How about some accurate, well written commentary on the state of Porsche leadership?

http://www.autoextremist.com/page2.shtml#Rant

 

I guess Lorenzo thinks Porsche sold out when they stopped building the 356. This cry for Porsche to somehow remain 'pure' is just nonsense. He decries the company's focus on profit rather than on some unreachable sports car purity. What nonsense. Porsche is a company that nearly went under just 12 years ago. The Cayenne has made the company huge profits than enabled new models, with much lower profit margins - like the Cayman - and allowed Porsche to pour millions into racing with the LMP2 program.

Porsche is now a stable and profitable company that happens to make cars that people dream about. What is the problem?

 

LOL... did you actually just call the Cayman low profit?

The car that that even new arrival 08's are getting %5 off sticker? And leftovers for 15% off? The car that is 10K overpriced to start? The car that marketing built, or at least crippled to protect the cash cow on the next ladder rung?

That's funny. I am a porsche freak, and what they are doing now is corporate profit building and expansion of market, NOT serving their core enthusiast audience. The only benefit to the enthusiast is that they stay in business... but we sure aren't getting better cars. We're just paying more for options that should be standard, and engines that should be bigger. That doesn't benefit me...

At least for another year or so until the massive depreciation hits the cayman and I can get one cheap

 

Diversify? Yes. Jump on the SUV bandwagon with a big heavy entry? Not what I expected from Porsche.

 

How is Porsche not serving their 'core' audience? Have you driven a new Boxster or Carrera? They are amazing cars! The company has more options for enthusiasts than ever before. What more could they offer?

And before you say a lower priced/entry level car - don't. That is what the Boxster is. If you factor inflation, the Boxster is priced below where a 944 was priced in 1985. Do you really want Porsche to compete with Mazda, Chevrolet, and Nissan? They can't - there is nowhere to amortize the costs. Porsche's profit margins per car are fairly low, as is true for most sports cars. Porsche cannot, and does not need to, compete with companies that produce millions of cars each year. They are still the smallest manufacturer.

Next you will point out that the Corvette Z06 can outperform the Carrera. True enough. But I bet Chevy loses money on each one they sell - and they can afford to when they sell more base Corvettes than Porsche sells sports cars. Compare the base Vette and base Carrera and in terms of quality there is no comparison. By the way, did you notice that Porsche was the highest ranked manufacturer in terms of initial quality in last year's JD Power survey? Imagine the investment in new technology and manufacturing facilities that took - to beat Lexus and Mercedes in quality!

Sure, the Cayenne was a non traditional entry. But it made huge amounts of money for Porsche - and gave the company a firm financial footing for the first time in decades. They have clearly invested that money in the new 987, Cayman, and 997. They also bought a controlling interest in VW, stabilizing a major source of engineering support and manufacturing capability. And now they are back in racing to stay with more than just production models. Next year Porsche will probably return to Le Mans.

Go ahead Porsche, make a few SUVs and a sedan. Just as long as you keep making the best line of sports cars in history and compete on the best race tracks in the world.

Oh, and by the way, in a capitalist system companies are supposed to make money - that is how it works.

I'm done... sorry if I went on a bit.

 

Actually rpm, you echo my normal line of thought. I have driven a Boxster...but bought the 944. I was pro Cayenne for the same reason, that it funded the R&D that leads to more models. I'm only interested in Porsches really... it's all I've wanted since childhood. A Z06 may be the best thing since sliced bread but I don't care.

But I hang around here too much... the Cayman WAS crippled to start. Porsche is the most profitable per unit of any auto company by FAR. We wanted them to stay indy. Cool. But now they own 28 or 29% of VW. They have brand conflicts and competition with Audi and a new 'upmarket' VW. Do you think that might sidetrack them from things?

Do I want cheaper porsches? Not really.... it would indeed devalue the marque. But I don't want them to cheapen it via other means. The sedan needs to stand on its own. I hope it does. The 997 turbo is awesome too, and technologically advanced. But I would love to see Porsche the brand stay true to sports cars and not chase fads and limit great platforms with marketing.

Kill the Cayenne now that SUVs are dying, let Audi sell the Q7. Make the Panamera perfect. Accept that the 911 is a classic but that other formats can and will be its' equal. Make the Cayman unstoppable and rule racing with it and the RS Spyder. There are options. If they keep it, cool. But it's the one porsche that I personally have no interest in ever owning.

Anyway, we're on the same side... and the lines are far more grey than black and white. I'm sure we'd both love a 400hp factory 3.8L Cayman, no?

 

First off, I'm quite sure that a stock 911 will beat a stock Vette...IIRC the Carrera runs to 100km/h in the high 4's, where a C6 takes 5.0 seconds.

Next, have you seen a Cayenne S hauling ***? It will beat a Boxster around the track, it makes so much power...just imagine what the Turbo S pepper does..

As for a 3.8L Cayman, let's just pray. Hell, let them stick with the Boxster engine but TT it and see how fast that little bastard can go.

As for a waste of an SUV...I give you the Lamborghini LM002:

 

I have to say that I attended a PCA talk given by the chief of Cayenne powertrain development. They've managed to get 10-15% more power out of the cars, while gaining 10% in fuel economy. Direct fuel injection, variable drive oil pumps, variable length intake runners...the tech may be a little gimmicky, but they aren't just pocketing the money. There is R&D going into the production vehicles (although admittedly not racing).

Looking at a Cayman and a 997 under a lift this weekend, everything seemed well thought out and logical. Everything seems to have its place. Let's face it, the factory put the 944, 928, and original 911s through a lot of add-ons and tweaks that really were hack jobs. Instead of driving 2 cams on one timing belt like every other manufacturer of the day, the factory added a separate chain drive for the second 944 cam.

BTW V2, the Cayman I looked at on a lift had a new 3.8 911 engine sitting under it, with a ticket from the factory. It can happen, for a price.