Crown

In a recent inteview with german website Spox.de, Walter Röhrl is talking about a lot of things, but especially when it gets to his (probable) retirement by the end of 2015 it gets quite interesting:

SPOX: Mittlerweile sind Sie 68 Jahre alt und seit über 40 Jahren mit Automobilen unterwegs. Kommen da langsam Gedanken an die Rente auf?

Röhrl: Ich glaube, dass ich stark genug bin, Ende 2015 aufzuhören. Als Wiedeking weg war und der Einfluss von VW immer größer wurde, ist das Verhältnis abgeflacht. Es ist nicht mehr der Porsche-Geist von früher. Da laufen so viele Blaumänner mit Krawatte rum, die keine Ahnung haben. Das vertrage ich nicht mehr. Der Widerstand ist stärker als die Freude an der Marke. Die, mit denen ich täglich zu tun habe, bringen mich zur Weißglut. Auf der andern Seite habe ich schon Angst davor, nur noch meinen Garten zu machen. Ich habe zumindest noch eine Halle mit acht alten Autos. Die müssen bewegt werden. (lacht)

Here's my quick translation of the statement (the part in bold font). Might not be 100% accurate, I'm not a professional translator:

Since Wiedeking left and VW's influence was getting bigger, the relationship has cooled. It's not the Porsche spirit of the past any more. There are so many people running around wearing a tie under their overall and having no clue. I can't bear this any more. My antipathy is stronger than my love for the brand. The people I have to work with everyday make me angry.

Source (german language), also including a nice story about accidentally meeting Michael Schumacher on the Ring:

http://www.spox.com/de/sport/mehrsport/motorsport/rallye/1507/Artikel/wrc-legende-walter-roehrl-audi-porsche-interview,seite=4.h...

Thanks for the translation.  That is a sad way for his relationship to end with Porsche.

73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550

I think at 68 Walter is becoming grumpy.

Top cars and top sales in all the categories Porsche is represented and the long awaited "overall win".

Funny for Roehrl to maintain that the Porsche people "have no clue".

"Form follows function"

reginos:

I think at 68 Walter is becoming grumpy.

Top cars and top sales in all the categories Porsche is represented and the long awaited "overall win".

Funny for Roehrl to maintain that the Porsche people "have no clue".

The  911 has in just 11 model years since the Cayenne came out become just a small volume halo product of a mega corporation stocked full of abitious MBA drifters in the revolving door mid level office suites  ..exactly the same marketed position of the only other 50-60 year continously evolved / produced sports car nameplate : GM's equally  iconic Corvette .

Thanks, Soenke!

Great article and interesting comments. In relation to that, I came across another video with Walter Röhrl (in German), where is specifically addresses the dilemma with "paddles" as well as the Tiptronic and PDK shift pattern.

reginos:

I think at 68 Walter is becoming grumpy.

Top cars and top sales in all the categories Porsche is represented and the long awaited "overall win".

Funny for Roehrl to maintain that the Porsche people "have no clue".

That´s not how Röhrl was quoted in the article, he was rather addressing the new mentality at Porsche in comparison to the past. Decisions are made by people with no clue about the subject. If the quote is accurate he specifically aims at managers coming from the "parent company". I don´t want to comment extensively but considering the fiasco with the GT3 engines as well as the difficulties to deliver PTS on the GT3 RS or the delays and lack of information towards customers I can at least assume what he has in mind.

I would be very curious about the main culprit regarding the first batch of GT3 engines but have my doubt that the supplier is truly at fault for that. In the end, the manufacturer hands out certain criteria that the supplier´s part has to fulfill. There must be some flaw that has not been communicated properly as I don´t believe that neither Porsche nor experienced suppliers would have difficulties to construct, test and manufacture a mechanical item within required specs.

Perhaps, Walter's exact point has been lost in the translation.

The GT3 problem was a piece of bad design similar to the RMS and the intermediate shaft. On the GT3 it was easier to rectify, hopefully. There had been notorious engine problems in the air cooled era when Porsche was managed independently and the company was more engineering driven, like failing chain tensioners, breaking cylinder head studs,exploding air boxes etc. 

IMO Porsche overall are benefiting from being part of the VW Group, notwithstanding any inevitable managerial frictions.

--

"Form follows function"

What Walter talks about is unfortunately the truth for German industry and craziness for perfection and though working.

People work to work - not to enjoy their life. Their are parts in the world where people work to make their living. In Germany we are far away of that. Preliminary people work to work - living is just something they really have to concentrate on.

Example - did years ago a company invite their employees for gatherings like Christmas party, summer party, maybe company outing trips - today everything is about efficiency, cost saving and dedication to the job. If someone has a clean desk after 8 hours work something must gone wrong. Most people would not know what to do with the gained time and for sure would feel bad going home "early". 

People over-administrate their jobs. Everything needs a score card, everyone needs to be controlled. Old days you had a 1 to 1 meeting. Today in the big companies, you have meetings with 20 to 30 people sitting in the room, discussing numbers of the past 

I understand what Walter says - the passion is gone - long live the passion for hard work!

not a good news...unfortunately.

I think that a brand that loose passion will loose customer,or at least the "RIGHT" customers,not the one that today buy a Porsche and tomorrow buy something else.

997TT RS Tuning stage II(sold),2011 Cayenne Turbo(sold),waiting 991 GT3 RS

Lars997:

I understand what Walter says - the passion is gone - long live the passion for hard work!

What do you expect from employees who come from BMW or other brands and who actually may never had any kind of relationship to Porsche? 

I met some real enthusiasts working at Porsche, especially in Weissach but also in the upper management. The problem seems to be with new people or people who are just not interesting in the products but the career only.

Porsche needs to operate on two levels to be successful: One level is the traditional one, where they do not really make money but which keeps the reputation, tradition and the spirits up. The other level would be the profitable one, where they make cars the majority wants, making a decent profit on them. I do not think that Porsche can really ignore the first level if they want to keep the second one successful. 

Example: The Cayenne Turbo S, well optioned, is around 190k EUR in Germany. I get a similar optioned X4M for 50k EUR less and if I count in the excessive discounts and offers from BMW, the difference gets even bigger (60-70k EUR). So why would someone spend that much money more for a Cayenne Turbo S? Exactly. The brand Porsche makes it happen. Without sportscars and GT cars with race heritage, I doubt that Porsche could maintain that reputation for very long though. So while the sportscars may not be important (anymore) for Porsche's survival, they are actually very important for the success of the other models like Cayenne, Macan and Panamera, as weird as this may sound.

Porsche has lost some of it's "personal touch" of the past, it all started with that stupid Porsche dealership CI in Germany and other regions. All Porsche dealerships look basically the same. I get that Porsche CI but for me, as a customer, it is not OK, actually...I hate it. For a unique product, I am looking for a unique environment where I can buy it but unfortunately 99% of the dealerships have become very impersonal. Also, because of the huge financial pressure (Porsche dealerships apparently need to fulfill quotas, etc.), many dealerships don't have the (financial) liberty anymore to be generous and to take care of customers in a more personal way.

Years ago, I was visiting the dealership just for an Espresso and a little chat with my Porsche dealer. I really had the feeling that he enjoyed that too, we were talking about god and the world and of course about cars. Whenever a new model was out, he threw me the keys and let me have it for a short test-drive. Of course he was hoping I would like it and buy it but thats not the point. The personal touch was very important. Nowadays, everything is kind of sterile and you really "feel" the pressure the dealer or sales person is experiencing. No more test-drives, unless you really insist and whenever there is some sort of presentation of a new product, it feels very impersonal and detached, it just doesn't feel right. You can clearly feel the CI with ever event, this sucks big time. Why would a Porsche customer, who apparently loves individuality, be interested in a very impersonal CI?  There is no logic behind this.

Long story short: Maybe Porsche should start a second division, like BMW M GmbH or Mercedes AMG. For those customers who are actually looking for something else, not CI but a personal touch.

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)

IMO Walter has been sidestepped at Porsche due to his advancing age and he is bitter about it and making excuses.

There is nothing wrong with Porsche IMO. In spite the SUVs the recent sportscars have been a success both technically and commercially. GT3, RS, GT4, 918 spyder, 919 hybrid are the envy of the industry. None of the famous manufacturers have managed to match the 911 yet in spite of asking more money for their products.

Kreso has turned down the AMG GT for a 911 and RC has bought (not leased)  another 911 as a keeper. And people here who could afford anything have GT3 RSs on order. These are huge endorsements for Porsche.

"Form follows function"

RC:

Lars997:

I understand what Walter says - the passion is gone - long live the passion for hard work!

What do you expect from employees who come from BMW or other brands and who actually may never had any kind of relationship to Porsche? 

I met some real enthusiasts working at Porsche, especially in Weissach but also in the upper management. The problem seems to be with new people or people who are just not interesting in the products but the career only.

Right, that is exactly what Rohrl is talking about and not good news I'm afraid because in the long run Porsche will loose what makes it different than other makers and the famous Porsche DNA in its cars 

⇒ Carlos - Porsche 991 Carrera GTS

reginos:

IMO Walter has been sidestepped at Porsche due to his advancing age and he is bitter about it and making excuses.

There is nothing wrong with Porsche IMO. In spite the SUVs the recent sportscars have been a success both technically and commercially. GT3, RS, GT4, 918 spyder, 919 hybrid are the envy of the industry. None of the famous manufacturers have managed to match the 911 yet in spite of asking more money for their products.

Kreso has turned down the AMG GT for a 911 and RC has bought (not leased)  another 911 as a keeper. And people here who could afford anything have GT3 RSs on order. These are huge endorsements for Porsche.

 

Actually, I'm not so sure we are going to see Kreso in his 911 (I haven't even seen him in his 991 Turbo  ) and I leased my 991 C4 GTS Cab but I plan to buy it (plan is still in effect, I love this car).

Yes, Porsche products have improved but I still think that a lot is going wrong at Porsche. The 911 lives from it's reputation and it got way too expensive in my opinion. The "benchmark" 911 Turbo S is not really a benchmark, considering what competitors have to offer for similar money. The Cayenne has become insanely expensive (I do not consider buying one anymore), the Macan doesn't tickle my senses (maybe with V 2.0) and the Panamera is just out of my mind, forever.

Of course products like the GT4, GT3 RS and even GT3 are a different story but for how long are we going to see such products? Would people buy turbo charged versions of these cars, with a muted exhaust as well? Questions nobody can answer right now.

I also think that Porsche prices got out of hand but I guess as long as people are willing to pay these hefty prices, all is good in Porsche Land. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)

RC:

 

Actually, I'm not so sure we are going to see Kreso in his 911 (I haven't even seen him in his 991 Turbo  ) and I leased my 991 C4 GTS Cab but I plan to buy it (plan is still in effect, I love this car).

Yes, Porsche products have improved but I still think that a lot is going wrong at Porsche. The 911 lives from it's reputation and it got way too expensive in my opinion. The "benchmark" 911 Turbo S is not really a benchmark, considering what competitors have to offer for similar money. The Cayenne has become insanely expensive (I do not consider buying one anymore), the Macan doesn't tickle my senses (maybe with V 2.0) and the Panamera is just out of my mind, forever.

911 Turbo was a benchmark back in the day when Porsche (and other manufacturers) didn't have many other variants. Now there are hypercars like the 918 Spyder and Porsche did a great job with it. I think that's where the new benchmark is at. 911 is fueling on its legacy and has become Porsche's cash cow.

Of course products like the GT4, GT3 RS and even GT3 are a different story but for how long are we going to see such products? Would people buy turbo charged versions of these cars, with a muted exhaust as well? Questions nobody can answer right now.

If we want to buy new and every other modern sportscar is going to have a turbo in the future, what choice do we have ?

--

Porsche 911 GT3 - Guards Red 997 MKII Clubsport

Gauss:

911 Turbo was a benchmark back in the day when Porsche (and other manufacturers) didn't have many other variants. Now there are hypercars like the 918 Spyder and Porsche did a great job with it. I think that's where the new benchmark is at. 911 is fueling on its legacy and has become Porsche's cash cow.

My guess is that Röhrl doesn't like the 918 Spyder. I remember him saying that the Carrera GT should get a roof, otherwise he can't take it serious. And now another convertible/roadster boulevard racer*, this time even with lots of added weight due to the hybrid drivetrain and green brake calipers. This is not Röhrl's world any more.

(* don't get me wrong, I know the car is very capable, but if the focus would be track performance and not the streets of Monaco, it should be a coupé)

I love the 918 but I wish Porsche would make a "960" out of it, minus the hybrid tech.

It is actually a shame that we see a R8 but not a "960". Marketing reasons? Maybe but I think that Audi should abandon the R8 and Porsche should finally make a "960".

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)

RC:

I love the 918 but I wish Porsche would make a "960" out of it, minus the hybrid tech.

It is actually a shame that we see a R8 but not a "960". Marketing reasons? Maybe but I think that Audi should abandon the R8 and Porsche should finally make a "960".

I agree with you. However, If Porsche became a part of the VW Empire early enough and before the Wiedeking  advanture,  there wouldn't be a R8 or a Panamera a Cayenne or probably a Macan.

When VW took over the pre-existence of such unnatural models in the respective model ranges took precedence over  product rationalization within the VW Group.

"Form follows function"

Gauss:

 

 911 is fueling on its legacy and has become Porsche's cash cow.

The success of the 911 has proven one thing. That Porsche are very adept in continuously  reinventing its iconic sportscar to keep ahead of the pack in terms of performance and usability.

I don't think it is a matter of history alone, as most buyers are new and they don't have a clue about the old models. You cannot sell 20.000 sportscars per year if the product is not excellent.

"Form follows function"

RC:

Lars997:

I understand what Walter says - the passion is gone - long live the passion for hard work!

What do you expect from employees who come from BMW or other brands and who actually may never had any kind of relationship to Porsche? 

I met some real enthusiasts working at Porsche, especially in Weissach but also in the upper management. The problem seems to be with new people or people who are just not interesting in the products but the career only.

Porsche needs to operate on two levels to be successful: One level is the traditional one, where they do not really make money but which keeps the reputation, tradition and the spirits up. The other level would be the profitable one, where they make cars the majority wants, making a decent profit on them. I do not think that Porsche can really ignore the first level if they want to keep the second one successful. 

Example: The Cayenne Turbo S, well optioned, is around 190k EUR in Germany. I get a similar optioned X4M for 50k EUR less and if I count in the excessive discounts and offers from BMW, the difference gets even bigger (60-70k EUR). So why would someone spend that much money more for a Cayenne Turbo S? Exactly. The brand Porsche makes it happen. Without sportscars and GT cars with race heritage, I doubt that Porsche could maintain that reputation for very long though. So while the sportscars may not be important (anymore) for Porsche's survival, they are actually very important for the success of the other models like Cayenne, Macan and Panamera, as weird as this may sound.

Porsche has lost some of it's "personal touch" of the past, it all started with that stupid Porsche dealership CI in Germany and other regions. All Porsche dealerships look basically the same. I get that Porsche CI but for me, as a customer, it is not OK, actually...I hate it. For a unique product, I am looking for a unique environment where I can buy it but unfortunately 99% of the dealerships have become very impersonal. Also, because of the huge financial pressure (Porsche dealerships apparently need to fulfill quotas, etc.), many dealerships don't have the (financial) liberty anymore to be generous and to take care of customers in a more personal way.

Years ago, I was visiting the dealership just for an Espresso and a little chat with my Porsche dealer. I really had the feeling that he enjoyed that too, we were talking about god and the world and of course about cars. Whenever a new model was out, he threw me the keys and let me have it for a short test-drive. Of course he was hoping I would like it and buy it but thats not the point. The personal touch was very important. Nowadays, everything is kind of sterile and you really "feel" the pressure the dealer or sales person is experiencing. No more test-drives, unless you really insist and whenever there is some sort of presentation of a new product, it feels very impersonal and detached, it just doesn't feel right. You can clearly feel the CI with ever event, this sucks big time. Why would a Porsche customer, who apparently loves individuality, be interested in a very impersonal CI?  There is no logic behind this.

Long story short: Maybe Porsche should start a second division, like BMW M GmbH or Mercedes AMG. For those customers who are actually looking for something else, not CI but a personal touch.

talking about how companies treat customers, here is a recent experience with ferrari: this year we got invited by our dealer to the ferrari hospitality area at the austrian F1 GP. during the afternoon of the quali session i had a chat with the manager (in italian, maybe that helped...). a bit later she came up to me and said: would you like a private tour of our pits later on and have a chat with our test drivers esteban gutierrez and jean-eric verne? i said, sure, with pleasure.....she apologized that seb and kimi were busy but said that the kids (esteban and jean-eric) are very nice.....marc gene showed up as well and it was an extremely pleasant and informative hour with them, they took a lot of time to explain the steering wheel to us, we had a very friendly chat and came off feeling treated really well by ferrari.....

peter

Whoopsy wrote how well Porsche entertained him and other guests at the Le Mans race. They all do it within certain criteria.

This type of largesse is directly related to the amount someone spends on a car. You have a 458 you meet the test drivers, you have a LaFerrari you probably mix with Vettel and Arrivabene and if you own all the specials from 288 GTO onwards to LaF they might arrange a seance with Enzo Ferrari himself!

--

"Form follows function"

As the past owner of 993/996/997 and current owner of 991 I believe that whilst each iteration has improved in terms of refinement, the quality of the product has dropped. I personally can't see my car lasting 25+ years like many 993 seem to have. They can't even fix a simple window problem after five attempts! 

991 Carrera Black\Black, XC90 Black\Black, 120 Cab Black\Coral Red - 2 kids, 1 dog

reginos:

Whoopsy wrote how well Porsche entertained him and other guests at the Le Mans race. They all do it within certain criteria.

This type of largesse is directly related to the amount someone spends on a car. You have a 458 you meet the test drivers, you have a LaFerrari you probably mix with Vettel and Arrivabene and if you own all the specials from 288 GTO onwards to LaF they might arrange a seance with Enzo Ferrari himself!

 

bridggar:

As the past owner of 993/996/997 and current owner of 991 I believe that whilst each iteration has improved in terms of refinement, the quality of the product has dropped. I personally can't see my car lasting 25+ years like many 993 seem to have. They can't even fix a simple window problem after five attempts! 

These are the things I hate to have. Apparently minor issues that remain unresolved. I would reject the car under the consumer protection legislation. Unacceptable!

As to the overall quality I don't think it has dropped. At the time of the air-cooled a Porsche was a special product for many years, if not for life. They were very well looked after and owners were proud and willing to keep them for a long time. Nowadays, they change hands very quickly and after a couple of owners they end up in the wrong hands and neglected.

I can tell you that my old 986 Boxster MY 2000 is still immaculate after 15 years and with the right attention it will last as long as my ancient 911SC.

"Form follows function"

RC:

reginos:

IMO Walter has been sidestepped at Porsche due to his advancing age and he is bitter about it and making excuses.

There is nothing wrong with Porsche IMO. In spite the SUVs the recent sportscars have been a success both technically and commercially. GT3, RS, GT4, 918 spyder, 919 hybrid are the envy of the industry. None of the famous manufacturers have managed to match the 911 yet in spite of asking more money for their products.

Kreso has turned down the AMG GT for a 911 and RC has bought (not leased)  another 911 as a keeper. And people here who could afford anything have GT3 RSs on order. These are huge endorsements for Porsche.

 

Actually, I'm not so sure we are going to see Kreso in his 911 (I haven't even seen him in his 991 Turbo  ) and I leased my 991 C4 GTS Cab but I plan to buy it (plan is still in effect, I love this car).

Yes, Porsche products have improved but I still think that a lot is going wrong at Porsche. The 911 lives from it's reputation and it got way too expensive in my opinion. The "benchmark" 911 Turbo S is not really a benchmark, considering what competitors have to offer for similar money. The Cayenne has become insanely expensive (I do not consider buying one anymore), the Macan doesn't tickle my senses (maybe with V 2.0) and the Panamera is just out of my mind, forever.

Of course products like the GT4, GT3 RS and even GT3 are a different story but for how long are we going to see such products? Would people buy turbo charged versions of these cars, with a muted exhaust as well? Questions nobody can answer right now.

I also think that Porsche prices got out of hand but I guess as long as people are willing to pay these hefty prices, all is good in Porsche Land. 

Maybe I don´t agree with a lot of things you have said. But I have to admit, that I like this post 

AM
www.aldo-yachting.de

reginos:

bridggar:

As the past owner of 993/996/997 and current owner of 991 I believe that whilst each iteration has improved in terms of refinement, the quality of the product has dropped. I personally can't see my car lasting 25+ years like many 993 seem to have. They can't even fix a simple window problem after five attempts! 

These are the things I hate to have. Apparently minor issues that remain unresolved. I would reject the car under the consumer protection legislation. Unacceptable!

As to the overall quality I don't think it has dropped. At the time of the air-cooled a Porsche was a special product for many years, if not for life. They were very well looked after and owners were proud and willing to keep them for a long time. Nowadays, they change hands very quickly and after a couple of owners they end up in the wrong hands and neglected.

I can tell you that my old 986 Boxster MY 2000 is still immaculate after 15 years and with the right attention it will last as long as my ancient 911SC.

I think there is a lot of truth in that.  Since the advent of the water-cooled Porsche sports cars, a lot more people are buying Porsches and many of the older cars have gradually percolated down the used-car price range until they can be bought for Ford Focus money.
When their buyers then also try to run them on used Ford Focus maintenance budgets and have them serviced at garages which don't know the cars, things can very quickly go very wrong. 

@ bridggar:  I remember you mentioning earlier that your dealer appears to have given up on solving your car's problem. Have you tried escalating the issue by contacting PCGB in Reading. It's hard to believe that the source of the problem could not be found and eliminated if the car was looked at by the right person. 

fritz

I have escalated to PCGB but they don't seem to want to help either. (I did this last time it came back apparently fixed) After two weeks at OPC they claimed they couldn't replicate it so therefore can't find the fault.  I was told basically, to just accept it! 

Three days after it's returned to me, I've seen the fault twice and captured it on my iPhone and sent it to them. 

After 2.5 years & 6,500 miles it's got more squeeks and rattles than my 997 ever had. The bolts holding the brake calipers are rusting as is the rear wheel hub. To say I've gone off the car is a bit of an understatement!

991 Carrera Black\Black, XC90 Black\Black, 120 Cab Black\Coral Red - 2 kids, 1 dog

In reply to Aldo and RC re. Kreso - finally!!!

Best, w

reginos:

Whoopsy wrote how well Porsche entertained him and other guests at the Le Mans race. They all do it within certain criteria.

This type of largesse is directly related to the amount someone spends on a car. You have a 458 you meet the test drivers, you have a LaFerrari you probably mix with Vettel and Arrivabene and if you own all the specials from 288 GTO onwards to LaF they might arrange a seance with Enzo Ferrari himself!

Same here, I cannot complaint about Porsche hospitality but they actually asked me to shut up about it ("private nature"). 

OK, I wish we would get some "official" test cars for the forum, I would love to do some extensive official tests incl. videos but apparently some bloggers I often never heard of are more important than Rennteam.  Their mistake is probably to judge us in comparison to other car forums on the internet but they always seem to forget that we are a privately funded, non-commercial forum and even the statistical data (Alexa, etc.) is wrong, simply because we aren't using an optimizations, advertisements and similar stuff. The Google ad banner on the main site is more of an experiment than income. 

RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet, Porsche Macan Turbo, Ford Mustang GT500 Shelby SVT (2014), Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT (2014)

RC:

reginos:

Whoopsy wrote how well Porsche entertained him and other guests at the Le Mans race. They all do it within certain criteria.

This type of largesse is directly related to the amount someone spends on a car. You have a 458 you meet the test drivers, you have a LaFerrari you probably mix with Vettel and Arrivabene and if you own all the specials from 288 GTO onwards to LaF they might arrange a seance with Enzo Ferrari himself!

Same here, I cannot complaint about Porsche hospitality but they actually asked me to shut up about it ("private nature"). 

OK, I wish we would get some "official" test cars for the forum, I would love to do some extensive official tests incl. videos but apparently some bloggers I often never heard of are more important than Rennteam.  Their mistake is probably to judge us in comparison to other car forums on the internet but they always seem to forget that we are a privately funded, non-commercial forum and even the statistical data (Alexa, etc.) is wrong, simply because we aren't using an optimizations, advertisements and similar stuff. The Google ad banner on the main site is more of an experiment than income. 

..they also forget that the best people post here

"Form follows function"

bridggar:

I have escalated to PCGB but they don't seem to want to help either. (I did this last time it came back apparently fixed) After two weeks at OPC they claimed they couldn't replicate it so therefore can't find the fault.  I was told basically, to just accept it! 

Three days after it's returned to me, I've seen the fault twice and captured it on my iPhone and sent it to them. 

After 2.5 years & 6,500 miles it's got more squeeks and rattles than my 997 ever had. The bolts holding the brake calipers are rusting as is the rear wheel hub. To say I've gone off the car is a bit of an understatement!

 

I had the same problem with my Cayenne, I spec'ed full leather but for some cheap reason Porsche used leatherette for the side bolsters. After about 8 years of ownership, the leatherette started to crack and split. I immediately sent an email to Porsche Germany complaining about the issue, they (Germany) contacted PCGB with instructions to ensure that the issue is resolved. PCGB forwarded my details to Porsche Chiswick ( I always avoid using Hatfield despite the fact that I bought the car new from them). Chiswick fix the issue by replacing the whole chair free of charge....good service ! word of advice - don't use Hatfield !!!