[thstone]

I would use a different term than over-engineered, I'd say that Porsche's, like all modern cars, are over-FEATURED.

Instead of adding features that simplify or enhance the driving or ownership experience, all car makers (Porsche included) have been on a 10-year binge of adding as many features to a car as possible.

And for every person who wants a real dipstick to check the oil, there is someone like my wife who hates getting her hands oily and loves the electronic gauge.

Unfortunately, there seems to be no end in sight in the race for an auto maker to have more features than the competition. A good example is the 2010 BMW 750i that I drove last fall. It was more complicated than a space shuttle.