Quote:
Originally Posted by epbrown
If Porsche sold like BMW, they wouldn't have had to battle bankruptcy every 5 years, which is what Weideking is working towards. No company can survive selling only sports cars - Ferrari didn't make it, Lamborghini didn't make it, and Porsche damned near didn't make it on numerous occasions. The Cayenne and Panamera are key to keeping the company alive, along with their new manufacturing techniques (just-in-time inventory and major parts-sharing between the 911 and Boxster platforms).
As far as BMW shoppers being image shoppers, while Porsche shoppers are enthusiasts - dream on, ya crazy kid. I've owned 3 Porsches, been in numerous forums, and was a PCA member for years - posers abound in both segments. Most Porsche enthusiasts complain that since the 996 arrived, you've got lots more posers and fewer enthusiasts as the cars are now softer and easier to drive.
Besides that, a lot of Porsche owners have BMWs as their daily drivers. You know why Porsche built the Cayenne? They discovered that the most common 2nd car for a 911 owner was a BMW X5. I bought my first BMW because so many of my Porsche buddies recommended them. The two groups naturally have a lot of overlap - both marques attract driving enthusiasts.
As far as the Cayman/911 debate, it's as simple as this. Most people like to think of Porsche as the ultimate sports car company, a group of great people determined to make the absolute best sports car they can. And the existence of the Cayman makes such dreams turn to ashes, with a cold hard slap in the face. Because the Cayman could obviously outperform the 911, but Porsche holds it back because the latter car is the flagship and they can charge more for it. By doing so, Porsche makes a joke of two of their greatest legacies: their reputation for engineering great cars, and the 911's grand history is compromised by its status as a figurehead kept on top by the marketing department instead of the engineering team.
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this forum really needs a reputation system
because I would like to +rep you.