Whither Porsche?

Hey All, I am sure you are all aware of the current power wars Today, we see new cars being introduced with greater power than before. (Has this been discussed before on a seperate thread? If so, please don't hesitate to point me in its direction.) Now, even family saloons come with unprecendented amounts of Horsepower. Even Mercedes, with a traditionally staid image, has moved in with their supercharged 5.5 ltr V8s, with a ridiculous 550 Hp, as well as a 5.5 ltr V12 with an equally ludicrous 800Nm of torque. When fitted to their two tonne hulks of steel, even these cars can out-accelerate the Porsches in a straight line, with ease. Even today�s Japanese family cars on steriods can boast 300 Hp in standard tune, with modifications, those cars can boost their power beyond the 550 Hp range. Now, with the right pans, even a civic can challenge a Porsche on a dragstrip. Arguably, the Porsche will run rings round the Honda on the track. But how long will this state of affairs last? Eventually, the Japanese, with their engineering prowess, are bound to develop cars which will at least be the equal of a Porsche, as far as track performance is concerned. Perhaps the horsepower race isn�t everything, but the technological lead of some of Porsche�s competitors is widening, in their favour. Lotus can be held as an example of what happens when a company looks purely at a performance standpoint. Their cars are featherweights, which run on Rover K-Series engines. The engines are crap, but their performance is laudable, and shows how much performance can be had without ridiculous horsepower. Then again, the sales and financial status of Lotus is appalling. Nobody these days buys a sado-masochistic car which forces you to fit its character, providing a rubber lumbar pump and Air-conditioning to help you fit it. It is no wonder that such poor sales are the result. Even Lotus has conceded to add a CD player and air conditioning, heresy to loyal Lotus fans, but essential in gaining some precious new fans. Perhaps the Cayenne�s purpose is to ensure the survival of Porsche. They need a market to sell to. The sports cars they sell are far too expensive and high end to have the volume required for survival, and, thus, profit production. In the end, it would have been only a matter of time before they would need a bigger market. Perhaps the truck was a most expiedient move to ensure the survival of the company? That, of course, would depend on your opionion. But the Cayenne is a vital part of Porsche�s future. That cannot be denied. In the media, Porsches still maintain a presence. But for how long? Already, today�s youth are growing up on images of pumped up Nissan Skylines, Mitsubishi Evos, and Subaru Imprezas. In video games and in movies, the image of the sports car is being changed. How long will it be before a Japanese manufacturer replaces Porsche as a premier supplier of sports cars? Even traditional rivals are nearing. Ford�s Mustang Cobra R has the acceleration and power to match, as does the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. BMW�s M5 and M3 have sprouted new muscels, and will continue to grow with each coming generation. Now, the M3 CSL is set to challenge the updated GT3 on the �Ring. How much longer can Porsche be of relavance in the sports car market? What is happening to Porsche? How is Porsche keeping up? The 996 only has 300+ Hp. The 997 will improve on the figures, but not by 200 hp. In the JGTC (Japan Grand Touring Car Championship), Hondas, Nissans and Toyotas seem to ouperform the Porsche 996 GT3R in semi-endurance races. Will this be the state of affairs in motorsport? Maybe not yet, but this may set the trend for the future. Without a dedicated racing program, and the associated victories, Porsche faces a fate not unlike Aston Martin, becoming a purveyor of powerful luxury cars, owned by a big company. Or perhaps it�s fate will be that of Lotus�s, builder of powered roller-skates, with remarkable handling, and alarming speed, owned, yet again, by another larger company. Porsche�s independance is at stake. Surely they cannot afford to overlook this, in the name of all their enthusiasts, and in the spirit of Porsche, which treasures intelligent and innovative improvements. Without a racing program, Porsche will lose prominance, as its name is relagated to the history books. All seems lost. That might well be the view of a cynic. However, Porsche still manages to amaze me with their cars. I picked a second hand Meridian metallic 996 over a new BMW M3 a year ago, and haven�t regretted since. The BMW may have had an extra 43 hp, but it wasn�t as good a car as the 996. The 996 did everything better, save for the provision of space for passengers, and acceleration. It was better built, felt tauter along the roads, even with standard suspension. Now that I have had M030s for a while, the 996, 1 find, is much more involving and alive, something which I honestly, would not expect an M3 to match. Even if the M3 were faster round the �ring, it wouldn�t be as much fun. Just watch the excellent video of a GT3 following a professionally driven M5. and you�ll get the idea. (Understandably, the GT3 isn�t in the same class as the M5, and the extra weight and caution on the BMW driver's part shows) The 996 is simply astounding, next to all the cars I have had the pleasure of knowing. It brakes with alacrity, it goes with equal gusto. (If not as much as an M3) It is usable, even in city environs (yes, it is a Tip) and is a really pleasent drive in the mornings. In the sleepy mornining mist, it feels somehow alive, and driving it makes one feel alive ( Yes, it�s a cab too, so it�s probably the least pure of the lot) Save for a dying water pump, a hood microswitch, and some worn rubber seals, it has weathered the year under my charge quite well. Now, it is a three year old second hand car, but it feels like I've only had it for a few months. I wouldn�t trade the 996 for anything, save for a Turbo. But I just wonder sometimes where Porsche is heading. Will future generations look up to their achievements? Will it end up like Lotus, dying a slow death because of the death of a visionary CEO? Perhaps, but only time will tell. In the meantime, we will all have to hope for all the best for this marque that we all love so much. Would really like to hear what fellow Rennlisters will have to say. Please feel free to comment and flame me. <img border="0" alt="[soapbox]" title="" src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" />

paul, check the thread "my '06 cabrio", discussion is similar. I agree wiyh your analysis, but, I personally think porsche knows about it and would act upon it.

That thread and this one both overlook that the the 996-TT (or for that matter the 993-TT) has considerably better acceleration than any of those sedans, and is generally at least level with considerably more fragile and expensive exotics. Porsche sells bullets in that war. Odd that people are tending to gripe about the non-turbo 911 not being the fastest car around, I do not ever recall a time it was. There may not have been much around at the time that was quicker than the early 993, but there were much cheaper sports cars about the same. In fact, excepting the Corvette they all failed in the market and ceased production, as sports cars between the two have always done for about 40 years now. The RX-7, Supra, 3000GT/Stealth, 300ZX, and even the greatest of them, the NSX. Okay, it lived, but it didn't live well, sales collapsed about fifteen minutes after Honda announced a new factory to build more (something to think about next time you buy a current production car as an investment) and the car was repositioned as an exotic. A sports car Golden Age that ended with spectacular rebates and numerous "Death of the Sports Car?" articles by 1995-6, then they dropped the "?". Anyone besides me remember that? Obviously Dr. Wiedeking does, which is perhaps why he tries to create a performance SUV market rather than enter an overcrowded psycho-quick expensive sedan market. Or fight the Japanese for the gross margin scraps left by the virtual exit of the Big Three from the quick and cheap end of the market, that is who lost that one. It will probably turn out that the market for 500bhp 4-door dragsters is also a lot smaller than the supply, so as enthusiasts we should rejoice. Lots of great fast cars around, good chance we get them cheap, they are an artifact of the 1990's boom (think about lead times). Why crabble about it? We should all try one at some point.

Well, the WRX STI and Lancer Evolution both out-accellerate the NSX to 60 mph by a significant margin. The 0-60 times of those cars compared to a 996 C2 are not so different. Motor Trend's review of a 2003 C4S published a 0-60 time of 4.6 seconds. A C2 should be very slightly faster on sticky pavement. Having owned an 2001 M5 and a 2003 996 C2, I never felt like I was lacking power in the 996. It was definitely more fun to drive than the M5. What amazed me about the 996 is how pleasant it was to drive at 100-120 mph speeds on open highway. Much more so than the M5 which seemed a bit nervous and slightly overwrought at those speeds. For those who really need more power, as NMoore has pointed out, there is the Turbo, and now the GT3. I'd hate to see Porsche increase engine output of the NA F-6 at the expense of weight. Hopefully some of the GT3 technology will show up in the next 911 engine tweak and we'll see a 350 hp Carrera.

I know I have posted this before elsewhere, but I would much rather Porsche did a lighter 911, not a heavier/muscle one. The weight can only rise--given the same chassis--with more power. Or they could resort to much costlier materials. If they are blowing it in the marketplace, it is the interiors IMO. Jim, I think people are pre-discouraged at the 500bhp rumored for the upcoming M5, whenever that is. The X-51 option on the current C2/C4 is 345bhp isn't it? Doesn't seem to have made much of splash.