Noah Fect

There may indeed be no substitute for a Porsche, but because of the company's incessant game-playing and artificial market segmentation with its platforms and powertrains, even its longtime customers wish desperately for one to appear.

That should bother Porsche's management team more than the C8 should. But my guess is, they aren't paying much attention to either the competition or the customers. What they've been doing works very well for them.

At least so far.

K-A

I did a focus study on this car so have seen it in person (.... in a dream). Those are just fake paste ons to trick people.

fast1

If I were in Porsche sales, I'd be concerned about a Corvette thread in a Porsche forum with nearly a 1/4 million views. No question that the C8 will take some of Porsche's market share, especially the Cayman and Boxster models. I wouldn't want to be a Porsche salesman trying to convince a customer that a 4 cyl 300 HP Cayman is just as good a sports car as a 8 cyl 495 HP C8, especially since they cost about the same.

2slow2speed

The GT3's are halo cars with what used to be limited production #;s, that has changed thanks to PAG, people willing to wait will be able to get a GT3 at MSRP.
Could you possibly imagine PAG producing 30K GT3's, and expecting customers to pay ADM for them?

The run of the mill C8 should be compared to a Base 718 Cayman based on price-point, and a 992 in regards to possible performance metrics as well as the history between the two cars 911 vs Corvette's.

The pent up demand on the C8 is simply due to the new platform architecture, once everyone and his brother gets one I don't really expect dealers asking for ADM's or any customers willing to pay for dealer markup's.

Same goes with the 992, I can't possibly think that the typical Porsche customer will be dumb enough to pay for ADM on a mass produced 992 on year 2-3 of production. (I am not sure that dealers are even asking for ADM's for a car that has not been received well by the P-car community currently)

STG

"At least so far" are the key words ....

I always get the feeling that many long time customers have become very irritated with the games and the loyalty factor has been greatly diminished. Once better options arise, many will run as fast as they can. Up until this point, they have had a unique niche in the market.

Now with ever increasing prices and questionable new models (992), the peak may have passed for many enthusiasts. I haven't talked to many Porsche owners who have good things to say about the dealer experience, customer service, and hold their business practices in high regard. Just saying!!

STG

They still have to hide that hideous car?? Ok, it's gonna look like a Panamera we know that already. Lots of disappointment already with guys who had higher hopes. Overpriced electric appliance. No thanks.

stealthpilot

It looks like they may be exiting the Boxter and Cayman segment. The current model is old, and there is no plan in place to replace it.

C5driver

The problem is defining what is "just as good."

Are we talking 0-60 times, build quality, nameplate, canyon carving...what?

hf1

Porsche should take this opportunity to return to its original lightweight ethos. Keep the Boxster/Cayman n/a, b6, and around 300-350hp but roll up your research sleeves and make them 2700lbs, or 1000lbs lighter than any 500hp american muscle car. Plenty of room for both heavy high HP and lightweight low HP sports-cars to coexist so everyone can choose for themselves. I know what I would choose.

StudGarden

Not mid engine per say. Just overall appeal, fun and desire to have. The C7 was a very good value and I did like it, just not enough to get one. The C8 is way more interesting, but I'm not getting anything based on auto shows and reviews. Going to have to see it in person and will wait for the MSRP Wars from the "worlds biggest corvette dealers!" Etc. I don't need to be first to get anything.

I think Chevy will siphon sales away from the overpriced Shelby and of course all the fugly Dodges (the RC Cola of American muscle cars) which are gross looking land yachts. I also think it will further depress 718 and regular 992 sales as well as pull small amounts across the board from the higher end stuff.

By the time we see the effect, the Z6 will be out and will push what's happening a little further (again, assuming they can produce) and the Zora could he a flat out super (even hyper)car killer.

Now obviously a lot of these purchases are emotional and none are ever "needs" based. There will always be buyers of every brand. Even Ferrari manages to sell some of the most disgusting looking cars in the world with their gross little wagon thingies etc.

Porsche will probably sell similar Spyder and GT4 numbers due to brand loyalty and all that, plus they are really great cars no doubt. And not exactly apples to apples with the C8 anyway.

And no matter what any manufacturer does, there's never going to be a monopoly that puts all other sports cars out of business; all models will sell to some extent. But it's saying something (to me at least) when regular Porsches just don't do it for me anymore. The brand has gotten rather blah to me below the GT line.

Of course none of this matters if Chris "days of thunder" Harris can't drift it so we'll just have to see.

neanicu

Light cars are pipe dreams at this point : they're never coming back! Safety regulations and emissions will not permit it! Unless you are using a bespoke builder that can do anything he wants on an older chassis or a car manufacturer that is using exotic materials,you will not see a regular production car under 3000 LBS. Perhaps a cheap Toyota Corolla with zero options and a 4 cylinder is still under 3000 LBS...or a Mazda Miata with 2 seats and a soft top...
Cars will become fatter and fatter,just like their owners...

hf1

I would think emissions should benefit from lighter weight. I also don’t think weight has crept up due to more demanding safety standards. Tech and materials have progressed over the last 20 years. If anything, it should be easier to build a light car today than it was 20yrs ago, and still satisfy modern safety standards. I think the reason lies in focus and direction. Porsche can make its cars much lighter if it decided to take that direction and allocate resources to that end instead of HP (and weight) increases.

If Mazda and Alfa could build 2500lb cars that satisfy all safety standards, then Porsche can certainly build a 2700lb Porsche.

neanicu

Let's take the Cayman GT4. Or the Corvette C8. Where do you see they can save weight without getting into exotic materials like carbon fiber,magnesium or titanium? Believe me,if they could they would...they can't! Not when the market is demanding all the creature comforts,the safety equipment(most of which is mandatory),or the emission system which now requires heavy GPFs etc.

neanicu

Alfa is using a carbon fiber tub. Mazda has a 4 cylinder engine,a manual transmission,one of the smallest interiors in the industry and a mechanical soft top.
Porsche can't do that with a 6 cylinder,PDK,leather interiors with deviated stitching etc. AP even had the ***** to tell us leather interiors are lighter than plastic ones...

K-A

It’s not my thing really (the car) but it looked nothing like the Panny they had sitting next to it. Or it did, but like a future gen highly sleekened Panny. It looked like an exotic with sedan dimensions (which personally I find awkward cause the sedan aspect messes with the exotic aspect, good example is the absolutely hideous AMG GT sedan which is barf worthingly awkward.... the Porsche looks immensely better than that), closest thing I can think of to it is a Fisker Karma. It’s gonna be MASSIVELY successful. It made the Panamera look like a stodgy square sedan next to it. Which says a lot as the Panny makes its competitors look like stodgy square sedans.

I bet if you added up all the C7 launch threads, it would be similar. This always happens when Vettes hit the market. Naturally the mid engine (should) pushes the C8 further.

Also, the C8 looks massive next to a 911. The width alone is SUV worthy. It’ll be no ballerina canyon carver like the Caymans. It’ll definitely appeal to a broader market, but we can take bets on how reviewers will confirm it doesn’t feel like the go-kart scalpel Caymans do.

The B/C’s will most likely be EV only when/if they get replaced.