Reflections on "Not a Real Porsche Syndrome"

[CJFusco]

Originally Posted by petrolhead611

My dentist has a Panamera-gorgeous car in my opinion.

I didn't love the front-end treatment of the first-generation cars, but they had a very quasi-928 rear that I appreciated. The newer cars are far better-looking, in my opinion.

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

For some reason, this morning I've had on my mind what I call "Not a Real Porsche Syndrome" (NaRPS). What I mean by this is that when I was growing up until fairly recently, the response by many automotive enthusiasts (usually know-it-alls who had never actually driven a Porsche) to seeing any P-car that wasn't a 911 or 356 was, "yeah, but it's not a real Porsche." This attitude seems to have diminished in recent years, at least as far as I've noticed, and I'm curious as to what ya'll think the reasons might be.

Stupid people are the reason. It's not just Porsches either. In part, it's the human tendency to be competitive. People who don't have a Porsche (or whatever car they're being stupid about) feel a childlike need to say something clever or "smart" so as to make themselves feel better. They run shopping carts into your car for the same reason, to feel better about themselves. I've heard the comment, "Why that's just a glorified Volkswagen." While not far from the truth it is none the less a comment made by a person with self-esteem issues. I also have a stock '67 RS/SS 396 Camaro. Boy do the stupid and uninformed love to comment about early Camaros. So it's not just Porsches, it's anything cool or desirable that the idiot can't have--or if he does have one he's still just an idiot.

[CJFusco]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

Stupid people are the reason. ... I've heard the comment, "Why that's just a glorified Volkswagen." .

Have you been hanging out with Jeremy Clarkson?!

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

Have you experienced otherwise?

I couldn't say... I've not been to a racetrack since 2009.

[pwd72s]

Everything Porsche makes or has made is a "real Porsche"...It's just that Porsche, since going into manufacturing a variety of models, sports utes, 4 door sedans, etc. they have turned some enthusiasts off.

I'll admit that when Porsche went to all water cooling, it was a turn off for me. I figured my next car would be from a company that always made water cooled cars.

After shipping my old 911S off to Istanbul I really wasn't all that turned on by any of the then current Porsche offering, especially after reading of the IMS failure problems.

I read all the car Mags for a couple of years, still finding nothing that gave me a "gotta have it" feeling.

Then, the Government took over GM, shafting the bond and stock holders...Anything GM was off my buying list.

Obama gave a speech, touting the glory of what I considered Draconian CAFE standards to come. Cindy said; "Well, if you want a V-8, you'd better buy one now."

So, to the local Ford dealer I went, asking the salesman if they had a Bullitt model. They didn't. He tried to steer me to a striped, spoilered, arrest me red GT they had. I told him if they couldn't find a Bullitt, I wasn't buying a Mustang. He got it, finding one of the 635 green '09's made in a dealer trade deal.

German cars of any kind were off my list because I was tired of 180 mile round trips for decent service on the old 911S.

Point being, of course anything Porsche makes is a "real Porsche". But we all make our car buying choices for various personal reasons. To each his own...

Now outahere...it's "date day" with my bride of nearly 41 years...we're off to knock colored balls around on a classis Brunswick Century table. I'll be driving a now slow, old, and obsolete (by Mustang standards) green Mustang for around 90 miles...it has given me 22,000 trouble free miles so far. Once inside the cue ball, none of the other players will give a damn what got us there...I usually park on the gravel lot out back.
So far, no vandalism, not even a door ding. What's really priceless? None of the paranoia about vandalism, theft, ect. that I suffered when parking the old 911S.

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by CJFusco

Have you been hanging out with Jeremy Clarkson?!

Well it is a glorified Volkswagen in a sense! It isn't offensive to me. I do love it when Jezzer tries out a 911 (or the Cayman GTS) and caves in and admits liking it.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by BE911SC

Well it is a glorified Volkswagen in a sense! It isn't offensive to me....

It's not unusual for me to refer to mine as a "VW on steroids"

Were I to hear the NARP thrown my way, I'd just grin and reply...

That's ok....I'm NARP either.

Not a real pr**k

[Rinty]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

j...What's really priceless? None of the paranoia about vandalism, theft, ect. that I suffered when parking the old 911S...

I don't miss the worry about my former 993, either. But I had a great time with it, while it lasted.

[pdxfj]

So far I've been fortunate not to run into this mindset with my 944. Everyone I've talked to so far has commented on how well the 944's handle and appreciate how well I care for it.

When the day comes that I run into someone with the NARP mindset, I figured I would blow off their comment but mention the 944 is the car that saved Porsche from becoming extinct.

One day I'll buy a Cayman S, but having the 944 is fun since you don't see a ton of them on the road anymore. Always see lots of 911's, Boxster's and Cayman's at the local Cars & Coffee, but usually only a few 944, 951, 968, etc.

[rusnak]

I've had tickets in the 914-6 on which the cop wrote "Porsche 911".

Last month a kid called the Cayman a "Porsche 911".

I think people associate anything 911 to Porsche, and anything not 911 not a Porsche.

It's the people who call a 911 a Volkswagen that I want to poke in both of their eyeballs like Moe.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by rusnak

?....

It's the people who call a 911 a Volkswagen that I want to poke in both of their eyeballs like Moe.

If we ever meet I'll be sure to keep one hand perpendicular to my nose...thanks for the warning

[sugarwood]

Here is another cynical take. Many of the purist snobs from the 80s and 90s have aged out and/or died. So, their opinion no longer matters. At some point, perhaps the old 911 will not be a real Porsche, but some aged relic that belongs at "cruise night". The majority may stake claim to what's real, and eventually, the majority will be driving newer modern cars.

[Jeff Higgins]

I just have to wonder how much of this is reality versus perception. I just might be a good example of someone who others would assume to be some kind of "Porsche snob" or "purist". I am, after all, a long time R Gruppe member, and have served as our Pacific Northwest chapter "Chaptermeister" for the last seven or eight years (maybe more, I just can't remember...). I drive a '72 that is a total hooligan hot-rod, absolutely gutted, sporting a high compression, twin plugged, MFI inducted 3.0. It would be easy for others to assume I look down my nose at their impact bumper cars, their water pumpers, their front engined cars, or any other variation of Porsche beyond a long hood.

But guess what? My daily driver is a Boxster. I absolutely love the thing (in spite of some good-natured ribbing I posted here when my son bought it initially). To me, it is a very "real" Porsche in every respect. They all are - I love them all. Some more than others, of course, but that's why there is such a broad variety from which we can choose. Folks would be surprised at just how many of us R Gruppe lifers drive other, far newer Porsches... and thoroughly enjoy them.

Funny, too, how just about every hobby in which I am involved separates their "real" articles from the "lesser" examples. The last "real" Harley was the Shovelhead after all - wasn't it? The last "real" Winchester was made prior to 1964 - wasn't it? We could go on and on - aren't, say, guitars, in the same boat? "Real" Fenders, "real" Gibsons, etc.?

Hell, I bet every time I show up on my old kick start only Ironhead Sportster, the Evo and Twin Cam riders prepare themselves for some stuck up purist to tell them they are not on "real" Harleys. They are always surprised to learn that my daily rider is a brand new Road King.

I would venture to say that most of us with what others think we pride ourselves with as being the only "real" examples absolutely do not feel that way. At least no one I know does.

[Reiver]

The only True Porsche is an '83 SC, but only if you pull out the US 930-16 and replace it with an '83 930-10 euro...the rest are simply posers.
But wait there's more!
You need cloth Recaro's with Pascha B/W insets...all other seats are posers too!
We're not done yet.
You have to take the car for a partial paint job to local quality shop guy (Juan) that thinks 'metallic' equals 'metal flake' and have a 1/2 metallic bronze - 1/2 metal flake bronze paint job that matches very well unless under direct sunlight.
Every other Porsche paint job is a poser too!
What did I forget?

[LEAKYSEALS951]

When I look at the pictures of the original 901, I often think... "If I was a 356 guy and saw a pic of that in 1964-ish, I'd think 'WTF?!?'"

...In the same way when I saw a pic of the introduction of the 996.

We get stuck in our own era, and romanticize about earlier era's. Music, Cars, everything. That's what we do.

Couple of random meaningless thoughts:

Even when 914 came out in 1970's- it was a "poor man's Porsche"- not "that's not a Porsche."

When the 944 came out, my dad said "That's not a real porsche." (he had a 1965 911)
When a neighbor drove up in his new 1983 944 NA, I, as a young child idiot, said to him (with a child's honesty)
"My dad says that's not a REAL porsche because the engine is in front and is watercooled"
- this in front of my dad AND the neighbor.

I've driven/owned 911's, 911S's, 912's,914's,931's,924's,944s,951s,930's,997S's, 996's, Caymans, etc....
My dad wimped out and missed a deal on a 904 back in the day... ARGHHHH... the agony!!!!

They're all GOOOOOOD (well- except the 924!) Just kidding.
It's all relative! (Imagining Grady Clay driving a 917 or 935)

Edit 1: Who remembers the panorama that stated that after driving a 935- driving a 930 felt like driving a VW?

Edit 2- Recently- while driving my SC in a quiet upper white class neighborhood, a guy came out of his house and waved me down. I thought he'd say "Your exhaust is too loud... your golf shirt is not tacky enough! slow down fool!!! (Bursch exhaust). He didn't. He said- I want to show you something. He opened his garage and revealed his 1960 356 which he had restored. I had never really looked at a 356 before, and immediately got under it to look at the undercarriage. The whole car was more organic that a car- undulating and asymmetrical. He complained he couldn't get the 4 wheel drum brakes to pull right, so it always veered while braking. Incredible quirky- yet understandable. The car could not even stop straight- yet no one would deny it was a porsche!

[CJFusco]

Really cool replies -- thanks, guys.

And I imagine your frustration at knowing that your dad almost owned a 904! My uncle once was offered a 911 for a decent price back in 1973 or 74, and turned it down even though it looked like a steal.

Yup: it was a 1973 Carrera RS 2.7, the genuine article. He still remembers the weird feeling that came over him when he declined the deal; he knew even then that it was one of those weird turning points at which things could have gone much differently.

[wayner]

During the 50th anniversary year of the 911, I attended a Porsche platz and parked in the 911 coral. When I pulled in driving my freshly restored 73, I was told that the spot I had picked was reserved for "special" cars and I was asked to move. Interesting that for the 50th anniversary gathering, mine was the only long hood of the bunch. Not a real Porsche working in the other chronological order these days I guess

[aigel]

I have the syndrome. Air cooled flat six - that's where it is at for me. I'd never call someone out for not owning a real Porsche, but in the back of my mind ...

G

[aigel]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

Even when 914 came out in 1970's- it was a "poor man's Porsche"- not "that's not a Porsche."

In Europe these were badged VW/Porsche. Sure were not considered real Porsches. Also, they rusted away within a couple years and were history by 1980!


G

[look 171]

I know some of the purist are going thumb down on me because what I am about to do to an early car I just acquired. It has a hot 2.7 motor that pushing 265hp. It has fiberglass hood, fenders and deck lid. Ticked out race car with suspension de-tuned a little for the street. I know some of the guys will say siht about it because it not original. I have all the original parts. I wanted a light weight car with that motor. People will always say something if they do not approve. Its so much easier to say its not a "real Porsche then "what a nice car and really mean it". Funny how that "Its not a Porsche out turns the "real" Porsche all day and night long"?