Well it does in Porsche's case..........they build some of the most exciting, best performing, ingot-like, street cars in the world!
This thread seems to show that some (maybe most) people think so and some don't. At least that seems to be true for some models.
Well for most who ACTUALLY have owned and driven them for years they are most certainly not overhyped. For the rest who have posted and commented without owning and driving them they have a right to their opinion...................nuff said!
Everyone has different preferences. There are several people posting here who didn't like some Porsches after driving them. People usually don't buy cars they don't enjoy, so it's not fair to say that only owners can comment.
I don't particularly like the newer ones I've driven (Boxsters). I know they corner quickly, but don't find them very fun. The only other Porsches I've driven were a late 60's 912 and late 70's 911. The brakes in the 912 didn't work, so I shouldn't really comment on that one. The 911 was fun, but then my expectations are very different for a 25+ year old $10k car.
I owned a 80 911 sc and loved it. I sold it to move up in the real estate world knowing someday I would have another porsche. That day was last spring. I bought a 02 911 c2. It was very fast and handled well, but the new water cooled porsches lost something. It seemed boring compared to the 80 sc I had. Besides, the interior looked like it was put together by a 2 year old with cheep materials. I ended up trading it for a 328 gts. The Ferrari is a real sports car. So glad I made the trade. Just my .02 cents
"In 05, regardless of the purchase price, the drivers choice is the porcshe 911 carrera S" - Autocar this is in a test w/ a F430, Ford GT, Noble m400, V8 Vantage, M5....... as for them being slow, i used to have a clk55 (03) and my 997s is definitely faster, i stay dead even w/ my cousins cls 63 up to 3rd gear.
I drove a '76 911s to grad school...LOVED IT. The car was light, nimble, and looked classily european parked in front of coffee shops in Uptown New Orleans...(SOLD) Owned a '83 Euro 944. That car surprised a ton of people on the track and on the street...(SOLD) Ordered and purchased a '99 Boxster brand new and I refuse to get rid of it. Just turned 160,000 miles on a business trip last month. I LOVE THIS CAR...it has taught me the finer points of getting around corners relying on technique & momentum and not just sheer horsepower. It is truly a driver's car, and one of the most reliable, well thought out, balanced cars I have owned. NOT ONE PROBLEM. (WILL NEVER SELL) The Boxster currently shares garage space with my modded '88 930. What can I say, they don't get any better than this. When it comes to cars of this era/vintage, you pretty much need an F-40 to beat me, and this is NOT an BS statement, and after one ride, you won't think this car is overrated. (WILL NEVER SELL) Like it or not, Porsche is the everyday supercar. You can drive them rain or snow, beat on them, and run up the miles...they just keep coming back for more...not to mention they can be modded SILLY. I think the problem is that coming from the older Porsches, the newer ones are a little too refined for the majority of the purists. These cars don't feel as fast as they actually are, but don't sleep on them. For those of you who are putting down the marque, try lining up some of your favorite toys against a 930, 993tt, 996tt, 997tt, GT3, or GT3rs and see what you think then. You may be pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised.
To some extent Porsche is overhyped, they do offer impressive machinery, but its alwats the same thing, nothing really changes.
Absolutely not overhyped, in fact just think how less interesting the motoring world, both road and racing would be without Porsche. Legendary company with many legendary cars. steve
OK you say they are over hyped yet offer impressive machines and say they always supply impressive items and that doesn't change. I'm fairly sure that's worth hype and is what people look for in a sports car. Please correct me if there's an error.
That's just how I picture Ferrari. Porsche builds small sports cars based on racing, a traditional style and from time to time builds something different either to save the company from financial ruin or to make money/ offer a different model to continue to grow. That would be my business model if I were starting a sports car company. Ferrari, almost the same thing. Racing, tradition, style, different models, different era, continued growth. The car companies are very much alike and people with the Porsche glasses on that "don't like" Ferrari's are of the same group of people that like Ferrari's and hate Porsche's, "Not car enthusiasts but what I have is the best and everything else is crap."
The Boxster is the entry level Porsche. It's nimble, fun, a convertible and is somewhat affordable. What else do you want? There are other Porsche models that have more hp, torque, stats and they also have a larger price. If the car corners quickly and stops well what else would you want from the entry level? What would you need in the car to have fun? Naming cars from 30 and 40 years ago means nothing, technology, systems, tires, fluids have all played huge factors in the new cars. I had a lot of fun in my 924 and looking back I wouldn't have turned it down. It cornered as well as any other car I've owned and the only thing it lacked was hp/ torque. Truth be told I spent over 15 grand on that car in under 5 years and pretty much gave it away to a friend. It was just like the Boxster, cornered well, nimble and affordable.
Yes, Boxsters are entry-level Porsches. But that hardly means they're cheap. Many people also seem to think they're amazing cars. Whatever it is that those people love just doesn't work for me. I can't say why exactly, but they just don't seem very fun. Maybe the car cornered with too much confidence. There was far too little drama to be interesting. There were other things I didn't like either, like engine sound. A sports car (especially something like a Boxster which can't claim to be faster than its competition) should be about a visceral experience. They're much too insulated for me.
Preach on brother. I agree, "entry level" is a relative term and does not mean, by any stretch of the imagination, cheap...a fully loaded Boxster S is approaching Z06 pricing. The Boxster is a VERY capable sportscar, and people who think that it is underpowered are comparing it to cars that sell HP. On the track, the Boxster is a MOMENTUM car and challenges the driver's ability as a driver and forces him/her to not rely on pure HP to make them fast. The truth of the matter is that the Boxster, although not a drag racer, is a fast car around twisties in capable hands and can hold its own against higher HP cars when driven well. I have surprised many drivers with higher powered cars with my exit speed in my Boxster. At some point some of you are going to have to get past snobbery and appreciate true driver's sportscars for what they are. The Boxster has a VERY high limit as a sportscar, and if you are a TRUE driver who can appreciate good engineering with a mature objectivity, try it out and appreciate it for what it is. Of course if you are after simply power and you rely on HP alone to make you fast, then you are missing the point all together and you probably aren't 1/2 the driver you think you are.
Autocar is wrong. Next? There was a 996 GT3 on our last informal FOC outing, and runs quite easily with the Gallardos and 360s. However, it lacks style or distinctiveness, so as an all around car I'd say it's overhyped. The Boxsters not at all overhyped - you get a ton for your money - even a Cayman engine with extra punch. In the $50K range, IMO, they're The Choice for a sports car right now. I know you're kidding, but when I had my 993 I was kind of a loner automotively. With the 328, I've had a Porsche guy come over to my house just for a spin around the block, been to several FOC events, a few drives, had lunches with other Ferrari owners and made contacts all over the country. But the 993tt will handily beat my car 0-60 and it's cheaper to fix...
Fact is even minivans have more ability than their drivers. The problem is that some people that buy porsche, ferrari or any other performance car thinks that automatically makes them a expert driver. The new computer controlled cars makes a poor driver a average driver, a average driver a good driver`a good driver a very good driver ( at least on the street). A very good driver is just bored. You just can`t push these cars anywhere near what they are capable of on the street. I owned a 2000 M5 the thing was a rocket but BORING. Owned a 02 911 c2 again a rocket but again BORING. My 99 m3, only 240hp= fun. My ferrari 328gts, only 260hp= fun. High horsepower computer controlled cars are just plain BORING on the street.
