That is an assumption, the same that accompanied the 944, and 928 and where are they now??????

Porsche has gotten burned by trying that more than once already and I'm sure if you were the head of anything in weissach they'd be headed for a third. In case you haven't realized, the back seats are what's made the 911 one of the best sports cars for generations. It's been the best all around supercar for decades. How exactly do you intend to hold the Porsche brand name up with a cayman, that's good for one thing only, two seaters.

The 911 is too versatile to be replaced with a mid engine platform. But I'm learning that I can't expect you to understand that.

Why did Porsche lose? Did you watch the race at all??? Does the fastest car in any series win every race? Who had the first two positions on the grid and fastest laps BY FAR during the race??? If you can drive with a completely bent toe link, no front end or a gearbox failure and win a race, then by all means lets get your name to Porsche.

You are getting to the point of not responding to.

 

If Porsche were to build turbo Caymans alongside 977TTs, I bet they would have little trouble selling both, as soon as the economy recovers. There is probably room for both. I sure wish they would give us a turbo Cayman.

 

I thought that this thread was killed off a few weeks ago but since not here goes the old guy again. I've been infatuated with Porsches since before most of you were born and still buy one every few years (06 911S, moded to about 415 FWHP). The significant thing about Porsche is that it is a totally different company since 1995 when the first Boxster prototypes began hitting the road. Prior to that Porsche made racing machines faster then than anything on a track today (1972 917/30 was a 220 mph car, followed by the 1981 936 at 230+mph, then the 956 and 962). In the 70's and 80's Porsche had the "poor man's Porsche in the 914 and the 924/928 and of course the 911 was around. For awhile I had a 2nd hand 1974 911S with about 180 HP but it weighed only about 2200# so it would fly. The 1988 959 coupe (very limited production) could hit 225 mph.

With the advent of the Boxster and refinements in the 911 Porsche's business model was significantly changed. While not a "Ford", the intention was to significantly grow the company rather than remain a small niche player, which they have certainly done. When the Cayenne came out all the old timers said "WTF"? Now the Panamera; maybe a pick up truck some day? Bottom line is that they have clearly demonstrated the technical ability to build anything automotive, and more recently the financial savvy to make a hell of a lot of money. Twenty years ago ownership put you in a small 'club' with a relatively unique car. PCA regions had 20 or 30 members who knew each other and their cars. Today 20-50K will buy you your first ever sportscar and you can join the PCA! Hell, many regions have 500+ members, 75% of whom have never drifted a car through a corner.

There is nothing wrong with any of this but do know that owning a Porsche is no less but still not what it used to be, and in future years expect the trend to continue. Porsche will build what they can sell in numbers; we may get a 2800# 450 HP 911S but we won't ever again see a car like the Carrera GT.

 

Heavy Chevy there is a mid engine car with a back seat on the way.

 

germeezy, more info please. I don't see how that is possible. By concept you'd have to fit a back seat and an engine that at least starts in front of the rear axle. That'd be one heck of a long car.

 

It's one heck of a sex on wheels

http://www.lotusevora.com/

 

That is teh sex. But how in the heck did they fit a real trunk back seats and a engine in there? That motor look like it will be some kind of difficult to get to.

I like it though.

 

guys, other manufacturers want to compete in gt2 because porsche and ferrari are there. it's nice to see how u stack up vs the legendary names and in fact much harder than it seems, ask ford, gm, and panoz! also, i would guess that porsche's profitable customer racing model is appealing to other manufacturers so why not try to emulate it? gt1 is dead, get over it. stupid racing anyway... c/f vettes vs crappy prodrives.

why do people feel the need to compare caymans vs 911s. they are different and aimed at different customers. isn't it easy enough to understand? good companies diversify, not concentrate bets, especially on a narrow market like sports cars. the cayman may be overpriced for what it really is, but that is based on the benefit of having the porsche badge and engineering attached to it. great. earn higher margins. continue to put money into R&D for everything else. my point is it's SMART MARKETING to have the cayman/boxster product line and probably nothing more.

i think the reason conversations like this get frustrating is because you guys are comparing oranges and apples. anyone want to argue that if you put subzero appliances in a studio apt that you're living just as well as someone in a 5k sq ft penthouse? NO. so quit trying to compare a hopped up cayman to a 911 tt please.

 

Wow are you wearing Porsche, and Ferrari tinted glasses? The Corvette pounded everything in the GT1 class after time, and before that the Team Oreca Vipers ruled the class. And Prodrive with the 550 GT's won quite a bit and beat the Corvette on several occassions but after time they weren't as reliable for endurance racing even though they were faster.

The DBR9 was an impressive , even more purpose built race car than the 550GT or the C6R and still the Corvette eventually prevailed. Why would GM facing bankruptcy continue to run a class against itself?

The GT2 class is going to be amazing to watch with Ferrari, Porsche and the Vette's battling it out, as they have done may times in the past. Porsche's and Ferrari's aren't the only cars with long storied race history's.

 

hmm porsche tinted glasses. i guess i am impressed when a p2 car can win overall races over a p1 audi while down 200hp. the rsr did win last year over a very fast f430 gt so that's sorta cool too. and i get your point about the gt1 class but i wouldn't be caught dead in a vette or aston on the street, so i guess i just don't care.

 

hahaha

I would drive the aston LOL just not own it.

 

So what? There are Aston guys that wouln't be caught dead in a Porsche. It doesn't change the facts or history, and I am looking at 996 Turbo's as we speak so trust me I like Porsche's.

Don't forget competition makes the breed better, as the Corvette's got better so did the 911's.

 

I have mad respect for hte Oreca Vipers that completely turned Europe upside down, and the Corvette racing program for their success, DB9R's etc. But none of them can be compared to the 911's because they are pure bred race cars, most of which not even built by the manufacturer, but by race shops. We call them Corvettes and Astons but they are nothing like the car in which they carry the shell other than the motor. The inherent advantage in racing a tube framed, purpose built for the series car vs a true chassis race car had been made evident.

GM made the mistake of thinking that the Corvette tube framed racing program would work for everything (GTO, G6, CTS-V) and blew millions on cars the some of which were complete flops. But if you tube frame it, you can make anything competitive, mustangs, Rx-8's and the list goes on. Now imagine starting with a car that would have been competitive in the first place and tube framing it, you have a REAL beast. Hence the success of the Corvette.

But there is no comparison to that and a 911.

 

Normally I agree with you, but I can't.......the C5R and C6R are not and have never been tube chassis cars, they are production based. Neither are the CTS-VR cars which have to be production based because of the rules which they race under. Plus were comparing Apples to Oranges two different GT classes, we will be able to compare them soon when the Corvettes move to GT2 from GT1. And Porsche raced with a purpose built race car in GT1, and did not dominate the production based C5R.

 

The C5R and C6R are tube framed, they are not corvette chassis like you see from the showroom. That's the only way they'd be competitive in GT1.

GM has Pratt and Miller building a whole new car using an actual C6 chassis for GT2. Not only that but the CTS-V is definitely tube framed.