The Iconic 911
As a relatively new owner of a used Porsche 911 I realise there can't be much that hasn't already been said about this incredible super-car, but I'm keen to add my experiences nonetheless. After all, when you've driven a 911 you find yourself actually needing to tell someone about it, so great is the feeling. The 911 has been 30-something years in the making now, each incarnation more sophisticated than the last. It's the car people think of when they think of the Porsche brand, and rightly so. When I say my 911 is used I really mean it - it hails from the 1980s when in my view these cars were built and designed best of all. The purchase price didn't break the bank, coming in at under 拢20,000, but even if I'd had the cash to buy a brand new 911 I'd have left it in the showroom without a doubt. There's just so much character in these older models and providing you check them over thoroughly for signs of neglect and hard driving, you really can drive away not just a bargain, but the best car you'll ever buy. Despite its age, driving my 911 is nothing short of invigorating, and guaranteed to blow away the cobwebs of modern life. It takes me back to a time when everything seemed a lot less complicated, somehow. Many of these cars were bought during the yuppie era by Filofax-wielding self-titled sophisticates so I guess that's why there's a pretty good selection around today. It's like owning a little slice of British social history, and I like to think many a deal took place in my 911 on a brick-sized mobile phone. With its distinctive looks and exhilarating performance the Used Porsche 911 had us hooked from the very beginning. To anyone out there looking to buy I'd urge you to give one of these beautiful classic models a chance.
Pure marketing, a Porsche dinosaur, who was always skeptical about BEV's is now slowly starting to like them, all part of the marketing strategy. The model Y looks like very good value indeed. A model Y and a 997 GTS of a early 991 for the price of a taycan? I'n not so sure about the taycan anymore at this price level. Honestly I haven't been happy with Porsche quality/reliability lately. Seems Porsche now designs their cars to last just until the warranty expires, after that, god help you! 25k repair). Its absolutely nuts! It will be interesting to see how many Taycans Porsche sells, but I think they missed the mark on price. Judging from past experience, I am almost positive Porsche will design the Taycan to bleed customers dry throughout it's service life. You鈥檙e extrapolating this from your experience with a decade old Mercedes? And various others. Plus experiences of neighbors, friends, relatives, and participating in other automotive web forums.
I currently own six cars, but most are boring GM stuff. So not really applicable to discussing on this esteemed forum. Statistically ICE reliability and durability continue to improve along with power, emissions and efficiency. These are not improving at nearly the same rate as EVs, however. IME, the ICE manufacturers are doing what they can to get the cars through the mandatory emissions warranty. After that, who cares what it cost to keep 'em running. It鈥檚 pretty clear to me that next the decade鈥檚 supercars will all be pure EV or hybrid. While most of those are likely to be exercises in excess I also fully expect some real electric drivers cars to materialize as well. I get that many will be quite satisfied and even impressed with the Model 3 as it stands. I personally find it a big step forwards dynamically from the Model S but still well short of comparable sports sedans and certainly any modern Porsche sports car in terms of fun factor.
And that is all fair. For me, the pivotal moment was back in 2010 or so with the Tesla Roadster. After some long discussions with my neighbor, who has been with Tesla since nearly the beginning, it checked off all the boxes addressing various myths and prejudices I'd had up to that time. Battery costs have come down an order of magnitude since then. I see no reason to go back to pure ICE. PHEV still has its place - for a few years. I look forward to seeing how much of that gap Porsche will close with the Taycan. In the meantime I quite am happy with my Model 3 as a DD, but I鈥檓 not going to pretend it鈥檚 something it鈥檚 not. And I find it laughable if some think that makes me 鈥減rejudiced鈥? I'm also really interested in seeing what Porsche can contribute to the fray. At this point, I don't think I will be in the market for a Taycan. 10-15k more than a Model 3, and they do a significantly better job on range/MPGe than their buddies over at Audi did with the eTron, maybe?