Are Porsche making a distinction between performance cars and drivers' cars
Discussion
Some interesting comments allegedly from AP at 3.45 ish on this GT4 video making a distinction between "ultra high performance cars", eg 991 gt3 and drivers' cars, eg gt4. My examples, not AP's.
The UHPC require PDK and the inference is that their raison d'etre is to maximise acceleration and chase lap times, whereas drivers' cars have a manual box.
Can't say I disagree.
http://youtu.be/8MbLeygcY8o
The UHPC require PDK and the inference is that their raison d'etre is to maximise acceleration and chase lap times, whereas drivers' cars have a manual box.
Can't say I disagree.
http://youtu.be/8MbLeygcY8o
Steve Rance said:
Perhaps there is hope after all. Providing there is not a huge team of spotty twerps that forms the 'drivers cars department' each more interested in furthering his own career than producing anything of interest
I'd have pedal to the metal more times in the GT4 than the 991 GT3, and will likely use more of my skill to optimise performance - road and track. So yes, most welcome.991RS? Performance car or a drivers car?
Alpinestars said:
hunter 66 said:
I thought they made investment portfolios ????
That made me laugh 
. AP will say whatever he needs to to sell cars and why not, he's essentially a marketeer. Saying "we listened to you" when answering questions about manual being the only option on the Gt4 is a little disingenuous perhaps. Surely a gt3 should always be a driver's car? Let the turbo be the performance car.
mollytherocker said:
It seems to me that we are reaching a crossroads.
There are 2 very different directions and I guess Porsche are trying to cover both?
Of course this is all subjective, but I think the crossroads arrived with the GTR. Incredible performance, but just boring compared to a lot of it's predecessors. There are 2 very different directions and I guess Porsche are trying to cover both?
The 991, Speciale and Huracan to name a few, fall into the same category. Ultra competent, but leaves the driver feeling cold.
I think of lot of it has to do with flappy paddles, but more so, really refined paddles. For example, the Scud and LP560, still feel raw and involving despite their paddles.
I drove an R8 a few months ago, r-tronic (first gen paddles), and really enjoyed it. Wanting more of a drivers' car, I bought a manual, and bizarrely for me, just didn't like it as much. Sold it pretty quickly and bought an r-tronic. However what I realised was that with a manual, I tended not to take it to the limiter every drive. I drove using the torque more often and stayed in each gear longer, savouring the experience, which in many ways was more satisfying than the r-tronic, which I tend to rev out much more often. It feels a bit wham bam, thanks you ma'am, and it's all over in each gear so quickly. It's a different style and experience of driving. Performance versus savouring driving.
The same applied to earlier gen GT3s compared to the 991. The latest gen car is just too smooth, clinical and doesn't feel special, enough of the time. Über performance, driver sanitised, relatively.
I guess there's no getting away from it, as performance continues to improve - more and more automation and "help" is needed.
There's much more fun to be had driving a slower car at 8/10ths than a faster car at 5/10ths I'd say ? Il take the drivers car every time over out and out figures please.
There's much more fun to be had driving a slower car at 8/10ths than a faster car at 5/10ths I'd say ? Il take the drivers car every time over out and out figures please.
e8_pack said:
People who can't afford the newer tech will probably seek to justify owning a lesser model...
Porsche has gone downhill since 996 of course..
Ferrari have been using flappy paddles for a while now.Porsche has gone downhill since 996 of course..
Which old cars are commanding premiums now?
The manual ones.
Same thing will happen to Porsche when the manual option drys up.
Xpuffin said:
Ferrari have been using flappy paddles for a while now.
Which old cars are commanding premiums now?
The manual ones.
Same thing will happen to Porsche when the manual option drys up.
You seriously think the people buying old manual Ferraris are driving them around and enjoying them as drivers cars?Which old cars are commanding premiums now?
The manual ones.
Same thing will happen to Porsche when the manual option drys up.
Prices have rocketed because people are seeing them as an investment and are sticking them away.
Also, your analysis is conveniently forgetting that 360 CS and now even Scuds have risen significantly, and they have paddles.
edc said:
ArcticGT said:
There's much more fun to be had driving a slower car at 8/10ths than a faster car at 5/10ths I'd say ? Il take the drivers car every time over out and out figures please.
If Porsche drivers really believed that then they would all be driving Boxsters and Caymans 
AndrewD said:
You seriously think the people buying old manual Ferraris are driving them around and enjoying them as drivers cars?
Prices have rocketed because people are seeing them as an investment and are sticking them away.
Also, your analysis is conveniently forgetting that 360 CS and now even Scuds have risen significantly, and they have paddles.
I'm not arguing the driver/performance part of this thread, simply responding to Mr packs post btw so perhaps including his post would have put this into perspective.Prices have rocketed because people are seeing them as an investment and are sticking them away.
Also, your analysis is conveniently forgetting that 360 CS and now even Scuds have risen significantly, and they have paddles.
Edited by Xpuffin on Sunday 15th March 11:36
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