Milanno:

I would even accept that "weak power update" if Porsche made it lighter (for example) with carbon-fiber elements. 

I agree but this probably would have been more expensive than a "simple" power upgrade.

To be blunt: I understand the pressure of the development team regarding budget and gain margins and I know that all-wheel-steering, new PTM/AWD system and the wider body kind of raised the production/development cost to an (somehow) unexpected level but I think that Porsche made a mistake here and missed out on a chance to annihilate the competition for the next two to three years. I know that power isn't everything but 40 hp (not only on paper but in reality...compared to the current power figure) more would have closed the performance gap between the 991 Turbo S, the 12C and even the F12 and at the same time, it would have kept the performance of the upcoming new R8 and Cabrera models at bay. 40 hp more would have done the trick, I am pretty sure about it. The chassis is amazing, no need to do something here. Yes, Porsche will catch up with the facelift but the "catching up" thing is actually what puts me off. Why not be ahead of the competition? Even by a little margin? 

Yes, the 12C, the F12 and probably the R8 and Cabrera top models will be more expensive overall, especially the McLaren and the Ferrari. So what? Even better for Porsche, the Turbo S would be considered a better value then.

I'm no marketing guy but Porsche needs to keep in mind that the 991 Turbo S isn't only the stealth super fast daily driver car European drivers seem to love but also a super sports car which is considered by many potential buyers worldwide, especially in markets where the stealth part of the car is actually more of a disadvantage. So why not kill the competition by superior performance? Big strategic mistake in my opinion.

 


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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S, Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)