Porsche article by Jethro B.

[Cachaco131]

Interesting take. Certainly resonates with P-car ownership from my perspective.

‘It was as if Jesus himself had blessed Porsche with a new suspension system’ | Evo

The deifying of Porsche has left Jethro with a worrying affliction – Porsche fatigue

www.evo.co.uk

 

[LotusB]

Spot on!

 

[wallstbear]

The human brain works a lot like the stock market.

Only a couple of years ago, Tesla stock was $35-ish with half of Wall St and their nephews shitting on and shorting it. A year and half later, it soared to $1200+, and every parent that‘s not named Depp is using Elon Musk as a role model for teaching their children.

Chances are, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

Same goes for Porsche. At one point they were near bankruptcy, but with the advent of the original Cayenne (which is ranking pretty high up the all time ugliest automobile list) today they are "God disguised in automobile form".

The human brain is whimsical. What we consider desirable in a given time/location could be ridiculously different in a slightly different setting. For example. did you know the Alphard MVP (sold for around US$25K in Japan and US$180K in China) is considered on par with the likes of Maybach in the latter country?

But, we love cars for our own reasons. Personally I am not a huge fan of Ps from a styling perspective. Nor do I agree with some of their business practices. The world is real dull if everyone thinks the same way.

 

[EspritGuy]

Interesting take. Certainly resonates with P-car ownership from my perspective.

‘It was as if Jesus himself had blessed Porsche with a new suspension system’ | Evo

The deifying of Porsche has left Jethro with a worrying affliction – Porsche fatigue

www.evo.co.uk

A cult like Scientology? Porsche fatigue?
What is the world coming to.?
The Coke versus Pepsi battle was won by 7Up, the UnCola.
And so it goes with Lotus.

 

[NickR]

Looks like a fluff article about echo chamber groups. It could apply to anything from Apple to Politics.

 

[emiraspain]

The human brain works a lot like the stock market.

Only a couple of years ago, Tesla stock was $35-ish with half of Wall St and their nephews shitting on and shorting it. A year and half later, it soared to $1200+, and every parent that‘s not named Depp is using Elon Musk as a role model for teaching their children.

Chances are, the truth is probably somewhere in between.

Same goes for Porsche. At one point they were near bankruptcy, but with the advent of the original Cayenne (which is ranking pretty high up the all time ugliest automobile list) today they are "God disguised in automobile form".

The human brain is whimsical. What we consider desirable in a given time/location could be ridiculously different in a slightly different setting. For example. did you know the Alphard MVP (sold for around US$25K in Japan and US$180K in China) is considered on par with the likes of Maybach in the latter country?

But, we love cars for our own reasons. Personally I am not a huge fan of Ps from a styling perspective. Nor do I agree with some of their business practices. The world is real dull if everyone thinks the same way.

I beg to slightly differ, the cayenne did not save porsche, it came almost 10 years after the detroit show, introducing the real car that saved them, the boxster. It may not sell in great numbers today, but in its first year of production, 1997, it sold 7000 units in the US alone, porsches real market back then. Noting that total Porsche sales had dropped to around 3000 in 1993, again in the US, you can see how important the boxster was for them and the cayenne had not even been dreamed of at that stage.
Of course the cayenne was a hit and the macan even more so, and the latter is the biggest seller today by far, their cash cow, but the cayenne was introduced in 2003 I think and if the boxster did not come all those years prior to it, there would be no porsche SUV, there would be no porsche, unless it was taken over.
And looking back the boxster (like a beached whale) and the cayenne were indeed both ugly cars, but we cant look back at design so simply and I have to admit I considered a boxster when I lived in the US some 24 years ago, even though now I think that version looks awful.
You dont like the current 911 design?? I think it looks great, and would be their most successul I think, if they could make them.. hah

 

[emiraspain]

I think the article is not really about Porsche, its about him living in the USA and the fascination they have with 911's, they have historically sold in much larger numbers there than anywhere and the amount of people with spare income to buy them is more than anywhere on the planet also. Its also about social apps, Instagram etc. I dont think he has got bored with porsche at all...or 911s as is indicated at the last......
"close Instagram and go for a drive in a 911. They really are fantastic." end of rant, and of course he owns a 911.

The worst thing for me is that he criticises those who do what he does..

"Even worse, everything else is cast as the Devil. Dare to post a picture or video of a car that could be broadly compared with a Porsche, any Porsche, and you’ll be drowned by the onslaught of comments: ‘Why would you bother when you could buy a 911?’ cry the army of disciples. "
but isnt this exactly what he does with the cayman..to the lotus emira! he is the one comparing it, and didnt ask to etc etc etc. isnt it a bit hypocritical?

No, I dont buy it.... its just a small article for which he got paid, but its nothing more than a slight rant against the US and social media trolls.. Nothing to do with porshe.

 

[Jonhklee]

You dont like the current 911 design?? I think it looks great, and would be their most successul I think, if they could make them.. hah

Germany backs EU fossil fuel car phaseout, with slight change

Germany can support a European Union proposal to effectively ban new fossil fuel car sales from 2035, if an option is added to allow sales of cars running on "CO2 neutral" fuels, German environment minister Steffi Lemke said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

Something tells me the German Gov have been speaking to Porsche/VW group about the future of their legendary ICE models…..

 

[emiraspain]

Germany backs EU fossil fuel car phaseout, with slight change

Germany can support a European Union proposal to effectively ban new fossil fuel car sales from 2035, if an option is added to allow sales of cars running on "CO2 neutral" fuels, German environment minister Steffi Lemke said on Tuesday.

www.reuters.com

Something tells me the German Gov have been speaking to Porsche/VW group about the future of their legendary ICE models…..

yes, their synthetic fuels, but made in Chile and the enviromental impact to get them over here will be ignored I guess .
However, when i spoke about making them, I meant with delays and parts suppliers etc as of course they have the same issues. One advantage they have over lotus, is their over spill for cayman production 718 generally, will now be made by a VW plant and not by porsche, Lotus cant quite go and use volvo's plants....

 

[wallstbear]

I beg to slightly differ,

You are probably right that the Boxster was the bridging savior before the Cayenne... that being said, my point was Porsche has not always been in the kind of dominant position as it is in today. Just like we could argue all day why Telsa shares went way up since 2021, but fact is it went up by 20+ times.

W/r/t 911 design, it's indeed better than 15-20 years ago, but (i) you can't really un-see the beetle; (ii) automotive design has evolved so much in recent decades (e.g., the Evija), there is no reason to stick to the old form like they have, and (iii) the long rear overhang just bothers me, a mid engined 911 like the RSR is much better.

 

[emiraspain]

You are probably right that the Boxter was the bridging savior before the Cayenne... that being said, my point was Porsche has not always been in the kind of dominant position as it is in today. Just like we could argue all day why Telsa shares went way up since 2021, but fact is it went up by 20+ times.

W/r/t 911 design, it's indeed better than 15-20 years ago, but (i) you can't really un-see the beetle; (ii) automotive design has evolved so much in recent decades (e.g., the Evija), there is no reason to stick to the old form like they; have, and (iii) the long rear overhang just bothers me, a mid engined 911 would be much better.

ok interesting. I dont have one, but I dont see anything of a beetle in the current 911 I have to say.
I also think they have worked so hard to make it work and the GT3 and turbo, for the money, seem to work better than anything out there, according to the professional reviewers, why would you change?
If the fuel keeps them going, the 911 wont change for maybe 15/20 years....
However, they do have the chance, not sure they will take it, to make the 718 electric into an amazing design, rather than just evolve it a little bit....
it depends if they let the car have a real lease of life, it continue to try and smoother it by the 911.... which would be a stupid decision now if they persist in ICE for the 911, why hold the 718 back

I would want this car .... minus the spoiler of course...

 

[Autopsy]

I agree with this part especially

"Even worse, everything else is cast as the Devil. Dare to post a picture or video of a car that could be broadly compared with a Porsche, any Porsche, and you’ll be drowned by the onslaught of comments: ‘Why would you bother when you could buy a 911?’ cry the army of disciples. "
but isnt this exactly what he does with the cayman..to the lotus emira! he is the one comparing it, and didnt ask to etc etc etc. isnt it a bit hypocritical?

To me this piece is nothing more of a attempt to elevate himself above the “normal porsche fanboys”, by distancing and ridiculing them it shows that his preference must be unbiased and justified. It's just like in politics sometimes one have to call out things on their side to appear sound and balanced thus not a political hack.

On another note what's good for a car is so much more than a one directional chart of 1 to 10. Yet almost everyone is guilty of thinking there "preference" is universal, journalists included. It's like some teenager can recite all recent nurburgring lap records and judge cars purely on this, it's shallow, yet at least subjective.

 

[Hedge]

I would still be very happy to have a 911 … or a Cayman, Boxster. Fantastic cars. Not Porsche’s fault they’re so good and the badge has such cachet! The fact I had 911s for 10 years uninterrupted with a young family reminds me that they’re a great car they are.

Lotus used to offer something different from Porsche after Porsche went heavier/comfort/more all round appeal - in fact, they went after sales! While seeming to win every motorsport competition they entered.

The Emira is Porsche’s Boxster/Cayman ‘moment’ (ok they were years apart). And the Eletre is the Cayenne.

So, can only be a good thing for Lotus as a business and customers assuming they retain their essential ‘Lotus’ characteristics. Will be fascinating to see how they do that with the move to EV. And where does motorsport fit into their future plans? Good luck to them.

The raw driving/lightweight enthusiast can still find those cars to buy in the Lotus second hand market, Ariel, Caterham, Morgan(?) and a few others.

 

[Leonard]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't

 

[MickOpalak]

This essay is so on the money!!!

It highlights the second reason I don't like Porsche - the owners and their attitude towards the 911.