schnele

La bella machina.

jimculp

Beautiful car Dino.

onboost

Yeah, the F-car is very sexy.. but the 930 aint a bad looker either. The thing that counts for me is that they both provide miles of wood when I drive either.

Dino944

They are really very different cars. Each is fantastic to drive. Over the years I've had a lot of experience behind the wheel of 911s, 930s, 944s (in various forms), and the occasional 928. I adore Porsches of the 1980s. I'm happy to concede that with regard to fit and finish of the paint, a 1980's 911/930 is superior to a 1980s Ferrari. Porsches are generally easier to use as an everyday driver (they are more upright and have better visability). For me the main reason for owning a Porsche or Ferrari from the 1980s is smiles per mile. The idea of rationalizing ownership of either car as being based on superiority is an exercise in futility, because many newer cars such as a base model Corvette will out perform either of them. The only real reason to own a Turbo Porsche or a Ferrari is fun!

Best regards,
Dino

Dino944

Thanks Jim and Schnele!

onboost

Dino, very well put.. my sentiments exactly!

However, as far as the Corvette thing goes, I view performance as enveloping of the entire package. My experience has always been that Corvettes may out perform down the straight but they just don't turn and/or handle well.

Think too that it's pretty impressive that with the newest 930 being 20yrs young and the 308/328 being as old and older, they are both still revered, envied, and often used as the baseline of performance for others to reach.

Oh, and pretty car by the way!

Dino944

Hi Onboost,

I agree with you about performance being an entire package to consider, as there is more to driving that just going quickly in a straight line. I merely used the Corvette as an example of reasonably priced modern car that is quicker/faster than 20 year old sports cars.

In the grand scheme of things, its complete driving experience that makes driving a Ferrari or Porsche something that people find memorable. To this day I still remember my first ride in a Ferrari back in 1982. I loved the sounds, the way it felt in a corner, and I loved seeing the driver using that gated shifter! Now to be able to use that gated shifter on a nice winding road, and hearing that symphony behind me as the RPMs climb is just a wonderful experience.

Like you I find myself amazed that these cars really set a standard by which other sports cars were measured and are still measure today. Great cars create legends, feelings, and memories that live on long after their 0-60 and 1/4 mile times have been surpassed by computer enhanced, less lively modern cars.

Thanks for the kind words about my car. Its like a member of the family. I love your Grigio GTS. Its a very handsome color on a 308 and its always nice to see something besides the expected red/tan. Although my car is red, the interior sets it apart from other cars. I've only seen one 308 with the same two tone interior from the factory (red leather dashboard, door pulls, map pockets, red carpeting, and crema seats, door panels, and transmission tunnel).

Best regards,
Dino

Vifa

Fully agree. It all comes down to 'smiles per mile'.

The 308/328 is a very beautiful car, so is the 930. 5 sec from 0-60 back in the 80s is still 5 sec today. Only difference from now and then is that more cars today can do 0-60 in 5 sec compared to back then. At that time these cars seemed to be among the fastest cars.

I like to compare the cars of the 80s with videogames. To me many videogames from the 80s and early 90s had way more gameplay than games of today have. Videogames have devolped to be as realistic as possible, better grapich, better sound etc. Cars have been going through the same development, better brakes, more comfort, more anything etc. BUT IMO the olds cars still have more 'gameplay' than the new ones; they bring out the smiles.

Dino944

There is no denying both the 930 and the 308/328 are beautiful cars that still have many admirers throught out the world.

5 seconds is 5 seconds, but as you have hit upon, there were fewer cars in the 1980s that could reach 60 in under 6 seconds. Excluding customized cars, only products from companies such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Lotus could reach 60mph in under 6 seconds...and several of those offerings were more than $100,000 when new.

By the 1990s you could buy a Twin Turbo Mazda RX7, Toytota Supra Turbo, or 300ZX Turbo that could hit 60 in less than 6 seconds and for a lot less than the aforementioned cars of the 1980s.

Modern sports car greatness seems to require 0-60 in about 4 seconds.

I also appreciate your thoughts on the evolution of video games. It parallels sports cars because I prefer the raw feel of a 930 or 308/328, which don't have all the unnecssary electronic gizmos found in modern cars. When you drive 930 or 3X8 you drive the car, rather than passively riding in it. These cars had a limited purpose to get you some place fast and put a smile on your face. These cars were not about Nav systems, ipod connections, 500watt sound systems, or air conditioned seats with massage function. Whats next cars that will chew our food and have sex for us?

Thank goodness companies like Porsche, Ferrari and a few select others built cars that have stood the test of time and which require a driver rather than a passenger that steers.

Best regards,
Dino

onboost

Dino,
You are correct.. Grigio! I specifically sought either this color or Verde Pino.. I do also like the red but wanted something different having previously owned a red F-car. I believe I have seen either the 308 you mention and/or your car as the two tone interior I remember.. probably at the Nat'l Meet or La bella machina at Pocono. Very nice touch.. my car has grey piping on the tan seats. There is also a white Testa Rossa out there w/red interior inclusive of the dash.. rare in that the dash is usually black as well.

Ahhh.. and you mention the gated shifter on the winding road.. that is always quite fun and I have always loved the sound of the gate as you pass thorough each gear... my first experience with this riding shot gun in a 512BB.

As you and Vifa point out, thhere are many cars today that will both equal and rival the performance of the 930 & the 308/328s etc.. however, as mentioned, these cars are laden with so many electronic controls that it just simply takes the pureness out of the pleasure of driving!

I love to **** off my buddies when I explain to them that 20yrs from now no one will be trying to restore some of today's supercars as they won't be able to figure out all the elcectonic issues! I love the simplicity of the late 80's and earlier cars.. something you can diagnose on the road, cross reference a Bosch part # or something.. fix the car with a vw part and get yourself home! Try that with a late model Porsche or Ferrari as your passing through east bum-fu#%$ USA.

And who needs nav in a sports car? When we meet-up some of our runs.. we pass out directions with mileage marks, ask that you zero your odometer before leaving the lot, and put your nav away or turn it off if part of the car! It just takes something away... besides, you've probably got the ol' lady there to tell you which way to go or that "we're lost!"

Fun stuff guys.. enjoy!

Dino944

Hi Onboost,

I've seen a few 308s and Grigio, but Verde Pino, thats a rare one. I've never seen that color in person, just in pix. The gray piping must look great with your interior!

I agree completely about people not being able to restore todays techno saddled cars. A few years back Peter Egan wrote an article on restoring his E-Type Jag and saying that no one will be able to restore a todays cars such as BMWs with "I Drive." I agree 100% with that idea. For me the raw simplicity of 911s/930s and Fcars of the 80s make them a joy to drive. Don't get me wrong, for a DD a car with computer aided junk is great, but for a weekend toy...I prefer to drive rather than merely steer.

Best regards,
Dino

onboost

Hey Dino..

Here's a front shot.. doesn't really show the piping well. Fog lights were ordered new with the car, factory mounts Bosch lights however.

Other shot; when the Porsche is down, bring the F-car!

All the best..

Paul

Dino944

Hi Paul,

Your car looks great. Seeing that you are in the MD/DC/VA area, I may have seen pix of your car next to a silver 328 in the same area. The photos I saw of the 2 cars together was on Fchat. Not positive that its your car but either way it looks great. The I love the piping on the seats, and wonder why the did not offer it on the 328s. Thanks for the additional photos.

Here is a quick photo of my interior red and crema interior (please excuse the sheepskin cover on the drivers seat, I use it to protect the seat bolsters).

Best regards,
Dino

Vifa

First of all, those F-cars are really looking gorgeous. Love your interior Dino944!

Fully agree with you. I mentioned it for my Porsche dealership last time I vistited them. They had a 997 GT3 in the showroom with PCM. I told them it was against the spirit of the car (minimal luxury equipment) but every GT3 seems to have PCM as standard.

Per my definition:
A Turbo is a well equipped car (but not necessarily with a nav system)
A Turbo S is a luxury stripped vision of the Turbo
A GT2 and GT3 is even more luxury stripped than the Turbo


Anyway, the thoughts about BMW's I-drive make me think of how impossible it will be to keep those cars timeless. The I-drive (and for that matter all of the other nav systems around) seems to be a very time typical thing of this specific era of cars right now. In a 20 years period those things will not be up to date, and when they fail they will be very hard to repair.

Nevertheless, I think Porsche's PCM is somekind of all right. But I don't like BMW's I-drive at all.

jimculp

Latest Hemmings Sport and Exotic has a nice piece on competition Porsche 911 based Turbos.