If you can afford the Zonda, you can probably pay to adjust the space-time continuum so that the Zonda is actually faster! That, or hire the starter to wait just a bit before pushing the button on the stopwatch once you are off!

 

My issue with the base car has always been that it should have been an "S" . In short when Porsche moved from the 996 to the 997 and introduced two model lines (base and S) and followed suit with all of their other performance models (Cayman, Boxster, Turbo ) I felt it should have been one car .
AND .. it should have been one car priced right smack in the middle as a price point . In my opinion the base is priced to much to offer too little and the S is priced too high to not offer enough.

I do not feel this way with vehicles like the Cayenne and Panamera only because I actually think an SUV or a large sedan are generally not performance vehicles so having the choices with them is a good thing.

The video is very nice though . I don't feel anyone is "bagging" on the car but at 100K a pop they have every right to insist on getting the most for their money without having to second guess it enough to search for a video to rationalize or justify it.

 

You are likely foreshadowing the future. With the Cayman S being so close to the base in performance numbers and easily tuned, it is hard to justify a base unless you love 911s, or need a back seat. You get the same engine and most of the other goodies - and a mid-engine, for 20K less. I would think that in the future, the 911S will be the base - that to get the next biggest engine, you will need to upgrade to the next model - that way there is a significant argument for brand differentiation. The interesting question is will the 911 be eventually offered as a mid-engine. All of this is speculation, of course. But it will be interesting to see how the two brands mature.

 

I remember the 996 (I owned two of them) . When the 05 997 came out the base 997 was the same price as the outgoing 996 with many refinements . To get an "S" nicely equipped it was about 7K more but there was a power jump . That was the draw !! That's what led me to run home and plead with sold out dealerships to "please sell me a car" .
Now it's 10-20K more to get an S . The 13 Cayman S cost as much as a 2007 997S .
A 991S cost as much as a 2007 turbo.

If lap times for the price were up for discussion the numbers might even tilt toward the older cars favor .

If a 991S were the only car and if it were priced at 115K instead of 125 (with all the goodies) then it would fill the gap .

It's lap times numbers would even stand out more too.

 

I came back to this part . I think Porsche knows that the mid engine is a home run for these cars but the 911 is an icon . That's quite a dilema .
I actually want to see the 911 cars made forever even if it means toning down the mid engine ability .

 

So are you saying that every time someone posts a video of an S on the track that they are second guessing or are trying to rationalize or justify their purchase?

 

He did write "no wonder I don't need any more than a base" .

It's not uncommon for a base 911 owner to question it .

I've posted here long enough to see many a base 911 owner trade the car in for an S or even an older turbo . I've seen many an S owner trade for a Gt3 or turbo too.

I myself traded an "S" after just 5 months to get my current Turbo and traded my 993 for a 993 turbo . I second guessed having a Turbo every time i saw one and it certainly would have been less expensive had I not .

I currently second guess whether i will want the new turbo S and i can look at all the modified 700+ Hp Texas Mile videos and still admit it .

I don't feel it makes anyone any less of a person to admit to wanting the best car .. whether he ends up buying it or not.

 

Couldn't disagree more. There is sooooo much added value in the base C2 over the Cayman S. It's a whole different car with unique characteristics. Much more added value there, than from "upgrading" your C2 to a C2S, which is basically the same car for more money. I only see the GT3 (or the turbo if you are into that) as an upgrade for a C2, the S being an option you can select on your base C2 ;-)

The 911's rearengined-ness sets it appart from all the competition. It has been THE Porsche for the past 50 years. Not only on the road, but also on the track.
The Cayman is just another midengined sportscar like there are plenty ! And it is not Porsche's choice for their race programs. So allthough a lot of people claim the Cayman to be a superior platform, Porsche themselves seem to disagree, both in choice of raceplatform, and in positioning in the product line-up.

So when scrapping a model time comes it will be the "Boxster Coupe" that get the axe. My dealer told me Cayman sales are very slow and the Boxster outsells it by far.
It's a game of global economics, brand positioning and image, not of numbers and ra(n)tings in a car magazine.

 

Great post! It has to be remembered that this blog has a lot of enthusiast that want the latest and greatest whereas there are lots of base owners that wanted a great drive but aren't concerned about drag racing, impressing the kid next door or internet banter.

 

Sure, I could do that if it really mattered which car is has better times TBLs or by professional drivers.

 

I don't know if comparing the 3.4 Carrera to a 3.8 is really apples-apples with comparing a Challenger V6 to a Challenger V8 IMO.

 

Agreed, 100%.

 

I see it that way, because there is 'x', and then there is 'x+n' = s.

x = base model
n = upgrades (performance, more standard features, etc...)
s = 'S' trim (or other upgraded trim level)

The Challenger V8 comes with all of the standard features of the V6 + additional standard features (heated mirrors, etc...). Not unlike the R8V10 over R8, or base Mustang vs GT, Bentley Continental GT and GT Speed.

 

"there are lots of base owners that wanted a great drive but aren't concerned about drag racing, impressing the kid next door or internet banter."


Guilty as charged.

 

+1 well put.