pre-order list and I told him straight up I want to wait for pricing and he said he understands completely and said if I feel comfortable paying anywhere from $25-$30 grand I should definitely consider the pre-order, if I'm not in a rush or don't need to get this car right away he said I could just wait a bit until it is mass produced.

Definitely true, Nissan sold over 30k 350Z when they brought them back. Mazda sold that many miatas when it was released as well back in the day.

12000 cars between both brands seems ridiculously low. Demand will never be higher than in the first year of sales. If people can't get a car due to availability then that is a permanently lost sale as that person likely won't be buying again for several years. Outside of this enthusiast forum, most people shopping for this car will be looking for a fun sports car rather than the BRZ/FRS or nothing for people here. Those buyers won't wait 7 months to take delivery. Might not even wait 1 month...they will head over to the mazda, nissan, chevy, or ford dealer for their RWD fun.

buy other cars on the market they will. it's cool to want to find unique ways to generate demand but low production for this caliber of performance I'm not sure is the answer. this isn't a Lexus LFA for crying out loud. it's all about having the right perspective in light of the market place. no Subaru hasn't built a sports car before and that's a risky move. however, how many cars that haven't been built prior to this one have bought customers to the brand that would have never otherwise considered another car from that brand? that's what cars like the BRZ do. it's a conversation piece, a halo car. something SOA and Subaru ought to consider carefully.