Been getting calls from Serremonte Ford about a '03 Mach 1 they got in on trade (was willing to sell it for $13K!!), so I went down to take a look at it. While I was there, I got a chance to check out the new Mustang Bullitt. Nice car, and had a $1995 markup.

Fair enough. There's going to be less than 10K made, it's going to be rare. It's one of the first ones in the area, so I can see the markup.

Then I drift down the street to the Pontiac dealer to check on the G8 they recently got in.

Beautiful black G8-GT. Base car, only a couple of options....

.....and a $5000 markup!!!!!

Here a Ford dealer is, selling a very limited edition Mustang that's no doubt going to be in high demand that has a MSRP almost identical to the G8-GT I looked at. That G8-GT is a regular production car, likely selling 4-6 times the quanity of the Bullitt Mustang. Both vehicles were the only ones on the lot and the 1st ones in. But the Pontiac dealer is selling that G8 for $36,000!!!

Here we go....... GTO part 2.

 

grrr... Guess I wont buy one then.

 

They're out already?

 

Guess I will have to wait for the $6k rebate on the G8 like they had on the GTO's in Dec of '04.

Even when GM gets the great cars they need, the dealers come out to spoil the party.

 

Just another reason to lose Pontiac.

 

Their dealers do seem intent on killing themselves.....

 

I remember when the new GTO first came out... I was really seriously considering getting one as I was shopping for something new. The guy acted like he was doing me a favor by quoting me a lease payment of $600-something a month with 4000 dollars down.



I don't really know how much markup that equated to but I remember less than a year later seeing the same dealer offering $350/month leases with zero down to push them out the door. I just thought how funny it was... their attitude went from a cocky 'pay out the nose for the privilege' to a desperate 'we will more or less pay you to get this car off our lot'.
It seems like the dealerships that aren't used to having hot sellers are the ones that can't help but try and screw their customers for a chunk of profit every time they think they even MIGHT have the chance - all the while alienating them.

Dealerships that are used to cars selling out the first few months they have them coming in have realized by now that the best practice is to generally deny mark-downs but not try and tack-on mark-ups... that's a good happy medium for keeping people happy.

There's no question in my mind that these G8s will be going for near invoice price, minus an additional $1000-2000 rebate and/or 0% financing in a year or so... so why bother pissing everyone off now, pontiac dealers??

 

I saw one nearly a month ago, but I suspect it was a press car being wrung out by a car mag (happens alot up this way). But it seems the've been out for at least a few weeks now.

Nope. It's the dealership. One of those Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers.

As you said.... those "who've locked one up (in advance...before they hit the showroom) already paid MSRP".

Going onto a dealership to buy one is an entirely different bird.

I'll check San Francisco's GM dealer and another one later.

 

People who leased at the right time got leases as low as $125-mo for 2 years with 0 down. At least that is what was claimed on the ls1gto.com message boards.

 

Cool, I'll have to swing by the local dealer to see if they have one.

 

I remember the GTO dealers wouldn't let me test drive one, lol!!

I was like Dude, I can handle it lol. The car I race every weekend will chew that pig up..

 

Go to another dealership. Someone will sell it @ MSRP.

 

I can see them being marked up. There are very few V8's made for 08 (less than 1000 I believe)...and the launch has been slow as hell IMO. Simple supply and demand...business charge what people are willing to pay. When new Corvettes come out, they always have markups. I very nearly paid a $1500 mark up to get a G8 last week to get a G8 because I had the "I want's", but I backed off because it was white and had no sunroof.

The 04 GTO was the only year GTO to have major markups...and it show sales can be attributed to other things besides the markups. For instance the improper exhaust and lack of hood scoops, or the improper allocation of the cars to northern states. Even once GM threw 5K in rebates on the 04, it still did not light the world on fire. I will always stand by the idea that if GM had waited 8 months or whatever, skipped the 04 GTO, and released what became the 05 from the getgo, the car would have a much different rep.

That being said..the way to fix it would be build up an assload in a holding lot and flood them to dealers all at once.

 

 

I know some people fall for this kind of S***. But who in there right mind would willingly pay 5K over Sticker.