Originally Posted by scatkins

I've asked myself the same question.... Also to extend my comments, it isn't even just the 16 variants, just look at the qty of selectable options as well..

The other thing to consider is I'm not aware of many other production cars that tend to be set up to be ordered in the way that a Porsche is.. Look at how easy they try to make it to build your car, order one and even encourage picking it up from the factory and throw in a tour.. Clearly there is pride but I believe it gives a peak into what they believe the demographics are of their customers.

So I believe that Porsche must believe there is great value in offering such widely customization, yet still in a production car. Obviously it would be cheaper to offer the car in just a few variants with a handful of option packages like most cars..


The conclusions I can come to is that from a market perspective and in their particular cost point and associated demographic Porsche feels that by offering their products in a "my way" creates great appeal.

And I think that is illustrated by how much we all here talk (and argue, lol) about what options are most important and they seem to appeal to a range of us with varying interests.. Some want to track and race, others want more luxury and most of us a combination somewhere.

So I suspect in the end, they know their core customers like to fiddle with their build and will always gradually add more expensive options.. I'm not the first one as I've seen around here to start out wanting a low optioned base C2, and ending up with a well optioned C2S.. So they got an additional $30K out of me by giving me such great flexibility.

The other thing is I think the customization allows their customers to feel as if the car is "theirs".. it can be unique to exactly what I want. Thus I think it creates a tremendous affinity towards the Porsche brand.. Lol, I'm already starting to think about what I'd like my next one to be even though it probably won't be for another 4 or 5 years..

Anyway that's my take on why so many models and customization. I think it just strikes a resonance with the particular type of customer that like 911's.. and thus they can extract more money from you..

And it doesn't impede the non-enthusiast that just drives buy and picks what happens to be on the lot that just want's a particular color and transmission type.

Originally Posted by speedsterr

I think porsche plays an ingenious f**ked up psychology game with all of us to just spend more money. They know if they give us free tours we think they care about us. They know if they give us versatility and rape us on option price we will pay them because its available. This is behavioral economics or psychology or whatever school you'd like to label it as. And we all fall for it hook line and sinker because well there are no alternatives to the porsche brand. They know this and they know that we know this. This would be a great chance for a company like ferrari, aston martin, mclaren, whatever to steal the spot light from them but those brands want to make their 200+k cars.

Effectively porsche has a monopoly in their segment.

Originally Posted by jaspergtr

I was right there with you, until you mentioned that there are no alternatives... I think there are plenty.

Originally Posted by speedsterr

For between 100-150k? I don't think there are any DD sport cars with the same feel as porsche for brand new. Maybe Aston martin vantage after the AMG engines are in.

Originally Posted by jaspergtr

Yes, but viable alternatives really depends on the buyer's preferences, priorities, etc...

(HP/TQ requirements, cost, options, comfort, transmission options, AWD/RWD, NA/FI, space, storage, mileage, speed, appearance, etc...)

Originally Posted by speedsterr

Hmmmm....well I'm talking cars with the same ideal customer as porsche. Not many people are buying a porsche 911 to be a family hauler. It isn't designed to be a drag monster. It's designed to be refined, good handling dynamics, good drive experience and high quality, and be able to be DD suitable. I'm talking from a point of view of what that car was designed to do. SRT didn't make the viper for me to get my groceries in it and drive it in the snow for example. They also didn't make it for me to stick my kayak, or lumber, or whatever to the top of the car as well. That's not its mission. Could I do that with it? Yea sure. I drove my zr1 in the snow. Was it designed to do that? No. Was porsche designed to do that? Yes indeed it was.

The only other car to me that does that for the same price currently is the Aston Martin Vantage.

An m6,m5, E63, CLS 63, GTR, zo6, viper, don't give the same for that price point. These are all the cars currently that are 100-150k that are performance oriented. You shouldn't even count 4 of them because they are family haulers that happen to have performance.

On my entire list the only thing close is the GTR but it sacrifices refinement and quality for sheer performance.

Originally Posted by jaspergtr

You just used your preferences...

See the MANY threads about useable backseats, transmission preferences, etc... right here on 6speed about 911's.

"Not many people are buying a porsche 911 to be a family hauler. It isn't designed to be a drag monster. It's designed to be refined, good handling dynamics, good drive experience and high quality, and be able to be DD suitable. I'm talking from a point of view of what that car was designed to do. SRT didn't make the viper for me to get my groceries in it and drive it in the snow for example. They also didn't make it for me to stick my kayak, or lumber, or whatever to the top of the car as well. "

Didn't you just describe an R8? Just throwing it out there... Using your info provided.

Originally Posted by speedsterr

I think porsche plays an ingenious f**ked up psychology game with all of us to just spend more money. They know if they give us free tours we think they care about us. They know if they give us versatility and rape us on option price we will pay them because its available. This is behavioral economics or psychology or whatever school you'd like to label it as. And we all fall for it hook line and sinker because well there are no alternatives to the porsche brand. They know this and they know that we know this. This would be a great chance for a company like ferrari, aston martin, mclaren, whatever to steal the spot light from them but those brands want to make their 200+k cars.

Effectively porsche has a monopoly in their segment.

Originally Posted by speedsterr

I think porsche plays an ingenious f**ked up psychology game with all of us to just spend more money.

Originally Posted by speedsterr

You could use the R8. You could argue it could be a DD due to the AWD. But I wouldn't go so far considering trunk space. I used the Aston because the vantage has the same purpose as the 911. That wasn't preference that was the type of customer it was created for.

But anyways, I do agree porsche has too many lines. They should get rid of all the S models and make them the base models and keep everything else as is.

Originally Posted by jaspergtr

F-Type?

Just sayin'... Put that Aston against a supercharged F-Type.

Like I said - alternatives exist. Plenty to choose from in this segment. It just depends on one's criteria.

Originally Posted by dux

But here is the strange thing.
We've all used the configuration tool and ordered from it.
We have our self-imposed cutoff points that keep the car under a predetermined price point, after which point "it no longer makes sense" to us. (~ $110k for a C2 and ~$135k for a C2S).

And in spite of all the variants on offer, it seems as though we select the same 10 options over and over again - PDK, PSE, PDCC, S-PASM, Crests, Sunroof (or not), Bose / B'meister etc etc.. We all know the list.
Any attempt to piecemeal options guides you to their design "packages".

So if there were to be a larger "dead spot" before you get to that next level (fully loaded C2S vs GT3), would we be more or less inclined to keep loading up or make that leap?

Originally Posted by scatkins

I've asked myself the same question.... Also to extend my comments, it isn't even just the 16 variants, just look at the qty of selectable options as well..

The other thing to consider is I'm not aware of many other production cars that tend to be set up to be ordered in the way that a Porsche is.. Look at how easy they try to make it to build your car, order one and even encourage picking it up from the factory and throw in a tour.. Clearly there is pride but I believe it gives a peak into what they believe the demographics are of their customers.

So I believe that Porsche must believe there is great value in offering such widely customization, yet still in a production car. Obviously it would be cheaper to offer the car in just a few variants with a handful of option packages like most cars..


The conclusions I can come to is that from a market perspective and in their particular cost point and associated demographic Porsche feels that by offering their products in a "my way" creates great appeal.

And I think that is illustrated by how much we all here talk (and argue, lol) about what options are most important and they seem to appeal to a range of us with varying interests.. Some want to track and race, others want more luxury and most of us a combination somewhere.

So I suspect in the end, they know their core customers like to fiddle with their build and will always gradually add more expensive options.. I'm not the first one as I've seen around here to start out wanting a low optioned base C2, and ending up with a well optioned C2S.. So they got an additional $30K out of me by giving me such great flexibility.

The other thing is I think the customization allows their customers to feel as if the car is "theirs".. it can be unique to exactly what I want. Thus I think it creates a tremendous affinity towards the Porsche brand.. Lol, I'm already starting to think about what I'd like my next one to be even though it probably won't be for another 4 or 5 years..

Anyway that's my take on why so many models and customization. I think it just strikes a resonance with the particular type of customer that like 911's.. and thus they can extract more money from you..

And it doesn't impede the non-enthusiast that just drives buy and picks what happens to be on the lot that just want's a particular color and transmission type.

Originally Posted by speedsterr

You consider the jag equal to porsche and aston? Interesting......I wouldn't quite take that leap. Too bad the sl63 isn't cheaper. That one could work.