Porsche NOT on the Top 10 "most desired" list
 

Just saw this on the MSN page regarding the general public's most desired sports cars.

Any time from the mid 80's to mid 90's Porsche would have certainly scored highly. Now, they are completely ignored. Gee, I guess all that money saved on the racing program really paid off........NOT!

Have a look:

http://autos.msn.com/advice/windowshop.aspx?contentid=4019411&src=MSN

350z's and ford mustangs? I can kinda understand the 350z, but the ford?

I'm glad Porsche isn't on there.

rjp

Edit: these #'s are based on website hits and requests - so the more practical (cars most would REALLY buy) cars are gonna be chosen. The rest is just daydreaming.

If you based it on "money is no object" then I'm certain it would be different- probably would be $550K SUV's with big chrome wheels instead. :) Still glad Porsche isn't there though.

rjp

I agree with your asessment, but they must have surveyed the clerk down at Pep-boys.

Acura RSX is a nifty little car, and reasonably fast. It is not, however a sportscar.

Tom

Ive had my RSX for sale for 5 weeks and I cant give the thing away.... Its "sporty" but I wouldnt call it a sports car either.

The Acura RSX is not that much in demand.

According to the article, that survey is based on monthly hits on the msn webpage...

The point is....today's young auto enthisast is NOT lusting after a Porsche the way we did. Porsche is selling cars (in decreasing number) to baby boomers in their 50's (+ or -). Generation X....Porsche's future, has been mortgaged to provide short-term high profits for the guys in the boardroom.

When the Gen X people finally buy their dream cars, it seems that they won't be buying P-cars. Just an observation.

A serious racing program would go a long way to securing their future long term...even at the expense of obscene profitability today.....but, what do I know?

Too much "2 Fast, 2 Furious" stuff out there - these are the cars the younger ones are dreaming about today! Fart Can mufflers and lots of bling-bling. I think the Porsches are, and likely have always been desireable for a select few. Think about how many lusted after Z-28s and Corvettes in the 80s. . .

Mike - quite worrying about your investment and just drive the damn thing :D :D :D

Giev me a ring and maybe for a drive later today?

"My lug nuts require more torque then your Honda makes"!

I'm going to steal that line...:D

Porsches may not be on the list of most popular, but if they had a list of most lusted after, I bet the 911 would be on it. Every time I pass a 12 - 25 year old, his head turns toward my car. JMO though.
Mark

911 is on my list, thats all that matters to me.

if you ask 100 people, would you want a honda or a porsche?, how many would say honda??

Let's see? I can go buy a new Mustang, Nissan, Honda or Accura on the lot for $XXX monthly payments. I can't buy a '74 911 that way..... cash in the bank or go home. The reason they sell these things is mostly because of the financing they offer.

I call it the Never,Never,Never plan.
You'll never own it, you'll never have any equity and you'll never pay it off!!
Then there's the "Lay awake plan".

If people learned how to spend their "income" instead of their "ifcome" they'd have alot less stress in their lives.

Mid-life crisis..... NO. It just takes this long to save that much money for a toy(s).

P.S.
Bill/ 911 SCPilot
Sent you a PM?
Rob

This is true. And whatever the shortcomings of the other cars on the market, it's still a shame.

Porsche doesn't market its car as a great sports car anymore. It's gotten too 'smart' for that. It sells the 911 to 50-something males. The Boxster goes to females and hoping-to-be-upwardly-mobile professionals. The Cayenne, I guess, is going to get sold to the 40-50-year-old males who can't convince their wife (or themselves) that they deserve a 911, and are instead going to settle for something that's somehow both practical and impractical at the same time.

I know this doesn't describe the whole demographic of new-Porsche purchasers, but the bottom line is that Porsche is no longer working to create an image of their car as a great (and somewhat exotic) performance machine that outruns everything in its class. They're not supporting racing. And they're not styling their cars in a way that makes any kind of bold and challenging statement.

In 1976 if you drove a Turbo to a gas station, everyone there would look over at your car. Kids' jaws would drop. In 2003, if you drive up in a 996 Turbo, the only people who are going to look over are Porsche enthusiasts.

Oddly, if you drive up in a 1976 Turbo today, everyone still looks. Kids' jaws still drop.

Porsche no longer cares about insinuating its way into the dreams of 9-year-olds (or 19-year olds, or 29-year olds) nearly as much as simply getting their hands on the money that's sitting in the bank accounts of 49-year olds. It may be a more efficient way to market a product and produce a profit, but it's also taken a legendary make of car and turned it into something almost mundane.

I for one, am happy that we are not in the top 10.
I would be even happier to learn we are not in the top 100!!
After all....we are an exclusive bunch...are we not?? LOL
I had a conversation with some young ppl at my work place...
the concensis was in favour of the "fast and furious" type cars.
Most of them did not know about older/faster cars.
When I mentioned my old A/FX Ford Fairlane...I just got blank looks....tried to explain about driving over 650HP on the street...no go....tried to explain about Sunoco 260 gas (high octane)....still no go....
Told stories about old Hemi's....SOHC Ford....Hilborn injection for the street....Tubonique axles (gas turbine atached to the rear axle)...more blank looks...but at least some whistles and ooo's and ahhh's.
I feel sorry for the young drivers of today...not being able to drive the "average car" and get any performance out of it.
Porsches have always been at the top end of the performance scale along with other exotic cars, but the average driver today will not get a chance to experience them.
Bob

As with most everything statistical...garbage in, garbage out. Not to worry, it's a passing phase of cars with garbage can size mufflers striking some rebellious chord with the xxx/rice burner crowd. Your expecting too much from the general public now, since everyone is much too busy trying to dump their SUV's to notice the subtle and progressive design changes coming out of the design departments at Porsche.
Rick
'78 930

Nicely said, Jack. I think you nailed it.

I know that there are a lot of young people that don't have a clue, but I am 22, and I have always wanted a 911. I had friends who wanted rice burners or something of that nature, but I love the look and drive of the SC's. Finally I was able to get one just last month, and damn am I happy with it. There are a few of us out there...

"Popular" as in the perception as to what is popular to afford perhaps!

OK! Lets face it; the only taste these people have is in there mouth. Just an opinion!!!

jv