Quote:
ed_moree said:
Comm'on guys I think this is a great article! I do agree with him that the Porsche has lost a little bit of soul compared with other car rivals, or maybe has become more BMW. And I do agree that times change and they had to continue doing this for being independent. But, and as Clarkson says this is a big BUT, I will still buy any model made by the PORSCHE! (well except the cayenne and that because I'm not that rich to fil up the tank each 10km, and not blind)



Thirty years ago you could build a car in any way you wanted without the need to abide to safety specifications and emission standards. All these regulations add size and weight and of course affect the purity of the driving experience.

Moreover, consumers demand more equipment like xenons, power seats, sound systems, navigation etc all with heavy hardware.

It is unthinkable now even in northern countries not to have climate control (100+kg?). Who had a/c at the time of the 2.7 RS or the 930 turbo?

I am sure if climate control and sound system were delete options on sporty GT3s, very few would pass them by for the sake of purity.

Rightly or wrongly today, because of people's changing tastes the showroom specification is more important than the race track ability.

Look at the latest Lotus Evora. It has moved nearer to the mainstream in an attempt to survive.
Also the Ferrari california has acquired certain features that purists don't like, in order to widen its appeal.