'$4,500 in Damages:' Man Buys Porsche. 20 Minutes Later, A Passenger Window Breaks

A car dealer was devastated after the Porsche 911 GT3 he bought 20 minutes before ended up with a broken side window. He says that the fix is going to cost him thousands of dollars to fix.

Alex Cortese is an automotive consultant based in Dallas, Texas. In an Instagram video posted over the weekend, he reveals what happened.

“Why?” Cortese says incredulously as he approaches his brand-new Porsche GT3. “You can’t do that.”

Here’s why it’s such an easy thing to do on some models.

How Did the Porsche GT3 Side Window Break?

One of Cortese’s associates was getting out of the vehicle when he used his elbow to brace himself on the passenger window, which cracked. It doesn’t seem like this should happen from such a light touch, but Cortese says that’s just enough pressure to do damage to this particular Porsche window.

In a text overlay, Cortese reveals how much this simple mistake will cost him. “One window. One elbow. $4,500 in damages,” he writes.

He explains further in the caption. “Do not let this man get into your GT3s,” he adds. “Porsche started using a lightweight glass on their new cars that break extremely easily. Both my side window and front windshield cracked with zero impact, and it’s a non-warrantable item somehow.”

In the comments, viewers expressed shock at how easily the window broke and what Cortese will ultimately pay to get it fixed.

“I am a Porsche collision tech,” wrote one person. “I install these quarter glass on a regular basis and they break during the install on a regular basis. They are extremely easy to break.”

“The lightweight glass is a nightmare,” agreed a second viewer. “We had three 3RS windows break on us back to back.”

“This hasn’t happened to me yet,” joked a third viewer. “Probably because I don’t own a Porsche though.”

As one person in the comments pointed out, there is a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration bulletin about this issue. However, it does note “cracks caused by outside influence (e.g., impact) may not be claimed under warranty.”

Gallery: Porsche 911 GT3 RS at Monza

What’s Up with the 911 GT3’s Side Window Glass?

Everything about the 911 GT3 is designed with speed in mind. Not only are the vehicle’s roof, front lid, bumpers, rear wing, suspension, and doors all made with carbon fibre material, but the windows are made using an “ultra-thin” glass that is light and refines the vehicle’s interior acoustics. 

That keeps the vehicle light and fast, but we see the real-world implications in Cortese’s vehicle. In a Reddit thread posted to r/Porsche three years ago, commenters questioned whether the weight reduction really translates in terms of everyday performance.

“Most of these lightweight options don’t make much difference given the cost Porsche charges for them,” wrote one person. “If you’re doing it for any sort of performance purposes, I’d rather spend that money on brake pads and tires and get better as a driver,” a second person agreed.

Motor1 contacted Cortese via website contact form for comment. We’ll update this if he responds.