kosmo

why doesnt the boxster have a pdk tranny?

http://www.dpccars.com/car-videos-12...arrera-Cab.htm

LastMezger

What do you mean?

Most media borrow cars from the manufacturer from "press" fleets. They have what they have when they have it.

Carrera GT

It's high time the product team at Porsche "grow a pair" and put the same engine/trans/suspension in the Boxster. The 991 / 981 generation would have been the perfect time to bring a 991 3.8S and 981 3.8S and just let the driver decide on rear- or mid-engine configuration at comparable price points, performance and equipment. 911 sales would continue unabated.

solomonschris

They are trying to sell more cars, not fewer.

pdxjim

Would think the PDK model would make it quite a bit closer.

Carrera GT

Presumably, if you look at the Porsche advertised claims of Carrera vs Boxster, the 911 will always be a tad quicker, car for car, manual box or PDK vs same, base model or S.

I think the PDK would be an accessible performance (covered by warranty in launch mode) while the manual box performance requires techniques that few drivers would care to inflict on their own car.

Carrera GT

Of course every vendor looks to either "grow the pie" and find new customers or simply sell more units to their existing customer base without losing customers. both are forms of "organic" growth and both are forms of either wishful thinking ("growing the pie") or subsistance farming.

I think Porsche has tapped every well for expanding their brand into China and Russia, the Middle East, etc. They've already overstretched the brand to a precarious extent with the mini-SUV and uninspiring family sedan. But the Cayenne redeems itself by having "saved the company" and before it, the Boxster hold hero status because in its time, it too saved the company.

I have no objection to these cash cows being stabled with the thoroughbred 911. The problem now, is the 911 is being genetically modified to be a gentle-riding nag. The Boxster is, to wear out the metaphor, a sharp young stallion, but I'm afraid Porsche threatens to geld the Boxster instead of giving it its *****.

Porsche should not fear any challenge to sales of the 911 -- other than their own mismanagement of their prize jewel.

My argument is that Porsche as a collective team has lost its collective memory. It has lost the commitment to the strength of its own brand. If they could cast their "mind" back to the late 80's, they'd remember the last time Porsche tried to kill off the 911 (yes, that's clearly what's happening with the 991) and replace it with a "right" car (the very good, but infamous 928.) This debacle of misguided self-inflicted brand wounding lead to a wildly overpriced car that could have been great, but had no chance to make a permanent place for itself because it was shunned as the vehicle created to replace the 911. Porsche owners petitioned Porsche to keep the 911 and it was in spite of factory planning that the 911 prevailed by popular demand. The corporate agenda was wrong and Porsche boardroom seat warmers took their sweet time to realize who's really in charge of their P&L..

I think VW learned this lesson as they debacle-ized (I think that's a real word ...) the Lambo brand and the community of owners and devotees behind the car. They've done some horrific "cross platform" Frankenstein-ian (yes, I think that's a word, too ... : ) monsters like the Gallardo and Audi R8. They've learned their lesson and I think they've proved the point by taking the Audi back to Audi-ness (yup) and the Lambo is now, one again, a wild, rip-roaring, insanely over-the-top, ostentatious mad-man machine in the form of the Aventador.

I can only hope that somewhere back in the boardroom of VW, talking with the crestfallen Porsche mopes, the conversation starts with "Why is the 911 not a 911 in this 991 model? We must be sure that the 991.1 is very much a 911 again. No more mistakes. Start with the steering, and don't stop until the driver can turn off all the electronics completely, including the suspension dampers -- not just the traction and stability. Go make this right."

As for the Boxster, I think Porsche is so afraid of losing a handful of 911 buyers, they forsake generations of Porsche drivers who go to other marques because they want a mid-engine sports car, but won't accept something with less power than a mini-van and is clearly held down to be the "entry level" or "Poor Man's" Porsche. That's feeble brand management and "fear of success" from the product management.

Here's a colorful pie chart to illustrate the market opportunity as I see it in my ever-so humble:

Alan Smithee

I agree with you Carrera GT - with the introduction of the 981/991, Porsche has a perfect opportunity to move the 981 into a more 'sporting' role, while solidifying the 991 as a GT to appeal to the $100k+ demographic.

Here's hoping that is exactly what they do with the upcoming Cayman.

95spiderman

disagree with few things -

991 is not similar to 928 at all. its the obvious next gen 911 just as 997 was to 996

new boxster is no longer just a 'poor mans' porsche. its a totally grown up model that is arguable porsches best styling job of all time along with the cgt

porsches are always under powered vs competition from vette, fcar, viper, etc. despite 'minivan' level hp, porsches still outperform others overall. been that way since winning index of performance at lemans in 50's

vw did great job with lambo. gallardo brought the brand into the modern era. aventadore is 'wild' because thats what top of the line lambo should be. next g car will continue to improve on what it is. same with audi r8. a great job of platform sharing and still distinctive.

Carrera GT

The 928 history is an interesting study in misguided strategic decisions that lead to excellent tactical work being thwarted from the beginning.

Boxster is positioned as "entry level" and the negative connotation is "can't afford a real one" which leads a class of buyer to go elsewhere.

There's more than one way to look at "underpowered" Porsches, but specific to the Boxster, it's nowhere near where it should be. The history of racing 911's was as the "giant killer" and some described this as bring less power and more finesse to the competition. Porsche is renowned for publishing numbers under their actual specific numbers. Some say this is in part due to meeting various country standards for "safety" or other concerns in regulation.

As for VW and Lambo, if you came from a background of Lambo, the Gallardo was/is atrocious. While the platform shared with the R8 is technologically impressive, it's not a Lambo in the lineage of the Murcielago or the Countach. VW also completely screwed the pooch with Lambo as a business and a brand, they did the same to Bugatti and now they're working over Ducati and Porsche. It's not pleasant.

solomonschris

Porsche offers a range of 911's. For the track rat, they offer two GT3 variants. If a GT3 isn't a real 911 sports car, I don't know what is. At the other end of the spectrum is a car like my 991 C2S cab with PDK. Some might consider it an old man's car. It sure is comfortable and quiet and offers more modern gizmos than any previous Porsche and its limits cannot be approached on public roads. It is easier to drive fast than my 993, though it isn't as much fun, but as a DD it is the best car out there IMO. I'm sorry to see so many new Porsche cars. It will dilute the brand. Have you seen the new Porsche hybrid front wheel drive minivan or the diesel half ton pickup?

Except for the 2.7 engined 911's, these cars have proven to be both reliable and astoundingly durable. With all the electonic controls on these new cars, I don't think I would want to own one after the warranty runs out. I never felt that way about the air-cooled cars.

Carrera GT

I had the C4S Cab with PDK and my posts here attest to its standing as an "ultimate all-rounder."

As for the half-ton pickup, just don't tempt VW -- they'll try anything. "Hybrid front drive" started to sound like what will probably become the 991 Turbo at some point. No kidding! I look at the 991 mechanicals and "floor plan" and I see room for batteries and hub drive electrics ... <crosses self and curses the devil> ... I also see room against the firewall for a flat 8 to grow two cylinders off the front of the current power plant. Anything's possible. I think if Porsche wanted to appeal to a broader audience (including die-hard 911-o-philes such as myself) they could make a 3.8 six into 5.0 eight with say 600 horses and I could live with PDK doing the cog swapping to achieve whatever emissions and consumption regulations requiring partial cylinder firing cycles, stop-start, etc.

Bill_C4S

Alternatively they've shaped these brands - or will - into viable long viable/sustainable elements of the worlds most potent and profitable car stable.

Think what you will of Ferdinand Piech but the manner in which he has reshaped the VW-AUDI group is damn impressive.

This from the same lad who brought you the 917 and the Audi quattro.....

I disagree that he rendered Bugatti and Lamborghini neutered, rather he breathed life into brands that had hitherto been essentially on life support.

Carrera GT

Bugatti is dead as a Dodo. While the investors and boardroom are impressed by verbiage like "long term viable" blah, I see the car and that's all there is to say. I can only hope they've learned their lesson through attrition and I honestly hope to see Ducati and Porsche prevail. Otherwise, what the hell else is there?

As for Lambo, it is reborn and I'm very impressed by the Aventador -- were I the young man expected to emerge from those angular lines with an angular jaw and swarthy swagger, I'd enjoy the bravado of it. Alas, when I get out of one of my more ostentatious cars, passersby turn to exclaim "oh wow, it must be Brad Pit ... t's driver ..."

sfo

it's revealing that your avatar pic is of your 993 and not your 991 ..