Timeless design

[cfos]

Understanding the expected, ever-present 986 bias, I'm curious to what everyone thinks: Is a car still "classic" if it's been heavily modded? I mean when looking at "classic" car auctions, most of the high priced are stock, right? Not putting on a GT2 bumbler, different wheels (not OEM), etc... So, is the debate really a question of, "Can a 986 be made to look timeless with appropriate modding and still be considered classic?" I mean, I'm biased against the _ _ 6 because of the fried egg headlights and the, ahem, dated interior, but if the 986 were truly classic, wouldn't the generations that followed be closer to the general appearance of the "original" much like the 911s have had a slow evolution?

Sure, I get that >96% of people here love the 986, but a majority of those here have modded it, which begs the question of how can a car be classic, when you mod it into something that has parts that were never included during production? By definition, you create something that can't be considered classic as it has become unique, right? Which is fine if that's what you want to do. I mean, hey, it's your car, right? Maybe unmodded parts can be classic, but the car as a whole may approach "timeless"...? But it's been modded and isn't OEM.

Personally, I agree with the people that argue low production numbers make for a stronger argument, but I don't know that any Porsche car beyond the 911 could be considered "classic" even with the carrera gt having low production numbers. Having said that, I'm not sure which model of 911 can be considered classic, but I think the simple fact that you could look at 911s separated by 20 years and not make the mistake of thinking either car isn't a 911.