Yeah exactly. Anyways, thats too much power and likely way too fuel ineffecient (for me). With gas rising so rapidly lately, I seriously think that smaller, compact sports cars or whatever you want to call them, will be very popular in the future.

Anyways, what I'm looking for from Porsche is something like the Mini Cooper S (or the BMW Z3 in coupe form). That car may not be the fastest, and yeah maybe dad's Toyota might be faster or whatever, but it is so fun to drive, handles so incredibly well, and obviously (being a Euro car) it is well built too. A fuel effecient, fun, pretty fast, daily driver basically.

Please don't flame me for saying this, but some of you people are way to obsessed with hp. You should be buying camaros like Tom R or something.

 

I f had 30K to dump on a toy right now Id have a whip kickin 968 Turbo replica.

 

It would have to be turbocharged so that I could realtively easily bump the power up. If it was naturally aspirated....no....there are way too many sedans that make over 250HP now even at 35k.

 

http://66.139.73.25/lotus.html

Power/weight ratio is key, and it's a lot more expensive to pare weight than stick in a big friggin 8.

If Porsche made a 4 again, sure I'd look at it.

I have to say I'm not impressed with the quality of the Lotus US web site. The photos suck for one thing.

 

one word: caterham.

 

That Lotus Elise rules.
1.8L 4 cyl...
30mpg city....
0-60 in 5.1 seconds...
DAMN!!!

 

Yeah, Lotus Elise is quite a car! Something small and light, with a decent engine would be perfect. As long as the engine can be tuned pretty easily, people can beef it up as much as they want. Just like the 951.

 

I am going to have to say no. The SRT-4 would prolly be faster in straight line which is just embarassing. At least a regualr 944 can out handle it. I say they should make a new 944 with a 3.0 ltr turbo. Sounds like a nice idea any way. What do I know though

 

Id love to get a Lotus Elise, screw passengers its all about me and one other person. I hear the Toyota engine in it isnt much for porced induction, but who knows whats gonna happen.

As to a new 4 cyl.... There a very few 4 cyls out right now that id consider. Honda S2000.... Meh, needs a better power curve. SRT4.... Just a fast Neon, I dont even like looking at them no way id want to OWN one. Butt freaking ugly too. WRX STi, yeah that makes the list for sure.

I prefer older cars. Look what the early 90s had, the MR2 Turbo, Nissan 240SXs, cars with potential, looks and handling. Look what we have now.... Cars that come from the factory with rice.

A new Porsche 4 cyl? Yeah id buy it if I could afford it and I liked the looks, and it is a decent performer.

 

I would really like to try an S2000. It can go over 50 mph in first gear!

 

The only downside with the Elise is that is has no room for luggage worth mentioning and it has a low top speed.

 

Well.. That's what my 928GT does as well and I bet that it gets there faster..

 

Peckster nailed it right on the head. It would be very difficult for a car company to make a lightweight for US distribution. NHTSA testing would kill it right away. Crumple zones, airbags in every direction, high impact bumpers, ABS, all conspire to raise weight. I would shudder to think how much more my car would weigh if it were produced today. Just look at how much more the New Beetle weighs than the Old Beetle. Not that there is anything wrong with safety at all, I'm all for it, given the ever-growing number of cell-phone using, big-mac eating, focktard drivers out there.

I think that's the reason that your average new 4-door crap-box sedan has more HP than my car. It has to, because it has a lot of weight to overcome.

This conversation is just highly theoretical, anyway. How much of a market for a bare bones, no frills 4cyl Porsche lightweight would there really be nowadays? You and I would want one, but the average person that buys a new Porsche wants PSM and SatNav, along with heated seats and XM radio. I'd be willing to bet that if the marketing guys at Porsche did a detailed study/survey, and then presented it to the shareholders, the project would be stillborn in the first tri-mester. (the exotic GT3 variants and CGT cars attract a whole different crowd of buyers)

Jeremy

 

Hmm, that's an angle I hadn't thought of before. I've been reading that the next Mitsubishi Eclipse should be an AWD turbo hybrid, the first hybrid to wring some performance out of the electric motor (think about it, all the torque comes in below 1200 RPM).

How about a small, lightweight stripper under $30k, and go technology crazy with a hybrid AWD system. I'd buy it.

I hate to say it, but the Boxster is too expensive for too little car. If I plunk down $50k on a car, sorry guys I'm getting a Z06 (best bang for the buck at any price).

See above There's something to be said for high horsepower cars that can handle too.

 

Let them buy Cayennes then! Give us sports cars!

IMO Porsche has missed out on a lot in the sports car market by not targeting sports car enthusiasts who don't have $90k to drop on a 911.

Look at the success of the Miata (why wasn't that done by Porsche?). Heck, look at the success of the Infiniti G35 coupe (that could have been a modern 944 by Porsche). Heck even as someone else mentioned, the Mini. Cheap. No BS. Fun to drive. That used to be what sports cars were about.

Sorry, today's Porsche is all about image and living off the past.