Rumor has it...
06-13-2015, 12:54 PM
#32
Three Wheelin'
Well they changed the 911 from air to water cooled and still called it a 911. When the 991 came out, in spite of having barely 5% of its parts in common with the 997, it was still called a 911. Next year all 911's will be turbo'd, even though it seems only one of the turbo'd 911's will be called the 911 Turbo.
It does make you wonder, could they flip the engine around making it mid-engine'd and still call it a 911? Why not? And then,down the road a ways, after several years of the new 4 cylinder mid-engine 911 hybrid turbo the truth will finally begin to dawn on us- the one thing that defines a 911 is…. round headlights.
It does make you wonder, could they flip the engine around making it mid-engine'd and still call it a 911? Why not? And then,down the road a ways, after several years of the new 4 cylinder mid-engine 911 hybrid turbo the truth will finally begin to dawn on us- the one thing that defines a 911 is…. round headlights.
And here's the thing - there is normally a long time lag between when you fall in love with a 911 and when you can afford one. So, say your 21 now and it takes you ten or twenty or thirty years to afford a 911. You'll be so used to all the changes that a mid-engine, non-manual 911 is the norm. (Or you just want a status symbol and do not care about the history.). The "Evolution not Revolution" concept is genius as things change so slightly that your desire to own a 911 is overcome by any rational examination of the fact that the car you fell in love with is not the car you are buying.
Those who have one foot in the past and one in the future will be the ones who finally see the round headlight (and perhaps the Badge) as the only thing that links past and present. Sadly, the enthusiast PAG that built the 911 no longer exists (lierally and figuratively). Profit incentive and meeting environmental regulations now dictate what we get to choose from - and for some, pickins' appear to be slim and getting slimmer with each iteration.
06-13-2015, 01:23 PM
#33
It does make you wonder, could they flip the engine around making it mid-engine'd and still call it a 911?
You could call it a 911, but I'd call it a Cayman or Boxster. Moreover, there's only enough room for a nominal rear seat in a 911 with the engine in the rear. It would be interesting to see how much space there would be for a rear seat with the engine in front of the rear wheels.
You could call it a 911, but I'd call it a Cayman or Boxster. Moreover, there's only enough room for a nominal rear seat in a 911 with the engine in the rear. It would be interesting to see how much space there would be for a rear seat with the engine in front of the rear wheels.
06-13-2015, 04:37 PM
#34
Racer
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Is the Ferrari 458 Italia Speciale not a Ferrari because it has a mid-ship V8 instead of a V-12 hanging out in front of the driver? What makes a car special is not the the specifics of its mechanical layout, but the spirit driving the development of the cars. For me, a Porsche is a Porsche when it uses inventive engineering to create a truly streetable sports car that is highly competitive on the track because of its focus on great cornering ability. There are many competitors to the 911 that are faster and that can can be wrestled around a track at commendable speeds, but not with a Porsche's aplomb and liveability. I suspect that Porsche will hold to this spirit for years to come.
06-13-2015, 07:30 PM
#35
Rennlist Member
In the early 70s Porsche tried to dump the 911 and replace it overnight with the 928. It did not work with customers and the 911 continued...until Porsche took a slower way and have been evolving the classic 911 elements out of existence.
Whatever it becomes it will still be called the 911 because that is too successful a franchise. But in ten years buyers will be laughing at the 991 as an old fashioned car and the 993 will be as quaint at the original beetle. Sadly in ten years most people buying cars won't know what real cars were.
In less than ten years driving a car will be like wearing a condom with a French tickler on the end...and that is just not the same as the real deal.
Whatever it becomes it will still be called the 911 because that is too successful a franchise. But in ten years buyers will be laughing at the 991 as an old fashioned car and the 993 will be as quaint at the original beetle. Sadly in ten years most people buying cars won't know what real cars were.
In less than ten years driving a car will be like wearing a condom with a French tickler on the end...and that is just not the same as the real deal.
06-13-2015, 07:58 PM
#36
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06-14-2015, 12:57 PM
#37
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However, I think these gizmos are great, a vast improvement over the "real car".
I do have great sympathy with you over the ultimate future of the car. We are probably only a few decades away from them truly becoming "automobiles", electronically controlled pods that whisk us safely and comfortably from point to point while we cruise our social media. The only "driving" that will be necessary will be to input trip parameters on our smartphones or tablets. Given my age, I will probably be dead by then. In the interim, I believe that Porsche will continue to live true to its spirit and continue to provide the best driver's cars of the time.
06-14-2015, 02:25 PM
#38
