Never thaught i'd be saying this, but this is the first period in my life ( i'm 50) that i'm not sad having NO porsche (longing for one since i was 14, driving 4 of them the last 15 years).
I was planning buying a used 991 in 2 years, but at the moment i'm super happy with my R8. Maybe i'll buy a 993 again and use an audi as daily.
Porsche are really destroying their image of exclusive sportscar. It'll always stay a great sportscar but in no way an exclusive one...
Sorry to say that but I'd rather think that you're just not the Porsche type of guy...anymore.
I know so many people owning Porsche sports cars and they usually end up again with a Porsche. Some get something else from time to time but mainly because they are fed up with the conservative Porsche design, not because they actually don't like Porsche cars anymore. It is exactly the conservative 911 design I actually like and love, this is why I buy Porsche. Otherwise I could choose any other sports car on the market, the market is huge right now and full of highly interesting cars.
Why would you buy a 993? It was a great Porsche but compared to the 997, it is an oldtimer, a classic, somebody gets as a third, fourth or fifth car or somebody who can't afford the 997. I don't want to offend anybody but in my experience, the latest Porsche is usually the best one, advanced, refined and very fast. With the exception of the 996 maybe, all 911 successors were actually better than their older counterparts.
The only reason the special edition models suck is an obvious one: How do you think a GTS special edition model will affect used cars sales of the 997 Carrera S and Carrera 4S in two or three years? Exactly. Since Porsche produced a huge number of GTS models, used cars buyers, especially those with some Porsche knowledge, will mainly look for the GTS models. Meaning: The used car prices of the regular 997 models will go down substantially because unfortunately the GTS models will very likely not achieve a higher used car price on the market but rather push the used car prices of the Carrera S/4S models down the drain. Those who lease cars, like myself, couldn't care less but just imagine somebody bought a 997 Carrera 4S recently and one week later, the Carrera 4 GTS shows up. Ouch.
Same goes to the Black Edition models, they will very likely push the used car prices of the regular counterpart models to a lower level but especially the GTS models will affect the used car market in two to three years substantially. It is understandable, wouldn't you want the "better" car for little money more or even the same money?
The 911 is the german Volkswagen of sports cars, it is one of the only high performance sports cars in the higher price range which for example in Germany is somehow socially acceptable in a way or another. Many business men are driving 911 because of that, even the IRS(state tax office) accepts the 911 as a business car. Try that with a Ferrari, Lamborghini or even an Audi R8 and people will usually raise their eyebrows.
The 911 is a very special car on the market, it is a phenomenon, part tradition and history, part modern and very cold high tech. Even a 997 Turbo S may not stirr up much emotions in the outside world(for extroverted people, the GT3 RS may be the better product), a 997 Carrera is actually very non-spectacular nowadays. This is actually the strong point of the 911: Everybody knows what a 911 is, nobody finds it spectacular but if you look closely, people are still looking at it and are admiring it. Of course a Ferrari 458 Italia next to a 997 Turbo will always attract more attention but this is exactly the reason I've chosen the Porsche. I don't want to attract attention, I want to enjoy the car myself, for me, for my pleasure. From time to time people are still looking(or even starring) at it but I don't really care. I also don't wash it all the time or keep it shiny and polished, I just don't care too much about the outside, I care about driving fun and driving pleasure. The 911 gives me plenty of both.
The fact that Porsche sells more Cayenne than 911 says a lot about the 911: People started to get bored with it, I understand it. However, without the 911, Porsche wouldn't sell half of the Cayenne they sell right now and this is a fact.
There will be new Porsche models in the next couple of years, some more spectacular and even faster than the 911 but the 911 will stay the same...a somewhat affordable sports car icon for those who know how to appreciate a good but not too flashy product.
Cheers.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 997 Turbo, BMW X5 M, BMW M3 Cab DKG, Mini Cooper S JCW