You SUV haters kill me....After all....Porsche designed some great off-road vehicles long before the 356 or 911 - maybe they are just getting back to their roots.

I'll tell you what, I'd buy a Porsche pick up if they made it. I drive a GMC everyday, and tell me it wouldn't be nice for a changeup.

I have a 911 , a 951 and a 928. I still get flack about ''real Porsches'', which are and which aren't. Real Porsches are easier to find than real owners - and that's not true either. LOL with your soul searching. I love my hatchbacks. Station wagon conversion anyone ?

I'm afraid the laws of production cars today probably just won't allow it. A reproduction 550 or something similar is the closest you could get. The next closest is probably a boxster, miata, redline sky (& solstace), etc.

Amen.

The original Dr. Porsche (the Bohemian kid who electrified his father's house) did indeed design all sorts of military vehicles, tractors, the Lohner 4WD drive electric car, and just about everything you can think of in a land vehicle. He was a true genius and probably the last person to design complete automobiles by himself (or with the help of a small studio).

His son, Ferry, founded the COMPANY Porsche (now an AG - public co., and before that a KG, family business, etc.). The company has a design component (and will design almost anything automotive, tho most of it is quite secret), and a automotive manufacturing component. The latter (used to produce) only sports cars and racing cars.


“We wouldn’t build a real 4-seater. … We are a sports firm.” – Butzi Porsche, interview with Jerry Sloninger in ROAD & TRACK, Nov. 1966, p. 63.

“I love station wagons. They’re for people who spend a lot of time in their cars. Comfort in a car is very important. You can’t drive fast today anyway, but I like to go on vacation and [take a lot of suitcases,] sleds, boats….” – Butzi Porsche, interview with Jerry Sloninger in ROAD & TRACK, Nov. 1966, p. 63.

A brand is what its customers "perceive the value of the brand to be." Perception is rarely the whole truth, and that is why they are perception.

In this case, the "customers" shell out big bucks to buy "cars" that are "sports cars" and the same customers may not want to see that "perceived image" diluted by the brand to be tied to "non sports-cars."

It does not matter what the history of Porsche is. It matters what the present customers think because they are the ones spending their money.

Going to SUV and 4 door models is just pure marketing of the Porsche name to attract more customers who don't want a sports car, but want the elite Porsche identity.
They seem to have been successful with the SUV, though the SUV and the 4 door are destined to become hybrids right quick if the Euro carbon emissions rules become effective. The hybrid market, by the way, is beginning to take off in the U.S. Did I read that in the July Panorama?

As for the Boxster/Cayman, Porsche now has a street/sports car that is cost competitive with the others on the market. And it's probably the best one, since a lot of it is the 911. I have one, and I think they're great.

On VW, I think Porsche now has an entrance into the China/Asia market with VW. That's important to most car manufacturers these days. The VW Fox is a big seller in China--most taxis are Foxes.

I don't pay any attention to authoritative Porsche commentators who can't even spell Boxster.

At least the Panamerica is reasonably good looking. The Cayenne is seriously fugly.

Lamborghini made a SUV of sorts, but that thing was bad a$$. They Cayene to me just doesn't have the type of appeal I think that does the Marque justice. I guess the twin turbo version does in a way but geez.
Don't you want to see these guys heavy in racing again and developing radical concepts that blow our minds. Hell thats why we love them. Give us something to drool over, not something to take the kids to soccer practice or drive to church in. Look at VW has anyone seen the VW (cant remember the name) mid engined V12. Make that thing the new 914. Get with it PORSCHE, YOU BUNCH OF MONKEYS!!!!! Remember why we love you!!!! Give us more opportunities for black and white photos, that give us a glimpse of our history. Put the blue and orange and blue and white paint back on the asphalt. give us the monster!!!!!!!
Open wheel racing is fun to watch with the family, seeing all of the different makes going head to head. Thanks to all of you who spend your hard earned money to participate in these events. You will always have a fan!!

It does not matter what the present customers think because they are only spending money. They will throw it at whatever the newest fad is.

The history of Porsche is what matters. The history sets a trajectory thru time for the firm and its aspirations. At any given point in time that determines the focus of the firm. If they concentrate on sports cars, then that is what will be done to the nth degree. If they lose that focus, they will deliver a bunch of me-too-mobiles.

Porsche IS big in racing. Their LMP2 spyders are handing the Audi LMP1 cars their butts everywhere except on the high speed tracks like LeMans. That wasn't supposed to happen. LMP1 was not supposed to be beaten by LMP2. Giant killers, as they've always been.

Also, have we forgotten that Porsche's GT3 based GT's are racing successfully all over the globe? Porsche is doing just fine in racing, as it has for decades now.

I used to get all hot about the Cayenne wearing a Porsche badge too, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized, I still own a piece of porsche nostalgia with my air cooled SC. So go ahead, let them build city buses if they want to. as long as they stay in racing and continue to produce exotics like the Carrera GT, they will remain the ultimate car company. After all, the shape and look of the frog eyed 911 is still one of the most recognized and admirable cars on the planet by young and old alike.

Your Probably right Norm, and I feel the same way at times, its just I dont think we will be seeing a 4dr sedan or SUV coming from Ferrari or
Saleen any time soon...... but who knows, there might be one coming....

Agreed. And it's quietly getting worse. I just bought a nice 914 and forget it....Porsche has zero support for the former best-selling model in its line-up.

Everybody seems to care so much about Porsche racing or not. I care about my parts being there when I need them. The beauty of owning a classic Porsche was never about just the car. It was about many things. Sure, your were driving an icon. An extremely fun to drive car. A timeless car. Much like an old Ferrari or Lotus. Unlike those two though, the Porsche was far more reliable. But most of all, the parts were easily available. Unlike owners of old Italian and British cars, the Porsche owner seldom had to go to swap meets to find that special part that was needed for a restoration. For some rarer models yes. But the junkyard or swap meet route was always just an option. That is because the dealer had a brand new one if you were willing to pay for it. The only issues were with the 356. But with any other common street model, if you had the cash, no problem. But today, you never know when that tail rubber, tail base, engine shroud, dashboard trim piece, engine sheetmetal, rear engine bracket or any other part that you take for granted will be NLA. I have been hoarding parts as of late. One of my friends is on a hunt for anything that he feels his 993 RSR will need in the future. Future as in maybe two years from now which is how this NLA fest is going. I have been mentioning this problem for a few years now, but it seems that most people out there don't give a crap. Until they need that part and say WTF!

So I'll say it again. Go ahead and build whatever you want. But with all that profit, take the time to sell some much needed parts to keep our beloved cars on the road. Screw what the bean counters say about volume. This is Porsche heritage that we are talking about here. Porsche should offer the same customer support that it offered in the past and it can afford to do so more than anybody else.

Re: What's Up With Porsche?
 

Wait a minute - aren't you the guy who put an American 2-barrel carb on his 911?:D

I am truly guilty of the above mentioned conversion. I planned this type of conversion before I purchased this car. If you search my previous posts, you will see that I brought this issue up before actually posting my "handy" work. I wanted a 911 that will be as reliable as the 914 that I owned. I am half way there. But what I do to my car doesn't really change the way that I feel about it, and it sure doesn't change the way I feel when I watch Lemans.... As a matter of fact if it was 69 and the factory had expended all of its parts out of there trailer at this race, and I so happened to have my "creation" onboard my trailer and offered to let them use it to finish the race you can bet your butt you would see my "creation" going into the a$$ end of their race car if that was all they had at the time. But at LEAST it wouldn't be going into the a$$ end of an SSSSSUUUUUUVVVV!!!!!!!! LOL

As a VERY happy Porsche stockholder, I'm glad some of you aren't running the company. Your narrow-minded thinking and under-educated opinions are unbelievable.

Oh, and Porsche didn't "take over" VW. They and the state of Saxony have enough combined ownership now to protect the company from hostile outside forces. They do certainly have the say on who is in charge at VW and other key positions.

That need for protection, solvency and self-sufficiency is what drives Porsche to tap new markets by developing new models. If they were'nt so profitable, they'd end up like Aston, Jaguar, Lamborghini, etc, etc and have to answer to bean counters at a large owner's corporation. Then, you can kiss your parts needed to keep your car going goodbye.

I've got news for some of the new guys here.

When the 911 was announced in 64/65, the purists were horrified that Porsche would make something other than a 4 cyl. road car.

Every new effort raises howls of protest, but look on the bright side: you still have Porsche around as an independent company to complain about. How many other sports car marques are still on their own?

I wonder if some guy driving a Ferrari gives a flying fuch about Ferrari belonging to FIAT as he passes through 7,000 rpm and hears that music coming from the exhaust. Go as ask that guy, or anyone like him in another Ferrari, if it matters one bit that there is a parent company.