997S PCA Special Ed

[jpahemi]

By now most of the board has heard of the limited edition 997S PCA Club car; what I don't get is why PAG used the street platform to build this car. PCA members, by definition, are considered Porsche enthusiasts; why not create this car on the GT3 platform??? PCNA is asking @$100K for this so called 50 example unit, it comes with the X51 power option, giving the lucky owner 380 hp. WOW (big deal).
For a few extra Pesos you can have a lovely GT3; a car I would consider a true Porsche enthusiasts car with an engine of substantially superior design and performance.
Can someone help me understand this marketing exercise.
Regards,
J.P.

[JeremyD]

marketing

[jpahemi]

If this car had been created for the Father Land, it would have been based on a GT3RS with all sorts of light weight and go fast goodies.
The US market must be percieved as nothing but a Rodeo Drive cruising crowd. Very dissappointing.
j.p.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally posted by jpahemi
If this car had been created for the Father Land, it would have been based on a GT3RS with all sorts of light weight and go fast goodies.
The US market must be percieved as nothing but a Rodeo Drive cruising crowd. Very dissappointing.
j.p.

Agree 100%

the rgulatory environment here doesn't help either

[ChrisBennet]

Porsche is just trying extract money from the people who think that exclusivity or artificial rarity somehow equates with value.

I think the RS America is the closest the Porsche has come to making something for the PCA member in recent years. It was a car with less equipment and a lower price. The Club Sport would have qualified if they hadn't charged a premium (perhaps necessarily) for what was essentially a delete option car. I think they got burned on both of those cars so I guess you can't blame them for going after the market that pays the bills.
-Chris

[porschenut]

It just ain't what it used to be. Porsche no longer serves enthusiasts.

[JonT]

I guess I disagree. Porsche is building cars that can spank the living freaking shi*& out of 99% of the cars on this board on the track despite being pigs with all sorts of cushy goodies on them and you guys are complaining. Its your right to complain but give me a break claiming they don't serve the enthusiasts--the performance of the new cars is astounding.

[Carrera3.5L]

Originally posted by jpahemi
The US market must be percieved as nothing but a Rodeo Drive cruising crowd. Very dissappointing.
j.p.

J.P.,

This isn't just Porsche's opinion on the US market, many other European auto manufacturer's share the same view.

For example, VW had an awesome Golf in the early 90's that was supercharged and AWD and was badged as a "Rallye Golf". Never made it to US shores even though they could have sold a ton over here. Not much has changed over the years...

Ralph

[Purrybonker]

Originally posted by JonT
I guess I disagree.

I'm with JonT on this one; the vast majority of PCAers (and probably even the majority of the frequenters of this board) are more interested in a performance uptick and/or a unique version of a 997S than a tarted up GT3.

Have you checked out the performance values for the PCA car? Besides - drop into the Porsche website and "build" yourself a 997 with the equipment included in the PCA car. The club car shakes out as good value if you run through that exercise.

Turn your nose up at it you want - but certainly Porsche's target market is represented by the kinda people that prefer not to have their kidneys pounded everytime they go for a drive.

My only beef with the car is that they shoulda made it a cab. But then the purists here would really have something to scream about.

[rvanderpyl]

There's a 997 GT3 out already? I must have missed that. Hope you didn't register to win the give away since you dislike the car so much. I'd be perfectly happy to win it.

[Purrybonker]

Originally posted by rvanderpyl
There's a 997 GT3 out already? I must have missed that. Hope you didn't register to win the give away since you dislike the car so much. I'd be perfectly happy to win it.

You better win it. You don't want to buy it in Canada. I'm not sure what's happened to the FX whizkids at Porsche (Merc, BMW for that matter) these days.

$100G US vs. $148G CDN? Have they bothered to check the exchange rates lately? You'd save $ by taking title south of the border even with 6% duty. Used to be that Canadians got sweet treatment on FX - Montana/Idaho/Washington dealers made regular runs into BC and Alberta to pick up new vehicles only a few years ago.

I signed up for the buy "lottery" before I noted that price variance.

The worm has turned.

[Craig 930 RS]

If you enjoy wine & cheese, then this car is for you, buffy.

[911teo]

Originally posted by Craig911
If you enjoy wine & cheese, then this car is for you, buffy.

Yeah.. a nice bottle of 97 Solaia (or Sassicaia if you will) and a piece of aged Parmiggiano Reggiano on the table out in the patio...
A view of the 3 car garage.... my 3.6 track car, a Cayenne to haul it and this 997 as my daily driver...

I think I can live with that...

[naparsei]

Originally posted by porschenut
It just ain't what it used to be. Porsche no longer serves enthusiasts.

Exactly. Giving a lucky a PCA member a car. Please forget about me next month for the drawing!

[Plavan]

Why worry about marketing, when you cant afford it anyway :P

[rdane]

I like the color.

[D Hanson]

Originally posted by porschenut
It just ain't what it used to be. Porsche no longer serves enthusiasts.

I disagree. I have owned most of the basic Porsche models built except for the real old stuff. How much difference was there between the 88 Club Sport and an 88 3.2 coupe. Was Porsche not catering to enthusiast back in 1988?

C'mon, the GT2, GT3 and CGT are entusiast cars that can be driven everyday and are a rush to drive on the track. I have owned 3 996TTs (2 coupes and cabriolet) and I think that car is one of the best all around cars ever made. Awesome performance, comfortable, and my family of four fits in it without any problems (8 and 9 year old daughters). In fact, my girls always ask to take my 04 TT cabriolet whenever the whole family goes anywhere even though we have big cushy SUVs with TVs and stuff.

[D Hanson]

Originally posted by naparsei
Exactly. Giving a lucky a PCA member a car. Please forget about me next month for the drawing!

Haha. You would pass up a free $ 90,000 car because you have chip on your shoulder about God knows what. Do you want Porsche to make the 911 exactly like it was in 1974, 1981, 1988 or 1990. I wonder how many people would pay $ 100k for that. I don't understand how giving away a free car can be viewed as a negative.

I don't like the color, but I would gladly take it and sell it if I won it.

[porschenut]

Originally posted by D Hanson
I disagree. I have owned most of the basic Porsche models built except for the real old stuff. How much difference was there between the 88 Club Sport and an 88 3.2 coupe. Was Porsche not catering to enthusiast back in 1988?

Yes they were. I said they no longer do.

Originally posted by D Hanson
C'mon, the GT2, GT3 and CGT are entusiast cars that can be driven everyday and are a rush to drive on the track. I have owned 3 996TTs (2 coupes and cabriolet) and I think that car is one of the best all around cars ever made. Awesome performance, comfortable, and my family of four fits in it without any problems (8 and 9 year old daughters). In fact, my girls always ask to take my 04 TT cabriolet whenever the whole family goes anywhere even though we have big cushy SUVs with TVs and stuff.

Well, an enthusiast to me is someone who wants a light car (like the early ones) with stiff suspensions and noisy motors that smell like oil and are all about performance and tossability. The "comfortable, take my daughters, bags o' money to buy the latest waterpumper" crowd aren't on my radar scope. I'm not putting you or others down who appreciate these fine cars. I just define "enthusiast" a lot differently. So, your disagreement is well taken. I'll venture to guess that the majority here will never be able to afford a 996TT, GT2, GT3 or CGT so I don't consider them enthusiast cars despite how fast they may be.

[Franklin]

" I'll venture to guess that the majority here will never be able to afford a 996TT, GT2, GT3 or CGT so I don't consider them enthusiast cars despite how fast they may be."

So let me see if I understand what you are saying. If 51% of Pelicans can't afford a car, it can't be an enthusiast car.

The problem with that is when the '73S, 80 SC, 88 Carrera were new why do you think that 51% of Pelicans could have afforded them?