986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - What's your opinnion of the P-Car Motto?

MNBoxster · 02-16-2006, 08:12 PM

Hi,

People like what they like... there's no Right or Wrong with that. And as I said Porsche does make a Good Car. But, a couple of things strike me.

First, there are a lot of Brand Loyal people which give me the impression that their experience is narrow, perhaps limited to only Porsche. How many other Performance Cars have they owned or had any intimate experience with? If they had never experienced a Porsche, would they be so enamored with it? The same can be said about lacking experience with other Marques.

Porsche's rise to prominence could have less to do with their cars as it could have with the fact that Germany sustained an Occupation Force for nearly 50 years. The first Porsches were experienced by Servicemen there on Occupation Duty, who either brought home these cars, or stories of them. Without the US Market, Porsche would not have survived to the present day.

The second thing is that many have lost touch (or were never in touch), with what a Sports Car is truly about. They were always cantankerous, underpowered, unreliable, and some even downright uncomfortable. What they offered in return was quick reflexes, much greater Driver Involvement, and an Adrenaline Rush far surpassing their actual speed. They were not for everybody, and didn't try to be.

Pretty much all of today's Sports Cars are cast in a different mold. They ask too little of their Drivers and so perhaps some of the appeal has changed. Manufacturers (including Porsche) no longer cater to a Performance Ideal, rather they cater to the Driver.

Plush Interiors, Drivers Aids, Creature Comforts have all made most Sports Cars today Fat and Brutal. Instead of the Driver having to wring the most from a small engine, they have become Brutes, doing the work for you. God Forbid the Steering is Hard, let's add Power Assist. Driving on Hot days? Well, lets give you some AC. Tired of the Engine Hum? OK, here's Carnegie Hall in a Box. All the while bloating today's Cars more than a Weight Watchers tour of the Krispy Creme Factory. I mean the new 997TT weighs in at a Hefty 3500+lbs. - Sedan weight for a Sports Car?? Shame on Stuttgart!

Porsche is as guilty, or more so, than many. I find it interesting that such a Perfect Car supports such a vast AfterMarket. Just check out any Excellence or Panorama to see what I mean. If the Cars were that spectacular, why do people spend additional Thousands to make the Car what Porsche should have in the first place?

I bet that if today's Sports Cars followed the Time-Honored formula of what a Sports Car truly is, this Forum would be sporting about 1500 Members rather than the 4000 it does...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

02-16-2006, 08:12 PM	#11
MNBoxster Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Posts: 3,308	Hi, People like what they like... there's no Right or Wrong with that. And as I said Porsche does make a Good Car. But, a couple of things strike me. First, there are a lot of Brand Loyal people which give me the impression that their experience is narrow, perhaps limited to only Porsche. How many other Performance Cars have they owned or had any intimate experience with? If they had never experienced a Porsche, would they be so enamored with it? The same can be said about lacking experience with other Marques. Porsche's rise to prominence could have less to do with their cars as it could have with the fact that Germany sustained an Occupation Force for nearly 50 years. The first Porsches were experienced by Servicemen there on Occupation Duty, who either brought home these cars, or stories of them. Without the US Market, Porsche would not have survived to the present day. The second thing is that many have lost touch (or were never in touch), with what a Sports Car is truly about. They were always cantankerous, underpowered, unreliable, and some even downright uncomfortable. What they offered in return was quick reflexes, much greater Driver Involvement, and an Adrenaline Rush far surpassing their actual speed. They were not for everybody, and didn't try to be. Pretty much all of today's Sports Cars are cast in a different mold. They ask too little of their Drivers and so perhaps some of the appeal has changed. Manufacturers (including Porsche) no longer cater to a Performance Ideal, rather they cater to the Driver. Plush Interiors, Drivers Aids, Creature Comforts have all made most Sports Cars today Fat and Brutal. Instead of the Driver having to wring the most from a small engine, they have become Brutes, doing the work for you. God Forbid the Steering is Hard, let's add Power Assist. Driving on Hot days? Well, lets give you some AC. Tired of the Engine Hum? OK, here's Carnegie Hall in a Box. All the while bloating today's Cars more than a Weight Watchers tour of the Krispy Creme Factory. I mean the new 997TT weighs in at a Hefty 3500+lbs. - Sedan weight for a Sports Car?? Shame on Stuttgart! Porsche is as guilty, or more so, than many. I find it interesting that such a Perfect Car supports such a vast AfterMarket. Just check out any Excellence or Panorama to see what I mean. If the Cars were that spectacular, why do people spend additional Thousands to make the Car what Porsche should have in the first place? I bet that if today's Sports Cars followed the Time-Honored formula of what a Sports Car truly is, this Forum would be sporting about 1500 Members rather than the 4000 it does... Happy Motoring!... Jim'99 Last edited by MNBoxster; 02-16-2006 at 08:50 PM.