Is Porsche widening the spotlight?
01-23-2009, 11:10 PM
#1
Three Wheelin'
Thread Starter
Is Porsche widening the spotlight?
You could argue that with the arrival of a lightweight, stripped out version of the Cayman that Porsche is preparing to let the another model share the spotlight with the 911.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/237264/
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...llCars/237264/
01-23-2009, 11:16 PM
#2
Three Wheelin'
I guess Porsche is hedging their bets. They probably have figured that the 911 may lose future steam and thus offer a suitable replacement? I sure hope not, there is no other car with the history and heritage of the 911.
01-24-2009, 09:10 AM
#3
Three Wheelin'
The writing is on the wall. Porsche must develop the Cayman platform to stay competitive in the GT2 class. I think this is the first small step towards further and future racing development. As previously posted, there has been a battle in house on this point for some time and maybe the racing program and the engineers are besting the marketers 
. If it is a harbinger, this is good news as a true race developed and mid-engined powered Porsche would be great for us all!
BTW Le Chef good stuff and great posts recently!!
. If it is a harbinger, this is good news as a true race developed and mid-engined powered Porsche would be great for us all! BTW Le Chef good stuff and great posts recently!!
Last edited by cello; 01-24-2009 at 05:19 PM.
01-24-2009, 10:45 AM
#5
Burning Brakes
I expect that the move up in the Cayman models this year and the link posted signal a couple of things:
1. The Cayman has the potential many have thought, and with more power and suspension tweaks it will give the 997.1 a run. Probably won't be too long before it is pushing the 997.1S and even the 997.2S.
2. The 911 shape is Porsche's iconic car. But its getting stiffer competition from the Corvette and now that pesky Nissan. To compete, Porsche will have to add capability and therefore cost to the 911.
3. Adding cost to the 911 will hurt sales, even if it preserves the position of that model in Porsche's line-up and relative to other high performance sports cars. This is especially true given the price points of both Nissans (370 and GT-R) and the 'vettes. After all, its the turbo that the GT-R is after, not the 997S or GT3, and the price differential is huge.
4. Enter the Cayman - beef up its capability and open the door to more owners at a competitive price to the others, plus a lower cost of entry for club and other racers.
So I expect the 911 shape will continue and move up in both performance and price, but so will the Cayman, filling different niches in Porsche's market and strategy.
Just my $0.02...
1. The Cayman has the potential many have thought, and with more power and suspension tweaks it will give the 997.1 a run. Probably won't be too long before it is pushing the 997.1S and even the 997.2S.
2. The 911 shape is Porsche's iconic car. But its getting stiffer competition from the Corvette and now that pesky Nissan. To compete, Porsche will have to add capability and therefore cost to the 911.
3. Adding cost to the 911 will hurt sales, even if it preserves the position of that model in Porsche's line-up and relative to other high performance sports cars. This is especially true given the price points of both Nissans (370 and GT-R) and the 'vettes. After all, its the turbo that the GT-R is after, not the 997S or GT3, and the price differential is huge.
4. Enter the Cayman - beef up its capability and open the door to more owners at a competitive price to the others, plus a lower cost of entry for club and other racers.
So I expect the 911 shape will continue and move up in both performance and price, but so will the Cayman, filling different niches in Porsche's market and strategy.
Just my $0.02...
01-24-2009, 11:41 AM
#7
Rennlist Member
As a 911 owner I'm still happy to see this development with the Cayman. If tall people like myself can fit in the car a little better than the current Cayman then there's a good chance I'll get one. They need a few more inches of headroom, especially since the occupants are (supposedly) wearing helmets.
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01-24-2009, 11:58 AM
#8
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As a 911 owner I'm still happy to see this development with the Cayman. If tall people like myself can fit in the car a little better than the current Cayman then there's a good chance I'll get one. They need a few more inches of headroom, especially since the occupants are (supposedly) wearing helmets.
I am 6'3" and if I put the seat back far enough in a Cayman to get the leg room to be comfortable, then the seat back is against the rear deck (firewall) and is almost 90° from horizontal (at least it feels like that). If I slide the seat forward to get the seat back at a comfortable angle, then my legs are too cramped. So a Cayman won't work for me, especially as a DD.
01-24-2009, 12:29 PM
#9
Drifting
They also need to add a couple more inches of leg room for tall drivers.
I am 6'3" and if I put the seat back far enough in a Cayman to get the leg room to be comfortable, then the seat back is against the rear deck (firewall) and is almost 90° from horizontal (at least it feels like that). If I slide the seat forward to get the seat back at a comfortable angle, then my legs are too cramped. So a Cayman won't work for me, especially as a DD.
I am 6'3" and if I put the seat back far enough in a Cayman to get the leg room to be comfortable, then the seat back is against the rear deck (firewall) and is almost 90° from horizontal (at least it feels like that). If I slide the seat forward to get the seat back at a comfortable angle, then my legs are too cramped. So a Cayman won't work for me, especially as a DD.
01-24-2009, 05:19 PM
#11
Burning Brakes
I doubt that Porsche will ever build a mid-engine car to replace the 911. For better or for worse, the rear engine layout and the shape of the 911 are the identity of the Porsche brand. The mid-engine configuration is clearly better but Porsche can't replace the rear engine 911 any more that Harley Davidson can replace the V-twin engine.
01-24-2009, 05:33 PM
#12
Three Wheelin'
^ from your post to Zuffenhausen & Wessiach's ears....I doubt that Porsche will ever build a mid-engine car to replace the 911. For better or for worse, the rear engine layout and the shape of the 911 are the identity of the Porsche brand. The mid-engine configuration is clearly better but Porsche can't replace the rear engine 911 any more that Harley Davidson can replace the V-twin engine.
01-24-2009, 06:48 PM
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Another tall guy here. 6'5" and love the idea of the Cayman, but it just doesn't fit! Only the 911 with certain seats worked for me, and so that's what I ordered. Frankly, I would be very happy if Porsche could produce a mid-engine car with a little more cabin space for my head, legs, and shoulders, especially at 40% less than the 997.2!
