Whew! As The Greatful Dead so eloquently stated...what a long strange trip it's been.
My quest for one of these cars has finally come to a close. I began looking as soon as the '07's started to hit the lots. I was certain the hoopla would die down and the dealers would be selling at MSRP by the winter of '06. I could _not_ have been more wrong. Hell, my local dealer is *still* sitting on his '07, it's been there since before Thanksgiving, of 2006. (He's still looking for over $15k in blue-sky, although I've been able to talk him down to $2k over)
I've given up analyzing the market dynamic that is keeping the mark-up so ridiculously high. Production isn't low by any standards, with over 10,000 units in 2007! I'm just chalking it up to an over-abundance of Automobile Collectards® with more dollars than sense.
Visiting friends in Maine over Christmas I happened across a blue hardtop (with white stripes) and figured , what the hell, might as well take a look. The Blue w/ white looked pretty good to me, even though I had my heart set on an all Black car. Talked a bit, checked out the sticker, asked how much....
I wasn't really prepared for his response... He'd knock $500 off the sticker, if I could take delivery before the end of the month. Yep, $500. _under_ the MSRP. Damn, that was refreshing....I wrote the deposit check on the spot, returned with the balance and a trailer the next day. Tucked it away in the garage, next to the '03, last night. Wow, it all happened so fast I can scarcely believe it. Got a couple options I could do without, but I am pretty impressed with the HID lighting, head and shoulders above the headlights on the '03.
Of course the weather sucks right now, and I've only driven it about 80 feet, but damn, I'm liking it a whole lot, silly stripes and all.
I can hardly wait 'till spring.... Screw that,... soon as the roads dry up! :)
One of my first trips will be to my local dealer, so he knows damn well I won't be looking at his overpriced '07 anymore. Perhaps I'll buy some floor mats. :)
GO PATS!! and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
-- John C. '03 Cobra Convt. (improved) '08 Cobra HT (only 500 hp, but we can fix that)
Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, Bruins.... 3 out of 4 ain't bad. ;)