Has Porsche become another Ferrari?

ad 1) This is the choice of the driver and not the manufacturer. Buying, driving and enjoying it is also a valid choice.

ad 2) Seems like it. Imho the new cars (both F & P) are not interesting enough to deal with the dealers' antics.

ad 3) Fully agree. The "Hondaization" of Porsche has steadily been accelerating since 2005.

ad 4) Fully agree.

ad 5) The SUV and luxury car business is just too juicy, so no brand can resist. At least Porsche has a long history of building big and heavy off-road vehicles.

ad 6) Very true and applies to all brands. Everything is electronically controlled, all electronics are connected and the most important issue for todays first-time-car buyers is how well their cell phone connects to the car.


Personal opinion: Every car worth owning has already been built (most of them decades ago).

 

Agreed.

I would make an exception for anything Gordon Murray builds but I don't have the coin for those.

 

There isn’t a single similarity between my 21 F8 and my 23 Carrera T… these are apples and watermelons. Like NOTHING is the same from performance level to cosmetic to the attention they draw to technology to comfort features to the ride, handling, steering, suspension etc- nothing!… they’re vastly different in ALL ways. So no, they aren’t becoming like Ferrari.

That’s actually what I’m enjoying about having them both. Completely different experiences….

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Agree from the driving experience, they are polar opposites. My 997 GT2RS is completely different from my Speciale.
Interiors are vastly different…Ferrari’s much more exotic and luxury feeling vs Porsche interiors more stoic and similar.
Sound/exhaust notes vastly different. F cars attaining high F1 pitch.
Designs drastically different…F cars always new designs and avant-garde. 911 is well a 911 design.

From a business standpoint, Ferrari is the pinnacle and they strive to lead the “you have to earn this car because it is so special”. Some are unobtainum.
Porsches are attainable, you just have to pay $50-300k over MSRP.


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surprisingly, the 911 is a MUCH stiffer ride than the F8-- much more harsh suspension..I didn't expect that. but again, not trying to compare; that one just surprised me.

 

Definitely not. When interviewing a Lotto winner they always get asked buying a Ferrari ? Never heard asked buying a Porsche ?. However they are both GREAT cars.

 

Agree, both games are ridiculous.


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Far prefer Ferrari's approach to Porsche

Ferrari approach in my experience and opinion has been relatively direct, communicative, and honest that the top cars will go to the best clients who give the most repeat business (buy multiple cars), and all cars are sold at MSRP, which I find perfectly fair and makes sense

Porsche approach has been different at nearly every dealership.. From deposits to get on a "list", to cars going to the top clients only, to you can get the allocation if you buy a Macan and Taycan, to pay $150k over for the allocation, you can get 10 different answers from 10 different GMs at different dealerships who's sole aim is to bleed you out in the moment

It's only a small reason I stopped buying 911s and moved to Ferrari, but a reason nonetheless

 

Only caveat for me is if you love tracking, 10 times out of 10 I would take a Porsche GT product over Ferrari, otherwise I find the experience from Maranello in everything from daily driving in traffic to longer cruises and canyon carving far more of an event

 

There is no comparison between Ferrari (exotic, exclusive) and Porsche (luxury, common).
Different league.
Every car brand wants to copy Ferrari but Ferrari is Ferrari

 

Due to covid, chain supply issues, shut downs, ukraine war: its effecting Porsche AG (as you know Porsche deal much in Eastern Europe for supplies, etc.)
They will bounce back starting next year or two. Plus corporate has been greedy lol, way too many limited editions and GT product in past 3-4 years.
Supply chain mess is almost concluded, years 2020-2024..

When you speak of Porsche I am assuming you are referring only to 911s.
Porsche's GT product plus limited editions always been hard to attain BUT not impossible.
Taycan, Cayenne, Macan: lots are full

 

If as much or more money can be made selling less product at higher prices, why would anyone want to make the same money handling more product? The market with less money will be sacrificed for the market with more money. That’s where we’re all trying to get to.

The question being asked by the OP is a valid question. I believe Porsche has absolutely taken a page out of Ferrari’s playbook and it’s working for them. It works for all car companies and all car companies use this marketing strategy to a much smaller extent.

 

I think you are onto something here. The COVID shutdown meant Porsche built fewer cars, period. If you are going to build fewer cars, it makes business sense to only build those with higher profit margins. I think in theory it is possible to spec a 911 for under $100,000, but if you want to buy one, be prepared to pay $150,000.

 

Porsche may have taken a page from Ferrari’s playbook, but it isn’t clear to me that they can sustain it. Ferrari has always been a luxury brand. Porsche is more of an “affordable luxury”. The difference between the two will become increasingly apparent as economic conditions become “tighter”. I’m not sure Porsche won’t be back to discounting (remember 1992-4) to move inventory. Ferrari won’t, I think, have quite that problem: luxury purchasers tend to be less impacted by economic slowdowns.

 

I actually feel like Ferrari has become more like Porsche, than vice versa.

Although like Rob said up above, both are moving closer to each other.

That said, Ferrari is moving faster and closer to Porsche than the other way around.

 

Good catch. I was actually thinking of Caymans.