I stopped short in my previous rant because I had to go to a meeting.
4) 918 = Carrera GT or 959? -- Porsche has publicly drawn the comparison of the 918 to a heritage of bright achievements including the 959 and Carrera GT. Because those two cars mean very different things to me, how does the 918 compare to either car from history?
Carrera GT -- This car was a pinnacle of "analog" super car design and engineering. Evo magazine includes it in a threesome of it, the McLaren F1 and the Ferrari F50 of all time great driving cars. I agree, that after I messed with (fixed?) mine, it's the most rewarding car I've ever driven (even though I'm faster at the track in my RS 4.0). This car is a keeper and keeps its place as a cool car even though, as Futch pointed out, it's no longer among the fastest cars available. It is however, a glorious high-water mark from a certain point of view.
959 -- This car was also a huge engineering triumph in its day. I almost bought one when Al Holbert was trying to certify some of them for entry to the USA. Unfortunately, he died before the project commenced and the project died, too, left without its champion. How do I regard the 959, today? It was the harbinger of the AWD 993, 996, 997 & 991 Turbo. The AWD 911 Turbo seems to me to be an overall better car for my use and it is faster in almost every category. The 959 is a car that I don't regret missing to buy. To me, the 959 was a signpost on the road to great series production Porsches, not an end in itself.
So, will the 918 be a pinnacle of achievement for the ages, like the Carrera GT, or will it like the 959, merely point the way to fabulous series production cars that are even faster and more marvelous to drive not so long in the future?
Remember how quickly the Carrera GT was eclipsed on the Nordschleife by the GT2RS?
5) My wife and I have owned battery-only and battery-hybrid cars for over a decade. Honda Civic Hybrid through Tesla Model S. I have a pretty good idea what goes on with NiMH and Li-Ion automotive battery technology. I've been a Society of Automotive Engineers member for over 20 years. To me, full battery electric cars are exciting to ponder and even more exciting to drive. In fact, if it weren't for the cruising range limitations, I would be very tempted to turn in my Panamera Turbo for a second Tesla Model S for our garage. They're that much fun to drive and cost so little to "fuel" and maintain.
For me, the 918's raison d'etre hybrid drive train is both old news and potentially worrying. Battery technology is advancing so quickly that I wonder about long-term support for the e-drive portion of the 918. Our Tesla Roadster battery already has obsolete cells comprising its pack. If a battery replacement becomes necessary (it will someday), the original parts are not being manufactured anymore. However, since Tesla is in the battery pack business, a newer cell structure is adaptable for replacement packs. What provisions has Porsche made for staying up with or, more properly ahead of, battery technology developments? Their marketing types "guarantee" replacement or even improved e-drive bits in years to come, but their past performance with keeping up with Carrera GT replacements doesn't generate confidence in me.
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So, it would be much easier for me to overlook a large part of my skepticism if we were talking about Carrera GT 2.0 -- where the price was $600,000 to even $700,000. But at over a million dollars, tax, title, delivered with a modicum of options, I need much more confidence in the 918's present and projectable future than Porsche has been willing to provide. For instance, is the passenger seat really not adjustable for height so my wife needs to sit on a phone book to ride in the car?
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Mike
Carrera GT + Tesla Roadster 1.5 & Model S + Panamera Turbo + BMW Z8 + BMW 3.0 CSi + Bentley Arnage T + GT3 RS 4.0