The Actual “Poor Man’s Porsche”?
Discussion
Back OT, there has always been a "poor man's" Porsche as long as I can remember. First the 924, then the 944, then the 968, then the Boxster etc but to be honest, I love all of them (apart from the 924). An ex-girlfriend was a little obsessed with Porsches and after splitting up with me was quite vocal about her new boyfriend driving a Porsche. Sure enough, as we still shared some mutual friends, she turned up with him one day and it was a gold 924! This very much amused me, as I'm pretty sure that the 205 GTi that I was driving at the time was the quicker car. Is the new "poor man's" Porsche a base 911? No way, it's still an 80k car. In fact a manual 911 Carrera coupe with the smallest wheels and passive dampers is a rather lovely thing and would probably be my 911 of choice this side of a GT3 (well maybe a Carrera T with the rear seats put back in). Is it a base 718 Cayman? No, I'm not going to give anyone a hard time for buying a Porsche sports car and if you can afford a new 50k Cayman, you could afford a pretty decent used 911 for that money too. Likewise, anyone that can afford a used Cayman, could also afford a 996. Up until the 718 came out, I can genuinely say that I thought the 981 Cayman was a beautiful car and with the Flat 6 motor, I'd genuinely have one over a 911.
Probably of the new range, the "poor man's" Porsche is a base 4 cylinder Macan. It is a "tarted up" Audi Q5 after all!
I've always aspired to owning a Porsche but when I do, it would have to be a Boxster/Cayman/911, a Macan/Cayenne/Panamera just wouldn't cut it for me. Not to say that they're not great cars though and no doubt best to drive in class. Porsche are a little unique in the marketplace. Cheaper for the most part than a Ferrari/Lambo/Aston and more special than something like a BMW. Maybe Jaguar but they've only come back into the sports car market fairly recently.
When I read the title, I originally read it as what could you buy that's a bit like a Porsche but cheaper. I could have got a 986 Boxster when I was 24 but the insurance would have killed me, so I ended up with a nearly new MX5 instead. Later, I really fancied a 944 S2 when they were dirt cheap but a couple of my colleagues had owned 911s in the past and I knew that I would get jibes for driving the "poor man's" Porsche. I ended up with a Corrado VR6 instead because I worked at a VW dealership and could get cheap parts for it but in retrospect, I was an idiot, as the 944s were similar money at the time (as were E36 M3s and Audi S2 Coupes)! Again, I promised myself a Porsche by the time I was 30 and could have afforded a Boxster again but I needed 4 seats and a decent boot, so ended up with an Impreza WRX Wagon!
Still want a Porsche and would have loved to have got one by 40 (it's only a few months away though), can't afford to run a 911 but can't do a Boxster/Cayman because I need rear seats, so I'm seriously considering one of these. Ironically despite its poor reception in the 718 Cayman/Boxster, the critics would probably be very happy with the 718 motor in this car!
Probably of the new range, the "poor man's" Porsche is a base 4 cylinder Macan. It is a "tarted up" Audi Q5 after all!
I've always aspired to owning a Porsche but when I do, it would have to be a Boxster/Cayman/911, a Macan/Cayenne/Panamera just wouldn't cut it for me. Not to say that they're not great cars though and no doubt best to drive in class. Porsche are a little unique in the marketplace. Cheaper for the most part than a Ferrari/Lambo/Aston and more special than something like a BMW. Maybe Jaguar but they've only come back into the sports car market fairly recently.
When I read the title, I originally read it as what could you buy that's a bit like a Porsche but cheaper. I could have got a 986 Boxster when I was 24 but the insurance would have killed me, so I ended up with a nearly new MX5 instead. Later, I really fancied a 944 S2 when they were dirt cheap but a couple of my colleagues had owned 911s in the past and I knew that I would get jibes for driving the "poor man's" Porsche. I ended up with a Corrado VR6 instead because I worked at a VW dealership and could get cheap parts for it but in retrospect, I was an idiot, as the 944s were similar money at the time (as were E36 M3s and Audi S2 Coupes)! Again, I promised myself a Porsche by the time I was 30 and could have afforded a Boxster again but I needed 4 seats and a decent boot, so ended up with an Impreza WRX Wagon!
Still want a Porsche and would have loved to have got one by 40 (it's only a few months away though), can't afford to run a 911 but can't do a Boxster/Cayman because I need rear seats, so I'm seriously considering one of these. Ironically despite its poor reception in the 718 Cayman/Boxster, the critics would probably be very happy with the 718 motor in this car!
Edited by white_goodman on Wednesday 24th July 20:54
The best looking and classiest 911 is a 3.2 Carrera with no whaletail. I've heard many a person who would normally just say 'w
ker' when they see a Porsche start fawning when they see one of those. They'd probably die within 2 miles of setting off in one, but they're cool nevertheless.
Something like this.
https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/cars-for-sale/de...
ker' when they see a Porsche start fawning when they see one of those. They'd probably die within 2 miles of setting off in one, but they're cool nevertheless.Something like this.
https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/cars-for-sale/de...
Lily the Pink said:
nickfrog said:
keirik said:
Stilton is better
Yes but it's still the poor man's Roquefort.Or add Amarone della Valpolicella if you really want to have your socks knocked off.
Edited by Nerdherder on Friday 26th July 07:48
Nerdherder said:
nickfrog said:
keirik said:
Stilton is better
Yes but it's still the poor man's Roquefort.Sadly you can only get one nowadays if you are on the Sardinian cheese dealers special friends list.
This thread delivers.
jahill said:
Having driven both, I'd argue the Boxster is a better car than the 911 in everything but engine power (with a few very specific exceptions). The reviews appear to agree.
The reality is that most people given the choice would still choose a 911 over a Boxster, because it just feels, looks and sounds more special. The Boxster is probably the better sports car, but a Cayman is a better sports car than both. The 911 is a better GT. I adored the Cayman but when the opportunity arose, a 911 was the one to have. I own a ‘basic’ 996 Carrera and fully believe it to be an amazing car for the money. Being the ‘base’ or ‘basic’ model means a manual gearbox, a very light car and many miles per smiles. If this is classed as the ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ then so be it.
I have also owned 2x 944 S2’s which were also once classed/labelled as the ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’. Again though, stunning cars, beautiful balance and grip.
To the OP, if you simply want to label a car as a ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ because of its value, that is fine. However, it would be my opinion that in actual fact, the true ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ would be the Macan based on its over popularity (mainly due to badge snobbery) and lack of driver fulfilment.
I have also owned 2x 944 S2’s which were also once classed/labelled as the ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’. Again though, stunning cars, beautiful balance and grip.
To the OP, if you simply want to label a car as a ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ because of its value, that is fine. However, it would be my opinion that in actual fact, the true ‘Poor Man’s Porsche’ would be the Macan based on its over popularity (mainly due to badge snobbery) and lack of driver fulfilment.
Lily the Pink said:
nickfrog said:
keirik said:
Stilton is better
Yes but it's still the poor man's Roquefort.It was so potent, I can still taste it.
blearyeyedboy said:
Oh, I don't know... Hiking trip in the Alps in my 20s, bought a fresh baguette and some Roquefort every morning in Chamonix and eat the whole molten smelly lot on a mountain on a beautiful summer day... One man's sacrilege is another's delectable invention.
It was so potent, I can still taste it.
Hmm, and the people of Turin can still smell it when the wind blows in the right directionIt was so potent, I can still taste it.
.I have a base 996, the sort you would hate and when getting it serviced I got a new Boxster as courtesy car. I was expecting to hate my old car as a result I wish I had upgraded to a newer. In fact it was the opposite I really thought nothing of the Boxster at all sure it handled a lot better and absorbed the bumps a lot better but it did not feel like a Porsche to drive it just felt like a quick Audi BMW or something without any character. It was just quiet efficient and boring. The Handling felt smooth efficient and dull. I got back into my old 996 it was noisy raucous twitchy alive there's no way I would swap.
talksthetorque said:
Enough of this Off Topic Porsche chat.
My better half - being from Glasgow, says it is not called cheese on toast, it is called toasted cheese.
Which, presumably, can be done without the element of toast? Just put some cheese on a plate and stick it under the grille. My better half - being from Glasgow, says it is not called cheese on toast, it is called toasted cheese.
Is that a Glasgow, or Scottish, thing?
Johnniem said:
talksthetorque said:
Enough of this Off Topic Porsche chat.
My better half - being from Glasgow, says it is not called cheese on toast, it is called toasted cheese.
Which, presumably, can be done without the element of toast? Just put some cheese on a plate and stick it under the grille. My better half - being from Glasgow, says it is not called cheese on toast, it is called toasted cheese.
Is that a Glasgow, or Scottish, thing?
psi310398 said:
blearyeyedboy said:
Oh, I don't know... Hiking trip in the Alps in my 20s, bought a fresh baguette and some Roquefort every morning in Chamonix and eat the whole molten smelly lot on a mountain on a beautiful summer day... One man's sacrilege is another's delectable invention.
It was so potent, I can still taste it.
Hmm, and the people of Turin can still smell it when the wind blows in the right directionIt was so potent, I can still taste it.
.
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