[javadog]

A 911 doesn't brake all that well in conditions that offer low traction; wet roads, sandy roads, down hill grades, etc. It's not a big deal, but it's true. They hydroplane easily, especially the later cars. Tires make a difference but I can remember running as slow as 55mph/90kph on wet autobahns in a brand new 911 fitted with Pirelli P7 tires. The tires I prefer to run now are optimised for warm, dry roads and don't much like cold, wet ones.

Then there is the corrosion issue. Forget the notion of galvanised steel. That just slows the corrosion process down, it doesn't prevent it. Porsche did a lousy job of rustproofing the cars. There are places that haven't even got a decent coat of primer on them, let alone paint or undercoating. Get a 911 wet enough times, whether from rain driving or just washing it and you'll see rust start to form. You don't see it until it gets bad, unless you disassemble the car, but it will be there.

As others have noted, the original rubber seals don't last forever and after a while, the undercoating/stone guard can lose adhesion in places and actuall trap moisture, accelerating corrosion.

There are some other, more obscure issues. I can look at a pedal cluster and tell how often that car got driven in wet conditions. I also suspect that cars that were driven daily in such weather, or were not garaged, suffered from more dilaver stud problems than those that were always dry.

Plus, they get absolutely filthy when used in the rain very often. Some rain is inevitable on trips but I prefer to hop into a quattro if I know it's going to rain and leave the Porsches parked.

JR