neanicu

If you've been disappointed by Porsche for all this time then you are doing the right thing going in a different direction. It's not like a life changing event,as you said,you can always come back...
I do not necessarily find pleasure in seeing other brands fail as you might think(even though I'm guilty of some mean comments),but I brace myself at the impact a car like Z28 might have if it doesn't turn out to be the beautiful white horse you've been presenting. Yes,the hit will be minor,if it will cost in the 50s,but in the 70s and up you start weighing options...still not GT3 territory and I agree,if the GT3 fails,it will take Porsche years to recoup...
Yes,the Porsche Marketing machine is strong,may it be hard for you to believe,the domestic Marketing is '' sweet ''...it's like a good red wine that you don't feel at first...because it evolves around the price range where they can't be beat and it addresses to a different category of buyers...but it's there,no worries... '' The mighty Z28 with it's 500 HP and 470 torque...''....but it will still have to prove track worthy just like the GT3...
The BAC MONO is a different toy and you are right that it doesn't need much marketing : it's a track tool,but you won't be seeing many driving it on the street...will you?
Yes,Detlev's statement is total BS and you won't do a 24hrs in the GT3 and then drive it home,but people have been driving them to the track and back home for years,why wouldn't the 991 GT3 be capable of doing the same thing?
I'd say you are a cool guy with a lot more Porsche experience than me,but my humble opinion is that presenting an alternative to Porsche for the track is car guy talk,exaggeration is not...

wanna911

I don't look at it that way. I was sad to see BMW go the route of non-enthusiast cars because it's one less manufacturer that makes cars that some of us like to buy. BMW had some of the best drivers cars around, that's a huge loss. Not only that, it prompts others to follow suite so they can say they have the latest technology on their car to compete in the market to people who like to hear the names of cool sounding gadgets. It sells cars, phones, computers you name it. The more fancy electronics, the more sales.

There is nothing good about that, and I am in no way wedded to Porsche's increasingly irrelevant status as a top performance car manufacturer.

Alan Smithee

C'mon, Mike - give credit where credit is due. The Camaro is based on an ancient Australian sedan (read: bulky) platform, and the company is barely out of bankruptcy, yet they sidelined the development funds that have resulted in an extremely serious effort that appeals to a very small niche.

Porsche, on the other hand, is the most profitable car manufacturer, and started with a clean sheet to develop their signature product. They chose to go for a wide audience.

That said, I do not think the Z28 will win over many Porsche die-hards. That is what the new Corvette is for. The M3 seems to be the target of the Z28.

Mike in CA

Alan, I'm trying to figure out if your post is tongue in cheek or not....

In case it isn't, and just for the record, I wasn't knocking the Z28 (except for a comment about it's looks). If somebody thinks it will make a great track or for-any-purpose car, and wants to buy one, more power to 'em. I don't feel compelled to burst their bubble with a bunch of negativity.

I just found it inconsistent that some of the very same people who have been complaining that a 3200 lb Porsche is too heavy to be a proper track car, were lauding a 3700 lb Camaro for being a potentially good one.

MaxLTV

I agree that it's a good progress, but in the context of this discussion, it sounds similar to those teachers that say "Billy should win the science competition because his parents just got divorced, and we have to be mindful of that." How does GM's hardship or the car's humble origin make Z28 a better car?

I agree that they are gunning after M3, and it will likely eat M3 for lunch at the track, even being heavier. But it will only appeal to those M3 buyers who do not put much emphasis on daily driving, which is a minority.

GrantG

Under $55k for Vette C7 with Z51, as I expected:

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/04/26/e...orvette-sting/