Forgive me if this is a repost (mods please delete or merge if it is).

Chris Harris is on Road Testament talking about the role of technology in next gen cars like the 991. He questions if it is actually improving these cars.

 

Some of the most entertaining cars today are definitely not the fastest cars. A simple Lotus Exige S will be more fun than a fully tuned Nissan GTR. However, it is fun to watch the Nissan GTR destroy the competition on the race track. Guess it all comes down to what the consumer wants. Bragging rights to say I own the fastest cars in the car magazines, or to own a fun and entertaining car only the purist drivers appreciate. That is the question.

 

off to buy a E46 M3 as directed...

also, the 997 GT3 is likely the last of its breed, at least from this perspective, and I will never sell!

 

I feel that high performance cars have reached a point of perfection mechanically, and engineers are using electrical computer controlled intervention to explore limits beyond the purely mechanical technology.

This is OK, AFTER you've developed a great platform. **However**, engineers may find that they can bypass the arduous work of perfecting the mechanical components by leveraging computers to do things that would be costly and time consuming to develop, or tune, otherwise.

For example, you can spend years perfectly balancing a platform.... Perhaps you have to move components around to achieve the weight distribution you are looking for. Perhaps you have to do little things like move the battery from the engine bay to the other end of the car. Perhaps you have to make big changes like move the location of the transmission. This type of design, experimentation, and redesign takes time and money.

Instead of this hard work, now-a-days, the engineers can put a gyroscope in the car and automatically actuate one of the brakes to make sure the car behaves better around a corner. I know it took years to develop these computer-assistive technologies, but now I fear these technologies may also be crutches to developing holistic platforms.

I do applaud electronic innovation. It's nice to have the latest gadgets, but they should be used alongside great mechanical design to complement it, not in lieu of good old fashioned brilliant engineering that people like Dr. Ferdinand Porsche pioneered.

 

Interesting conversation, starting with the 997 vs 991 issue. Harris Monkey is always self-deprecating and entertaining.

 

If I could find the spec`d out GT2RS I am looking for the argument would end there.



Hmm,,, Chris Harris,,,, cheque!
Other dude,,,?

Right,, I knew it!

Good to see System Of A Down's guitarist Daron Malakian landed a decent job!

 

I haven't had time to watch the clip yet but I remember being a dreamy teenager reading R&T or C&D about a new 928 model (one of the later ones) where the electronics and gizmos were going to take way the fun of driving. I'll bet that car would be considered 'raw' by today's standards...

 

All I know is that I'd "kill" to get the 991 electronics in my 997.1: I also love my MT but the PDK with Sport and Sport plus is "it".

 

For example, the new Subaru BRZ is getting great reviews as a basic sports car that's simply a blast. Not lightening fast, but apparently, they got it right..
MSRP starts at $25,495....lol.

(Mark my words, that will be the new trend--eventually--where sports cars and Porsche will begin to reverse course and simplify certain things...)

 

I was recently at a track event where a fairly experienced driver had a BRZ. He said he liked it a lot on the track. Given the reviews and the low price, it seems like a compelling option, but I wonder if it's sturdy enough to last on the track.

Agreed though that the appearance of a car like this should give Porsche pause. Had the Cayman R parked next to the BRZ and wondered if it's worth 3x more ... And is a decent 991 worth 5x more?