why do we buy this cars????????

IM doing a survey,why do we (including my self) buy this cars? we like to hear from you guys........ thank you all

My reason: My whole life I've been mystified by 911's...all of them. Now, even though I own one, I still get chill bumps when I see a fellow 911 on the streets...

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jeff
84 carrera cab




[This message has been edited by jeff bryant (edited 07-05-2000).]

Windshield wipers, ventilation, rear seat accomodation, heating, weight distribution, door pockets.
The sum of these defects make the car sublime, These German engineers wanted to prove that you can defy the laws of physics, and succeeded.

Hey,a 911 is:
- small and narrow
- noisy
- sometimes difficult to handle
- a mystery sometimes (see this bulletin)
- sometimes expensive (see point above)
- old fashioned stylish
- extremely unpractical

So people, bang on me, but this is, what makes a REAL sportscar, istn it?
I love my "fuel to noise converter"!

Jens

I shopped around for a sports car for almost a year, Drove them all RX7, Corvette, 300ZX, a 944 and then I hopped into this triple black 1991 C2 and the rest as the say is history. Those other cars did'nt even come close to the feel and feeling of this 911. There is just something about driving a car that was designed and built to be "driven". That was 5 years ago and I still get that rush when I take it out, doubt I be as happy with any of those other cars.

My feelings are reflected in each of the above posts, particularly Jeff's. I knew as a young man (the '70s) that Porsche could make a 350 horsepower flat six. American manufacturers were having trouble acheving that rating with more than twice the displacement.

And they are among the most beautiful cars in the world.

And finally, I work on cars, and have always wanted one that was designed by folks that had to work on them too. This, ladies and gentlement, is that car.

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'83 SC

From reading your earlier posts, it seems you might have some reservations about your car compared to others. The first thing that is obvious is that you've never taken your car to the track. (road race not drag strip) This is where the Porsche really shines, especially compared to other cars Hondas, Mustangs, and even Vipers.(I've driven all three on a track) The Vipers you see on tv beating the Porsches are completely diffrent machines compared to the Vipers you purchase at your local dealer. They have also had tremendous factory support for the last several years. The Porsche factory has been out of racing for the same period. I expect Porsche will soon have something to compete against the Vipers at Le Mans, 24 hrs of Dyatona, etc. I have a 3.2 just like you do and I believe it is the same year as yours.(86' w/915 trans?) I did turbocharge it. But before you think the costs outweigh the gains from this conversion, consider that I now have a car that is in the category of the super high performance cars. It has 520 ft. lbs of torque at only .8 bar and currently weighs about 2400 lbs. (will lose more weight soon). At the track, more specifically FATT at Summit Point in WV, I crush the Vipers. I crush the Vipers in straight line speed, in the turns, and under braking. Please don't even mention the Japanese cars with their turbo'd, nitrous, good for only several passes reliability. The Porsche reliability is unbelievable. I run track events all day long in hot summer temperatures without a hitch. If I wanted to drag race for a couple passes, I could turn the boost up and get about 650 to 700hp, but with the typical Jap reliability. Considering what I spent, the Porsche for racing, is the best bang per buck. Take your Porsche to the track and you'll fall in love all over again.

Their greatest attraction is that they're so weird! From their looks (like a giant, smiling frog); to their strange air cooled engine; to the placement of the engine.
Our secret is we're looking for something totally different from the other guy & the weird aspects of this car are its true beauty.
When I drove into a parking lot full of other cars last night to view 4th of July fireworks, the other-worldly sound of my engine announced my arrival and the sight of such a weirdly-beautiful, strange car caught the entire crowd's attention! In this world of mass production, it's great to have something that's unique and different!
regards, jlex. ('85 Champagne Carrera Coupe)

-"unique" looking and sounding
-German engineering--still tight and solid after 20 years
-great response, acceleration, and control
-"beefy" and solid body-doesn't sound like an aluminum can when you shut the door
-FUN
-great to drive on long trips

Yeah, there are a few problems, but all cars have some and I'd rather put up with the Porsche problems than with Toyota or Honda problems. I had no trouble selling my Jeep Wrangler to buy a Porsche, but would have a really tough time justifying selling my Porsche to buy anything else (except maybe a Mercedes diesel, but even that would be a tough sell).

I've been bitten since the first time I saw one.No car in the world looks like it, which sets it apart from the rest of the flock (at least until the 993 came along which does tend to resemble more than few front hoods on the road).
It is a car that makes absolutely no sense at all..the engine is in the rear, it makes noise, you can't fit more than a few days of groceries in it, you can't fit more than two and a half people in it, it barely holds two golf bags, it steams up the windows on rainy days or when you drive through a deep puddle, the pedals are too small and close together, it has too many pedals, most models barely barely warm up enough to keep your passenger from jumping out on a winter day, most of the world's wrenches don't have the foggiest idea how to fix one, girlfriends usually love them but a wife rarely wants one in the garage, some people think the car is a substitute for a diminished testosterone level, it can't tow a boat, it sits too low for you to see around the SUV in front of you,insurance companies think they're made out of gold, parts are expensive, the entire design is based on a fifty year old concept, and the list goes on as I'm sure there are things I left out. So the obvious reason for us to own and appreciate something as useless as this car is that we all must have serious character flaws. What else could it be?

Fred, I couldn't have said it better...maybe except for the part about our character flaws.

Jeff, yeah there's an instant "hard-on" every time I see another one on the road!

Jlex, that is so right! A giant smiling frog is what they look like...funny that's what my parents and sister make fun of..I'm driving a frog around and damn proud of it!

Nancy, you're right on those six points, but maybe not the "great to drive on long trips"...my left ear would probably be deaf(loud exhaust ) That, and I'll probably never sell this car to buy another car, except a Porsche. But then again I'd probably keep this and buy another one!

Jens, damned right!

Personally why I bought this car is because I love the way it looks. Hard to explain to parents who are not "car people" but oh well. The first time I rode in a Porsche ('85 Carrera) I was just hooked. I went to go look at it because I wanted to buy one, my dad said yeah we can look. After that first ride (didn't know stick shift yet) I was hooked. Damn right I could feel every single bump on the road(it had 17" turbo twists), we sit so low that if we slam into a SUV we'd slide right under it, among lots of other things. When I went to test drive my car, the feeling was just different. Hard to explain(I'm sure most of you know) but I loved these cars even more. So, for me, looks and the feeling of driving it. Even if there's so much "bad" things about these cars, those two things make up for it. Enjoy your Porsches!



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Jeff
1976 911S

The 911 is a strange mixture of the perfect and the perplexing. It's beauty doesn't come from any kind of real visual flair -- the 550 Spyder might be the only vaguely beautiful (to the uninitiated) car Porsche ever produced. The 911 has awkward lines, and, especially in Targa or convertible form, looks like a carnival ride coach with a fat behind. The big spoilers of the middle years are way out of proportion to the rest of the car. The colors have always been a particularly awkward expression of some Teutonic committee's notion of what they think is sexy and loud. As long as Porsche has been around, the British and the Italians have kicked its ass in the styling department.

HOWEVER, those (surely unpopular) opinions aside, I think the 911's beauty comes from something more important -- and more useful. It's a car where the engineering comes first, and everything else has to follow. Room for four isn't needed on the track, so the back seat functions merely as a way to push the driver further forward and get more weight over the front wheels. Idiot-proof handling is also something professional drivers don't need a car to provide (and Porsche didn't bother with either, until the 90s). Off-the-line torque and massive horsepower are also things that are either superfluous or worse when you're spending your time on a track. American cars have always been impressive in first gear, and they pay a huge weight penalty (and suffer reliability problems) because of it. Good for streetlight races is bad for the track. The Porsche's suspension, engineering harmony, and low center of gravity are an unequaled combination (at least in the cars I've driven). Mine is 27 years old, and primitive by Porsche standards. Still, I don't know of a new performance car that I'd trade it for.

As such, the 911 was immune to the whims of auto design fashion (until it got surprisingly attractive with the 993, nd then surprisingly generic-looking and plain with the 996). Its (pre-996) lines became classic because they worked for over 30 years in the service of the car's mission: which was to win races. I look at mine, parked next to my Jaguar, and it's the Porsche that looks more compelling to me. But that's because I've driven the Porsche -- not because of the way it looks. The 911 is a great car because of the single-minded and relentless way of seeing the world that the 911 represents. I put up with the high costs of repairs and parts for the same reason.

"Girlfriends usually love them but a wife rarely wants one in the garage." This sentence is dead on the money, and another part of the car's appeal. It's also (see my lengthy diatribe in the Cayenne SUV discussion) why Porsche is going to have such a tough time selling cars to soccer moms.

In summary, what I like:

The flat six's positioning and the car's overall low center of gravity

Suspension that feels like nothing else

The (hard-to-describe) harmony between all of the car's components -- it wants to race; it wants to turn -- it's ENGINEERED to do these things

The styling department's 30-year-streak of indifference to changing times and aesthetic nonsense

Oh, yeah, the sound of the air-cooled six (and also the sound of the just-got-through-customs 3.6 liter engine that's replacing it) -- music


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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T sunroof coupe
http://members.rennlist.com/jackolsen/Jalopy.html

[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 07-05-2000).]

I think that with me, it goes back to when I was a teen and just hearing about Porsche and their racing heritage. When I finally got a chance to drive one, it just felt sooooo right. I could feel the road. The car was not a rapid moving protective shell from the asphalt but, a bond with the road. For me, owning a Porsche is not some symbol of prestige or supercar fantasy, it's trying to achieve the most Zen-like state of driving possible.

Mark
'74 911S Coupe

I bought my '88 Targa because when I was growing up the next door neighbor had one. I thought, man when I have the money I'll get one too! I'm 34 now and I was at a cocktail party and a friend mentioned that he was selling his wife's for $17,000. I thought, why not? so I went and looked at it. I liked the color (Diamond Blue Metallic) and that it was a Targa so I bought it without even a test ride!

At the time, I knew nothing about which year to buy etc. but now I know that I lucked into a great deal. I have since learned all of the things mentioned above and I agree completely!

So, to answer your question, I bought my car because I wanted to be cool like my next door neighbor 22 years ago!

I have been mystified by our German machines since I was old enough to point and ask "What kind of car is that?" I have been building scale model kits of 911s since I was in high school and dreaming of owning one just as long.

The main quality of the 911 that I appreciate, in addition to all of those mentioned above, is that driving one is an ACTIVE experience. You merely do not sit and steer, but take part in piloting this machine to your destination. More often than not, it seems as if the trip IS the destination. I have never owned a car that I constantly look forward to "bringing out".

Even though mine is 30 years old, I have felt the same emotions and driving experience in the newer 911s I have driven.

Mark
'70 911E

I was at the Hilton hotel in Burlingame,Ca about 5 years ago and by coincidence Porsche AG was there for their annual global convention, at that time I was Porscheless but struck up a conversation with one of the executives about comparisions to Ferrari,
he summed it up perfectly and said,
"A 911 is the best of both worlds, its like having a wife and mistress rolled into one".

For some reason, when I was growing up, I thought Porsches were overrated, but of course I had never been in one. I disliked the image of new money jerks driving Porsches and midlife crisis types.

Then, at 19 years of age, I got a ride in a colleagues 1968 912. I thought to myself, if a 912 can be this fun, I have got to get a ride in a 911! One ride in the 911 blew me away, and it still does every time.

rmccalla
1969 911S Targa

I can't remeber the first time I saw one but I know I had to ask my father once "Dad, what kind of car is THAT!!??" I have always wanted one. The answer to the question "If you could have any car, what would it be?"

I wanted one when I was 12,18,26&35. I got one when I was 37, two years after my self imposed deadline.

That's it!

Mark

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Beauty. The curves on these cars are far more beautiful than the lines of any Italian car or the curves of any British car.

Handling. The way 911's feel around corners. I haven't raced mine yet, but I grew up in the mountains, driving curvy, dangerous canyon roads, without a porsche (you don't want to know what I drove growing up). Once I took a porsche through the Feather River Canyon in Northern California, I knew I had to have one.


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David Huffaker
1974 911 2.7L