Quote:
tortesq1 said:
MKSGR,

IMHO Porsche got it right. Why ? I am not a GT2 guy (I'm a turbo guy), but my understanding from several GT2 owners I know is that they have NEVER been at a disadvantage in street driving. Most GT2/Turbo owners do NOT track their cars here in the US (that is a fabulous misnomer). The horsepower disadvantage your fretting about is truly meaningless in the real world of street driving). If you only care about numbers (hp, 0-60, 0-100, 100-0, etc.) then Porsche said goodbye to you long ago. The modern buyer is typified by people like me. My new 997TT, fully optioned, will cost about $150K (w/o tax). I will NEVER track the car! I will drive it daily. I will drive it in the winter (yes in snow). I will also drive my wife and daughters around in it (I can only fit 3 of the 4 so I try to get rid of my wife). I will mercilessly flog the car on a daily basis. However, I really don't care if its the lightest, fastest or prettiest. To me, these cars are workhorses, pure and simple. F430, Gallardo, blah, blah - I respectfully request you try putting 10K-12K miles per year on those cars and get back to me. Before I had my first turbo I spoke at length with Gianni at LI Ferrari about getting a 360 (around 2001). The end result was even he recommended the turbo for my sort of daily drive/lifestyle. So, with all due respect, I think Porsche did get it right. Maybe the real GT2 new car buyers know what they want, maybe Porsche knows what they want and maybe Porsche isn't as dumb as you think. Time will tell .... In any event, I am truly sincerely dumbfounded as to how any of us could possibly use all of the abilities of a stock turbo let alone a GT2.



I can understand your reasoning from a US customer pespective.

However, in Germany power differences can indeed be noticed in day-to-day traffic situations (Autobahn). That's why some of us complain about the lack of hp in case of the 997TT...

Also, you pay $150k for a fully equipped 997TT. This equals Euro 115k (plus taxes). In Germany, a fully equipped 997TT costs around Euro 165k (incl. 19% VAT). Of course, customers tend to get more critical the higher the price... My impression is that the 997TT (at German MSRP) is priced fairly high while the performance does only match the minimum requirements. Not more.

As far as your daily workhorse concept is concerned I agree to a certain extent. Indeed, Porsche has some substantial advantages in that regard. However, you probably agree that most 997TT buyers use other cars in the situations where you plan to use your 997TT. My last 996TT for example was never fitted with winter tires. Simply beacause winter tires destroy 50% of the driving experience (plus they limit the maximum speed to 240kph, which is a major disadvantage on long-distance travels in a car like the TT). In snow, bad wheather etc. I use a different car which is better suited to such an environment. My argument here is that Porsche will face serious problems if they focus on people who use their TT as an all-wheater vehicle. This buyer group is probably rather small.

I agree that the 997TT is a great car. The GT2 will also be a great car. However, both cars are on par with many competitors. They no longer have a competitive advantage. That is the new (and unfavorable) situation