Reflections on "Not a Real Porsche Syndrome"

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by Mark Henry

This thread is about NARP's...not NERD's

No apostrophe. NARPs and NERDs.

[wayner]

That NARP is a NERD's

[Mark Henry]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

No apostrophe. NARPs and NERDs.

I didn't "know" that.

Oh yes I did

[Corvus Corvax]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

No battle necessary! That would be supererogatory.

Very nice. I bow to your mastery, sir.

[cabmandone]

I heard someone refer to another Porsche as NARP I don't recall which car but I had to say Yeah, that one is waaaaay too reliable and doesn't leak oil. You should have seen the look I got.

[dtw]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

After shipping my old 911S off to Istanbul

You sold your '72?

[sugarwood]

Originally Posted by billh1963

So will a new Camry...what's your point?

A Camry has 178hp on 3300lbs.

[sugarwood]

I think that's because the new fake Porsches can run circles around the old purist stuff.
Plus, the purists are slowing aging out of the scene.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by oldE

These days there are so many cars carrying the Porsche badge that I suspect most folks DGAS

This. Used to be that Porsche was a sports car company that hand built machines with a racing heritage. The badge carried distinction and the cars were admired for excellence in engineering.
Now people buy a Porsche as jewelry.

"Form follow function" has been replaced by modern convenience, comfort, and profitability of the company.

[JD159]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

This. Used to be that Porsche was a sports car company that hand built machines with a racing heritage. The badge carried distinction and the cars were admired for excellence in engineering.
Now people buy a Porsche as jewelry.

"Form follow function" has been replaced by modern convenience, comfort, and profitability of the company.

While Porsche does offer some limited edition models that are stripped down with that old school feel, Porsche wouldn't be selling cars if it didnt progress.

They have been leading in reliability for years and JUST moved into second place behind Lexus. I think they are still building quality vehicles.

[DaveE]

Originally Posted by JD159

While Porsche does offer some limited edition models that are stripped down with that old school feel, Porsche wouldn't be selling cars if it didnt progress.

They have been leading in reliability for years and JUST moved into second place behind Lexus. I think they are still building quality vehicles.

I can attest to that. My ratty '97 Boxster is over 222,000 miles now and it switches off with my S4 as a daily driver. Meanwhile my '78 SC, which I love dearly, is sitting with the engine out due to a broken head stud.

[Nickshu]

https://youtu.be/j4wCYLTy-6w

Sent from my Samsung GS7 using Tapatalk

[wdfifteen]

I'm not qualified to say what is real or not, as I don't have much seat time in water cooled Porsches. I took an exhilarating lap around Mid-Ohio in a Boxster S a couple of years ago. Holy Cow!
It was fast, but did not fit my definition of a sports car. It was too comfy, too put together, there were no rough edges, and it didn't make demands of the driver in order to get the most out of it.

I started my Porsche career with 356s, and the luxury of all that power in a 911 seemed like blasphemy. I mean, with 130 hp who couldn't drive fast? I eventually accepted the 911, the 912, embraced the 914, and grudging accepted the 912E, but that was it. A Porsche engineer was quoted as saying Porsche's last real sports car was the 1989 Carrera, and I agree. The later Porsches are indeed Porsches, but the Porsche Mystique was finally engineered out in 1990.
The Porsche Mystique is a funny thing. In 1969 Car and Driver did a comparison test between a 1955 Speedster and a 1969 Karman Ghia and declared that the new low-priced Porsche was really a Karman Ghia. The VW beat the Speedster at every test. Funny thing is, all the test drivers preferred driving the Speedster.

[Sicklyscott]

I need to add my 2 cents in here as I've been on both sides of this argument. I've wanted a 944 or 924 turbo for a long time. Every time I get close to buying one I read all about the "Not a real Porsche" thoughts. It always brings me back to "my 911 is awesome, a 944 can't replace it". The fact is growing up a Porsche to me was always a 911. It was a raw race derived sports car. Rear engined, air cooled, nothing else was a Porsche.

If you look at the history of things the 912 was Porsche's first attempt at mainstreaming a product. They produced that car to be cheaper and appeal the masses more. Then it was the 914 which got its fair share of beatings from journalists and Porsche-philes. The 912e is barely worth mentioning, then came the 924. Because of that history I wouldn't say the 924 was the first "not a real Porsche" car because in fact I'd have to say to me that was the 914. I do think though the 924 was too "economy" for the brand Porsche was shooting for. It lacked power, luxury, and although a blast to drive detracted from the overall brand.

Fast forward to the Boxster and it's the same story. Not a whole lot of luxury, was underpowered in its first go-round, and generally was tagged as a secretary's car. Then the track numbers started coming out and it was realized that the Boxster, with equal power, was quicker around the track than an equivalent 911. That realization made the Boxster ok and it paved the way for the Cayman.

The Cayenne, Macan, and Panamera however I have no excuse or explanation for. I will say the Cayenne, particularly in GTS guise is whispering to me. I want one, in red! It handles extremely well for a SUV and is a great place to be but, to me it's not a Porsche. By my logic however I'd also have to say the current 911 has strayed a bit from it's original form (but then again so have many other cars like the GTI).

At the end of the day I love (almost) all Porsches. The company has certainly changed from its early days but I would argue that if it didn't, that if it didn't produce "not a real Porsche" cars that it would no longer be in existence. Just think about some of our old 911s, a race-bred 915 trans would never cut it in today's market place. The offset pedals would never make it either, nor would the sometimes accurate oil level guage.

[GH85Carrera]

I got into the NARP Porsche long ago. I bought a brand new 1974 914 2.0 in of course 1974.

I attended the 1976 "Gulf-fest" big three event meeting put on by the North Florida region in 1976. Now think back to the era of a brand new 911 was a 1976 model. Only one guy had a Turbo and we all were gathered around admiring it. Someone said "now that is a real Porsche not like that 914 over there" and of course he pointed at my car. I was not happy, but I had to admit the new Turbo was way cooler.

At the autocross the next day me in my "fake Porsche" was Fastest Time of Day. I won the overall autocross and obviously my class. As I accepted the trophy from the guy that owned the Turbo I said "maybe it is a real Porsche after all."

I still have that trophy on the wall in my bathroom in the garage.

[911 Rod]

Ya the turbo thing annoys me sometimes too.
Pretty much every time I show a non porschephile my 86 911 they ask "is it a turbo?" and then blab on about someone that they they know that knows someone with a turbo.

[NoRush993/951]

Every once in a while I stop in at the Porsche dealer in one of my antiques thinking of upgrading and when I walk back to the car I'm always thinking the old ones still look better than the new ones. Maybe it's just me....... I'll keep the antiques.

[GothingNC]

Originally Posted by NoRush993/951

Every once in a while I stop in at the Porsche dealer in one of my antiques thinking of upgrading and when I walk back to the car I'm always thinking the old ones still look better than the new ones. Maybe it's just me....... I'll keep the antiques.

I am usually thinking the same thing every time I stop at the local Porsche dealership for a tech session or C&C.

My brother used to have an early NARP, 71 914-6 back in the early 70's. The Dealership used to make him park it in the back whenever he stopped by to pick up parts.

To this day his old 914-6 was his favorite Porsche and he would still have it if the old lady did not send him into a telephone backwards :-(

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

Ya the turbo thing annoys me sometimes too.
Pretty much every time I show a non porschephile my 86 911 they ask "is it a turbo?" and then blab on about someone that they they know that knows someone with a turbo.

Many years ago an older black dude pulled up in the next lane as I was at a red light. He asks: "is it natural?". I was thinking NA verses Turbo, so I said "it sure is". He said...it sure doesn't sound like it!

He was referring to my sport muffler