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MMD said:
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The Groom said:
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MMD said:
This is where they're going; the'll be changing the looks of the cars to make them blend in and sell.
Look how they dumbed-down the Cayenne. Looks like a Subaru.
The new Cayenne looks so much better than the original one (the Touareg still looks better though). IMHO of course.
The thing I'm trying to put my finger on is what's happening to the looks of this car as Porsche wants to sell more of them.
My model is what happened to Jaguars after Ford got their hands on them in the design department.
It USED to be when you got near a Jaguar (or Cayenne) you were a bit excited because the car's styling exuded a special more refined quality that separated it from all other cars in it's class. It was bolder or more intelligent in the details and overall picture.
Now it seems there's a dummbing down where those _distinguished_ sophisticasted details are gone and the overall impression of the car is that it no longer stands out as more refined, intelligent.
There's GOT to be a philosophy which is well known in the design departments that make the cars MORE appealing to more people and, unfortunately, at the same time less appealing to those few who have a more trained eye.
Look at what they've done here, they've "Subaru-ized" the new Cayenne, the old one had more balls looks-wise. Not necessarily "more aggressive" but more stand-out and distinguished:
The pictures suck (top one exaggerates the nose too much) but when you see the cars in person maybe consider what I'm trying to say.
I guess they'll do what it takes to stay in business, given the pressure over "global warming" and the theory that human activity is the main factor behind it. Chairman and CEO Dr. Wiedeking had made comments to the effect that the European Union's stringent carbon standards were going to destroy the German luxury auto industry. I guess they must have gotten some compromise with the other EU members as Chancellor Merkel signed off on the agreement.
Given the company's move into SUV's and now a 4-door sedan, I think it's purely a move to survive as an independent company, that is, one not controlled by Detroit, the Japanese, the French, the Koreans, the Chinese or one of their German competitors. They get to use more of their patented technologies on a larger number of cars, thus helping to keep costs in check.
As long as they produce cars like the 911 (and its various derivatives), the Boxster, and the Cayman, I don't see the other models as detracting from the Porsche heritage of engineering and producing superb sports cars.
Jim