Is it Just Me or are Others Done with Excellent Mag?

[Mark Salvetti]

Funny how the Excellence thread has turned more into a Pano thread. I'm surprised, I look forward to Pano every month, not so much Excellence anymore. I don't mind the new car stuff as much as you guys seem to. And usually there are more articles interesting to me in Pano than Excellence (although I haven't opened the electric issue yet). The writing seems better too. To each his own, I guess.

I think the benefits of membership must depend on your region. I feel NER has some great events, including vintage track events for early cars only. But there are probably other regions with a different vibe that I wouldn't enjoy as much. Although even here I'm probably behind the times, since the NER newsletter went digital I rarely read it anymore. I could easily load it up on my iPad and read it on the bus to work, I just don't do it.

Mark

[High Life]

Might just be me.. but I kinda like the Christophorus mag...

[RSBob]

Originally Posted by High Life

Might just be me.. but I kinda like the Christophorus mag...

Yeah it is just you.

[4flyboy]

I like the Euro mags although as someone mentioned, pricey. I tried the digital version but the discount is minuscule and I prefer the paper mag. They also "auto-signed" me up for a second year and charged my credit card......small print and they wouldn't refund

I travel for work and find myself looking for a Barnes n Noble in whatever city I'm in. I buy the Euro magazine if it has enough air-cooled articles.....guilty pleasure. Or just read them in the store. Feel sorry for B n N tho.

The last excellence had Porsche SUV stuff for the most part. A couple of AC articles but I won't renew.

I'd rather cherry pick from the newsstand at Barnes and Noble....whomever writes the most on our cars..

[70SWT]

I think the key problem with all car magazines I read lately (not just Porsche-related mags) is that they are mixing up two populations, and reflecting their mix-up in their content:

1) The average car-buying consumer of today and, supposedly, tomorrow;

Group #1 are largely a bunch of SUV-loving people and/or many who are considering, interested in or at least agnostic to EVs/hybrids.

and

2) The car magazine-reading guy today (or, at least, the guy who would read a car magazine if they didn't progressively suck so much).

Group #2 contain some of group #1, but mostly contains gearheads who are much more interested in normal engine technology, performance, sports CARS, etc.

They need to stop basing their approaches on the car-buying trends and the over-hyped news on EVs/hybrids. EVs account for about 1% of the market! They are missing the boat by failing to understand their actual market - us car nuts are still here.

[4flyboy]

Well said ^^

[ryans65]

I enjoy sitting down with coffee and reading Hagertys publication now, always good stuff in there. Like others said I wasn't getting much out of my PCA membership so I dropped that. Not much going on event-wise down my way anyways.

Originally Posted by ryans65

I enjoy sitting down with coffee and reading Hagertys publication now, always good stuff in there. Like others said I wasn't getting much out of my PCA membership so I dropped that. Not much going on event-wise down my way anyways.

+1 on Hagerty. One of the best mags out there. I also like 911 & Porsche World (I'm biased) and their sister publication, Classic Porsche. The latter deals exclusively with air cooled cars.

But . . . we air cooled fans are aging out, so the advertising dollars aren't there for too much longer.

[Nick Triesch]

Like it or not, the EV is here to stay. All car companies are designing EV’s. In a few years we will have an all electric 911. The Taycan is so fast right out of the starting gate. Will blow almost everything out of the water now. Only thing left is range and that should double in the next 5 years or sooner. I am an old air cooled car lover. But I can see the writing on the wall. You can only write about a dinosaur so much. Watch the movie “ The Minority Report”. It is set 50 years in the future. Think about this..a little two motor Tesla model 3 is as fast as a $140,000 GT3.

[ryans65]

Its actually only 35 years in the future now, hard to believe that movie came out in 2002! Seems like just a few years ago.

Originally Posted by Nick Triesch

Like it or not, the EV is here to stay. All car companies are designing EV’s. In a few years we will have an all electric 911. The Taycan is so fast right out of the starting gate. Will blow almost everything out of the water now. Only thing left is range and that should double in the next 5 years or sooner. I am an old air cooled car lover. But I can see the writing on the wall. You can only write about a dinosaur so much. Watch the movie “ The Minority Report”. It is set 50 years in the future. Think about this..a little two motor Tesla model 3 is as fast as a $140,000 GT3.

[jackb911]

But is there an EV that will do an 816 mile in one day road trip as I did recently in my GT3? Not 24 hours, one consistent drive.

I think not and likely never within the next ten years.

EV's are fine for around town and (very) short trip use but they are definitely not my thing. And that recent Panaorama all-EV issue went in the trash after a 5 minute scan.

There are those of us who prefer a real sports car that actually sounds and behaves like one, not like an overpowered golf cart but whatever floats your boat. I have a good friend who recently bought a Tesla Model 3 and wanted me to drive it. It was interesting in a different, weird way but definitely not something I would spend $50+K on to use as a short haul runabout.

Just my opinion.

[ryans65]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

+1 on Hagerty. One of the best mags out there. I also like 911 & Porsche World (I'm biased) and their sister publication, Classic Porsche. The latter deals exclusively with air cooled cars.

But . . . we air cooled fans are aging out, so the advertising dollars aren't there for too much longer.

Oddly I've never heard of Classic Porsche, I'll have to check it out thanks.

[shoooo32]

I literally learned to read reading Excellence (and Autoweek). I was seven when Excellence was first published and dad was a subscriber from issue one. I read each one cover to cover until my twenties, and when I purchased my SC I got my own subscription. As an adult it wasn't nearly as thrilling as teenage me waiting by the mailbox for the latest edition.

Last year I skipped my renewal as 000 has more of the content I'm after. Deep dive articles about parts and processes and Porsche history is more interesting to me than new cars and the usual restoration stories you read in Excellence and Pano.

[Nick Triesch]

Things are moving so fast with technology, the range thing really increase in a few years. Look how it has improved in the last 5 years. BTW, the over powered golf carts can now go 0-60 in 2.5- 3.5 seconds. That sir is fast. How fast? Faster than most super cars that cost $200k. Like I said, I love my Carrera . But model three Tesla’s pass me like I’m standing still.

[sugarwood]

I never read it. Just a pile of unopened mags tacked onto my mental to do list.
Also let my PCA lapse since I stopped doing DE.
Reading about cars gets pretty quickly.
As for tech, more fun to read this forum

[dicklague]

Originally Posted by Nick Triesch

Things are moving so fast with technology, the range thing really increase in a few years. Look how it has improved in the last 5 years. BTW, the over powered golf carts can now go 0-60 in 2.5- 3.5 seconds. That sir is fast. How fast? Faster than most super cars that cost $200k. Like I said, I love my Carrera . But model three Tesla’s pass me like I’m standing still.

Fast golf carts.......you can keep 'um Nick. I sound old but guys called Elon Musk replace guys called Enzo........then I want to live in the past......drove the heck out of my 1973 RS in the SM mountains today and smiled the whole time......lots of cars on the road are faster these days but oh so dull!!!

[Jack Stands]

40 years ago, I looked forward to the monthly Pano to arrive for the tech articles and classifieds. These days the internet does most of these functions much better, so times are changing.

[Nick Triesch]

My car is fixed now and drives great. Love it. The smell , horrible stick, Terrible ventilation system. Would not have it any other way. It is not going anywhere. But I do realize the EV is the future. My good friend gave me a ride in his Tesla model S and my face flattened out like an astronaut . It was the fastest car I have ever been in . But, you are right, no noise, no gauges , no exhaust note. But!!!!! Stinking fast!! Tacan got a great review on its handling. But 200 mile range is not enough. Needs 400-500 to make it worth while.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by dicklague

Fast golf carts.......you can keep 'um Nick. I sound old but guys called Elon Musk replace guys called Enzo........then I want to live in the past......drove the heck out of my 1973 RS in the SM mountains today and smiled the whole time......lots of cars on the road are faster these days but oh so dull!!!

+1

The 911 has that magical ability to turn short runs into hour long drives. Something about that engine note, and singular drivetrain design is just absolutely addictive, soothing and crazy fun at the same time.

[Crude Rudy]

So after 60 posts the consensus seems to be, at least from this group, most dont really read Pano or Excellence anymore. I have the 750th issue Pano in my office at work and I was looking at the collection of covers in the mag. No E cars covers that I remember but lots of great race and older 911 type car covers.

So I guess they are selling the "sizzle" of the unique 911 experience we love but pushing the next 4-door $80K ecar ugly sedan on us.

Wondering if anyone from Pano or Excellence mags reads post like this? It would be interesting to hear from the rag editors or publishers while most of us debate droppin our memberships or subscriptions.