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"We've had this same discussion over and over."
I agree with Grizzly. Perhaps I'll change my mind when my first big problem comes but I have two things I've been meaning to say that may have been overlooked:
1. The failure statistics (1 in 4 or 5) are just estimates. But even if they were confirmed, one could dollarize them as just another addition to the cost of ownership. We already know that there are plenty of cheaper good cars out there that are also cheaper to maintain, too. But the market seems to be pricing in some sort of performance and quality (other than reliability) attributes in a Porsche that differentiate it from the rest. In other words, people are prepared to pay more for a Porsche (in more than one way, and that includes purchase price, maintenance, and increased dollarized cost of potential repair) than for other "comparable" cars. Personally, I could not replicate the experience of driving my Box in any other car I had driven (not even close) and I found the price of that feeling acceptable. Obviously others have too.
2. It's not fair to compare Porsche to Toyota or most other cars out there. I can't prove this but I have a feeling that, on average, Porsches are driven much harder than most other cars out there. They are simply built and optimized for that -- and they are so darn fun when pushed. I would bet that an average Porsche operates multiple times longer in the 4k+ rpm area than an average Lexus, Toyota, or even a BMW, for that matter. An average Porsche would be exposed to much higher G-forces than all of those as well, subjecting the suspension and the engine with all its fluids to much more stress. These must be taken into consideration when comparing failure and reliability statistics, and then apples to apples the differences may not be so "outrageous".
Z.
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