The problem with Porsches: Tell Me I'm Wrong
Dan reckons current Porsches might actually be too good; here's your chance to tell him he's mad
But it's been a doubt nagging away at me over the last couple of years of driving 991 911s and the latest crop of Boxster and Cayman variants. Despite the first real competition in decades from the likes of the F-Type, AMG GT and pending rivals like the Maserati Alfieri, Porsche's sports car line-up has never been stronger. Even the 911 Targas and cabrios are as appealing to drivers as they are to posers. And a two-pedal Porsche is no longer an instant arbiter of whether you were a person worthy of respect or ridicule.
And what else was Porsche going to do? Proudly exclaim that its new 911 is slower, heavier, uglier, thirstier and more prone to catastrophic engine failures than the last one? Some may argue that was the case with the 996 but even that ugly duckling of the 911 lineage is poised to have its day. And I'm not just saying that because I'm thinking of buying one.
As consumers we demand new thing is quantifiably better than old thing. So the natural instinct of the engineers is to deliver that, by the numbers. But are we losing something along the way? When even a basic 265hp 2.7-litre Boxster is offered with the option of 20-inch wheels and 295-section rubber it's hard to escape the sense that many of the current cars are over-tyred, over-geared and over-capable. Meaning you either take ever greater risks in an attempt to replicate the buzz the last one gave you. Or drive around frustrated and left cold by a car whose abilities far outstretch yours or the environment around you. Careful what you wish for and all that.
The best a man can get
Two examples spring to mind. The Cayman GTS which is, you'll have come to understand, one of the most complete sports cars in living memory. And it is. Assuming two seats are sufficient it demands very few compromises. It's compact, the looks and badge will impress friends/neighbours/colleagues, it has a lovely cabin and feels brilliantly put together. And its engine is smooth, sonorous and way more charismatic than anything found in a comparable rival.
Great car. But so capable the driver simply isn't able to even scratch the surface of its abilities on the road, especially in the over-geared manual.
What about the 911? The current Carrera 2 S is, in performance terms, pretty much on pace with GT models of a generation or two ago and not much less rewarding for the dedicated driver. And the fast ones have moved into an entirely different realm of performance, be that all-weather in the Turbo or knife-edge in the GT3.
But on a late night drive back along familiar B-roads on a dark, rainy night in that gorgeous widebodied 50 Years Edition it suddenly felt too much. Nearside tyres in the gutter, offside ones thumping against cats' eyes, it felt inert, unwieldy and unsettled even though its limits were well contained within electronic safety nets. 911s have always bucked and weaved with the road surface but that confidence in pushing beyond the inherent foibles you have in older Porsches wasn't there. As if the lack of inherent foibles no longer gave you anything to work with.
On its head
Bizarrely the Turbo is the beacon of hope for the 911. It's 'better' than the previous 997 by all the metrics that matter. But it's also more characterful and fun - the whooshes and gurgles from the induction system that have previously been ironed out in the name of refinement have returned and it's more exciting for it. And the tech - mighty as it is - has been carried off without the driver feeling relegated to mere passenger in some kind of wunderwaffe.
The real answer you're about to fire back at me is 'Cayman GT4'and there is, indeed, much to admire in the way this car steps back from the brink and says it's not all about the power or lap time. Feel and involvement are just as important. And that's a significant about-face by a company traditionally driven by a relentless determination to improve. This is, in effect, the 'less good' Porsche I'm apparently asking for here. But even that needs 20s to fill the arches. And then there's the gearing, GT boss Andreas Preuninger looking ready to lamp the next person on the launch who asked him to justify his personal taste for a manual that will hit 80mph in second gear. All very well. But what if you were looking forward to stirring around the remaining four while maintaining a grip on your licence?
That aside the GT4 is a very significant moment for Porsche, breaking the cycle that dictates better can only ever mean faster and more powerful. It's a tentative step, reflected in the severely restricted supply in case people didn't buy into the idea. That they have, many times over what Porsche says it expected, is hopefully a watershed moment.
Back catalogue
There will always be the monsters like the new RS. But you get the sense Preuninger and his team feel a sense of liberation in the GT4 to build cars with a bit of nuance about them, rather than just beat the previous example's lap time, 0-62 or vmax.
Me? I'm looking forward to simpler, lighter and more agile flat-four Porsches with or without turbos. Not without precedent either; just look at the 550 Spyders and suchlike of the 50s. And 911s only really got fat and power crazed in the 80s. Before that they too traded on diminutive size and tactility rather than blunt force trauma. Flawed or not the Alfa Romeo 4C proves there's a demand for lightweight sports cars and, with the right looks, heritage and package, people will pay top dollar.
So, brilliant as they are, I can't help but feel the current crop of mainstream Porsches are just a little too accomplished for their own good.
Who knows. Maybe I'm wrong. Now's your chance to say!
Images: Tom Begley, Max Earey and Roo Fowler
Having driven both the 991 Carrera and the S version, I really felt that the car didn't need the extra 50 BHP. I wasn't driving them on a track, admittedly, but the base model does everything fantastically well. Pretty, comfortable, reliable etc.
Perhaps over capable?
On normal roads, the Carrera is much more enjoyable to drive for a normal mortal than the previous model Cayman, which I found a bit twitchy, like it kind of wanted to kill me but didn't have the balls to go through with it. Brakes weren't up to the job either.
Over capable is fine for me.
Modern Porsches are excellent daily drivers but for sheer excitement "faster" and "more competent" is not always better.
Harris called the GT3 RS "over-tyred" in his review and this is CH we are talking about.
The other problem for me is that they just don't look special. They are far too common and all of the models look too similar. Even a top end Carrera won't turn many heads.
IMO Porsche needs to refresh the brand with a modern equivalent of the 928 or 944 and take the styling in a different direction to the generic looking Carrera/Cayman/Boxter
But then I am used to much slower cars - performance is like that: you get used to it and it no longer feels fast - which is highly inflationary!
From Porsche's perspective they don't care about resale value once the cars are out of the door as they've made their money and the shareholders are happy. They're a business and they're in it to make money above and beyond keeping purists/enthusiasts happy. The people who actually buy these cars in the main do in fact want to see quantifiable improvements in a cars performance. They also want all the luxuries and toys (witness the extremely extensive options lists for 911).
I amnot a fan of the new "Panamera / Audi" parts interiors, hated the steering & the braakes are not up to snuff imho & I can't drive for @#^$!
Back to plan "B" & buy someone elses problem & make it how I want it without "Nanny Porsche" putting an average product on my table.... I can't afford a 991 GT3 / GTS / Turbo, yet they seemed "souless". Dont get me wrong they put a smile on the dial but........
The author of the article could well be right......
I agree with the problem of increasing capability so far that the car is divorced from entertaining on the road. I've lost count of how many people I've met or heard of upgrading from MX-5s into Boxsters, then stepping back again after deciding the Porsche is too capable and therefore not as fun. Maybe it's just busy, neglected UK roads with low speed limits that means there's few places to enjoy one as intended - I can't speak for the driving environment in Germany (or America, a massive market for Porsche), perhaps it lends itself better to the car's traits.
The other problem for me is that they just don't look special. They are far too common and all of the models look too similar. Even a top end Carrera won't turn many heads.
IMO Porsche needs to refresh the brand with a modern equivalent of the 928 or 944 and take the styling in a different direction to the generic looking Carrera/Cayman/Boxter
Not driven the current electric assist steering which kambites I think is complaining about but the unassisted in mine and the hydraulic in a 997 gt3 is perfect once you learn to drive one. They can be light and heavy as YOU the driver, moves the mass. Not many road cars need the driver to do so much to get the performance out of the chassis.
However if the 991 has been so 'improved' that the driver involvement is so removed from this aspect then that is a shame.
Porsche needs to create their own version of the 4C. If BMW can ship the a mass production car with a full (i3, i8) or partial (7 series, next 3 series) carbon monocoque then I have to wonder why Porsche doesn't do the same thing already.
Sub-1000 kg, smaller tires, smaller brakes, smaller engine, more fun. The rumoured "baby Boxster" could have been just that but was axed last year.
I recently had the opportunity to test drive a GT4 (OPC demonstrator) and it felt decidedly "meh" on the road under admittedly adverse conditions.
Like a GTS with everything turned up to 11, yet a GTS is already a "10" and "6" is the maximum you can use on the road. Extremely fast and extremely competent but more fun or "special" than older metal in a similar price range? No, not on the road.
There is something beautiful about the older air cooled cars, especially when given the correct level of attention that Singer give them and the level of attention Porsche should have given them if not attached to a high volume car maker. They are a case of less being more.
This years car just seems to revert to the bigger everything of the initial turbo cars. Yet more and larger wings, even wider track and more horses. Additionally though the really hideous front now has ears and a smile.
In terms of performance they are clearly hugely competent but in terms of looks just really uninspiring. The 911's do not even sound special. I would rather have a car that was both competent and beautiful than one that was just competent. The 458 has elegant vents, the 911 slashes from a spade. It uses the body to gain downforce, the 911 a couple of dinner tables. Ask Bill Clinton about competent, he has a wife who is clearly very competent......
I also fail to see how Porsche can churn out 911's for the prices they do without the full and unequivocal subsidizing effect of VW. This is also a consideration regarding price / performance.
The competition is also getting much closer. The 911 has never had any direct competition, due in large part to the price. However When Merc bring out an AMG GT Black, Jag an F Type RS, McLaren really start to pile on the pressure and Aston a new generation much more of the shine will rub off Porsche. Unbelievably, Lotus also seem closer and what if they really amazed and brought out an Esprit.
Porsche, no matter what anyone tries to argue is now more so than for many years a VW badge. Cayenne's and Macca's are much the same as the Cosworth versions of cars they were given, the Cayman and Boxter are now made by VW - though the purists would argue.
However given that the only advert I have seen on Pistonheads is for a Public School, the possibility of successfully criticisng the "winners" make is unlikely.
Still it's valid, porche do have some care about values of old cars.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff