I guess business is important to any car company. I can understand how Porsche have to increase their profits and market share. There's Lamborghini whao are, with new life thanks to Audi, making better meaner sport cars and expanding their line up and sports car market coverage with their new Gallardo, There's Ferrari, the most highest earing sports car brand, who have the 575M grand tourer, the Enzo which currently is the peak of the supercar, the 360 Modena, the best selling Ferrari ever, and a new racing version the 360 Challenge Stradale, and an all new 612 Scaglietti. Aston Martin is coming with an all new DB9 and if the pressure by other sport car brands wasnt enough, brands whose products are less sport oriented like Mercedes Benz' highend AMG models and the all new SLR are getting into the field. BMW and its new 6 series and its up coming M models certainly dont make things easy for those selling high power performance machines.
With the ever expanding sports car market, Porsche is doing what they think are taking the appropriate measures. They used their 4 wheel drive technology and their status brand image to sell the Cayenne (Carrera means race in Spanish and has an emotional exciting feel to it. Boxter, it sounds like its here to rip your head off, Cayenne? name of an ingredient made of chili........ :? ) and have a piece of the never ending expansion of the American SUV market. After Porsche left the air cooled engine and the body frame that takes its roots to the very first 901, Porsche fanatics, like I, were undoubtly very disappointed with Porsches move to make an SUV. For the Porsche hardcore fans, its more than just the performance figures, of course, what is on paper is extremely important, but it is more than that. the 911 is engineering triumph and excellence, its taking an idea that is polarized, (the rear engine configuration is great for downforce, but on curves, when things get out of controll, due to the laws of physics, it will attack you) and perfecting it so it uses all of its attributes and overcomes all the troubles. The result? a car that has so much downforce and which uses it on the curves to its advantage. The 911 is the success of engineering evolution. the handling is perfected and it is so alive. The shape of the 911 is legendary and being behind the wheel of one, you feel proud that you dont agree to the norm. When everyone said the rear engine configuration was a bad idea, Porsche stuck to it and proved that it could be better than what others called a good idea, a mid engined car. Mid engine cars are great, amazing machines no doubt, but Porsche did things the hard way and made something that is as good as any mid engined car and arguably better. The persistence, the unstoppable surge to achieve perfection, that's what Porsche is about, what it symbolizes and what makes it a legend, a value beyond just a great machine. This is what Porsche is regarded as to those who love Porsche. So the departure of the orginal characteristics of the 911 upset those like me, however, with the much improved handling, grip, performance figures and track times, I am no longer in contempt. Actually, the 911 Turbo, GT2 and GT3 are the best performing Porsches ever and not just on paper and track times. But as soon as Porsche fans were embracing the new 911, the Cayenne emerged. It is a great machine, its off road abilities are brilliant and its road performance stunning for a SUV. But its not what Porsche symbolizes. Just then, when you thought they did sell out,,, the Carrera GT.... silence. performance performance performance.
So, what is happening? first they throw you off with the departure of the orginal 911, then they bring you back with the best 911's so far, then they throw you off again, with the Cayenne. and now,, the Carrera GT. disease-medicine-diesease-medicine. If you think about it Porsche is quite smart. They make the most profit out of their brand value and technology and expand their position in the market and still do a good job at keeping the fanatics.
aaaand now,,, a 4 door Porsche? something to upset the Porsche enthusiasts again? might be an obvious move considering their disease-medicine-disease-medicine pattern. I think whatever Porsche make will be great. They have made front, mid and rear engined cars, posses 4 wheel drive technology and the latest suspension and steering technology thanks to its achievement in perfecting a rear engined car. No matter how man doors it has, itll have sportiness that no other 4 door sedan has and handling of a sports car, or at least I hope. But again, this isnt what Porsche symbolizes. Buuuuut,,, hope isnt entirely lost, if this is the disease, or increasing profit as Porsche would believe, then the step would be a cure,,,, the new 911.
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