What is a Porsche supposed to be?

Question

I don't get where the Porsche is supposed to fit in in the spectrum of luxury cars. Their models are usually not as fast and exclusive as for example the expensive Italian sports cars, like Lamborghini and Ferrari. So besides some special editions, like the 918 Spyder, Porsche is usually a lesser brand of Sports car.

So is it supposed to be a middle of the road luxury sports car manufacturer? Where does Porsche fit in?

Answer 1

To really understand porsche you gotta look at their product range.



the lowest tier porsche is the Boxter. it competes with the entry level BMW Z4 and Mercedes SLK.

the Cayman with the mid tier SLK and top end Z4, they cayman also stretches a bit into lotus elise territory.

the 911 is the flagship of the brand and has the largest performance range.

it ranges from top end SLK to an Audi R8 V10 range.



the Panamera competes with the Maserati Quattroporte and Aston Martin Rapide.



the cayenne with the BMX X5 and Mercedes M class. (a bit with the Jeep SRT-8)



now the main thing about porsche is that they are a sports car brand.

with just plain luxury brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Lexus you see a wide product range that covers compact, midsize and full size sedans and suvs with varying levels of sports cars too.



companies like ferrari and lamborghini dont really stick to that mentallity. they offer cars in whatever range they please. porsche just happens to do so at a lower level.



other than the 911 turbo s, porsche doesnt really compete with lamborghini and ferrari much.



with the 918 spyder the actively comete against Ferrari's LaFerrari and Mclaren's P1.

it was preceded by the carrera gt which competed a bit against the ferrari enzo but mostly the lamborghini murcielago and other hypercars of the time.

there was also the 959 which competed against the F40.

so while their hypercars may be very rare its not like they are in a completely lonely segment of their own.



porche is like ferrari or lamborghini. they are unique. they dont really fit in but at the same time they do. personally i think porsches are a bit overpriced but i havent yet had the chance to drive one and see its this is actually true or not.

Answer 2

The 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S (530 HP, all-wheel drive, 7-speed double clutch "automated manual" transmission) recorded 0 to 60 times of 2.7 seconds when tested by Car and Driver and 2.6 seconds in the hands of Motor Trend. That 2.6 seconds tied it for fastest car in the world with the $1,500,000 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport. Faster than any Ferrari, Lamborghini, Jaguar, Maseratti, etc. EVER built. Nah, not a fast car. The price for the 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S - $161,000.



The brand new 2014 911 Turbo S sports 560 HP and adds all-wheel steering, active aerodynamic elements, regenerative brakes, a 4 inch longer wheelbase (the car grew only 2 inches longer), and options to improve fuel economy such as engine on-off technology usually found on hybrids. The price for the newer version is $180,000. Ferraris start at about $220,000. Nah, not a bargain either. And the Porsche gets better fuel economy than any of the other cars I enumerated.



Did I mention that the older, 2011, version kicks the 638 HP Corvette ZR1's 0 to 60, 0 to 100, quarter mile, and 0 to 140 mph times? But then, the top speed of that Porsche is a mere 197 mph compared to the Corvette's 205.



Where does Porsche fit in? It's the stealth and luxury super car - stealth because people have heard opinions and not the facts. Do you want me to tell you about the track monster Porsche, the 2011 620 HP 911 GT2 RS? Porsche hasn't announced a newer GT2 RS - yet.



One more: every year Car and Driver has a new car test of about 20 models they run on the VIR, Virginia International Raceway. In 2011 the cars came in this way (time around the track): Corvette ZR1 first, Nissan GT-R second, Porsche Panamera Turbo third, Boss 302 Mustang Laguna Seca Edition fourth, and Porsche Cayman R fifth. The Panamera is a four-door luxury GT saloon weighing 4,600 pounds and offering reclining bucket seats in the rear. There were no actual Porsche 911s in the contest.



ADDED: Several Answerers mentioned the 887 HP Porsche 918 Spider hypercar, but no one noted that it is a HYBRID sporting a 602 HP mid engine V8 with two electric motors making the balance of the power. It can limp home in electric only mode (if you call 285 electric HP "limping") if you run out of gasoline.

Answer 3

Porsche's unlike Ferrari's were almost always usable as daily driver cars. This wasn't the case for Ferrari's until well into the late 90's, early 2000's. In terms of the various series where Porsche and Ferrari competed, Porsche is Ferrari's equal with the exception of F1. Porsche is most definitely not a middle of the road luxury sports car manufacturer. That niche is filled by quite a few Japanese makers at this point.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.



RE:

What is a Porsche supposed to be?

I don't get where the Porsche is supposed to fit in in the spectrum of luxury cars. Their models are usually not as fast and exclusive as for example the expensive Italian sports cars, like Lamborghini and Ferrari. So besides some special editions, like the 918 Spyder, Porsche is usually a...

Answer 5

It's not in the class with Lambos and Ferraris, those are supercars, not really sports cars. They would fit more with BMW and Mercedes really. Porsche is more of a luxury sports car, generally speaking. Their line up does consist of multiple models of different types, like the panamera and the Cayenne, but porsche is mostly known for the 911, as well as the boxster, and cayman. The 918 spyder would be more of the Ferrari and Lambo class(which actually blows most ferrarris and lambos away, but also cost $850,000+) but where Ferraris and Lambos only make the expensive super car models, Porsche makes many different models and only 1 super car model at a time(maybe 2 if you include the top tier 911, but a base model 911 is nowhere near that)

Answer 6

Well a new Porsche is about 1/3 the price of a new Ferrari or Lamborghini so somebody who wants a nice sports car but can't afford a $300,000 vehicle would probably opt for a Porsche. Also you will see Porsches on the road a lot more often then Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens, etc so yeah I would say Porsches are a middle of the road luxury sports car, or affordable exotic car.

Answer 7

Porsche is definitely a very nice luxury car brand and I really like all Porsche models. But, In sports car category, the Porsche is not that much popular like: Honda, McLaren, Toyota, Ford, Mercedes etc.

Answer 8

Long time 911 owners like myself (since late 1960s) really don't care that you remain stymied about where Porsche "fits in" as a marque. Porsches are more massed-produced that Lambos or Ferraris. Those are generally regarded as "super cards". Yet, Porsche quality (not exclusivity), IMO, is actually higher. I strayed once to Ferrari, and unless you have a full time mechanic on your staff, forget it. They can't be driven daily, or even thrice weekly, without something failing.

Answer 9

The type 944 is a very superior car. I have a 73 911 and while fun and fast, it has no room in it and no heater to speak of. 944's are, I think, far better to drive every day. Can't beat the hatchback. I've never seen an old 911 freeze up and bust though... A bar(Barometric unit) is around 14 1/2 psi, or roughly one kilogram per square centimeter.( kg/cm2)

Answer 10

from the porsche web site. the SUV is the best seller now.

Since its introduction nearly 50 years ago, the Porsche 911 has provided the ultimate pairing of performance and practicality among the world's sports cars, a vehicle that can be driven daily on the road and enjoyed during weekends at track events. Now, the newest version of the iconic Porsche sports car is introduced in the dynamic form of the new Porsche 911 Carrera and Porsche 911 Carrera S.

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Atlanta. In November 2013, Porsche AG has handed over the keys of more than 14,000 vehicles to customers – an increase of 9.5 percent on the same month last year. Between January and November 2013, the sports car manufacturer delivered 147,290 new cars to customers, a figure up 14.2 percent on the same period in 2012.



“Over the past few months, our attractive model range has helped us to achieve growth in all our regions," said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board Sales and Marketing at Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. “We are currently working with our sales teams on high investments for the Macan launch and are looking forward to an exciting 2014.”



Porsche showed clear growth in Germany during November 2013: Totaling 1,465, the number of vehicle deliveries was up by more than a fifth on the same month last year. In China, the sports car manufacturer delivered 3,707 vehicles to customers, a significant increase of 27 percent on last year's figure. In the USA, 3,966 new cars were handed over to customers, an increase of 2.6 percent on the same month last year and the highest figure for November that Porsche has ever recorded for the American market.



Demand remains high in the anniversary year of the Porsche 911: Almost 3,000 rear-engine sports cars were delivered to customers in November 2013, an increase of 47.6 percent on the same month last year. Porsche also delivered a total of 1,933 Boxster roadsters and mid-engine Cayman Coupés – an increase of 55 percent on November 2012.

Answer 11

Good question, Porsche is for those people who want a car that can have people in it but want the excitement of the twin turbos and 4 wheel drive. Notice one thing about porsches they almost never change the body style, or it is a small change.

Answer 12

They are suppose to be sports cars first, luxury cars second. As far as bang for your buck, a top end Mustang or Corvette is a better deal. They do not compare to the hundred thousand dollar Italian sports cars.

Answer 13

I say Foreign Luxury

Answer 14

A capable sports coupe that you can drive without fear of it breaking every week.