Only sorta...

i can't believe I just read 8 pages of this bulls**t.

sniper has clearly stated that HE is arguing about the car LOOKING (aesthetics) tired.

Aesthetics is an opinion

so please sniper, say "i don't think the 911 is good looking"

then stop

that is all... other than that, why don't we talk about the 2010 911 Sport Classic

Why'd they move the gas door to the wrong side?

The only problem I have with this, and other threads, is that I can still read the comments of those that I ignore in the quotes of other posts. Sadly nearly all of them have been quoted repeatedly.

Agreed...

Lesbians... this thread needs lesbians!

I did, i'm being forced to defend my position and respond to some nasty comments about me personally, and my beloved 928. I've done so with good nature and kept a friendly demeanor as much as possible.

I could of course turn that around on you lads too. Ie, "It's not his kind of car, he stated his piece, i'll let it go."

Of course many of you haven't allowed that either. Why is it that I'M supposed to be the "bigger man?" ;)

Besides, what's wrong with a little debate? And honestly, the way some of you skewer cars like the Camaro and Corvette, you really should not expect your little 911's to be teflon coated to criticism.

It was worth it all just to see the pix of the Ferrari 458 anyway...

fixed it for you. you do know that is a 72?

Hey, you're right. Just looked at the other press shots and video.

Well now that they've "freshened up" the body style by changing the location of the gas cap(BLASPHEMY!!!) the 911 is ready to soldier on for at least another decade! ;)

Why mess with something that's done correctly?

I'd rather have a "tired" 911 design than something that's constantly futzed with just for the sake of changing it.

The evolution of the 911 has been more about the performance and drivetrain technology than the looks. There's no real need to change the looks much. They work. They're simply gorgeous, from the earliest "901" to today.

The gas cap thing does kinda' bug me though.

Oh, so you take this stuff seriously, huh? LOL!

Well Jeff i understand what you're saying, but then again.....one could apply that philosophy for any succesful car design.

That means we'd have never had the Mako Shark Corvettes, the beautiful Split Bumper Camaros or "Smokey and the Bandit" T/A's, no gorgeous 2nd gen curvy GTO's, none of those absolutely stunning Mustang Mach 1's, no 968 (which is to me one of the most beautiful cars Porsche has made in the last 30 years), and on and on and on.

Again, what a boring world that would be.

I think if Porsche "Ferrari 458'd" the 911 the response from the Porshe-ites would be overwhelmingly positive.

Nah, i did my best to keep a smile throughout. I think some other folks got themselves pretty stoked up though. ;)

At any rate, i'll let it go now....as long as nobody in this thread insults me or my Shark again, that is. ;)

EDIT: I really would've loved to see Porsche try to replace the 911 with a more reasonable and less ambitious Carerra GT. One with standard aluminum body work, a more conventional unibody aluminum subframe structure, and a Turbo or N/A flat 6 option. It would be way cool to be able to actually see those beautiful machines on the street.

The 911 is the ONLY shape that has stood the test of time and worked.
too many other porsches have come and gone, but the 911 is still around. It's an icon, a classic, it has to be good or it would have gone away like the 928, the 924, or the 944.
Obviously many disagree that it is tired.

BTW, I like everything about it except for the seats. To each his own.

I don't think it's any better than the 944 or 928, if it was that great Porsche wouldn't have to make family cars and SUV's too (you may note that Ferrari and Lambo have both given up all time iconic car body styles and yet niether has ever had to stoop to mass producing SUV's and 4 door family cars).

And i think discontinued cars from other companies have been sharper looking cars that were at least as iconic. Like the Mako Shark corvettes, for instance. God i loved the shape of those cars.

http://domesticimports.com/main.php?...serialNumber=2

And how about this one? This car is more iconic to me than any 911 could ever be, yet Lambo let it go...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kW7pFkuD5e...ch-lp400-s.jpg

The Ferrari Testarossa/512TR, Lotus Espirit Turbo, Lambo Diablo- all cars that were every bit as iconic to their companies as the 911 is to Porsche are all gone now, all replaced. If they can retire those and survive, Porsche can certainly retire the 7+ decades old basic shape of the 911.

I think the only thing that's kept the 911 in production is fear of the unknown. I think if Porsche had let it go and embraced change and come up with new exciting designs to replace it, they'd have never had to start selling 4 doors or SUV's to begin with. I guess i actually blame the 911 for that.

OK, now i'm REALLY letting it go.... ;)

oh it is SO going donwhill from here!

And I respect and accept your opinion.
I have a differing opinion, as do the majority of car enthusiasts.

That's why they make so many different cars, because people like different things.

I think a lot of people's taste is influenced by performance and quality.
Personally I like the looks of a 928 except for the rounded back and the headlights. If the 928 was better sorted and didn't have the reputation of issues with the electrical system, the water pumps, the timing belts etc, it might have gone down in automotive history as one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
I can think of no other high-end car that lost resale value as quickly and dramatically as the 928. There are still a few nice ones around but not very many. I've seen lots of 928s in the pick-a-part junkyards around here but never a 911.
That might explain why the 928 is not widely though if as a great looking classic car. It was at one time but has lost it's physical appeal to many due to it's bad rep.
That could also explain the popularity of the 911 shape.
It works well, has a long history of working well, has a great racing heritage.
Most people see a 911 shape and think high performance and quality.

BTW the classic lambo shape was harsh and dated, but in many ways didn't really go away. The diablo and most of the current string of lambos still have a distinct resemblance to the countach both in design and appearance.
One could argue that the countach went through an evolution just like the 911, but since the original design was so over the top the evolution needed to be more drastic.

I'll respond here strictly in response to your 928 comments.

I think the 928 is thought of as one of the great looking cars of it's day.

The reason they didn't retain their value is a subject of much debate, but i would suggest that the later model cars did and do hold their value quite well. A 928 GT/GTS still commands quite a large premium, and they probably will for quite a long time.

The problem with the early 928s is that they were from an era where supercar performance was not really that super. Another thing that hurts the 928 is the fact that most of them are automatics. Serious sports car afficionados really want a manual....and manual 928s command a hell of a lot more money than the autos do. (though the 4 speed autos with a few simple, very inexpensive mods are actually very performance friendly, and are great launching machines when coupled with the factory LSD option)

I think one of the things that REALLY hurts the 928 from a Porsche collectible standpoint is the lack of a factory turbo model. To me Porsche and Turbo go hand in hand, and i think a lot of people feel that way. I think had Porsche ever released a 6 speed manual Turbo V-8 928 it would be one of the most sought after Porsches of all time. But alas, it never happened.

I look at used supercar prices sometimes, and honestly a good 928's value is not out of line with what a Lotus Espirit turbo or Ferrari 308 fetches.

The T/B, waterpump issues of the 928 are really typical of any modern car with a belt as opposed to a chain, i don't think that's really a factor.

And i really think the pop up headlights and big round azz of the 928 are what defines the car, i love both.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...ntedRearRT.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...running1rt.jpg

That being said, short of the fact that Porsche never released a turbo model, i have no problem with the fact that Porsche retired the 928 when it did. It had a nice long 17 year production run, and because they ended it when it did my car is now a rare sight on the road, one that gets people excited, and generates lots of eyeball traffic. This is one area where the 911's success and longevity really hurts it IMO. Seeing a 911 is really a non-event. Because you literally see them everyday, all the time.

Hey that kinda looks familiar! Maybe the designers at Porsche lurk here. :cool:
I posted my Photoshop version over 5 years ago:

You had the gas door on the wrong side too!

Sorry to burst some bubbles, but the gas door has been on the right since 1999!!!!:eek::eek:

The 996 was the first one to have it on the righthand side...

(Tell me I wasn't the only one to know that...)