Let's face it, right now Porsche doesn't offer much more than the marquee. There are other cars perform as well or better for less money.

 

Guys! I cannot think of another car which would withstand two seasons of intensive tracking (70 days worth) without any problems. Durability counts and I doubt that the Aston will overcome its heritage in that regard.

Porsche has bragged about its profits so much that everyone is taking a run at their segment. The Audi A9 is yet another example..(was the Le Mans as a prototype) aimed at the 911. There's a new entry level Ferrari coming too .. all target the profitable 911.

I expect that elements of the CGT will begin showing up in future 911s .. be patient. Manufacturers have been leap frogging the competition forever and the 998 will put PAG back in the lead. I would not be surprised to see a GT3 engine in the Cayman one of these days either.
Best,

 

Where is the Love? I have been a porsche 911 nut since I was 7 and havent even considered another, not for a second. Their is an admiration for a 911, that you either you have it or you dont. About the performance...I agree in the respect that the 911 should have the x51 package standard, but it would be just for bragging rights. The performance difference of the Z06... who cares. We are not all going to be at the track, where the difference would be seen. On the street, where we drive our 911's, I rather be in a 300hp. 996 then a gaudy corvette... even if it had 500hp. Just my Opinion. BTW if anyone wants to sell their 997'S cheap, because they want a crappy Zo6...email me.

 

Let me ask you guys this, don't you feel like your being rapped? Porsche used to stand for performance, maybe i am not a true loyalist like some, but The 911 just does not have the same impact it once had. We used to be able to say things like" Its built for the track" or " nothing out handles or out brakes it" or " it's a Porsche enough said". The sad part is , there is allot of cars out there for a lot less money doing a lot more.It's an insult to me, when Porsche offers the x51 for our cars when the car is so underpowered the x51 should be standard.I am really starting to hate Porsche as a car company and cannot see me driving another.

In reply to will, how stupid will you feel when a " Crappy ZO6 "Spanks you in the street , on the track and all the way to the bank, I could just imagine what the ZO6 owners will be thinking This guy paid allot more and cant even pretend to be a close match to their "Crappy ZO6 regardless if your in a NA 996 ,997S or even a TT.
There is a thread on the GT2/GT3 forum posted from a guy that owns a GT2 and a new Z06.I think you should just see what the guy said about the performance. We all love 911 , this is why we own them, but it doesnt mean we are smart

 

Let's wait a bit. Every new car gets the magazines into a love fest. Then, six months or more later, the warts surface. see Ford GT for example. The stock 997 is a damn fast car. Yes there are faster cars, the Noble, the F430 and the GT3 to name a few. Maybe the Z06 is quicker but that yet to be proven, especially on the durability front. Heck there are EVO's which are faster than a 911 but does that make me whine Nope.

 

I agree with you Bob. . . Very few cars, including the Corvette, can take the type of punishment on the track that Boxsters and 911s can take straight out of the box. I am sure the Cayman will be the same.

Sure, if you only want to show off on the street, or if you want to drag race, or if you want to brag about numbers, then don't buy a Porsche.

If you want to use your car on the street and the track, there are few cars that will serve you as well as a Porsche . . . Period.

 

Again, agreed . . .

 

I'm not sure what you guys are talking about. Porsches have always been slow on the street. I don't think there has ever been a time when there hasn't been several cheaper cars that could kill a base 911 in a street drag. That's not what the car is about. It's about a street car that can double as an enduro racer. Not a street car that can double as a dragster. Further, the 911 is going to have competition. The Corvette, M3, AM, and others will always be gunning for it. There is nothing wrong with that. (My big hang up with Porsche is that they won't let the 911 take a back seat and make the Cayman the sports car in the lineup but that's a different thread.)

Regarding the X51. Most owners don't need it, don't want it, so I don't suppose it makes much sense to make it part of the base car. It would certainly add to the price. It's some pretty trick stuff. I remember when my X51 upgrade package showed up at my mechanic's shop. It was a couple of days before xmas. They waited for me to get there and we spent a couple of hours unpacking it. Cams, heads, intake, headers, etc. etc. What a great day.

Regarding the Z06, give the kids at Chevy credit. They've come up with a pretty nice car. This can only be good news for us. Competition is good.

Just my 2 cents worth.
Jim

 

First,...I certainly agree that X51 should have been standard for the base model and I certainly find it an insult that porsche did'nt do so. Porsche is doing cheap tricks to sell more cars for sure...the damn fake quad exhaust for one really pisses me off. I thought only mustangs did that,...any how. I agree with Kilrgt that Porsche's doesn't have the bragging rights of yesteryears. It does'nt dominate in all categories as it use to.....even the C5Z06 was an excellent package, the C6 certainly will be better....but, I am clinging on to the one factor that the vette still lacks, and I value the most. I drive a porsche and the vette drives you. It's the feeling of being one with the car...it's the right BALANCE of power, handling and braking...not over doing any one factor. So, for me I don't see a porscheless garage in the near future...but, I am keeping my options open.

Jim, B...I just saw your post and I agree that there has always been dragsters that can out run the base porsche.....but today's Z06's and evo's are not just dragsters.

 

Let me just make my side clear so I am not put in to the 911 hating crowd.....

I have no plans of selling my current 996 which is setup nicely for the track and is taken there quite a bit! And...it holds up beautifully.

I just want another car to add to the garage and for the money that the 997S is commanding, the AMV8 is VERY appealing.

 

Agreed. Regarding the X51, of course I wish it were standard, BUT only if the list price were not higher, and that would never happen. It is far better that it comes as an option rather than standard. Don't need the extra ummphh? Don't order it and your base price is cheaper. Want the extra ummphhh? Get out your wallet and it is yours. Where is the problem? Porsche has always made owners pay for HP.

 

wow! I'm going to have to read that review.... the AMV8's HP must be underrated... the "S" is one fast car and a real handler... in porsche's defence this is why people are laying out the $$$$ for the handling and confident "feel" the car gives you.... the new Z06... sure its blazingly fast... but the "feel" isn't there... this is well documented in some recent tests... the AMV8 is a beautiful car if you like that kind of shape but how does it "feel"... as far as porsches go... often imitated... never duplicated still stands; go drive a new corvette and see how it feels... cheap plastic and low quality everywhere... (a good value but still doesn't "feel" right...) and not the easiest car to drive... a porsche will still be a good car after 4 years of hard driving... can you say the same thing for the vette?.... what porsche has to worry about is not the AMV8 (cause Aston has quality problems lets face it... and there not about to iron them out any time soon)... but BMW's new V8 M3 motor should easily outpace even an "S" given it will be a derivative of the M5-V10 ... but the handling... don't know about that... but it WILL be a great seller cause its a car you can drive all year round (or so most people seem to use this justification when buying an M3 )... in the end the competition is putting more value into sports cars as they evolve... so porsche will have to anti-up; something it can easily do but at the expense of pissing off previous p-car owners.

and for those of us who complain about not being able to dominate strait line racing... as fun as it may be.. well... that's not what porsche is all about.

 

I just find it hard to belive that they allowed the base 997 to be so close to the Cayman (or is it the other way around). It should be (as I have said)....the base 997 is the 3.8 and the "S" is the X51.

 

Oh, by the way Todd.......I won't be adding ANY more cars if we end up moving back to Georgetown in the Spring. Where in the world would I park them all!!!!

 

The crowd that thinks X51 should be standard assumes that porsche could have priced the car the same even with the X51 package. But, if the R&D etc., infact cost's the extra 10-15k and not just a scheme for higher profit..then I am cool with the currenty set up.


EDIT: T.D why would it never happen....don't each 911 model always improve..and there has been major technical advancement in the 911 series without a major increase in price and is asking for an x51 package standard after a 7 yr run of the 996 too much to ask, should we settle to the 5hp increase only. (I know the 997 improved in other aspects too...but, I am talking about the motor).