Porsche invents new way to stop ‘supercar scalpers’

German car-maker Porsche has adopted a new technique to stop ‘scalpers’ selling its high-demand, limited-edition models for a quick profit in the US – by preventing them from ‘owning’ the car for the first 12 months.

US publication The Drive reports US buyers of the new special-edition Porsche 911 S/T will only officially take ownership of their supercars after 12 months have passed – with the car-maker leasing the vehicle to them for the first year.

Unveiled in August, the Porsche 911 S/T is powered by the 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated, horizontally-opposed (or 'flat') six-cylinder engine from the GT3 RS – but it is mated to a six-speed manual transmission, and goes without the latter’s wild aerodynamics.

According to Frank Moser – the head of the Porsche 911 and 718 model lines – the lease program was implemented after receiving unprecedented demand for the 911 S/T, which is limited to 1963 examples globally.

“When the 911 S/T was announced, we received unprecedented interest in the car, far outnumbering the number destined for the US,” Mr Moser told a media roundtable at Porsche’s ‘Rennsport Reunion’ in California. 

“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 US will be required to adhere to an agreed minimum retention period, set at one year.

“In practice, this will mean that cars in the US will initially be leased for this period, before ownership is transferred. This process is currently unique to the 911 S/T.”

In recent years, car-makers have taken drastic measures to try and prevent people from ‘flipping’ their sought-after new vehicles for more money than the list price.

In August 2022, General Motors claimed it would void the warranty on Chevrolet Corvette Z06 supercars sold within 12 months from new – while also offering owners who held on to their supercars for more than a year with incentives worth up to $US5000 ($AU7200).

It’s also not the first time demand for a low-volume 911 has caused headaches for Porsche.

When the limited-run 991-generation Porsche 911 R launched in 2016 – based on the GT3 RS, but without a rear wing, air-conditioning or sound system – the used-car market was flooded with examples being listed for significantly more than their original price.

This drew the ire of Porsche’s head of GT cars, Andreas Preuninger, who blasted buyers that had seemingly only purchased the special edition model to make a profit.

To counteract the demand for the 911 R, Porsche launched the 992-generation GT3 Touring in 2021 – based on the GT3, but again without a wing – which The Drive reports resulted in reduced prices for second-hand 911 Rs.

Despite Porsche’s efforts to ensure the 911 S/T is only bought by owners who are genuinely interested in driving it, The Drive believes the one-year lease will simply delay the influx of examples on the used-car market – unless the car-maker once again launches another variant with higher demand.

A “limited allocation” of Porsche 911 S/Ts are due in Australian showrooms from mid-2024, each with a $660,500 plus on-road costs price tag – making it the most expensive Porsche ever sold locally.