I would also argue the Cayman would be a better car than the 911, if they would just unfetter it.

The problem with the interior of the 911 Turbo is that it is a $120,000 car that I need to spend an additional 20 grand to get the interior to look like a $120,000 car. But I was refering to all cars in general not just the porsche with my comments. But if you want to concentrate on the Porsche, look closely and you will see many cheapo low cost parts. Tell me what is the point of an expensive status toy that has funtional and style ques that look and feel cheap?

Maybe I am strange but if I am spending that much I dont want to see were the manufacture decided to save some coins. If you are charging that much there should be no need for cost-cutting.

If you think a 911 turbo is as fast/quick as an F1 car, then the question posed by your your user name is answered. lol

911 interiors have never been anything to write home about. They have always been very spartan. Only recently have they even tried for a more luxurious look. I am not sure what by-gone 911 luxury interior you are missing.

I would gladly trade away 20 to 50 hp from most cars on the market today if I could get the better interior and exterior quality that we used to see in such cars like MB, BMW and Porsche.

Unfortunately as long a stupid consumers are willing to go gaga over silly HP figures that they can never and will never make use of Automakers will continue to sell a bunch of hype over substance.

When I read a lot of these post I get the impression that many of us writing here are full of BS! I doubt most folks here have actually seen a sustained 130 mph let alone 150 mph! In all honesty this 911 Turbo is as quick and fast as an F1 race car and how many of us can really drive one of those, well?

You write well, Matthew! Stop trying to be so cute with it.

I don’t like the new Cabriolet it’s like the old one and never really change over the years.
Yap they added some tarmac and little body curve but still the same for me.

The bad part of this 911 it sounded like a Volkswagen, the old and new models.
Did you notice that?

Actually, a lot of people see it that way. I have a 1986 Porsche 944 as a track and race car. If I wad it up I’ll just fix or replace it. If I stuffed a Turbo I’d be in deep sh!t (read your insurance policy).

I’d love to drive the Turbo at least once, but I wouldn’t own one for the street. There just aren’t any roads in the Northeast where it’s safe to open it up. I’m looking at a 964 right now, about 250 hp on about 2300#. That’s plenty of power-to-weight and it won’t cost a fortune to buy, maintain or fix.

@carguy: Ferraris, Lambos and Ford GTs are a pain to live with and do more to announce your self esteem deficiency issues than provide daily driving enjoyment.

Actually I find my Ferrari (’98 456) very easy to live with. It’s quite reliable – really! – and an absolute blast to drive. I bought it after the first two owners had taken most of the depreciation hit so it hasn’t been a painful experience at all.

Maintenance is costly relative to a Porsche, largely because there are twice as many cylinders, and parts are insanely expensive, but otherwise it’s a real pleasure. My buddy has a Ford GT which, he says, is like a Ford when it comes to repair and maintenance. Lambos are Audis on steroids – probably more reliable than a Porsche.

And for the record I’m pretty sure I don’t have pee-pee issues. If you think otherwise I’d like to know how you know (and why you have been checking out my pee-pee).

Its a “mental state” rarely can the owner of these cars “get on it” and stay “on it”. The performance envelope is beyond what the environment can tolerate.

For the fleeting moment when everything in the rearview mirror shrinks, its quite the experience.

I have owned and driven a number of modern performance vehicles: E46 325i, B5 S4, 350z, WRX, G35. I also own a 1972 Datsun 240z. Out of all the cars I have driven, I still prefer my father’s old 1972 911T. There is just ’something’ about a Porsche that is hard to articulate, but it makes you want one and never leave the driver seat.

The autobox in the Turbo is the standard Mercedes 5-speed, and while it’s faster from 0-60, i’ve read that it makes the Turbo even more of a GT and less of an actual sportscar, because it’s tuned for comfort.

Is this logic something similar to the Chewbacca Defense? Sheesh, it makes my head hurt.

Leave it to the truly rabid to find a way to accuse the other party of its own party’s failings.

Okay, no more on this off topic from me.

theflyersfan: “stripped down pure track car”
That’s kind of what the GT3-RS is. Still road legal.

Leave it to the social democrats to dream up corporate tax deductions for 911 turbos. Wonder if Hillary will take that lead.

…. I don´t know why, but I find them boring. Perhaps *because* I see them so very often and frequently.

One thing I find rally lame – and I believe it´s already been mentioned above – is that Porsche can´t seem to come up with a truly new, stunning, original design. Every new 911 is just a blueprint of the previous one, with some minor changes, but retaining the same old shape from what… 1964…. ??!?

With the 997, Porsche Photoshop artists… err designers have apparently decided to simply copy the 964 in terms of bodywork details and interior design details. At least the interior doesn´t look as terribly cheap anymore as the 996 interior, which even made an old Hyundai´s interior look like some stunning piece of high-class interior design.

WRT this car being so pricey, I don´t know what it´s like in he U.S., but at least in countries like Germany, these cars aren´t actually purchased. They get leased by corporations, and the lease cost is tax deductible to a cetain degree.

My guess is that in Germany, at least 80% of all poeple driving around in Porsches and other expensive vehicles are not the owners of the respective cars in a legal sense.

Greetings…. :)

What is more impressive than 0-60 is 185-80…I discovered the “brown” shift from that. (A6 – Germany)

As for cost, older Porsches are VERY inexpensive. Boxsters sold so many copies as to be downright cheap used. And 911s with any age on them quickly get cheaper and cheaper. 944s are practically given away, etc. Try less than $5k.

In other words, before you dismiss Porsches, make sure you do enough research to really know the story, and that doesn’t mean hanging out on a few non-Porsche bulletin boards. Go shopping, test drive a few (esp on curvy roads), hang out with some Porsche people, and then decide. They might still not be for you (different strokes, after all), but until you really research it, you definitely won’t know what all the hoopla is about. Porsche couldn’t possibly be bribing ALL the automotive journalists and ALL the track junkies who will accept nothing else. There has to be something there.

Yeah, but that family sedan won’t get you the blonde and it’s not a Porsche. The End…

You can probably find a used SVT Contour for pennies on the dollar now and drive the wheels off it. I regret selling mine off – it was inexpensive (second hand), comfortable, and easy enough to turn a wrench on (a Ford, after all..).

But the Porsche is the stratosphere for a working stiff like me, a car to lust after, knowing it’s just a dream. I should take the little Focus SVT for a spin, it’s been a while..