Why do 911 owners look down on 944s?

[Vroom]

Why do 911 owners look down on 944s?
Air cooled vs. water? Tradition? What are the advantages of each style? I'm new to this world. Been to book stores reading everything I can. Been searching online to do the same. Thanks. Ave

[Drago]

HeHeHe....you should really post this over on their board too if you want both sides of the story.

I like 'em both but can only afford to own one right now. To compare the two is not fair for either model as they're so different.

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Marc
'86 944 NA

[Bob's944]

I think it's just the old 'nazi' mentality hanging in there. I can hear zem saying.... ZA ONLY REAL PORSCHE IZ A REAR ENGINED AIR COOLED VON!!!! They, hard line germans, did that with dogs too, specifically white german shepherds. They were thought of as inferior and a mutant, when genetically it's just a coat color variation. Still to this day, most white puppies are culled at birth in Germany. Sometimes old habits are very hard to break with some people. It just shows their mental limitations and close-minded stubborness to me. But what you gonna do?? Keep beating them in autocross races!! I don't think that there is any doubt to me, 50/50 is the way to go.

[TomH]

Not to get racist or anything, but I have found the older guys, and one's of different color, are not snobs at all. They all wave when they see me.

It's the younger 911 crowd (whether they are lawyers, or what), that are typically the non-waving snobs, who won't even look over, or acknowledge your presence on the road.

I think all 911-owners are stereo-typed by the way a select few behave.

[Blackfoot]

some of them actually use their cars for autocross or even track, but the majority see their 911's as some kind of valhalla, some mythical icon where if you have one, you're just really a complete person, and if you don't, you're just to be pitied. it's soooo pathetic.

i've owned both. no way i'm going back. i prefer a superior driving car.

they used to use the "air-cooled" argument as a proof of superiority. now they can't use it anymore. it just really pisses them off that porsche realized water cooling is better. but they will say to your face that the 993 was the last "real" porsche.

blockheads.

[drews]

Originally posted by Bob's944:

Bob, it's that closeminded stubborness that keeps developing a product when most north american platforms just abandon them and move on to something new!
I like both, I like the way the 911 was developed over the years, striving to achieve perfection. I own a 944 because of the balance. If all Germans where as narow minded as you claim we never would have a water cooled platform would we?

I think it's just the old 'nazi' mentality hanging in there. I can hear zem saying.... ZA ONLY REAL PORSCHE IZ A REAR ENGINED AIR COOLED VON!!!! They, hard line germans, did that with dogs too, specifically white german shepherds. They were thought of as inferior and a mutant, when genetically it's just a coat color variation. Still to this day, most white puppies are culled at birth in Germany. Sometimes old habits are very hard to break with some people. It just shows their mental limitations and close-minded stubborness to me. But what you gonna do?? Keep beating them in autocross races!! I don't think that there is any doubt to me, 50/50 is the way to go.

[Bob's944]

you musta missed the part of the nazi mentality "hanging in there" or misunderstood it... it was meant to infer that it's a minority opinion that's not popular with most, well in my opinion....

[ae1969]

uhmmmmm I think 914/924/944 owners are a slightly different breed....we fell in love with the car....and so we got one......they are relatively cheap...a little pricey to maintain....but overall....they are fun cars...

911 owners are slowly becoming what we are......the 911/912 group of cars...have maintained their value to some extent...but are dropping....and you can get some older 911/912 for under 10K...and some for over 50K......but the guys who are buying these and owning them....are guys who love Porsches and in particular the 911/912 body style....

and yes they love their car as much as we do.....

The guys who are buying the newer ones....yes they may be so-called looking down at other porsches in general.....I guess if you can spend over 100K on a car......you are different....either very fortunate...or very stupid.....(its all perception)

I don't think it really makes a different in the end.....their will always be people who look up at you ...and down at you.....

In cars in general I don't take it personally if the new Turbos driving buy don't flash their lights or wave at me......just as much as I don't expect people to wave at my wife when she drives her mini-van.....but then again..she is a hottie...so maybe they should....LOL

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86' 944
79' 924 (R.I.P)

[bill*924s]

Ditto to TomH. I think it's the "young snobby lawyer" types that have trouble even saying hi to another 911. They are the ones giving 911 drivers a bad name. You know, when we're driving down the street, it's not about water cooled vs. air cooled or going faster than anybody else, it's about having a well built car that accelerates quickly and handles nicely. We feel proud driving Porsches because our cars are not like the other mass produced cars on the road. We can smile because simply owning our cars state that we are not like all the others. I'd even hazard a guess that all of us have an "independent streak" in us to some degree.

[drews]

No I didn't misunderstand the point, I merely wanted to make the point that had it not been for those "hardline" Germans stubbornly and narrow mindedly developing the 911 over the years we might not still be seeing them. I personally am thankfull for that! I wish the North American car company's would use some of that tenacity and develope a better North American product.
But of equal importance is the fact that they could see the need for change, hence the 944 etc.
They are both fine cars, the 944 can be driven easily, the 911 needs much more seat time to bring it to the edge, maybe that's where the attitude comes from, who knows.

[Bob's944]

Porsche makes a great car, no doubt. But look where other car makers are at in terms of horsepower without turbos. Ferrari has been around about the same as Porsche, the 360 modena puts out nearly 400 hp out of 3.6L, NO TURBO and and burns so perfectly that you can nearly breath the exhaust coming out of them. Yes a very exotic car, but on line with upper porsches in price. BMW is now putting out 333 hp out of 3.2 Liters in the 3series M cars... the boxster S 3.2L is just over 250 hp. I'm sure Porsche has got teams of engineers right now working on more emissions legal improvements to counter, because you know BMW is not done. BMW M3 Convertible (gonna have unbelievable resale value) just may be the best car made right now, unless you have the money for the 360.

[Rot 911]

And let's not forget that it has been scientifically proven that 911 owners have much larger "Johnsons" then 944 owners. The "Johnsons" on 924 owners appear to be almost non-existant.

Kurt "Big Johnson" V
72 911E

[Bob's944]

was just imagining a 2002 968 convertible with a 3.2 L 2o valve 4 cyl engine with variable timing on both the intake and exhaust putting out like 340 hp in stock form... then i thought of the 8 cyl 928 GTS 40 valve engine on the 2002 928.... like 500 hp??? huh?? wha???

[drews]

All this talk of excellence and not a single mention of a north american car company, in fact German, all except one!
The drive for excellence continues, stubborn and narrow minded as it is.

[wolfrpi]

911s are good cars but many are overpriced. One advantage of a 911 that is becoming very clear to me is their structural integrity.

I'll be honest to everyone on the list when I say that the 944 when modified with springs and torsion bars is far too flexy of a chassis. I'll venture to guess that my hatch opening is moving about 5 degrees with respect to the body of the car. This happens even at slow speeds.

Further, the front strut mounts will bend if not supported by a camber truss (they bent on my 944S).

The 911 on the other hand because of its small size and rigidity (and no rear hatch) doesn't have the same creaks and groans.

Thats my only complaint about the 44 besides the wimpy 4-cylinder exhaust note.



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Erick

86 951

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/pmpre/pm.cgi?action=display&login=aka_951

[drews]

Seems my first post didn't go through, here it is again
All this talk of excellence and not a mention of a north american car company. In fact except for one all your cars are German, stubborn and narrow minded as they are.

[Bob's944]

hmmmm, well in my opinion, the latest Corvette is a very very nice car, especially the convertible (resale will be great), hmm but nuthin else fron GM :^) hmmm Ford has the Mustang Cobra (with independent rear suspension) and the CobraR for those that got 53grand to spend, but i bet the best in 10 yrs will be convertible cobra's with indy rear suspension for them. Have you seen the Lexus GS430??? SHAAAWEEEEET car! Audi has some sick cars in their S line. Have you seen what Ford of England has been making? Oh, I mean Jaguar. :^) Volvo's even got some cool cars, nuthin i want.. but it's from anuther country, hmmm i got in some USA, Japan, England and sweden, is Bugatti French?

[Sergio]

Italian by design, bought by Volkswagen in 1998

[Dave951M]

I just want to pass along an observation- last week I gave a friend at work a ride in the 951, he had never ridden in a P car of any type. He was amazed at how well it rode and handled, even with over 135k on the clock. Porsche makes some really great cars, even if we include the 911s. I do have to hand it to the 911 crowd though, there's no way we 951 owners can beat them in the "backwards through the weeds" race.


Always wearing nomex underwear, to keep from getting burned on 911s sliding off the twisties.
Dave951M

[AMCPorsche924Powerhaus!]

I like 911s because they have good throttle response and good engines in STOCK FORM without turbos...racing turbocharged cars is not nearly as practical as racing an NA IMO.

There are soem 911 dudes out there that are really cool, i find there are a lot of 944 snobs too, and I have seen much more tech info over at the 911 board than here, but the cool 924/944 owners are just as cool as the cool 911 owners.