Quote:
RC said:
Regarding markets: Porsche's most important market is indeed the USA but looking at sales figures, I suppose Germany is second regarding sales.
Is the Cayman a fine sportscar? You bet it is. Would I buy one? Never. The reason is simple: it is too expensive, you can get a slightly used 911 for the same money, a car which is a 911...even if some of you may not realize what this means. Second, the Cayman isn't that fantastic as many people may think.
Of course its not wise to put all your eggs in one basket. I only pointed that out that maybe in Germany they dont sell, but they do in the US ... for whatever reason. The fact that dealers have them as inventory means little. US dealer of all cars have hundreds of cars in inventory. Many Americans have little patience for waiting 6 months to special order a car. They want the car ... NOW ... and hence dealers MUST have inventory to stay in business. Otherwise the sale is lost to the dealer down the street who does have inventory.
As to buying a 997, Yes I do know what it mean. Years ago we used to have a 911 Carrera (long gone). This time around we "were" going to buy a 997S. That was the plan. There was no point in buying a 997 since it appears that the CS was 4 secs off the 997 at the ring. Close enuff. After looking at both cars ... the CS "felt" like a real sports car.
Quick and easy mods ... catback, CAI are yielding 20 hp at the wheels. I'd bet there are a whole bunch of CS out there right now with just as much bhp as the 997. The car is so new, aftermarket companies are just starting to come out with parts.
Why not buy the 997S? Yes, its quicker, but the fact is, too many ... its antiquated rear-end that keeps trying to use technology to keep that mass from coming around.
Our 911 had lots of understeer ... thing was dangerous in the wrong hand. Times change ... technology changes ... yet Porsche keeps insisting to keep the 911 rear-engined. The CS "feels" like a real sports car. With its rear-engine and those silly back seats, the 997 keeps looking bloated and it turns off many people. To some, its more of a GT than a traditional sports car. Yeah, its an Icon but icons get old.
As to "Cayman isn't that fantastic as many people may think", its apparant to many that Porsche crippled the power output so as to now embarras the base 997. There are lots of dyno sheets showing large HP gains from simple Catbacks never mind anything more. Some ppl are dropping the X51 engine into it. Lots of aftermarket places offering to do that.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I'm not trying to change yours.
If the german 911 owners dont think of it as a real porsche ... I really dont need validation from anyone. I know I can easily get just as much HP as a 997 and have a mid-engined car that the 997 should have been
And BTW, as a former 911 owners, I would never look back knowing I consciously chose NOT to buy a 997.
That all said ... I think the REAL marketing problem is simple this constant "protecting" of the 911 icon from the cheaper siblings. IMHO, dump the 997 and 997S ... increase the HP in the CS to the 997S level, and start calling the GT3 and its variations as the 911. Porsche has way too many varations of the 911 out there right now ... IMO, the 911 starts at the GT3.
Then, someday ... I would hope to own one
If the 998 or 999 turns out to be mid-engined, then Porsche will be admitting the CS was the best platform (well the Carrera GT was mid-engined so they already know).
Since all of this is just opinions ... there is no right or wrong answer ... but many of us don't need validation from 911 owners, in fact, I kind of feel sorry they threw away $20K and got very little extra for it
Please dont take this as 911 bashing because its not. We're talking money and marketing and what you get for the money. $20K more for a few tenths of a second faster isn't worth $20K.
And one day ... I can think about that GT3
Or at the price it is now with 320bhp. 
Unless, as RC has said, you swallow the marketing or caymanclub BS hook, line and sinker. 
Especially when you add the bespoke cowl above the instrument cluster. Many thanks for explaining. 
