Cupcar

I got to thinking about buying a 2013 Cayman because I like the mid-engine concept and it would make a nice daily driver.

I wouldn't sell my 993 though

So I looked at Boxster options thinking the next Cayman would be the same.

I hadn't looked at how for example the PASM = Porsche Active Suspension Management works and found it does not use Magnetorheologic dampers like Ferrari, Audi, Corvette, etc. but uses the old time motor adjusted dampers for $1790. To me this is unthinkable.

Then, they have something called PTV = Porsche Torque Vectoring. This is the most mickey mouse system I can imagine. To distribute differential torque to the loaded wheel they actually clamp the brake on the unloaded wheel. Wow, what junk in my opinion for $1320.

Ferrari and Audi to it the right way, with an electronic differential as pictured below. Ferrari even uses one like it in their F1 cars. Audi charges $1250 for the beautiful piece below. High pressure clutches vary differential lock continuously.



I guess this figures since Ferdinand Piech (member of Porsche family and father of the 906,908,917 etc.) is at Audi.

Forget the Cayman idea.

Mike J

Easy answer - to make more MONEY.

billqj

Ever since Wiedeking took over as top exec at Porsche it has been lower quality and higher prices. Prime example: the 996 which brought in the M96 engine and lots of plastic in the interior. And there has been no turning back since the late 1990s. It made Porsche the most profitable car maker in the world at one point. Is that a positive for the long time enthusiast and and buyer of the marque? To me, the answer is obvious.......NO!

solomonschris

How about driving the car and then deciding.

goofballdeluxe

Car companies, all of them, are wise to the fact that it doesn't serve their purposes to make cars built to last. Nowadays, they only make cars built to last....through the warranty period.

Profit over anything/everything else. That's our modern society, alas.

pcarrera993

Ironically someone at work bought a brand new 2012 Panamera and they were fuming about car in dealer 3 times for rack and pinion issues. Supossedly Porsche gave them 10 grand in credit for their next PCar

Bill Verburg

993 option M220 which includes ABD works the same way

You could always select the lsd option, though I hear it's not the most robust lsd out there

Ed Hughes

What car maker hasn't made compromises in materials, etc?

I'd like to see the reliability of Porsche's various systems vs any of the electronic versions before I made my decision.

element

Greed is what will put an end to the human race and quality cars.. everyone wants more more more and they give less back. I think it's simple math and no one should be surprised. What happened with being happy with sustainability? We are taught that making the same YoY is BAD and only growth is acceptable.. sustaining and becoming more efficient is sooooo yesterday!

phil.

Mark Harris

My shareholders expect YoY growth and a dividend. Just as I do with the companies I hold stock in. It's a delicate balance. If the majority of my buyers have no idea what PASM or PTV is or why they would need it to get to their country club and back in their 991 it's nothing more than a business decision.

Vote with your feet. If the majority speaks and Porsche discovers lost sales we will get Magnetorheologic dampers. Until then they will show YoY growth and pay a dividend.

I'm not disagreeing with you but have learned that emotion ends at the boardroom door.

Stealth 993

There is also something to be said for simplicity. Audi is the prime example. They make great wiz bang things. However, they fail, fail hard, & cost a ton to fix.

I bet that diff cost more as a replacement part then an option. Porsche design, while being less elegant, is just as effective, costing less to make, setup & maintain. Plus it's lighter, there are no light Audi's!

But agreed, some places they need to pony up, & offer better then the competition.

SOS

Yep, PTV looks like it's basically the old ABD, which I think is pretty useless. Gimmicks are part of the game now. You have to offer more acronyms than the next guy to sell cars these days.

They just don't make them like they used to, but they simply can't. It's a different world now and complaining about it is just a sign that I'm getting old lol.

NP993

Amen.

Also, in all fairness, Porsche does make a 911 for the serious enthusiast who knows the difference between marketing hype and real quality -- the GT3.

djantlive

there are suckers that will buy all these expensive options. let them buy those loaded 991 and 981s. it's their money

nothing wrong with 996 actually. the 2002+ 911s are actually well built with few issues (RMS, IMS, coolant expansion tank). they are really affordable compared to 993s and new 991s. best value for a 911.

RonCT

Easy solution - Buy a Cayman / Boxster without the gimmicks. I've had several new and older Porsches and I don't like the whole PASM concept at all. My 987 Boxster had a "standard" suspension and it was great. So don't write-off a modern Porsche just because you can buy things like PASM and PTV, try both and decide and you'll probably be just as happy without.