2012 Porsche 928.

[DesmoRob]

Car and driver had another rumor of something slotting in under a Boxster, so maybe not a 928 but a 914?

If thats true, then sales volume has truly thrown brand exclusivity off its highchair. Well I guess they already did that with the Cayenne, so the damage is done in a way. I can't get over how many models you can choose from between then cayman, boxster, 911, cayenne and now panamera. There are an absolute f***tonne! They don't need more cars. If you're a middle aged balding man with no legs and an abnormally long neck, they build a Porsche to suit your needs. Where's it all going to end? Porsche isn't a stand alone company anymore, so they don't really need to build cars to sell to the masses in order to raise the capital to produce and sell what they're really known for to the enthusiasts, because they have the backing of VW. That means that introducing a high cost, high performance front engined coupe shouldn't be an issue. Ferrari is constantly backed up on orders for their cars, and they sure as hell don't come cheap. Nor do they build anything that I wouldn't want to be seen in. So why can't Porsche do the same? I'm sure someone has an answer. 500 horse 928 is very acceptable, but anything less than a Boxster is just making the brand more and more available until its just another car. Seeing a Porsche badge around used to be special.

[pimento]

I'm sure someone has an answer.

Porsche is a larger company than Ferrari, so they have to sell more volume to vaildate their continued existance as they currently are. Also there's a precedence to a 'cheap' Porsche, a la 914, 924.. etc. Not sure how they'd work out to current market levels though, would the Boxter be about that or is that now a little higher than the 924?

I have an answer for most things... Seeing a Porsche badge used to be special because they used to be in real trouble financially...

[culver]

I think the bigger difference between Porsche and Ferrari is that Porsche is a company that makes money selling cars and some engineering services. Ferrari is a company that, like Harley Davidson, makes money selling merchandising. The cars probably don't do much better than break even but they are necessary to keep the value of the name such that people will buy Ferrari branded merchandise.

[LeonOfTheDead]

Don't remember the precise figures for Ferrari, but the merchandising division despite being impressive was just a fraction of the total incomes. Those cars can be quite cheap to build.

The gained 4 M € just selling the sixty 612 Sessanta limited edition cars on top of the regular earnings for sixty 612s.

[NSXType-R]

I wouldn't mind a 928 to slot above the 911 Turbo. That'd be pretty cool actually.

And then a 944 under the Boxster maybe, with a turbo 4.

[Kitdy]

I wouldn't mind a 928 to slot above the 911 Turbo. That'd be pretty cool actually.

And then a 944 under the Boxster maybe, with a turbo 4.

A 928 would not really slot above a 911 Turbo - it would be different. I know the 911 Turbo is kinda Porsche's GT, but a 928 could be more GTish and luxurious and livable with a naturally aspirated V8 sourced from the Cayenne.

A 944 below the Boxster could potentially share a badge engineered version with VW and even Audi - so that wouldn't be too cool.

[Ferrer]

The 928 was meant to be the 911's successor. So, if it didn't kill it in the 80's it has no place now. It'd really be too much overlapping, even for Porsche. I'm not against an entry level Porsche, as long as it is a dedicated sportscar.

As far as badge, image or lineup problems, well which brand doesn't have it these days. As long as it is interesting and I like it I'd consider it.

[LeonOfTheDead]

A proper grand tourer from Porsche wouldn't create overlapping I believe. Cheaper than a Continental GT, less sporty than a 911 Turbo and perhaps also less expensive. Basically a PanAm Coupe, just using the sedan as the starting point would result in a big mess. NO thanks.

A dedicated model on the other hand, even with a technical basis shared with the fat pig, well, that may be interested, Porsche and its 911 legacy is getting a bit boring lately.

[Ferrer]

I personally think that the standard Carrera and Carrera S models already cover quite well the grand tourer end of the spectrum. They aren't as sporty as the GT models or as expensive and fast as turbocharged models. And for many years now they've been the benchmark for medium priced coupes.

Yes an eventual, full four seater front engined V8 coupe may be less focused than a 911 and probably more practical and comfortable too, but there would be at least a bit of overlaping and in any case I personally think that the 911 already covers this market segment quite well.

[DesmoRob]

I personally think that the standard Carrera and Carrera S models already cover quite well the grand tourer end of the spectrum. They aren't as sporty as the GT models or as expensive and fast as turbocharged models. And for many years now they've been the benchmark for medium priced coupes.

Yes an eventual, full four seater front engined V8 coupe may be less focused than a 911 and probably more practical and comfortable too, but there would be at least a bit of overlaping and in any case I personally think that the 911 already covers this market segment quite well.

The 928 would still have its spot competing with M6, CL, 612, etc. It would fit nicely in between the Merc and Ferrari as the Porsche alternative. The legroom in the back would undoubtedly be far more impressive than the 911's, which isn't even noteworthy. Kind of like my TT. The cars may be coupes, but you can forget about using the back for anything other than a sports bag. At least the large coupe segment can actually accommodate more travelers while still being sporty.
I think the Boxster is as entry level as Porsche should get. 911 purists would get too confused, being used to calling Boxster drivers "too poor for a 911." A new 914 would totally throw them off

[Ferrer]

Possibly, but in any case if Porsche would be let free to engineer a new 914 it'd probably be a brilliant car, a worthy alternative to the Mazda MX-5. And who cares if it would be the poor man's poor man's Porsche.

[DesmoRob]

Possibly, but in any case if Porsche would be let free to engineer a new 914 it'd probably be a brilliant car, a worthy alternative to the Mazda MX-5. And who cares if it would be the poor man's poor man's Porsche.

Creating competition for the MX5 could be as simple as detuning the current Boxster motor. They could call it the BoxsterminuS. Apart from power they are very similar cars. I think a new 914 could be a great car too, but that is essentially what the Boxster is, am I wrong? Even if they did build an alternative to the Mazda, it'd still have a premium on it for being a Porsche, and that's why people opt for cars like the MX-5 in the first place. Because they can't or don't want to spend the money for the Porsche. They'd have to build a competitor within only a couple of thousand dollars in price difference. Now thats getting scary affordable and thus imo very nonPorsche.
Business is business, but there is a fine line between sales volume/market share and sticking with your philosophies. There has to be some kind of boundary that you don't cross. The awe factor would be nearly eliminated if everyone could afford this brand. Sadly.

[LeonOfTheDead]

I was going to write basically what Rob did, except that Porsche already crossed that kind of boundary that we hoped they wouldn't have had.

So screw Porsche and get an MX-5, an Elise or just a damn Fiat Barchetta.

[Ferrer]

I don't know, Porsche has always been mass-producedish sportscar maker. And that exclusivity thing, I personally don't get it. Yes, Porsches carry a premium over other cars, but that's because they are better.

In any case I don't think an eventual entry level Porsche should be a problem. Not when there's the Cayenne.

[LeonOfTheDead]

Drop the Cayenne (which is now ridiculously ugly), shrink the PanAm into the 928, make the Boxter cheaper, with a smaller engine or two as well.

Then I could turn my head again next time I see a 911.