For me, it is not about being brand conscious. It is about not agreeing with a company's actions and not giving money for them to perpetuate and sustain their direction. It may not make a difference at all to Porsche's bank account, but at the same time I wouldn't be supporting them.

 

But you're just buying the car(s) you love, not the whole company. What would be so wrong with Porsche venturing into additional areas where they can make money, especially if they keep meanwhile making cars we love? For example, I'm not a big fan of the Cayenne, and I certaintly don't consider it to be a sports car, but I don't really care that it exists as long as the 911, Boxster, and Cayman are still available.

Edit:

OK, I thought more about this, and maybe I see where you're coming from. If Porsche is just another business which makes metal machines for a profit, they can do whatever serves their financial interest. If Porsche is instead the guardian of an engineering legacy responsible for creating iconic embodiments of human intentions and experiences, then they arguably have a responsibility (to their founders and car enthusiasts around the world) which goes beyond their financial interests.

Of course, the latter view elevates things almost to the level of ideology, but I guess so be it. After all, some of the pleasure I derive from my 911 does come from knowing the history of the company and this particular model of car.

That said, I would still continue to buy the good Porsches even if they started making really cheap cars. After all, what choice do we have? To get similar performance from other car companies generally means spending a lot more money.

 

Poor ferdinand is prob turning in his grave past few years

 

Generally...

 

Even Ferrari is now ramping up to build some kind of sport wagon, I think. These companies need to adapt to the modern world. With huge dollars being spent on cars being powered by alternative fuel sources and other new technologies which are changing and evolving more rapidly than ever, the reality is that the small independents are either going to have to join with another auto group or branch out on their own, just like Porsche has done. So I guess we're free to not buy their products any longer, but who are we trying to punish?

 

Referring to the FF?

 

FF=F-ckin Fail

Oh well, the 612 was fugly already. Interesting that an automotive company that makes a breathtaking work of art such as the Italia can also produce the shooting brake FF but it fits a niche and will probably be extremely lucrative for Ferrari.

 

Yes, the GT-R and Corvette are examples of real sports cars at more affordable prices, though of course we all agree that they're still not as good as the 911.

 

I recall reading that the FF actually drives really well, but it's so ugly that even a mother couldn't love it. Makes the Panamera look fabulous. Ferrari didn't need to do this ... not sure what they were thinking.

 

The CGT and GT2 RS both contradict what you are saying. In fact the base 997 GT2 does as well. As the numbers of those sold are around the same numbers as their Ferrari counterparts in the same price range.

If Porsche can sell a 911 for 245k, then they can certainly sell a mid-engine car for significantly more.

And I'm talking retail value (what people on Ferrari's list pay) not the infalted prices after the cars have been bought from those people at a premium.

Porsche would have to step their game up to make a car as stunning as the 458, but a CGT successor could certainly fit the bill.

 

I laughed so hard when I read this.

TAKE COVER!!! You just opened up a can of worms.

Glad you see what I am talking about.

 

You said "similar performance"... had nothing to do with what was better or worse.
Performance is on paper. Ask any mag racer, any real mag racer, it doesn't matter if a car is faster by a second around or a lap or by a minute. Winning is winning.



This does actually go towards the crux of the debate (but from an opposite direction) - many would argue the ZR-1 is a Ferrari fighter (I'm not one of those).

 

Whether we want to admit it or not, there is a certain cache associated with the mark because the entry point is not as easily attained as say Honda. The idea to expand to seven models and make some of the models more affordable is ludicrous. It dilutes the value of the brand and seems contrary to the idea of trying to compete more directly with Ferrari.

 

I guess it depends on whether they want to compete based on cache or performance.

If cache, I agree that they can't offer further downscale models, and the Boxster, Cayman, and Cayenne already hurt their cause in that regard. If performance, Porsche is arguably already up there with Ferrari.

I'm probably in the minority in finding the cache of Porsche to be a drawback, since I prefer less attention.

 

That only matters to people that care exclusively about who won.

I don't care who won, I care about the trip there and who did the best getting to where they ended up.

Its why drag racing and 0-60 figures are such utter useless exercises to me.