Man Crashes New Porsche Cayenne Into Dealership During Sales Contract Dispute
And you thought your car-buying experience was bad.
A man in Taiwan who was angry that his brand-new Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo had been delivered without all the options he ordered went the extra mile to demonstrate his dissatisfaction last week, smashing his $135,000 Porsche Cayenne through the dealership's front doors and wrecking the reception area, Taiwan News reports.
Security footage released by authorities shows the SUV plow through the glass entryway and come to a stop at a Porsche dealership in Taiwan's Taichung City. At first, the dealership staff reacts as if it's another case of unintended acceleration—but as soon as the receptionists get up from their seats, the Cayenne lunges forward and crashes into the front desk.
Behind the wheel was a 42-year-old man only identified by the last name Chu, who can be seen shouting at dealership staff after the crash in cell phone video recorded by witnesses. Police arrived soon after and took him to jail, and he was later charged with property damage, public endangerment, and intimidation.
So why the unmissable protest? Chu reportedly told authorities that he had signed a contract to buy a new Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo equipped with the company's advanced 4D Chassis Control system from the dealership for $250,000 in January of 2017. He also handed over a $75,000 deposit, with the rest due when the car arrived.
Unfortunately, it was delivered in November without 4D Chassis Control, at which point Chu wanted to cancel the order. But it wouldn't be that easy—after months of negotiations, the dealership allegedly sent him a formal letter in April refusing to return his deposit. Chu snapped, and apparently decided to do something drastic.
And it would appear to have worked, at least somewhat. Taiwan News reports that Chu headed straight back to the dealership after getting released from custody, prompting staffers to call the police again. But they arrived to find him in the midst of a marathon two-hour negotiation over the Panamera, during which the dealership apparently offered to return the deposit.