Quote:
Originally Posted by CJFusco
This is a fair point, and I guess my only response is that it's a shame that the priorities of Porsche as a company have changed. For example, people who buy a Ferrari are well aware that they are buying a somewhat temperamental Italian automobile that delivers sublime sensory pleasures, but that maintenance and repairs might be hefty down the line.
Conversely, Porsche USED TO represent the marque you go to when you want 1) a top-notch driving experience, and 2) build quality and longevity. Sure, a 3.0 SC engine might leak oil and there might be a chance that a head stud will snap, but for the most part those things go forever. Moreover, the car FEELS solid -- consider all the statements people have made about how closing the door feels like closing yourself into a vault. No rattles, no shimmies and shakes. Now granted, there are a fair number of old 911 engines that have been rebuilt, but that's a much less daunting proposition on an air-cooled engine from 1981 than one of these water-cooled units that takes a high level of expertise to reassemble. How many air-cooled engines have been rebuilt in someone's home garage? And how many m97s engines will see similar treatment?
The new Porsches feel much more like mass-produced cars... because they are. A lot of people noted the cheaper feel of the 996/Boxster line in comparison to the outgoing 993s, 928 GTSs, and 968s. I still remember many automotive journalists musing that the interior feels like a compromise, but this is forgivable considering the quality of the driving experience. At 50,000 miles, my Cayman S had more squeaks and rattles than my 115K mile 944 Turbo ever did. It's clear that the quality of the build materials has suffered since Porsche started producing more cars.
And the driving experience is always fantastic. The 987 Cayman S is a fantastic car to drive, despite whatever weaknesses in its build quality. But if I wanted that combo, I would've purchased an Alfa Romeo or a Lotus.
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Well stated, clear and concise.
I asked the baited question for a reason: Which bar do we hold this company's products to?
Does it get the same slack as a temperamental high performance hand-made vehicle ready to fall apart at a glance (anything made in Italy or Spain), should we hold it up to the same standards as a typical mass produced vehicle like ford or GM or Toyota?
Or should we expect it to be somewhere in-between ......
My personal opinion is that if they're going to charge huge cubic dollars, their cars better last a go-zillion years.
But that doesn't really apply (see Italy).
What it boils down to is apparently this: a Porsche should be bought new and driven for no more than 100,000 miles and then replaced with another new Porsche.
Just like a ford.
If you don't want to spend that kind of money every several years, buy a ford. Like me
(PS there are lots of people out there who have proven otherwise)