Dear Porsche,
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,897
Likes: 930
Dear Porsche,
We have all come the to love and enjoy the rear-engined 911, but your most competitive cars continue to illustrate the virtues of mid-engine design in endurance racing.
Please create and allow us to purchase a full-fledged Cayman, or give us the mid-engined Carrera that you are winning with.
Tradition should not impede progress.
DMK2
My own garage:
987.1 Cayman S (ordered by me and owned since new)
991.2 Carrera GTS (ordered by me and owned since new)
GT4 (ordered by me, recently sold, and sorely missed)
Please create and allow us to purchase a full-fledged Cayman, or give us the mid-engined Carrera that you are winning with.
Tradition should not impede progress.
DMK2
My own garage:
987.1 Cayman S (ordered by me and owned since new)
991.2 Carrera GTS (ordered by me and owned since new)
GT4 (ordered by me, recently sold, and sorely missed)
Pro
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 586
Likes: 48
Mid engine carerra would eliminate the rear seats. I want those.
I like prominently RWD drive carerra that also powers the front wheels lightly and more when needed. That's only practical and possible with the engine in the rear. Other front engine cars send power to the rear, and then back to the front in a U in a complicated with plenty of power loss. Difficult to have AWD in a mid engine...you need AWD to put the power down and it improves handling in real world conditions.
Go buy a cayman if you want mid engine. The flat 4 is really quick and doesn't sound THAT bad. A car already exists that you want.
I like prominently RWD drive carerra that also powers the front wheels lightly and more when needed. That's only practical and possible with the engine in the rear. Other front engine cars send power to the rear, and then back to the front in a U in a complicated with plenty of power loss. Difficult to have AWD in a mid engine...you need AWD to put the power down and it improves handling in real world conditions.
Go buy a cayman if you want mid engine. The flat 4 is really quick and doesn't sound THAT bad. A car already exists that you want.
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,897
Likes: 930
No, but the dynamic virtues of mid-engine placement for a regular guy like me are too obvious to ignore.
Thus, cars like the GT4 exist.
As you are aware, racing proves the technology. Racing also makes Porsche a lot of money. Another victory with mid-engine placement can give Porsche another reason to make more money.
Capisce?
Thus, cars like the GT4 exist.
As you are aware, racing proves the technology. Racing also makes Porsche a lot of money. Another victory with mid-engine placement can give Porsche another reason to make more money.
Capisce?
Pro
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 586
Likes: 48
I disagree. 'Use the right tool for the right job' is the way I see it. Just because it works on the race trace doesn't mean it works on the street. Though they can be taken to the track, these are NOT race cars.
I had a 981 boxster and mid engine handling in corners is great, but the 911 with AWD, rear steering, PDCC, etc is much much better. Flatter, faster, easier. They can't fit that stuff in a Cayman.
RWD, mid engine is very twitchy in bad weather and easy to send into a spin. The engine technically isn't even in the middle... its more like rear, but not as far as 911, which they are slowly moving closer to the center by a few inches every generation.
IMO, I wouldn't drink the marketing 'mid engine' cool-aid. Corvette needs to move the engine to the back because their cars have so much power its unusable with RWD. You just spin the wheels all day.
I had a 981 boxster and mid engine handling in corners is great, but the 911 with AWD, rear steering, PDCC, etc is much much better. Flatter, faster, easier. They can't fit that stuff in a Cayman.
RWD, mid engine is very twitchy in bad weather and easy to send into a spin. The engine technically isn't even in the middle... its more like rear, but not as far as 911, which they are slowly moving closer to the center by a few inches every generation.
IMO, I wouldn't drink the marketing 'mid engine' cool-aid. Corvette needs to move the engine to the back because their cars have so much power its unusable with RWD. You just spin the wheels all day.
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Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,897
Likes: 930
Comparing an AWD rear-engine car to a RWD mid-ending car isn't quite what I was going for, but I get your point.
Looks like you and Porsche get my point as well. As you say, "they are slowly moving closer to the center by a few inches every generation".
My kid hasn't fit in any 911 I have owned since she was 4.
Looks like you and Porsche get my point as well. As you say, "they are slowly moving closer to the center by a few inches every generation".
My kid hasn't fit in any 911 I have owned since she was 4.
Last edited by dmk2; Jul 19, 2020 at 05:37 PM.
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Racer
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 343
Likes: 87
Maybe I am just old school, but a mid engine Porsche is not a 911. At the same time, I have no objection to a fully developed 6-cylinder mid engine Cayman, or whatever else Porsche decides to call it. If the present Cayman design cannot accommodate a 6 cylinder turbo engine, design a replacement that can, but maintain the 911 for those of us who prefer the traditional configuration.
