Yep. I totally understand. Of course all the new age digital finesse has its price. I still have one foot safely planted in the mechanical world of the 911SC (also my other utility, a syncro vanagon) and the other foot (cautiously) in this digital Rube Goldberg world of newer Porsches and Mercedes. Having specialized computers to talk to those cars kind of sucks. Liek you say, it's like being held hostage to a mfg. ...but also is kind of cool; being able to watch a real-time plots of engine torque and/or left-bank exhaust temp.... And, the aftermarket supplies needed solutions.
Decades out, I expect that the 911 toughness (and relative system simplicity) will outlast these early boxes of digital finesse*, but hey, for now it's pretty damn nice to have both.
*that is if those 911 A-arm bushings don't fail; causing the steel (T-bar) springs to snap.
