Is owning a Porsche today the same?

[rower]

I remember when I bought my first sports car. They really were different beasts, and a very different driver.

I just don't seem to get any satisfaction from modern sports cars. New Porsche's frankly strike me as bloated, dull and uninvolving. And not that different than any other car out there, given the massive size, creature comforts, and inability to use whatever excess performance they have. They take no special skill or commitment, not sacrifice, and are are driven by all sorts of people, most who never would have put up with what sports cars took as necessary in earlier decades.

Am I too cynical? Too nostalgic? Too old?

In fact, no new cars interest me, except perhaps the Tesla P85D that I recently bought (and am contemplating an i3 for city use). The electric motor is just plain fun.

No, my passion still lies with old sports cars, some far older than I would ever have grown up around.

But as a breed, I don't understand new sports cars. Maybe a small Lotus, etc, but not the supercars.

Anyone else?

[steve shea]

I could not agree more. I have tried to like to new cars to no avail. As you say little driver involvement with the new Porsches compared to the old. And whenever I do look at a dealership I never get more excited than if I was buying a new refrigerator. I guess the new ones are more like appliances anyway. What am I missing?

A big part of ownership for me is keeping them going with a screwdriver and a timing light. Can't do that with the new ones.

[37yrold911]

just buy a Miata and thrash it

[csbush]

love working on the old ones and driving them- but love driving the new ones too. They are driven by "all sorts of people" just as in the old days. Selective memory or nostalga perhaps? I meet a lot of new Porsche drivers at autocrosses and track days- a wide variety of ages, but a common enthusiasm for fun cars. My daily driver is a 2008 Boxster S, and it is a delight every time I get behind the wheel.
I guess what is really different is that in the past, tech sessions were much more popular and relevant than they are today. New Porsche owners are less hands on, but that is true of all cars today with the technological advancements. I do miss that I suppose.

[Perry911]

I agree with Steve and Rower completely.
The old cars each have their own soul and personality like a living creature. You can feel the difference between two old same year near exact vintage cars.
The masses may not understand our viewpoints. New cars are like convenience items that require no work and then you trade it in for newer and more improved version. They are much more comfortable and symbolize the latest in computer technology. They are essentially throw away devices that will eventually become obsolete.
I am an old dinosaur and I will continue to look only once not twice at the new stuff and stick to my old cars.

[uai]

Is the Ariel Atom street legal in the US?
This will grab you by the [fill in whatever seems appropriate]
But I think you will probably be shot sooner or later by a sherrif or policeman if you try to drive it at the point it starts to make fun.
Public traffic is nonsense with that car, as you're way beyond the limits when trying to get to the funny part of driving.

Try it if you have the chance to get a test drive.
Cheers

Uli

[boxster03]

it is the reason Singer can get $700K for their cars and Porsche can only get $150k

[billh]

LOL
I've owned Porsche's for 35+ years, from a '72 911S (owned for 13 years) to my current 2011 GT3RS 3.8 & 2015 GT3
anyone who thinks a GT3/RS is "uninvolving" needs to have their head examined.
Whenever I drive a longhood car now I am shocked at how slow the car is...not just acceleration but steering, shift, brakes, chassis stiffness (or should I say weakness), throttle response, etc.
Not trying to diss the LH cars, I still love them that's why I am here...but to say the newer cars are dull ? Spend a day with a 997 RS or 991 GT3
The cars are bigger & heavier yes (you can thank the govt and the fact we're bigger now) but operate at a much higher performance level
From the REAL sport seats (LWB from the 918) to 12+compression ratio to 9000 rpm redline the Porsche GT cars are so much more than any early S

YMMV

[Eminence Gris]

Sometimes, reading ESR just makes me think of this.

[DG58INNM]

I agree with Steve and Rower completely.
The old cars each have their own soul and personality like a living creature. You can feel the difference between two old same year near exact vintage cars.
The masses may not understand our viewpoints. New cars are like convenience items that require no work and then you trade it in for newer and more improved version. They are much more comfortable and symbolize the latest in computer technology. They are essentially throw away devices that will eventually become obsolete.
I am an old dinosaur and I will continue to look only once not twice at the new stuff and stick to my old cars.

Very well put. I'm in the same camp. New stuff, no matter how capable (and I admit new cars are extremely capable) just isn't interesting. A few months back on a club drive-out, I rode for a while in a friend's new 918. He fiddled with switches and gadgets a lot. Educated me about all the technology. Changed manually in and out of so many sorts of different drive modes I lost count. Demonstrated some eyeball distorting acceleration. And yes, we went deep (very deep!) into triple digit speeds. And all in climate controlled comfort. But after two hours I was delighted to climb out of the rolling video game, and back into a '64 C coupe with 75 hp. The 356 was a pure joy huffing and puffing, shifting and drifting, and generally frolicking as only an old sports car can do over a twisty mountain roads.

Do I need my head examined?

DG