So a few Porsche 911 GT3 models caught fire. Porsche agreed to replace nearly 800 engines at no cost to the owners to fix the problem. End of story, right? Not quite, as it turns out GT3 owners are still pissed off because they say Porsche isn't treating everyone the same.
The UK's Telegraph reports that an organization called the GT3 Worldwide Action Group has formed through various online forums to demand equal compensation from the Volkswagen Group while their cars are being repaired.
I say "equal compensation" because the group claims that in the U.S., GT3 owners are being offered $2,000 a month during the repair period, while customers in the UAE and Germany are getting two and three times that amount, respectively. At the same time, owners in the UK are getting no compensation at all. The Telegraph reports one owner in Dubai (of course) is being paid $12,000 in total.
Members of the owners' group said in a statement that they're concerned Porsche is "discriminating against consumers based on their location" and isn't treating all their customers fairly.
Mark Qandil, an engineer and businessman from Portland Oregon, said: "As a longstanding customer of the brand, I'm disappointed at the lack of communication and information we've had. I've been offered US$2,000 compensation per month while my car is undriveable but I'm more concerned that Porsche acts fairly and treats everyone equally. Having seen written confirmation that the Company has offered twice that figure to its UAE customers, it's no surprise that some customers feel less valued than others. It's simply not right."
At first glance this comes off like a bunch of rich guys who are mad because their toys are broken and want more money. But they kind of have a point, don't they?
If Porsche is going to compensate its owners for the time their GT3s are in the shop — which I say is a stand-up move — shouldn't they do it equally for everyone? And why aren't UK owners getting any compensation at all? That seems strange to me.
We've reached out to Porsche for a comment on this situation. In the meantime, the GT3 was named "World Performance Car of the Year" by a bunch of journalists in New York, and while that's just as meaningless as every award in the automotive world, it is kind of funny since none of the GT3s are driveable at the moment.