That was me though most of the early 2000s. I made friends with most of the sales managers at the high end dealerships in Austin, and would spend a few hours every weekend test driving anything I could.
As Jeremy Clarkson said, "Porsche started with the engine at the wrong end, and they’ve spent the last 40 years stubbornly trying to engineer their way around the problem."
@@detonator2112 F1 are mid eniged tho, and so are all the fast racecars you mentioned, Porsche is the only manufacturer that has consistently built rear engined cars over the years. But the Clarkson quote is just a joke tho, rear engined cars has advantages and draw backs same as front engined and mid engined has their own pros and cons. (This comment was made in response to someone saying ''thats why f1 and every fast supercar has it in the rear'' or something like that, but this comment is now deleted therefore my comment is lacking some context. So you dont have to type a reply to me about the difference between mid and rear engined cars)
Clarkson is a clown, a funny clown, but a clown never the less. And for the most part, Clarkson is pulling y'alls chain, that is a Clarkson thing, and simply to be purposefully polerizing, that's as much a business thing as it is a social or personality disorder.. I say all of this, and I like Clarkson, but he is what he is, he does what he does.
Clarkson calls Porsche 911 a "glorified Beetle". He has a good sense of humor and is a passionate, patriotic Brit who loves his Jaguars and Bentleys. Of course he can't say sweet things about Germany's top car brand.
Sadly most engineers I've met now are strictly of the mindset of how to make something break just beyond the warranty coverage and how to make it cheaply with the highest net profit.
@@sunnisukumar Management in the end constrains what engineers can do. The best engineers use those constraints to innovate. Sometimes it means using the best parts of other models and re-engineering them to work well together, ie, Civic RS, GTI, even the original Porsche Boxster. The Boxster was engineered to have shared body and interior features with the upcoming 996-generation 911, in part because in the mid-90s Porsche had to reduce their production costs in order to stay in business. By the time the Cayman was introduced, it could use the Boxster chassis and parts (many of which were still shared with the then-current 911, including a less-poweful 3.4 L variant of the base 911 engine (3.6L) in the S model. It didn't make it cheap, but it made it less expensive than a 911, and in the late 2000s it wasn't difficult to buy one. Now, only base Porsche SUVs are easy (if still expensive) to buy. And yes, the base Macan shares an engine (a variant of the VW GTI's engine) and many parts with the Audi Q5, yet somehow it drives very differently.
Except the real test is whether you can scale the operation to fulfill demand and drive price down as a result. But then the stock price would plateau so consumers get hosed anyway
At age 66 I FINALLY had the opportunity to own my first Porsche. I paid nearly $150,000 for a 7 year old 30,000 mile 911 turbo. Technology and performance coupled with reliability and sheer exhilaration while driving are the main reasons I love this car! I dated a girl back in 1986 that had a brand new Porsche 911 and got to drive her’s then. I never forgot the feeling that must be experienced to understand. By the way, I love the 911 look and I always have!💪👌
This is one of the best comments I’ve seen in a while, and I’m determined to buy a somewhat sought after Porsche by age 60 also. Your my hero, congrats on the car, maybe throw some good Porsche vibes my way, and with some careful planning, & had work, and a little luck I’ll get one and share your pride of ownership! Cheers my friend, you deserve that 911 👍
@@jdjames997 cliff please throw some vibes to this good man here, and please dont send me any Fucking hate porsche, not even gonna give the guys a capital p.
@@StarFox85 to be honest that is exactly what I like from Ferrari hard to get so you feel very exclusive and honored to own a brand new one I understand his point
I brought the first 912 into the United States in early 1966 three months before the formal introduction into the US. I bought it from a factory store in Stuttgart for the special export price of $4,200 (yeah, I didn't leave a zero off of that). It was a special order from that store. I had to add headrests and seatbelts (which were accessories at the time...but at that time they weren't exactly ubiquitous in the USA, either). I also added two factory gauges to the dash so that it would "look" like a 911 dash (which came with five gauges). I wasn't a big car fan. My Dad had a business friend who had a 356 in 1961 (or so)...he was a car fan and I bought the 912 because of his infectious enthusiasm. Before they could export the car a guy drove it from Stuttgart to Frankfurt (where I was living) so that I could drive it and sign a release form...the Germans were and are big on forms (and rubber stamps). So my first drive in a Porsche was this new 912 on the Autobahn from Frankfurt to Heidelberg and back. I had not driven at all for two years and suddenly I was thrust into some surreal automotive Nirvana that was inexplicable in its thrill. Unfortunately, when I got it home (the drive on I-15 from the dock in LA back to Salt Lake was incredible) I quickly found out that while I had afforded the Porsche...I couldn't afford the continual tuning of those four carburetors. So I had to relinquish the car because, as a student for the next 8 years I couldn't afford to keep it on the road. But in the 57 intervening years and 35 or 40 cars later the Porsche is still Camelot "for one brief shining moment" in my automotive history. What is said about engineering and balance in the video is right on the mark. I got an ME degree and spent 51 years in manufacturing...so I get it...a little. But I will take that longing for that "one brief shining moment" to my grave.
@@paulkearney4565 thanks Paul. Great memories indeed.' Especially that first trip to Heidelberg...indescribable. Autobahn & Porsche made for each other :)
@@jbbevan I get it, the drive through Germany, my wife's Austrian. I got my 1st 911 2 years ago, and I get Porsche now, even though I'm a diehard Subaru fan, I still have 2 x Subaru Impreza's. You should go back and re-trace your journey, I'm sure someone would love to help you out, take mines if you wish, I'm in London 👍
I worked at a shop in the 80’s that would restore these. We’d tear them down to the chassis and then clean, restore and rebuild… Something I noticed was that every year there would be one less bolt or 2 bolts that used to be different were now the same. There was a constant refinement of every detail. I think you nailed it when you said they’ve spent a lifetime refining on the same theme. I think that’s what makes them amazing! (and no, I had my chances to buy one then but passed it up. An 80’s air-cooled would be amazing but as you also said, it’s simply out of most of our reach.)
I blame Singer and their ilk for the price explosion. A few years ago, 993s were relatively expensive because they were regarded as the pinnacle of the air-cooled cars, but earlier models were relatively affordable. Then Singer started doing their restomods on 964s and those cars all disappeared from the market, followed by the 1984+ Carrera models. If you look at PCA classified ads now, 993s are often priced lower than cars in the 2 generations before them.
@@chickenfishhybrid44 The earlier years of Porsche racing, mainly the 50’s were mainly focused on class wins rather than overall wins, due to them using smaller engines.
It's the philosophy of the brand executed with precision. Everything you touch feels better than any other brand. Seats, knobs, buttons, surfaces...plus they stop, go and turn faster than their horsepower would suggest.
"everything you touch feels better than any other brand" you're a clueless, objectively wrong bafoon. ridiculous.. proving porsche fans are a joke, shame because some of their cars are great. stopping and turning has little to do with horsepower, and I'm not buying a porsche macan 2.0 cylinder for 60k when i can buy a x3 m40i with a b58 that demolishes that engine and actually sounds great, and if I want to tune it it's easier, cheaper, has a affordable aftermarket, and make WAY more power, and I won't get a grand total of zero standard equipment. vast majority of people, including car guys, would argue the x3 m40i is the better vehicle overall. which is what porsches has, everything is an option, even on 100k cayennes, it doesn't even have heated seats or adaptive cruise control, no auto high beams, no lumbar, no anything. Lemme guess the insanely priced porsches that do not even have leather seats feel better then the competition which has leather seats standard or more affordable?
I don't often watch 20 minute videos, give thumbs ups and in 10 years have subscribed to 7 channels. As a Porsche guy, I was curious as to what an engineer who had not drunk the Kool-aid would say... exceptional video, great photography, engaging narration and fun all around! Thanks, I hope you get your Porsche and keep making these videos!
I couldn't agree more. I watched the entire video and I normally skip within the first 30 seconds. Nice video. I have been lucky enough to have owned sever Porsches over time. Quality and precision is what keeps me wanting more. Although the new C08 is getting there.
Very nice to look into the Porsche culture from the outside. I consider myself a car guy, not necessarily a Porsche guy, despite owning Porsches. I was lucky enough to buy into the brand when they were not cheap, but affordable and the main reason was exactly what you mentioned. The 911 compared to it's rivals in the same era was miles ahead. The Datsun 240z was one of the most beautiful cars of it's day, but compared to my 911 of the same age, it drove like a truck and despite spending 2 years restoring it I quickly sold it. The Italian offerings are generally much more beautiful but the build quality is average at best. It is a shame that the Porsche cost of entry is becoming higher and as such there are more and more of the wrong people buying them, to only take them to cars and coffee to talk about how rare their paint and stitching combo is, rather than using them as intended. Other cars may come and go, but my old 911 is here for the long haul.
@@SkyrimCZtutorials Traditionally they do for sure. Unfortunately there are more and more people coming into the brand bringing that Italian car mentality of keeping the mileage low for an 'investment' :(
240Z drove like a truck? I'm not a 240Z fan boy and no longer own one but they were ahead of their time although built for the masses which was a problem for some 'enthusiasts'. In racing the only way a 911 could beat a 240Z was to have bigger something, like power, brakes, etc. Friends race them today and they still out perform their contemporaries, not by more power but by having a balanced racing package.
To me, it’s about taking an inherently weird format and making it excellent. Take their current racing career in GT3. They’re using a rear engine format that restricts how much underbody downforce you can generate, which is the high efficiency downforce everyone is trying to go for, and then still being dominant all year. That sort of engineering a masterpiece out of something weird is something I really aspire to and admire. Minus Ferdinand being a nazi, but that’s bound to happen with any old German thing.
I mean yeah with any german brand you are gonna bet there are many nazis from that time period, alot of people were just blindly following their country into war, usually it was mainly the top group of people who were wicked
Uh, pretty sure the 911 GT3 hasn't been rear-engine in quite a while. They're mid-engine since..., 2017? And I don't recall them being "dominant" in GT3.
@@s2korpionic You're probably thinking of the RSR where GTE rules actually let them move the engine further forwards. In GT3 with the 911 GT3 R they're still just as rear engined as the roadcars. Granted even in the roadcars they're generally moving the engine as far forwards as they can but at the end of the day they're still considered rear engined.
@@CaroFDoom since 2017 the gt3 is mid engine, and no they are not considered rear engined. Just like the corvette they realized they could not compete with the likes of the mid engine ford gt and the mid engine ferrari.
@@VulgrDisplayon early 986 Boxsters and Boxster S there were a few problems as well as IMS bearing failures. But they were not really that prevalent. If you find a well kept 2000 to 2008 Boxster or Cayman that has had no problems and the owner drove it fairly hard, the engine is not likely to be a problem, especially if the unused good synthetic oils like Mobil 1 and changed yearly. I have a 2000 Boxster S bought new, put 120,000 miles on it by 2007 as a commuter car (50 miles one way commute done in 50 minutes) and then put away for 10 years. Pulled back out in 2017, new fuel pump, cleaned out old gas, oil change, and a few odds and ends, my mechanic said the engine was still fine, just drive and Rev it. And since then, another 20K miles relatively trouble free. Always be prepared to do the correct maintenance and upkeep and these cars will reward you. 250HP, new Michelin Pilot Sport 2’s, tight superior handling and still quick enough acceleration, Zenith Blue with a hardtop, still gives me smiles every time I drive it. Technically the car is worth less than $10K now, but how much fun can you have for $10-15K? That’s why a properly working and kept up 986 2000 or later is still a great car, even today. Just get one in great condition and take care of it.
I know a guy who knows a guy who has a Porche. One of my favorite quotes from a Trans Am driver, about the Trans Am Porche was: "With that engine hanging off the back, it handles like a pig, but after 30 years of development, it's a very fast pig!"
Nope. Gatekeeping would be stopping him from commenting, not telling what “I think” he should do… he could do what he wants, he just makes himself look foolish…
@@cyjanek7818 to be fair, you really have to be cooking it into a corner to experience any of their notable snap-oversteer. That, or it being an early turbo model.
1. You do NOT have to drive a turbo to appreciate a Porsche- literally the opposite. 2. Boxsters and Caymans are exceptional cars and can easily be purchased in the $30k range
What an awesome video, Matt. I've got so many thoughts on the Porsche brand, and you summarized a lot of them. This was a great change of pace in contrast to what a lot of other channels tend to do, which is to simply fawn over the brand. Which it deserves... but also.... does it? I could talk about Porsche all day. Don't really want to own one, though. With all that said, awesome video, great job on the "essay" format. You killed it! "Between Rain Man and the Germans" was phenomenal and so true.
BMW (as a linage) is so much easier for me to fawn over, but I am not sure if that is correlated to my ability to obtain some of their notable offerings throughout my life or not. I definitely echo most of your sentiments with this video though - however, I would consider owning a Porsche if the opportunity was right. That opportunity would be my friend selling me his 991 GT3 for
@@von... I like German cars overall but absolutely abhor BMW, mostly the modern ones. Old ones are OK. New ones are so freakin unreliable. My brother is a tech there and I live literally next door to one. Too much tech IMHO. Ultimate driving machine no longer
Subscribed - I hope you can get your Porsche. I am a mechanical engineer for 35 years in Detroit and I always imagined the perfect car I would build for myself, a sort of a go-kart for public roads. 10 years ago, I had the chance to drive the 997 GT3 and I realized Porsche already built my dream car, practical, good visibility, 100% engineering efficiency, no BS. Few years later I got my GT3.
The GT3 Touring (the one without the wing) and the Porsche 911 S/T (like a GT3 RS but without the wing) are the holy grail of modern 911s. And in the case of S/T also unobtainable by normal humans even if they have the money for one.
Great to hear dynamic weight distribution being discussed. I had been racing for years before it was explained to me... by a Porsche history book. Great video.
If you'd been racing 911's, you'd have learnt this the hard way. As soon as you throttle a 911 back in turn, you'll feel the weight distribution acting up. And you enter a spin.
@@TheWorldTeacher it means you already started ahead in life, you were given a life that you didn’t earn, but yet you act like you did earn it. It’s about being humble rather than a cocky ass
@@TheWorldTeacher Baseball talk. I don't think you can come up with similar comment in the context of Association Football. Maybe in Cricket, but I don't know anything about Cricket.
That's EXACTLY what's wrong with Maserati! I've owned Biturbo's & modern era from them. It's like a collection of bits & pieces on nodding terms with each other (on a GOOD day!)
As a former owner of 4 Porsches, I can say that there is lots of truth in what you are saying. Many years ago, my first sports car was '56 4 cylinder Austin-Healey that I started auto-crossing. The best overall finish I achieved was always around 5th place. The 1st to 4th place cars were always Porsches. So, I sold the Healey and purchased a beautiful silver '58 Porsche Speedster and started winning auto-crosses for several years. Then I got into SCCA racing with that car and won my first two races, and later more wins. Then I got serious about racing and acquired a super rare 1959 Porsche RSK 718 Spyder. It was a giant killer on the track. This same car was Roger Penske's early race car and later it was in Jerry Seinfeld's collection. Years ago, I also owned two Porsche 928s, and I am surprised that in this video these great V8 machines were not even mentioned by Matt.
The 928 is the first car designed (1974, but only released 1978) ground-up as a Porsche and not from a beetle (924 was originally a VW/Audi project). I'm really enjoying driving my manual 928S most days. It rides nicely and handles surprisingly sportingly for a 1450 kg GT.
Well done, I’ve spent my adult (I’m 70) with a Porsche. 356,912, early 911T targa,944 turbo, Boxster and 997.1. You have mined the essence of Porsche. Everyone of mine was a daily driver and repair and maintain by me!
As a 30+ year member of the Porsche Club of America (and owner of a few Porsches over the years), this was a very well done video. I do feel your pain on Porsche prices, however. Once-upon-a-time, Porsche always had some kind of 'loss leader' - an entry level car the average person could get into in order to enjoy the brand. The original 356 Speedster, the 912, the 914, the 924, the 944 and the first generation Boxster were all cars that regular folks could save up for and buy. While they may not have been the best examples of the marque, they at least gave you a taste of Porsche engineering. Now however, the company has moved so much upmarket that even their least expensive cars are ridiculously priced and unobtainable for most. The company is doing well financially, but I can't help but think something was lost in the journey. 😞
If you spend 5 mins plugging the RRP of any of those 'entry level' models into an inflation calculator, and there's only one conclusion you can come to - Porsche have always been 'ridiculously priced' and 'unobtainable'. With inflation, a base 944 in 1982 would be $112,000 in today's money. There's been no journey, we're still in the exact same place. These cars are, and always have been, incredibly expensive. The only difference is, now you might not be able to buy one even if you have the money in hand.
@@donreid6399 Only in your imagination Don. It's fitting you use 'once upon a time' in your comment because it really is a fairy tale. Even the 'entry-level' cars have always been ridiculously expensive and to think otherwise is fantasy.
@@MacellaioNero tough luck. In germany a brand new 944 cost 48k€ adjusted for inflation. A 924 just 35k€. Cheaper than an i30n. They may not have been affordable wherever you live but in many parts of the world they were. They made 300.000 924‘s and 944‘s and just 60.000 964‘s, where do you think all of those cars went when they were so ridiculously expensive as you say.
"Somewhere between Rainman and the Germans". I work with Germans, have watched Rainman, and own the anti-Porsche, Porsche. This quote gave me a hearty laugh because it is absurdly true.
@@mariospantouvanos4645 944. 911 owners still look down on 944 owners, though that is changing. 914 started to get attention simply due to quirkiness and dwindling numbers. And it's air cooled, rear engined "like a real Porsche should be". I think maybe the UV Porsches brought the much ignored transaxle cars some time in the sun. Almost an "well, maybe they aren't so bad" attitude from the Porsche purists. Still, the Porsche snobs like to dislike the 944. But that's part of the reason I love mine.
This is with out a doubt the best Porsche video I have ever seen. I have had a Porsche since November 1973 (a 1974 914S 2.0). I am old now. I am sliding into home plate with my eighth and final Porsche, a 2012 Porsche 911 S Cabriolet. As noted in the video: A 991.1😍. My current Porsche has the same charm as my first Porsche and the same charm as the 1972 beetle I owned. Charm = Every day usability. Puts a smile on your face. A joy to drive whether you’re going slow or fast. Thank you for the most wonderful video…
25 years ago I went through the NADA books as an exercise to determine actual depreciation and thus the most “economical” car. I found the best return was a 911, which increased in value.
I’m not going to lie, you had me with the 997 4.0😂 I was heading towards the comments while you made your point. Porsche is by far my favorite brand and I was extremely impressed by the people you got to interview. Good job on the video!
I didn't even notice until the correction, my mind already filled in the .2 and went on to wondering if he was going to mention the current prices of the 4.0 mezger which is like 2 of the 992 gt3s.
@@thebolsta Jeremy Clarkson would have a ball of a time making fun of Porsche enthusiasts with their adenoidal voices xD all jokes aside I do love Porsches though.
Excellent video :) I owned a 996 Turbo for a few years, and that feeling... you can't describe it, but it is there, like no other. Your next video should be about the Porsche models that saved the 911: The 924/951, Boxster 986, and Cayenne. All frowned upon by true Porsche enthusiasts, but how easy they forget that these three models saved Porsche from bankruptcy. The 911 would not be here today without them.
Exactly. The 951 turbo S matched a contemporary 930 in an 80's magazine test (can't remember if it wad C/D or R&T). Within margin of error on the race track and faster on a mountain road since it was more balanced and stable. The Cayenne profits is what made the Carrera GT streetcar project possible and paid for finally federalization of the GT3 to be able to sell it in the US.
Picked up a clean but well-used early Boxster several years ago for $8500. The parameters were the wife wanted an inexpensive convertible to kick around in. That car shocked me at how fun it was to drive, and relatively inexpensive to own. We upgraded to a later-model 986 Boxster S a few years ago and it's a bundle of fun to drive. It's not as fancy or as fast and doesn't carry the cachet of a newer car, but if you're not concerned with such things, I highly recommend the early Boxsters as a way to get 85% the performance and 100% of the creature comforts of a similar-aged 911 but for a lot less money. I certainly wouldn't consider them "slow". One might argue the tossability of the little Boxster more than makes up for it not being as fast as the 911.
^^^^^ This!! Absolutely correct - I tell people all the time a well kept 2000 and newer Boxster is literally less than $12,000, less than an econobox, and, properly maintained with $1-4K of mechanical checks and maintenance initially, will run rings around almost anything, last a very long time, and bring a smile to your face every time you drive it. Once you drive a Porsche, you understand why they are so good and so popular.
"They tend to work" Wow! It sounds so simple. Even simplistic. But when you think about the fact that so many cars are essentially designed to fall apart, the fact that a car "tends to work" really says something
If you set apart the slimmed track models and look at curb weights of the regular versions and compare them in their respective segments you'll realize porsche's are quite heavy. You get quite a lot more sturdiness, after over ten years i realized they're overbuilt and age really nice for the beating they take.
I've been fortunate enough to own several BMWs and now on my second Porsche. The gap in build quality between the two brands is very noticeable. I'll continue to drive Porsches as long as I can. The video is very 911-focused but the same thing is true of all of their models. They won't win every spec battle but they don't suck at any aspect of what they're designed to do.
@@aoolmay6853 they are absolutely not "heavy" when compared to other competing sports cars -- especially 2+2s -- of the same era. Porsches are usually lighter than their competitors (although I am not sure about the SUVs).
@@jsquared1013 I don't care about history. I'm calling it like i see it TODAY. Did you look at the numbers or are you going just by gut feeling? Typical 911 dry weight 1600kg, that's up there with spacious four door sedans. Camry V6, 300 hp weights 1500kg. Cayenne, 2100kg, those used to be over 2200kg in previous generation. Land Cruiser with same displacement/passanger space is below 2000 kg, you need the long versions to beat that, but that changes the segment slightly to 7 seat capable car. Panamera goes up to 1900-2200kg depending on options too. BMW 5/m5's are 1800-2000kg. It's a myth about sports cars being light. You just can't put that much power in a weak/light construction. They are sporty from refinement and ingenuity.
The other difference between Ferrari and Porsche? There's only a handful of Ferraris (like the F40) I would consider if I was filthy rich. Porsche? I cant think of one I would say no to.
I came to Porsche from muscle cars. I always thought that more horsepower was better. Although now I have driven just my two 20 year old base Boxsters, they handle so well and feel so nimble compared to my other vehicles. The chassis and motor are well balanced and the car feels very comfortable at high speeds, even with the top down. Very well constructed and simple ( at least mine are). They feel very connected to the road and somehow amplify the driving experience without the weight and under steer of a larger HP vehicle.
I finally got a Porsche about a year ago, I love it, put the top down and fly, my last little drive was 185 miles, I fill up the tank and it took five gallons, the car is beautiful and a dream to drive! Thank you Ferdinand!
It's definately not the backseat. But I can tell you, even back in the 60's, they were well built and well engineered (just don't bring up rust protection). And due to the evolution rather than revolution of the earlier models, the cars are a lot like Legos in that parts can be interchanged and upgraded over a huge timespan. I was lucky to buy a few cars back when they were just old cars, and have have happily watched their value increase expnentially....though it doesn't really matter 'cause I aint sellin'. In fact, I've never sold a Porsche (lying a bit here, I sold one bent chassis to a gentleman from England who took the shell home to supply hard to find parts for a more valuable car). I've a few other cars, too, but nothing from that era even comes close in build quality or drivability. There are reasons the mark invokes such passion.
"a car that looks like a fat guy sat on a beetle" That would be an Audi TT. And the 914 is under appreciated - an attempt to make a Porsche that was obtainable - even if it started out as a VW.
@@yeeoleswsh1450 The 928 was a great car but it failed because the idiots at the factory didn't back it up with service, updates, new model variations and parts.....shame....the factory killed it, not the market. the 944 was an attempt to make a better 924, which it was, but it fell apart in a hurry and was way over priced. The entire Porsche line has never impressed me, and if the Japanese had not re-organized the company years ago, they would have gone bankrupt......not now though. Putting the engine in the rear is just stupid, fine for economy car, but crazy on anything else. Their SUV's are just fancy VW's with same crappy repair history......Only the Cayman makes any sense.
Great summary. The conclusion spot on. Jay's description could not be questioned. I bought my 1968 Porsche 912 when, I was 25. I'm now almost 60 and still have the car. The car is an original UK right hand drive and took all the money I had and a three year bank loan at the time to buy it for GBP 6000. The engine was rough as was the body, a bent valve, Solex carbs that could not be tuned and the engine threw flames of unburnt fuel out the exhaust when engine braking hard into corners. And no occupant heating in the winter! Absolutely loved the car even with all its flaws. The drive, handling and balance were exceptional. Over the years the simple mechanicals allowed me to strip and re-build the engine. Full parts availability from Porsche UK helped, which is a massive part of the Porsche after sale service. The carbs were swapped out for a set of second hand Webbers from an Alfa Romeo. I still have the original Solex carbs. You summarized the Porsche mantra well. "It's the sum of all the parts, including a relationship". My car will take me to my grave and my daughter will drive it forward from my grave side.
A Volkswagen Beetle was the very first car I drove when I passed my test 47 years ago. Fast forward, I have been driving a 2004 Porsche Boxster S for the last 6 years. It sticks to the road like a limpet, gets 0-60 in a modest 5.2 seconds & sounds like an angry tiger . It puts a smile on my face every time I go out in it. What’s not to like. 🇬🇧👍
Well done. You are very good at packaging and delivering this type of content. Hopefully you will give us more like this every few months. Thanks for the entertainment.
Was never a porsche fan growing and and always felt they were overpriced for the money. One day I found a deal on a Cayman somehow made it a justifiable purchase thinking I'd sell it for the same amount in 1-2 years. 3 years later, Ive put nearly 40k miles on the car, I can sell it for more than what I bought it 3 years ago, and I despite that rationality in selling it, I absolutely cannot bring myself to do it. Theres something magical about the car I couldn't appreciate from the outside in. I think your video really helped me understand why I love it so much. Its exactly what you said... its not the fastest car, its not the lightest car, its not the best handling car, its not the most comfortable car... but it gets pretty close to all of those things. Its a great compromise and nobody else is able to engineer compromise as beautifully as porsche.
You got me on the proper naming of that GT3... I did correct you the first time and smirked when you said 997.1, but when you came back to call out the Porsche fans/nerds that would have corrected you and were freaking out... I laughed out loud! Well played sir! I have owned many Porsches over the last 20+ years. Once you take the Porsche Red Pill, you will never look at cars the same. You have us all figured out 🤣🤣 Subscribed.
I still have air-cooled 911 dreams but everything you've mentioned down to the general attitude of some owners is spot on. I'd still buy one...but price inflation caused by car flippers has rendered this irrational.
Love the videos. This is a great insight - it seems like there is a personality around the cars and I have wondered why they were so popular, not just with car people, but dickheads too.
Because dickheads think they're the best. And when you think you're the best, you must have the best things too, aka Ferrari/Porsche. I think Ferrari owners suffer more from this than Porsche, but all the same. A few other brands have a similar stigma to lesser degrees as well.
I love Porsches like I love my Ducati Superbike, because they are clever and unique. When I got my first 944 I would scratch my head a lot thinking why TF did they make this this way, but as I got more familiar with it, it all started making sense. Porsches have a design synergy that makes the whole car a great deal better than the sum of its parts. The cable shifter linkage defied all logic to me, but I learned to love and accept it because after 35 years with no adjustments or repairs it still shifted better than most modern cars.
So excited to watch this one. 😁 I’m the daydreaming kid from the 911 advert who rode his bike to the dealership at 9 years old; actually went back 20 years later to fulfill that…need. Edit: 7 years and 100k miles later, I still can’t imagine a better daily driver. Okay, a 991.1 GTS or any 99X manual-equipped GT3 would do nicely.
Hey, Matt, this was really good. I’m on the bandwagon. Have owned them and still do. One of my favorite brand reviews was when Everyday Driver compared a few decades of 911s against each other. It was superb. This was good in the same way. You (in good fun) teased that owners are a little lost for words to explain their devotion. I think that’s important because sometimes no explanation is needed from an owners perspective. As an engineer, answers must be explainable. It’s a little ironic (and maybe unexplainable) that the historically best engineered cars for 60 plus years appeal to the very base passions of many enthusiasts. I hope you get to own one soon. I’m subscribing and liking for you to do my part. If you’re ever near Boston, take mine for the weekend. It’s got over 80,000 miles and is driven every day. Joyously and enthusiastically. Cheers, Michael
Don’t you think that it is strange that they NEVER mention how dangerous a FRONT gas tank car is and all the explosions that resulted in INSTANT death???
@@jimiverson3085 Don’t be goofy! You think the car is fire proof? There have been many fire bomb 911’s. Google James Dean, Golden Gate Bridge 911 head on crash, 2 NBA players die 2 911’s, Jack Ass star dies in 911 etc… The 911 is a death trap.😩😩😩
@@bb-iq6qw Hyperbole much? James Dean died in a Spyder - a RACE car - 10 years before the first 911 was sold in the US. He was driving a small, light racing car with zero safety features (remember, 1950s) and a big American car pulled out in front of him. No fire and the mechanic riding with him survived. The Jackass guy died from being, well, a jackass - he was drinking and driving and went off the road and into a tree at over 130 mph. You won't survive that in any car. The Golden Gate crash was a driver who was doing over 100 on the off ramp from the bridge, lost control and went head on into another car coming the other way. Again, the cause of that death was idiocy - since there were 3 people in the car a guy was probably trying to impress his friends with how cool he was, and some drinking was also involved. www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAR7105.pdf And the NBA player was drag racing a teammate when he lost control of his car. No fire involved. And NBA players have never been known for their motor racing skills. So, mainly these accidents were caused by stupidity combined with enough money to buy a car that was fast enough to make stupidity dangerous. Darwin won those events.
The weirdest thing for me is that what actually saved Porsche from going tits up was making a suppository shaped SUV. The first time I saw pictures of the Cayenne I nearly cried and i'm sure that Herr Porsche spun once or twice in his grave.
Porsche are now an SUV company that makes some sports cars for PR, but apparently their SUVs are pretty good., if you like that kind of thing. I don't think they saved them from 'going tits up' though, Porsche own half the European car industry.
@@grahamthompson5581 Volkswagen Group did, not Porsche. VW was the largest(or close to) car company for awhile until the diesel scandal and is now back to #2 I believe.
I owned a 944 Turbo for a while. Excellent car. On one of my Trips to Vegas my company took us to the exotic car driving experience. I decided on a Lamborghini because it was something I had never driven and probably would not get a chance to drive again. I absolutely hated it. It did not feel fast. It did not corner well. There was nothing about it that I liked. So I then decided to try the Porsche Cayman R. Now that was a car. It did everything that I asked it to do. The automatic was the absolute best automatic I have ever driven. Turn ins were crisp. While not overly fast it pulled like I expected it to pull. By far one of the most enjoyable cars I have ever driven. To counter that I also drove an 80's era 911 and there was no place for my left foot to go. Was not a car I would want to own.
I guess I'll have to be the one to tell you that your 944 Turbo is more Audi, than Porsche a descendent of the 924, and Porsche snobs, I'm not one BTW, sneered at it then, and now.
@@atw9913 correct, the 924 had the Audi engine, the 924S and the 944 had basically half a 928 engine. Taken to extremes with the 964, which had the largest production four cylinder engine (3 litre displacement) at the time, and I believe still today. Also, where the 924 was somewhat mangeable to maintain on a low budget, the 944 has so many porsche-specific parts and solutions that it's beginning to hurt the wallet a lot. The driving feel of the Transaxle is extremely good though, it could've been faster than the 911, but it wasn't allowed to for company reasons. Similar to the cayman, which was also always not allowed the larger engine options so as not to eat into 911 sales.
@@Kommunisator My 88 944 T on a stock motor an Turbo with a 3" exhaust and chip made 270hp and 290tq at the Wheels. The people that made 3.0 Turbo's were insane. I owned a shop for a while that made and sold parts for the water pumpers.
Great video!!! I used to be a Ferrari die hard…..until I bought my first entry level Porsche! I remember the salesman telling me that this Porsche would not be my first and only one I would buy. I remember thinking “this guy is crazy”!! Well, he wasn’t wrong, I fell in love with the car….so much so that I’m on my 4th. I am not snotty or anything like that, nor am I your typical prick guy that drives a Porsche. I say that because at the time of my first Porsche buy, my wife had a 5 series BMW with all the bells and whistles. I used to think it was the ultimate driving machine……..until I owned my first Porsche. I am hooked, the quality of the car, the drive, the experience, I can track the car in the morning and drive it right out of the track to pick up groceries on my way home with ZERO issues. They are just fantastic cars!!
In high school a 997 Porsche 911 turbo was my absolute dream car. I thought one day after I paid off my student loans and saved up I'd be able to buy one. As I have became better with my finances I quickly realized that I was never going to be able to feasibly afford a 9/11 turbo ( without financing a massive amount of it which I will never do again ). I later discovered there's plenty of incredibles sports cars that are highly affordable and approachable. Both in culture and your ability to work on them yourselves, something that Porsches often don't share with other sports cars, the ability to do your own work and be able to afford it. Porsche has branded itself into the space of Ferrari and Lamborghini. I get it, it's a car that not everyone will be able to afford and has more time goes on less and less people will be able to afford it. There are some one-off cars that are pretty interesting like first gen Cayenne turbos and modern day Macon s's but those aren't real Porsches. They're wallet fatteners for Porsche. The real cars, the real 911 simply are not approachable unless you're in the c suite, and executive, a successful business owner. I say this as a man who makes low six figures. But when an entry level Porsche 911 used with no options cost almost 80% of your yearly salary it honestly makes absolutely no sense when there's so many other great cars you can drive.
I couldn't have written this better myself as a man making $100,000 more than you; I still feel hesitant pulling the trigger on a REAL Porsche. I can buy a low cash-flowing rental property for the prices of these cars smh.
You can buy a very nice, fast, reliable modern 911 such as a 997.2 for WAY less than six figures. They’re easy to work on too. I recently bought one (a Carrera S) and am very pleased with the ownership experience so far. I can’t think of a better sports car to buy for the price.
I used to hate Porsche, but in the last few years they became my favorite brand. I just love the pure passion the always had. The fact that they could make such monster cars and sell them for way cheaper than other companies did speaks a lot. Also almost every car they used to release it was tough not to become an icon
I don't drive, but I find Porsche to be pretty neat, albeit the 911 has too many models types that look similar... BTW, Porsche are working on producing e-fuels from renewable energy, that can run in a gasoline engine. Very innovative, and futuristic.
@@thatguyalex2835 That's been my problem. Over the years, Porsche has made probably 40 different models. 34 of them were the 911. They've obviously made it a success though.
I am a German and it was always very hard to explain to my English speaking Friends why I am so hopelessly infected by the Porsche virus. I think by sharing this nice clip it might help to explain a bit my sickness lol.
@@Ferlu62 not some boxster with the base motor, that's stupid. but let me ask you, would you rather have a porsche macan $60k 2.0 liter vehicle, or a $60k BMW x3 m40i with its legendary inline six b58 that sounds amazing. macan with ZERO equipment or features(cars that are $28k are better equipped interior and safety wise, literally) and a rather measly gutless engine. Watcha choose? or even better what about the cayenne or panamera with their old n/a v6's vs turbo v6 or v8 competition with comparable interior quality or better infotainment.
Honestly one of the best videos I've seen about Porsches, great perspective. I've had a 996 turbo for about 10 years and 50k miles now with no end in sight!
For me it’s the handling and the lines of the 911 that gets me. I bought a 68 911 to restore and I have had no problems being welcomed in the community. People I met buying parts were all generous with their advices, showed me their collection and even gave a ton of leftovers parts for free. I totally agree that prices at the dealers, on bring a trailer and auctions are overinflated but there is a way around this. Hope you will buy yourself a nice one, you won’t regret it
Wow! I really like your channel because I appreciate engineers- guys that can innovate and solve problems. I've always been amazed that you are not leading an engineering team at some big company like the one I retired from (Bell Helicopter Textron). I directed advanced military programs there and I really could have used you! I love that you looked at the "why Porsche" question by asking the people who owned them. After owning 17 I would answer your burning question, but you already did; masterfully! I've owned several 356s, 911s, a 944, a 928 and a Taycan. Two years ago I gave my 1965C to one of my sons and my 1995 911 Carrera to the other. I was going to give them to them in my will, but I decided to watch them enjoy them and get additional pleasure from that. I sold my 991 (which was the best 911 I had owned) so I could by the Taycan4S. Okay, there is one reason that people didn't give you: When I flew Cobras in Vietnam, it was the best helicopter or aircraft I had ever flown because it felt like it was a self-extension, enabling unimaginable maneuverability with absolute smoothness. It was like you were the bird itself. That's the same characteristic that most Porsches have. Keep doing great videos! And be careful with the fast, narrow one, we need you around! Chuck
@Charles Jacobus Yes, that sums it up exactly. The only other cars I've owned that gave me that feeling and confidence were early BMW 2002's and a 1600 I owned many years ago in VT and I drove them at the limit most of the time. My Porsche was even more of that same feeling.
@@zoner__ I'm 77, the 991 was loud and felt like a race car. The Taycan has the same punch and feels creat in corners. I take them at the same rate, but I do worry about the mass, and I wish it was a little smaller. The bottom line is I still drive my son's 45,000 mile 993 so I am fortunate to have the best of both worlds.
Outstanding video. Describing the experience of driving a Porsche is very difficult. People always ask my why I drive a Porsche. All I can say is I’ve driven just about everything else, and Porsche is better in every aspect that matters to me, including the not so exotic look. You can photograph a car and report the numbers all day, but get in a Porsche. Physically touch the build quality, and drive it. I agree the worst part of driving one is that everything else you drive after will leave you asking, why can this car be as good as a Porsche.
I own a 718 Boxster but I have had the opportunity to drive most of the other models. Moving from one to another you always feel like you could drive it forever and love every minute of it. A bit of a magical feeling really.
One correction: the C8 Corvette you pictured when mentioning the Corvette’s 50:50 weight distribution does not have 50:50 weight distribution: it is mid engined and has 38:62 front:rear (edit: I was off in my recollection, it’s 39.4:60.6 or 39:61 if we round)
This brings up a good technical point: the 911 is rear-engined because Porsche snobs think that all Porsches should have a Beetle layout, not because it makes a better car. Even completely accepting Matt's argument for rear bias, mass centralization is good and an engine just ahead of the rear axle combines rear bias and mass centralization... which is why the Cayman is inherently better than a 911, but will never be the top model.
@@brianb-p6586 you can brake much deeper into the turns with a 911 because of the little weight over the front wheels. And you can use that rear weight to rotate the car and then be on the throttle again much earlier. It is much harder to drive it like that than a Cayman at its limit. 911's spin when you do it wrong. Don't ask me how I know lol.
My first Porsche was and is a 718 Cayman S, 6 speed. It’s an affordable way to get into the club to have a great appreciation for the brand, the people, and even access to the Porsche marketplace. Loved your video and breakdown of a brand I’ve come to love and don’t ever see myself leaving. PCA Member for life
Great Matt. I love Porsches (never owned one) but I also love the joke: Q: What's the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine? A: With a porcupine the pricks are on the outside.
@@blackporscheroadster6415 Well you certainly tick the Porsche douche bag bingo. Your car colour is how you identify yourself in public. If you meet another Roadster owner you use your model year. Then like waspy women at a wedding you only have options or which dealer, eye role if its a euro delivery.
Or when you can afford the garage door openers but choose to lock and open them manually several times a day. (you do know an auto closed door is not actually locked?)
Excellent video and explanation. Most Porsche owners are common folks that grew up dreaming of owning one. I’ve had the pleasure of owning 3 including a new Spyder RS. You have to drive them to understand why we love them. Words do not give the experience justice.
Great piece. I road raced RX7s for years, mostly because I worked in an engine lab, and didn’t want to rebuild a piston engine at night. I looked at, researched test drove multiple Porsches, after driving my roommates for a week… never could commit. Anyway, Matt, I am curious why you skipped discussing the Boxster and Cayman?
Because its hierarchical, like a 914 owner the Boxster/Cayman are their own subsect, oddly the more normal owner as its not as religious. Go to a Porsche Club meet and they are grouped separately. Not as bad as the 924/44/68 guys. Ferrari owners have the V12 and the rest thing going on too. In Japanese car culture it is the domestic market and everything else, stickers, girlfriend, subway handle on the towhook sort of thing.
Excellent job. I'm on my second Porsche. My first was a 2007 base model Cayman. Like you Porsche was really never on my radar. I grew up in the south so my passion was drag racing and stock cars. I like the old muscle cars from the late 60's to early 70's. The closest thing I ever owned to a muscle car was a 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger, sadly with the 225 slant 6 that was way under powered. When I got to a point I was over buying practical cars and wanted something sporty I was looking at Mustangs, Camaro's and Corvettes. Then I came across the little Cayman and one test drive was all it took. The car had 65,000 miles on it but it was so tight it drove like new. It wasn't very powerful, just 254 horsepower but the power delivery and handling were so much fun. The 5 speed gearbox was excellent. After buying the car I started getting into their history, mainly focusing on the racing history. The achievements at LeMans, Daytona, the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Nurburgring were mine boggling. No other manufacturer is really close. And I remember an interview with Derrick Bell where he said he would get frustrated sometimes when they were developing a new fuel injection system, the Motronic, or transmission, the Tiptronic. He was told by the engineers they had to get these things right before it went into their road cars. All that endurance racing performance and success filters down into their production road cars. And you can feel this when you drive one. No one has done this better than Porsche. My second Porsche I ordered new, a 2028 718 Cayman S. It has 100 more horsepower than my old one, the suspension is way more sophisticated and it's fast. I've taken 1000 mile road trips in it with no issues, it gets 34 MPG on the highway and with front and rear storage it's pretty practical too. I can't imagine not owning a Porsche now.
Before a member of Ferrari club a friend switched to our Porche club. As we returned from a track day on a F1 circuit he went: you are quite spoiled in this community. Up to now l had never experienced the situation where after doing a track, everybody returns home with the same car. Refreshing video and comments, good job.
That was a very good video about Porsche. Probably something any car person who thinks "what is up with porche?" Should check out. Excellent script. Great visual diagrams. And knowing when to use quotes by Leno. I am sure there are literally 10000 Porsche videos on TH-cam. But I doubt there are more than a handful that are so tight and approachable. Thank you Matt.
This is one of the best car videos I’ve seen. Very eloquent and thought provoking. I’m a huge Porsche fan, but it is sad how the 911 is no longer attainable.
There’s literally tons of used 911s, Boxsters, Caymans, 718’s out there in good condition and waiting for a new owner. Why limit yourself to just the newest models that still have such huge demand, hence higher prices. A used 911 depending on your era of choice CAN be reasonably affordable. But always, always be prepared to have it properly gone through by a well known and trusted Porsche mechanic so that you have any maintenance or mechanical issues addressed, well worth the initial cost so that years of trouble free driving will be your reward.
the tire guy knowing the priceless value of customer service offered to drive my '91 Saab spg out to my work to hand deliver since their service was overdue. very cool shop effort. so, he drives up to the work lot in the car & exits quite spiritedly in his 6'4" medium overweight package. hands me the keys & with the most profound nonchalant expression my way shares his moment: "This car is such an amazing drive." Never thought anything else about something supposedly better since that refining affirmation by a tire jockey . . . . since. your vid was so well done & so evenly crafted i felt inspired to post about my incredible Saab commitment.
I am a 68 year-old old guy. Growing up, I thought Porsches were ugly. In 1980 I drove a 911 and it was like a religious experience. Every car I drove for the next decade felt like a school bus. That car was incredible and I turned into a Porsche fanatic. It drove like an exotic, was robust and reliable and while it was expensive, it was still achievable. I agree with Matt that today Porsche is creeping up to the exotic market and of course those exotic car margins.
My wife, now of 31 years, didn't understand the Porsche passion until the day she drove my oil leaking, noisy, uncomfortable and fast 911. All she said less than 5 minutes into the drive was "I get it now" with a smile bigger than the one she had on our wedding day. Go figure
The main Reason for producing smal numbers in Cars might be EU Regulations. If you produce less cars per year regulations wont be that harsh, thats the main reason why the Lamborghini Urus has a way louder exhaust system then the Audi RSQ8 despite being baisicly the same car.
Great video, i love Porsches and personally i think a Porsche is the defenition of a sports car. Fast, Nice Styling, Comfortable and a history in racing
I bought my dream car 2 weeks ago, a yellow 996tt. It is incredible. It drives like no other vehicle I’ve owned. I used to have a 986 boxster which I also loved, and this reminds me so much of it except it goes from 0 to Jail in what feels like the blink of an eye. I traded the boxster in for a new WRX STI and never had any fun with the Subaru, which I blamed on the turbos. The 996tt proved that wrong. It corners like it’s on rails and it will do so at any speed i have asked it to. It is simultaneously settled, responsive, and incredibly dynamic. It also is comfortable and carries a week of groceries comfortably. On top of that, I’ve already had to replace a water pump on it and it wasn’t even as hard as the power steering on my raptor. It’s frustratingly difficult to access parts but designed well enough that a lot of the edge is taken off by the sheer simplicity of each portion of the disassembly and assembly.
We used to have a 911SC from '84 back in 2007 when they cost about 18k€ and not the 50k they are now... I overall really liked it ( and should have kept it...) but there were a few things I did not like. One thing is that the car was so well sorted out, it was actually kind of boring to drive at normal speed.. and then workshops in Germany are just using a completely different price list when they see a Porsche emblem.. we payed about 4k to fix the broken heater (they rust shut and then you can't drive the car because you have exhaust-hot air on your ankles..) and something like 6-8k to fix the clutch and the head studs.. every inspection was like 1000€... today I drive a Volvo from the 60s which surely is a worse car, but it is way more fun to drive around in at legal speeds :)
Well, I'd say considering that old Porsches had shorter gearing than that of the modern ones, I'd say that they were asking to be wrung the hell out of. Quite some Modern Porsches require you to go to a track to test the limits of them. You could have quite the solid fun with the old 911s due to that short gearing which allows it to have fun at legal speeds. After all with any car like a classic Porsche or Ferrari, they don't like being driven like a corolla, they want to be wrung to their max level and beyond. Any stretch of road would be your best friend in terms of spirited driving.
I love how when you said, 'to understand Volkswagen, you have to understand this guy', and you segued to that photo of the crazy man with the infamous mustache. Perfect editing. After WWII, it was the British government that kept Volkswagen in business. The Americans decided they didn't want to touch the company and handed the option to the Brits who hesitantly took control of it. This video is the best coverage of Porsche I've ever seen simply because it's the most honest thing I've ever seen done on them. Great job. I've been a subscriber for a while, and appreciate your output. Keep it up.
When I was young in the late 1950's, Porsche was the underdog giant killer. They were running cars that had evolved from the VW but now were real racing cars...but still under 2 liter. Rear engine, air cooled that raced against 3, 4 and 5 liter cars...Ferraris, Jaguars, Maseratis...and sometimes beat them. I remember when they won the Targa Florio outright in the 1950's. They often won the Index of Performance at Lemans. Originally, Porsche's were reasonably priced cars...I bought a used 1957 Speedster in 1965 for $1200 and I hopped it up myself and raced it locally. Then they went up market...meh...
I also grew up a bit indifferent to Porsches but as I've gotten older, they've really grown on me.What really did it for me though was a friend in college owned a 1974 914 that he let me drive. It was slow AF even with the hot-rodding he had done to the engine, but the cornering and handling of that car on just 195 (I think) section cheap economy car tires he had on it ran circles around anything else I had and maybe have ever driven. When it broke loose it was so perfectly balanced. It didn't make sense that it could be that good as a 1974 model. It even had reasonable storage space! I've wanted one ever since!
Actually you dont need to know anything about the history to value the character of a 911, especially from the 993 on. Its got massive traction, the engines linear power, the sound, and that near perfect frontend, a big difference with the earlier 911’s. And its comfortable and safe.
@@liviu543 well, the na versions got power all over the rev range, and the modern turbos too. Don't what you name that. They're easy engines picking up at any speed.
In 1982 I was working for a Jaguar Daimeler, Rover dealer. Our panel shop told us of a new Porsche of that year had been reversed into a wooden telegraph pole. The dent was big. The morning after the owner dropped it off he came by to see what the cost of repair was. The dint had repaired itself. They were honest and didn't charge the customer. Good people, good car.
Hey Matt, this is the first video I watch from your channel and I have to say that you have a very pleasant way of telling a story. Thanks! Watched it all.
This was a very useful video and I truly found the information fascinating. But it also touches on why I bought, in 2013, a Scion FR-S - which now has a solid 186,000 reliable miles under it - manual, of course - Most of which were on the twisties of kentucky. It's the most fun car I've ever owned and absurdly reliable. I drove it 150 miles every day to and from work and put nine sets of Michelin SS's on it and had the time of my life. Now it's just sitting in my garage because I'm retired. I want to sell it, but I think it's reached a point where it's only going to go up in value as it sits there. And since tabs and insurance on this thing are super cheap where I live, it's really not costing me anything to own it and I've got plenty of room in my shop building for it. But if I was at a different income level, you bet I have one of those porsches. I have a couple of friends who have raced them and they're huge fans. But they have more money than me. By the way, one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much here is that they don't use cops to keep the speed down on these back roads. They use deer. I have a good eye for deer. 😁
@@jarrettmaurice3070 I'm concerned about the cost to own it. Cost of parts, parts of service, cost of insurance, etc. And one of the reasons I'm kind of cavalier about keeping it is that I've had my feel of racing every time I get in a car. The car I drive most of time now is my first gen xB with 230,000 miles on it. It's a 5-speed and I haven't even had to replace the clutch yet. I had a deer 155,000 mi and kept the money instead of fixing it because I figured the car would die. Boy was I wrong. I love driving that thing but my wife refuses to sit in it. I bought it as a musician's car and I just joined yet another band, so this will be what I use to get around the state until it finally does bite the dust. It's hilarious how drivers treat you differently in the deer damaged XB versus the frs. Or a porsche...
@@ReasonablySane my dad bought a first gen scion xb that ive driven a lot. Im still surprised how good the handling and steering feel are for inexpensive car not intended to be sporty.
@@zeusmultirotor8479 I'm completely with you on that. I throw that thing around like a sports car all the time. It's just absolutely smooth and with the five speed it actually feels like it has some power. I bought it new, it looks like a piece of junk now, and I plan on driving it to the junkyard. By the way, you can get 8 ft long lumber in it. And it's the ultimate gigging musicians' vehicle.
I love my Boxsters, mostly because of how much fun they are to drive … also, its the only car I can more or less afford( have a 2015). The two I had were quite well built and never dumped me in 6 years. But still expensive and unpleasant to maintain at times. still drive it nearly every day.
@Redlined997 C2S I've been driving a 2012 SLK55 AMG I got with low mileage, my only car. Love it as much as my neighbors love their Boxters. We're gonna switch up--what will the differences be, I wonder?
Hey nice to hear a fellow Boxster owner! I have a base 981 with a stick and the sports Chrono package, mild tune and a cat back exhaust. It's the nicest car I've ever owned (and I've owned many) and it has got me hooked on Porsche
Great and comprehensive video. I've had the good fortune to drive a few Porsches and enjoyed it, however with the barrier to entry I just can't justify owning a Porsche. I've also realized that while I enjoy driving with a purpose and like to enjoy the cars I drive, I don't actually enjoy driving to just drive. I love that they exist but I will leave supporting the company to other people.
![เปิด อาณาจักร หมื่นล้าน "สาระตั้ม" l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XE0nPF4YkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
"Join me as I drive a lot cars I can't afford"
Yeah. I felt that.
Me too comrade!
Me but he goes to the Hotwheels store
At least he gets to drive them.
You missed the "that"
That was me though most of the early 2000s. I made friends with most of the sales managers at the high end dealerships in Austin, and would spend a few hours every weekend test driving anything I could.
As Jeremy Clarkson said, "Porsche started with the engine at the wrong end, and they’ve spent the last 40 years stubbornly trying to engineer their way around the problem."
@@detonator2112 F1 are mid eniged tho, and so are all the fast racecars you mentioned, Porsche is the only manufacturer that has consistently built rear engined cars over the years. But the Clarkson quote is just a joke tho, rear engined cars has advantages and draw backs same as front engined and mid engined has their own pros and cons.
(This comment was made in response to someone saying ''thats why f1 and every fast supercar has it in the rear'' or something like that, but this comment is now deleted therefore my comment is lacking some context. So you dont have to type a reply to me about the difference between mid and rear engined cars)
Clarkson is a clown, a funny clown, but a clown never the less.
And for the most part, Clarkson is pulling y'alls chain, that is a Clarkson thing, and simply to be purposefully polerizing, that's as much a business thing as it is a social or personality disorder..
I say all of this, and I like Clarkson, but he is what he is, he does what he does.
@@driverjay8613 - *polarising
@@detonator2112 NO- Clarkson was conceived from the 'wrong end'.
Clarkson calls Porsche 911 a "glorified Beetle". He has a good sense of humor and is a passionate, patriotic Brit who loves his Jaguars and Bentleys. Of course he can't say sweet things about Germany's top car brand.
“Give Porsche a suspension parts from a beetle or a golf and they will make it handle way better than anything jaguar can come up with” killed me 😂
This is actually not true. XF, XE, XJ are the best handling cars in their class. F-Pace even beat Macan in the Motor Trend H2H.
@@arindammukherjee8581 r/whooosh
@@anthonyreed480 r/whooosh
Certified 944 moment
@@anthonyreed480 You mean when it's not in the shop?
“Chances are you were born on 3rd base and walk around like you hit a triple.” Love it! Thanks for the work that went into this video.
I stole second and got thrown out at third. Luckily, my wife is a regular home run batter:-). You have a great day!
I'm going to steal that saying
Not American but this baseball analogy was good enough to be understood
Ryan Day is a perfect example…;)
"Engineering is the process of balancing requirements." Nicely said.
Sadly most engineers I've met now are strictly of the mindset of how to make something break just beyond the warranty coverage and how to make it cheaply with the highest net profit.
@@Heartstrong_Productions That really is sad if an engineer starts thinking that way. Often seems like a shortsighted management mindset.
@@Heartstrong_Productions that's a bmw /Mercedes engineer
@@sunnisukumar Management in the end constrains what engineers can do. The best engineers use those constraints to innovate. Sometimes it means using the best parts of other models and re-engineering them to work well together, ie, Civic RS, GTI, even the original Porsche Boxster. The Boxster was engineered to have shared body and interior features with the upcoming 996-generation 911, in part because in the mid-90s Porsche had to reduce their production costs in order to stay in business. By the time the Cayman was introduced, it could use the Boxster chassis and parts (many of which were still shared with the then-current 911, including a less-poweful 3.4 L variant of the base 911 engine (3.6L) in the S model. It didn't make it cheap, but it made it less expensive than a 911, and in the late 2000s it wasn't difficult to buy one. Now, only base Porsche SUVs are easy (if still expensive) to buy. And yes, the base Macan shares an engine (a variant of the VW GTI's engine) and many parts with the Audi Q5, yet somehow it drives very differently.
Except the real test is whether you can scale the operation to fulfill demand and drive price down as a result. But then the stock price would plateau so consumers get hosed anyway
At age 66 I FINALLY had the opportunity to own my first Porsche. I paid nearly $150,000
for a 7 year old 30,000 mile 911 turbo. Technology and performance coupled with reliability and sheer exhilaration while driving are the main reasons I love this car! I dated a girl back in 1986 that had a brand new Porsche 911 and got to drive her’s then. I never forgot the feeling that must be experienced to understand. By the way, I love the 911 look and I always have!💪👌
This is one of the best comments I’ve seen in a while, and I’m determined to buy a somewhat sought after Porsche by age 60 also. Your my hero, congrats on the car, maybe throw some good Porsche vibes my way, and with some careful planning, & had work, and a little luck I’ll get one and share your pride of ownership! Cheers my friend, you deserve that 911 👍
@@jdjames997 cliff please throw some vibes to this good man here, and please dont send me any
Fucking hate porsche, not even gonna give the guys a capital p.
@@_BreathOfFreshAir_bro what 💀
@@_BreathOfFreshAir_ what's wrong with porsche
So 991 turbo it is!.. nice one 😊🤝
I always liked Leno, but his view on Ferrari cemented my respect for him.
their arrogance is horrible
Agreed. Their ego is bigger than the amount of all cars they let out the barn
@@StarFox85 like porsche
@@roboticvenom1935 at least they talk to you
👀 but i agree with u too
@@StarFox85
to be honest that is exactly what I like from Ferrari
hard to get so you feel very exclusive and honored to own a brand new one
I understand his point
I brought the first 912 into the United States in early 1966 three months before the formal introduction into the US. I bought it from a factory store in Stuttgart for the special export price of $4,200 (yeah, I didn't leave a zero off of that). It was a special order from that store. I had to add headrests and seatbelts (which were accessories at the time...but at that time they weren't exactly ubiquitous in the USA, either). I also added two factory gauges to the dash so that it would "look" like a 911 dash (which came with five gauges). I wasn't a big car fan. My Dad had a business friend who had a 356 in 1961 (or so)...he was a car fan and I bought the 912 because of his infectious enthusiasm. Before they could export the car a guy drove it from Stuttgart to Frankfurt (where I was living) so that I could drive it and sign a release form...the Germans were and are big on forms (and rubber stamps). So my first drive in a Porsche was this new 912 on the Autobahn from Frankfurt to Heidelberg and back. I had not driven at all for two years and suddenly I was thrust into some surreal automotive Nirvana that was inexplicable in its thrill. Unfortunately, when I got it home (the drive on I-15 from the dock in LA back to Salt Lake was incredible) I quickly found out that while I had afforded the Porsche...I couldn't afford the continual tuning of those four carburetors. So I had to relinquish the car because, as a student for the next 8 years I couldn't afford to keep it on the road. But in the 57 intervening years and 35 or 40 cars later the Porsche is still Camelot "for one brief shining moment" in my automotive history. What is said about engineering and balance in the video is right on the mark. I got an ME degree and spent 51 years in manufacturing...so I get it...a little. But I will take that longing for that "one brief shining moment" to my grave.
Bittersweet but wonderfully told story- thanks for sharing!
Great memories
@@paulkearney4565 thanks Paul. Great memories indeed.' Especially that first trip to Heidelberg...indescribable. Autobahn & Porsche made for each other :)
@@jbbevan I get it, the drive through Germany, my wife's Austrian. I got my 1st 911 2 years ago, and I get Porsche now, even though I'm a diehard Subaru fan, I still have 2 x Subaru Impreza's.
You should go back and re-trace your journey, I'm sure someone would love to help you out, take mines if you wish, I'm in London 👍
@@paulkearney4565 You are over-kind to even suggest such a thing. Thank you.
I worked at a shop in the 80’s that would restore these. We’d tear them down to the chassis and then clean, restore and rebuild… Something I noticed was that every year there would be one less bolt or 2 bolts that used to be different were now the same. There was a constant refinement of every detail. I think you nailed it when you said they’ve spent a lifetime refining on the same theme. I think that’s what makes them amazing! (and no, I had my chances to buy one then but passed it up. An 80’s air-cooled would be amazing but as you also said, it’s simply out of most of our reach.)
And who wants a car that sounds like a refrigerator!
You mean like this???😁😁😁😁🚘🚘🍺🍺🍺 th-cam.com/video/Q7H6T2FWPZA/w-d-xo.html
@@bb-iq6qw Actually, many, many car enthusiasts. That's who. 🤷♂ Arguably too many for the available supply.
They did the same thing with the Beetle. I learned that the hard way. To most people the 1968 to 1971 Beetle body looks the same but they aren't.
I blame Singer and their ilk for the price explosion. A few years ago, 993s were relatively expensive because they were regarded as the pinnacle of the air-cooled cars, but earlier models were relatively affordable. Then Singer started doing their restomods on 964s and those cars all disappeared from the market, followed by the 1984+ Carrera models. If you look at PCA classified ads now, 993s are often priced lower than cars in the 2 generations before them.
To answer your question - “Carrera” comes from Carrera Panamericana, an open road race across Mexico, which Porsche dominated in the 1950’s.
How exactly did Porsche "dominate"? Looking at the history of results it doesn't quite read that way to me lol
@@chickenfishhybrid44 The earlier years of Porsche racing, mainly the 50’s were mainly focused on class wins rather than overall wins, due to them using smaller engines.
@@vwjetta4138 that's fine. Still doesn't really change anything when talking about these particular races.
@@chickenfishhybrid44 cry about it
But what does it mean in terms of 911s? Is it a synonym for 911?
It's the philosophy of the brand executed with precision. Everything you touch feels better than any other brand. Seats, knobs, buttons, surfaces...plus they stop, go and turn faster than their horsepower would suggest.
"everything you touch feels better than any other brand" you're a clueless, objectively wrong bafoon. ridiculous.. proving porsche fans are a joke, shame because some of their cars are great. stopping and turning has little to do with horsepower, and I'm not buying a porsche macan 2.0 cylinder for 60k when i can buy a x3 m40i with a b58 that demolishes that engine and actually sounds great, and if I want to tune it it's easier, cheaper, has a affordable aftermarket, and make WAY more power, and I won't get a grand total of zero standard equipment. vast majority of people, including car guys, would argue the x3 m40i is the better vehicle overall. which is what porsches has, everything is an option, even on 100k cayennes, it doesn't even have heated seats or adaptive cruise control, no auto high beams, no lumbar, no anything. Lemme guess the insanely priced porsches that do not even have leather seats feel better then the competition which has leather seats standard or more affordable?
RR does it better than porsche. But okay. 👌
@@user-tu5tm6kn6k 😂 rolls isn’t a performance or drivers car
As an owner of three Porsches; I concur. When you know, you know.
but the Boxter is better than a 911 and no one wants them... (wasn't even mentioned in this video.)
I don't often watch 20 minute videos, give thumbs ups and in 10 years have subscribed to 7 channels. As a Porsche guy, I was curious as to what an engineer who had not drunk the Kool-aid would say... exceptional video, great photography, engaging narration and fun all around! Thanks, I hope you get your Porsche and keep making these videos!
George Torres of numero Uno market agrees
I couldn't agree more. I watched the entire video and I normally skip within the first 30 seconds. Nice video. I have been lucky enough to have owned sever Porsches over time. Quality and precision is what keeps me wanting more. Although the new C08 is getting there.
Agreed
I tried to say this too but didn't come close.
I don't often but did this for Matt, brilliant, subscribed 🙌
@petrolo72 hahaha! Whoops George Torres?
This is a super well put together video. The flow from one section to another is lovely and thought out.
SFM in a nutshell
@@tychormthorp Let's face it, the guy is probably too smart and capabale for Mensa.
my dude is putting great videos every week, he is on fire
@@creamwobbly not everybody has to emote like a celebrity, the information is good and presented in a concise manner, what more do you want?
That is exactly what I am thinking. he did great!
Very nice to look into the Porsche culture from the outside. I consider myself a car guy, not necessarily a Porsche guy, despite owning Porsches. I was lucky enough to buy into the brand when they were not cheap, but affordable and the main reason was exactly what you mentioned. The 911 compared to it's rivals in the same era was miles ahead. The Datsun 240z was one of the most beautiful cars of it's day, but compared to my 911 of the same age, it drove like a truck and despite spending 2 years restoring it I quickly sold it. The Italian offerings are generally much more beautiful but the build quality is average at best. It is a shame that the Porsche cost of entry is becoming higher and as such there are more and more of the wrong people buying them, to only take them to cars and coffee to talk about how rare their paint and stitching combo is, rather than using them as intended. Other cars may come and go, but my old 911 is here for the long haul.
Not true. Compared to other sports car brands, Porsche usually do high mileages.
@@SkyrimCZtutorials Traditionally they do for sure. Unfortunately there are more and more people coming into the brand bringing that Italian car mentality of keeping the mileage low for an 'investment' :(
Me too. 2007 911 turbo bought in 2007, will be here forever.
Harry is a pretty special so I'd hope you keep him around 😁
240Z drove like a truck? I'm not a 240Z fan boy and no longer own one but they were ahead of their time although built for the masses which was a problem for some 'enthusiasts'. In racing the only way a 911 could beat a 240Z was to have bigger something, like power, brakes, etc. Friends race them today and they still out perform their contemporaries, not by more power but by having a balanced racing package.
To me, it’s about taking an inherently weird format and making it excellent. Take their current racing career in GT3. They’re using a rear engine format that restricts how much underbody downforce you can generate, which is the high efficiency downforce everyone is trying to go for, and then still being dominant all year. That sort of engineering a masterpiece out of something weird is something I really aspire to and admire.
Minus Ferdinand being a nazi, but that’s bound to happen with any old German thing.
I mean yeah with any german brand you are gonna bet there are many nazis from that time period, alot of people were just blindly following their country into war, usually it was mainly the top group of people who were wicked
It's not like the other big German car companies have Nazi-free histories either. Really just can't be avoided with old German companies
Uh, pretty sure the 911 GT3 hasn't been rear-engine in quite a while. They're mid-engine since..., 2017?
And I don't recall them being "dominant" in GT3.
@@s2korpionic You're probably thinking of the RSR where GTE rules actually let them move the engine further forwards. In GT3 with the 911 GT3 R they're still just as rear engined as the roadcars. Granted even in the roadcars they're generally moving the engine as far forwards as they can but at the end of the day they're still considered rear engined.
@@CaroFDoom since 2017 the gt3 is mid engine, and no they are not considered rear engined. Just like the corvette they realized they could not compete with the likes of the mid engine ford gt and the mid engine ferrari.
The obtainable Porsche is now called a used Boxster or Cayman, both brilliant cars to drive.
Bore scoring just scares the crap out of me on those cheap boxsters and Caymans.
@@VulgrDisplayget a 987.2👌🏽
@@VulgrDisplayon early 986 Boxsters and Boxster S there were a few problems as well as IMS bearing failures. But they were not really that prevalent. If you find a well kept 2000 to 2008 Boxster or Cayman that has had no problems and the owner drove it fairly hard, the engine is not likely to be a problem, especially if the unused good synthetic oils like Mobil 1 and changed yearly.
I have a 2000 Boxster S bought new, put 120,000 miles on it by 2007 as a commuter car (50 miles one way commute done in 50 minutes) and then put away for 10 years. Pulled back out in 2017, new fuel pump, cleaned out old gas, oil change, and a few odds and ends, my mechanic said the engine was still fine, just drive and Rev it. And since then, another 20K miles relatively trouble free. Always be prepared to do the correct maintenance and upkeep and these cars will reward you.
250HP, new Michelin Pilot Sport 2’s, tight superior handling and still quick enough acceleration, Zenith Blue with a hardtop, still gives me smiles every time I drive it.
Technically the car is worth less than $10K now, but how much fun can you have for $10-15K? That’s why a properly working and kept up 986 2000 or later is still a great car, even today. Just get one in great condition and take care of it.
@@bwdrives I did (2009 987.2 Cayman Base 6MT) and I love it.
@@teter87059 Yup. Mine's a 2011 with the PDK and Sport+. Unlike my tricked-out Elise, I can pretty-much treat it like a regular car.
I know a guy who knows a guy who has a Porche. One of my favorite quotes from a Trans Am driver, about the Trans Am Porche was: "With that engine hanging off the back, it handles like a pig, but after 30 years of development, it's a very fast pig!"
Quote about the (then) current 911 from an automotive journalist at the time: an inherently flawed concept engineered to the pinnacle of brilliance.
It handle brilliantly. I think you need to get a little closer to one before you make comments…
It's a Stuttgartian truffle pig. A really fast, aggressive truffle pig, though.
@@shaylorcyclingwahoo
That's called gatekeeping
Nope. Gatekeeping would be stopping him from commenting, not telling what “I think” he should do… he could do what he wants, he just makes himself look foolish…
Yes. Also, all hail the algorithm.
All hail
All hail me.
TH-cam put a wee thing below this asking me to rate this comment, here's hoping a smiley face will please the algorithm...
We are the algorithm
Yup.. It's got my number🙄🤣
The surprising part isn't the suspension, it's that your buddy let you drive it. LOL, that's one trusting friend. Keep him happy.
Of all the people I'd let drive my cars, I think I'd have to trust Matt considering his racing experience lol.
Porsche is probably the safest "fast car" you can borrow someone
Obviously still prone to crash if you really want
I don't think Matt has any money struggles by a long margin. That's a pretty convincing reason to trust someone.
@@cyjanek7818 to be fair, you really have to be cooking it into a corner to experience any of their notable snap-oversteer. That, or it being an early turbo model.
@@cyjanek7818 that's a gtr
1. You do NOT have to drive a turbo to appreciate a Porsche- literally the opposite.
2. Boxsters and Caymans are exceptional cars and can easily be purchased in the $30k range
What an awesome video, Matt. I've got so many thoughts on the Porsche brand, and you summarized a lot of them. This was a great change of pace in contrast to what a lot of other channels tend to do, which is to simply fawn over the brand. Which it deserves... but also.... does it? I could talk about Porsche all day. Don't really want to own one, though.
With all that said, awesome video, great job on the "essay" format. You killed it! "Between Rain Man and the Germans" was phenomenal and so true.
BMW (as a linage) is so much easier for me to fawn over, but I am not sure if that is correlated to my ability to obtain some of their notable offerings throughout my life or not. I definitely echo most of your sentiments with this video though - however, I would consider owning a Porsche if the opportunity was right. That opportunity would be my friend selling me his 991 GT3 for
I did not expect to see Mike here
Buy yourself a 944, think you will like it like you like e36...
We need a Mike/Matt collab.
@@von... I like German cars overall but absolutely abhor BMW, mostly the modern ones. Old ones are OK. New ones are so freakin unreliable. My brother is a tech there and I live literally next door to one. Too much tech IMHO. Ultimate driving machine no longer
Subscribed - I hope you can get your Porsche. I am a mechanical engineer for 35 years in Detroit and I always imagined the perfect car I would build for myself, a sort of a go-kart for public roads. 10 years ago, I had the chance to drive the 997 GT3 and I realized Porsche already built my dream car, practical, good visibility, 100% engineering efficiency, no BS. Few years later I got my GT3.
Ferry Porsche imagined the perfect car he would build for himself that was the 1st Porsche.
I’m 31. I hope to get my first Porsche by 35
@@train_xc you got this bro, my goal is to get it by 28. I'm 20 right now haha
The GT3 Touring (the one without the wing) and the Porsche 911 S/T (like a GT3 RS but without the wing) are the holy grail of modern 911s. And in the case of S/T also unobtainable by normal humans even if they have the money for one.
My dream car is a small luxury tourer and that also exists in the Turbo S, but I’m a few hundred k short
This is unquestionably one of the very best videos I have ever watched. Informative, humorous, critical, balanced between all these things.
Like a porsche!
I don't even consider myself a car guy and I was thinking exactly the same thing. Great work.
As a Porsche owner I really enjoyed your insightful comments, your humour and your review of the brand. Thanks so much for sharing. 😊😊😊
Great to hear dynamic weight distribution being discussed. I had been racing for years before it was explained to me... by a Porsche history book. Great video.
Hahahaha
If you'd been racing 911's, you'd have learnt this the hard way. As soon as you throttle a 911 back in turn, you'll feel the weight distribution acting up. And you enter a spin.
When showing the first Corvette to not orbit the engine in turns... Whhich yes the enireers of the gen 8 said it's rear busedand its better.
@@thefreedomguyuk that’s called oversteer and it’s desirable
@@thefreedomguyuk You enter a spin if you don't expect it. But you don't if you do.
“Born on third base, walks around like you hit a triple”, I have never heard that before and I will use it forever.
Biden tried that line on trump...fail
@@checkmate1996 Kinda true though lol
Kindly explain it to us NON-Americans.
@@TheWorldTeacher it means you already started ahead in life, you were given a life that you didn’t earn, but yet you act like you did earn it. It’s about being humble rather than a cocky ass
@@TheWorldTeacher Baseball talk. I don't think you can come up with similar comment in the context of Association Football. Maybe in Cricket, but I don't know anything about Cricket.
"An engineered system, not a bunch of parts engineered into a system.." Is a great way to explain the philosophy behind German engineering >>
German stereotypes are that they over engineer parts into a sytem that could use less.
That's EXACTLY what's wrong with Maserati! I've owned Biturbo's & modern era from them. It's like a collection of bits & pieces on nodding terms with each other (on a GOOD day!)
@@lukespector5550 Maserati is owned by Chrysler now, that's why their reputation has gotten worse for stuff like that.
@@Cynsham Yeah- Anything "the big 3" touch rots including their own vehicles
@@lukespector5550 Maserati is also italian so.. 😭😭 Now they're italian and american so its just a hot mess 360°
As a former owner of 4 Porsches, I can say that there is lots of truth in what you are saying. Many years ago, my first sports car was '56 4 cylinder Austin-Healey that I started auto-crossing. The best overall finish I achieved was always around 5th place. The 1st to 4th place cars were always Porsches. So, I sold the Healey and purchased a beautiful silver '58
Porsche Speedster and started winning auto-crosses for several years. Then I got into SCCA racing with that car and won my first two races, and later more wins. Then I got serious about racing and acquired a super rare 1959 Porsche RSK 718 Spyder. It was a giant killer on the track. This same car was Roger Penske's early race car and later it was in Jerry Seinfeld's collection.
Years ago, I also owned two Porsche 928s, and I am surprised that in this video these great V8 machines were not even mentioned by Matt.
The 928 is the first car designed (1974, but only released 1978) ground-up as a Porsche and not from a beetle (924 was originally a VW/Audi project). I'm really enjoying driving my manual 928S most days. It rides nicely and handles surprisingly sportingly for a 1450 kg GT.
Well done, I’ve spent my adult (I’m 70) with a Porsche. 356,912, early 911T targa,944 turbo, Boxster and 997.1. You have mined the essence of Porsche. Everyone of mine was a daily driver and repair and maintain by me!
David I wish there were more guys out there like you--I work on my car and it is a very rewarding experience.
As a 30+ year member of the Porsche Club of America (and owner of a few Porsches over the years), this was a very well done video. I do feel your pain on Porsche prices, however. Once-upon-a-time, Porsche always had some kind of 'loss leader' - an entry level car the average person could get into in order to enjoy the brand. The original 356 Speedster, the 912, the 914, the 924, the 944 and the first generation Boxster were all cars that regular folks could save up for and buy. While they may not have been the best examples of the marque, they at least gave you a taste of Porsche engineering. Now however, the company has moved so much upmarket that even their least expensive cars are ridiculously priced and unobtainable for most. The company is doing well financially, but I can't help but think something was lost in the journey. 😞
If you spend 5 mins plugging the RRP of any of those 'entry level' models into an inflation calculator, and there's only one conclusion you can come to - Porsche have always been 'ridiculously priced' and 'unobtainable'. With inflation, a base 944 in 1982 would be $112,000 in today's money. There's been no journey, we're still in the exact same place. These cars are, and always have been, incredibly expensive. The only difference is, now you might not be able to buy one even if you have the money in hand.
Well yeah but high prices keep the trash away
@@Jwdude123 Unfortunately John, that seems to be the present-day thinking at Porsche A.G. Twasn't always so....
@@donreid6399 Only in your imagination Don. It's fitting you use 'once upon a time' in your comment because it really is a fairy tale. Even the 'entry-level' cars have always been ridiculously expensive and to think otherwise is fantasy.
@@MacellaioNero tough luck. In germany a brand new 944 cost 48k€ adjusted for inflation. A 924 just 35k€. Cheaper than an i30n. They may not have been affordable wherever you live but in many parts of the world they were. They made 300.000 924‘s and 944‘s and just 60.000 964‘s, where do you think all of those cars went when they were so ridiculously expensive as you say.
"Somewhere between Rainman and the Germans". I work with Germans, have watched Rainman, and own the anti-Porsche, Porsche. This quote gave me a hearty laugh because it is absurdly true.
As a Porsche owner, I don't take offense to the stereotype. I take offense in that we are clearly slotted between the Germans and the Trekkies.
Which Porsche is the anti-Porsche?
@@mariospantouvanos4645 944. 911 owners still look down on 944 owners, though that is changing. 914 started to get attention simply due to quirkiness and dwindling numbers. And it's air cooled, rear engined "like a real Porsche should be". I think maybe the UV Porsches brought the much ignored transaxle cars some time in the sun. Almost an "well, maybe they aren't so bad" attitude from the Porsche purists.
Still, the Porsche snobs like to dislike the 944. But that's part of the reason I love mine.
@@branemadder i think 944s are one of the most beautiful and interesting cars ever produced. Anyone who thiks otherwise is just wrong.
@@branemadder 944s are beautiful
This is with out a doubt the best Porsche video I have ever seen. I have had a Porsche since November 1973 (a 1974 914S 2.0). I am old now. I am sliding into home plate with my eighth and final Porsche, a 2012 Porsche 911 S Cabriolet. As noted in the video: A 991.1😍. My current Porsche has the same charm as my first Porsche and the same charm as the 1972 beetle I owned. Charm = Every day usability. Puts a smile on your face. A joy to drive whether you’re going slow or fast. Thank you for the most wonderful video…
25 years ago I went through the NADA books as an exercise to determine actual depreciation and thus the most “economical” car. I found the best return was a 911, which increased in value.
I bought an early 80's 911SC for 10 grand in 97.
It's worth over 100k right now....
Great point.
Idk about that SC and 100 k though commenter ^
Clearly u didnt check silvias😂
I’m not going to lie, you had me with the 997 4.0😂 I was heading towards the comments while you made your point. Porsche is by far my favorite brand and I was extremely impressed by the people you got to interview.
Good job on the video!
I was slightly embarrassed at myself for noticing... I can feel adenoids enlarging...
I didn't even notice until the correction, my mind already filled in the .2 and went on to wondering if he was going to mention the current prices of the 4.0 mezger which is like 2 of the 992 gt3s.
@@thebolsta Jeremy Clarkson would have a ball of a time making fun of Porsche enthusiasts with their adenoidal voices xD
all jokes aside I do love Porsches though.
Excellent video :) I owned a 996 Turbo for a few years, and that feeling... you can't describe it, but it is there, like no other. Your next video should be about the Porsche models that saved the 911: The 924/951, Boxster 986, and Cayenne. All frowned upon by true Porsche enthusiasts, but how easy they forget that these three models saved Porsche from bankruptcy. The 911 would not be here today without them.
Exactly. The 951 turbo S matched a contemporary 930 in an 80's magazine test (can't remember if it wad C/D or R&T). Within margin of error on the race track and faster on a mountain road since it was more balanced and stable. The Cayenne profits is what made the Carrera GT streetcar project possible and paid for finally federalization of the GT3 to be able to sell it in the US.
Porsche is NOT a car manufacturer.
What did you replace the 996 turbo with?
@@mikehertz6507 I didn't replace it... bought a house instead 😛 still own a 944S2 and want another 928 - had an S4 and now maybe GT or GTS.
@@manoman0 ?
Picked up a clean but well-used early Boxster several years ago for $8500. The parameters were the wife wanted an inexpensive convertible to kick around in. That car shocked me at how fun it was to drive, and relatively inexpensive to own. We upgraded to a later-model 986 Boxster S a few years ago and it's a bundle of fun to drive. It's not as fancy or as fast and doesn't carry the cachet of a newer car, but if you're not concerned with such things, I highly recommend the early Boxsters as a way to get 85% the performance and 100% of the creature comforts of a similar-aged 911 but for a lot less money. I certainly wouldn't consider them "slow". One might argue the tossability of the little Boxster more than makes up for it not being as fast as the 911.
^^^^^ This!! Absolutely correct - I tell people all the time a well kept 2000 and newer Boxster is literally less than $12,000, less than an econobox, and, properly maintained with $1-4K of mechanical checks and maintenance initially, will run rings around almost anything, last a very long time, and bring a smile to your face every time you drive it.
Once you drive a Porsche, you understand why they are so good and so popular.
as a german i have to say: thank you SO MUCH for pronouncing Porsche correctly
Die meisten amis: "Furrdinänd porsh"
"They tend to work"
Wow!
It sounds so simple. Even simplistic.
But when you think about the fact that so many cars are essentially designed to fall apart, the fact that a car "tends to work" really says something
If you set apart the slimmed track models and look at curb weights of the regular versions and compare them in their respective segments you'll realize porsche's are quite heavy. You get quite a lot more sturdiness, after over ten years i realized they're overbuilt and age really nice for the beating they take.
@@aoolmay6853 This is true! Although when driving them they really do not feel that heavy, which is another great thing about them
I've been fortunate enough to own several BMWs and now on my second Porsche. The gap in build quality between the two brands is very noticeable. I'll continue to drive Porsches as long as I can.
The video is very 911-focused but the same thing is true of all of their models. They won't win every spec battle but they don't suck at any aspect of what they're designed to do.
@@aoolmay6853 they are absolutely not "heavy" when compared to other competing sports cars -- especially 2+2s -- of the same era. Porsches are usually lighter than their competitors (although I am not sure about the SUVs).
@@jsquared1013 I don't care about history.
I'm calling it like i see it TODAY. Did you look at the numbers or are you going just by gut feeling? Typical 911 dry weight 1600kg, that's up there with spacious four door sedans.
Camry V6, 300 hp weights 1500kg.
Cayenne, 2100kg, those used to be over 2200kg in previous generation. Land Cruiser with same displacement/passanger space is below 2000 kg, you need the long versions to beat that, but that changes the segment slightly to 7 seat capable car.
Panamera goes up to 1900-2200kg depending on options too. BMW 5/m5's are 1800-2000kg.
It's a myth about sports cars being light. You just can't put that much power in a weak/light construction. They are sporty from refinement and ingenuity.
The other difference between Ferrari and Porsche? There's only a handful of Ferraris (like the F40) I would consider if I was filthy rich. Porsche? I cant think of one I would say no to.
The cayenne and the mecan, but that's it
@@neoleo593 not a Porsche fan - but have you tried them? And similar style from other brands?
🙃🙂😁
Porsche could slap their badge on a trash can, tell me all about its racing pedigree and I would 100% buy that trash can.
@@leviathan5207
Reminds me of a time I photoshopped a Mercedes logo onto a trash bin because somebody kept saying "Mercedes bins" in chat.
Probably the first gen cayenne. that thing was essentially a Touareg with the A3 V6 engine.
I came to Porsche from muscle cars. I always thought that more horsepower was better.
Although now I have driven just my two 20 year old base Boxsters, they handle so well and feel so nimble compared to my other vehicles. The chassis and motor are well balanced and the car feels very comfortable at high speeds, even with the top down. Very well constructed and simple ( at least mine are). They feel very connected to the road and somehow amplify the driving experience without the weight and under steer of a larger HP vehicle.
I finally got a Porsche about a year ago, I love it, put the top down and fly, my last little drive was 185 miles, I fill up the tank and it took five gallons, the car is beautiful and a dream to drive! Thank you Ferdinand!
What car?
@@GalacticTommy not a cayenne s i bet
@@tropicalsnow if it was it would be 18.5 miles with that much fuel lol
It's definately not the backseat. But I can tell you, even back in the 60's, they were well built and well engineered (just don't bring up rust protection). And due to the evolution rather than revolution of the earlier models, the cars are a lot like Legos in that parts can be interchanged and upgraded over a huge timespan.
I was lucky to buy a few cars back when they were just old cars, and have have happily watched their value increase expnentially....though it doesn't really matter 'cause I aint sellin'. In fact, I've never sold a Porsche (lying a bit here, I sold one bent chassis to a gentleman from England who took the shell home to supply hard to find parts for a more valuable car). I've a few other cars, too, but nothing from that era even comes close in build quality or drivability. There are reasons the mark invokes such passion.
"a car that looks like a fat guy sat on a beetle" That would be an Audi TT.
And the 914 is under appreciated - an attempt to make a Porsche that was obtainable - even if it started out as a VW.
@@GIwillo its 944 isnt under appreciated, it is actually a little overrated
you are sooo right
914 was a piece of junk.....fell apart in a few years....924 was just as bad.....Datsun 240Z of same year were running strong decades after sold.
@@chadhaire1711 left out the 928 and 944 that were made the same time as the 924, the 924 was the entry level Porsche it wasn’t meant to be hot shit
@@yeeoleswsh1450 The 928 was a great car but it failed because the idiots at the factory didn't back it up with service, updates, new model variations and parts.....shame....the factory killed it, not the market. the 944 was an attempt to make a better 924, which it was, but it fell apart in a hurry and was way over priced. The entire Porsche line has never impressed me, and if the Japanese had not re-organized the company years ago, they would have gone bankrupt......not now though. Putting the engine in the rear is just stupid, fine for economy car, but crazy on anything else. Their SUV's are just fancy VW's with same crappy repair history......Only the Cayman makes any sense.
Great summary. The conclusion spot on. Jay's description could not be questioned. I bought my 1968 Porsche 912 when, I was 25. I'm now almost 60 and still have the car. The car is an original UK right hand drive and took all the money I had and a three year bank loan at the time to buy it for GBP 6000. The engine was rough as was the body, a bent valve, Solex carbs that could not be tuned and the engine threw flames of unburnt fuel out the exhaust when engine braking hard into corners. And no occupant heating in the winter! Absolutely loved the car even with all its flaws. The drive, handling and balance were exceptional. Over the years the simple mechanicals allowed me to strip and re-build the engine. Full parts availability from Porsche UK helped, which is a massive part of the Porsche after sale service. The carbs were swapped out for a set of second hand Webbers from an Alfa Romeo. I still have the original Solex carbs. You summarized the Porsche mantra well. "It's the sum of all the parts, including a relationship". My car will take me to my grave and my daughter will drive it forward from my grave side.
A Volkswagen Beetle was the very first car I drove when I passed my test 47 years ago. Fast forward, I have been driving a 2004 Porsche Boxster S for the last 6 years. It sticks to the road like a limpet, gets 0-60 in a modest 5.2 seconds & sounds like an angry tiger . It puts a smile on my face every time I go out in it. What’s not to like. 🇬🇧👍
My 2000 Boxster S has done the same for me for 23 years, and still going with 140K miles on it. Great car!
Well done. You are very good at packaging and delivering this type of content.
Hopefully you will give us more like this every few months.
Thanks for the entertainment.
Was never a porsche fan growing and and always felt they were overpriced for the money. One day I found a deal on a Cayman somehow made it a justifiable purchase thinking I'd sell it for the same amount in 1-2 years. 3 years later, Ive put nearly 40k miles on the car, I can sell it for more than what I bought it 3 years ago, and I despite that rationality in selling it, I absolutely cannot bring myself to do it. Theres something magical about the car I couldn't appreciate from the outside in. I think your video really helped me understand why I love it so much. Its exactly what you said... its not the fastest car, its not the lightest car, its not the best handling car, its not the most comfortable car... but it gets pretty close to all of those things. Its a great compromise and nobody else is able to engineer compromise as beautifully as porsche.
It's that feeling of precision in the build quality and driving experience.
So kinda like Fernando Alonso lol, a 95 in everything
You got me on the proper naming of that GT3... I did correct you the first time and smirked when you said 997.1, but when you came back to call out the Porsche fans/nerds that would have corrected you and were freaking out... I laughed out loud! Well played sir! I have owned many Porsches over the last 20+ years. Once you take the Porsche Red Pill, you will never look at cars the same. You have us all figured out 🤣🤣 Subscribed.
What a brilliantly written, filmed and narrated video. Thank you!
Yeah, i was thinking the same. Straight to the point, nothing to be skipped or ignored. Like a well written essay.
I still have air-cooled 911 dreams but everything you've mentioned down to the general attitude of some owners is spot on. I'd still buy one...but price inflation caused by car flippers has rendered this irrational.
Love the videos. This is a great insight - it seems like there is a personality around the cars and I have wondered why they were so popular, not just with car people, but dickheads too.
lol
You mean the "shirt open to the sternum, big gold chain" kind of owner?
Because dickheads think they're the best. And when you think you're the best, you must have the best things too, aka Ferrari/Porsche. I think Ferrari owners suffer more from this than Porsche, but all the same. A few other brands have a similar stigma to lesser degrees as well.
"fragile ego"
@@bobdole9163 like lamborghini, tons of people who dont know shit about cars who get a lambo, or even mclaren
I love Porsches like I love my Ducati Superbike, because they are clever and unique. When I got my first 944 I would scratch my head a lot thinking why TF did they make this this way, but as I got more familiar with it, it all started making sense. Porsches have a design synergy that makes the whole car a great deal better than the sum of its parts. The cable shifter linkage defied all logic to me, but I learned to love and accept it because after 35 years with no adjustments or repairs it still shifted better than most modern cars.
So excited to watch this one. 😁 I’m the daydreaming kid from the 911 advert who rode his bike to the dealership at 9 years old; actually went back 20 years later to fulfill that…need.
Edit: 7 years and 100k miles later, I still can’t imagine a better daily driver. Okay, a 991.1 GTS or any 99X manual-equipped GT3 would do nicely.
Hey, Matt, this was really good. I’m on the bandwagon. Have owned them and still do. One of my favorite brand reviews was when Everyday Driver compared a few decades of 911s against each other. It was superb. This was good in the same way. You (in good fun) teased that owners are a little lost for words to explain their devotion. I think that’s important because sometimes no explanation is needed from an owners perspective. As an engineer, answers must be explainable. It’s a little ironic (and maybe unexplainable) that the historically best engineered cars for 60 plus years appeal to the very base passions of many enthusiasts. I hope you get to own one soon. I’m subscribing and liking for you to do my part. If you’re ever near Boston, take mine for the weekend. It’s got over 80,000 miles and is driven every day. Joyously and enthusiastically. Cheers, Michael
It is crap. As any media, you can just fabricate your case by selecting answers to show.
Don’t you think that it is strange that they NEVER mention how dangerous a FRONT gas tank car is and all the explosions that resulted in INSTANT death???
@@bb-iq6qw
Maybe because there haven't been any?
@@jimiverson3085 Don’t be goofy! You think the car is fire proof? There have been many fire bomb 911’s. Google James Dean, Golden Gate Bridge 911 head on crash, 2 NBA players die 2 911’s, Jack Ass star dies in 911 etc… The 911 is a death trap.😩😩😩
@@bb-iq6qw
Hyperbole much?
James Dean died in a Spyder - a RACE car - 10 years before the first 911 was sold in the US. He was driving a small, light racing car with zero safety features (remember, 1950s) and a big American car pulled out in front of him. No fire and the mechanic riding with him survived.
The Jackass guy died from being, well, a jackass - he was drinking and driving and went off the road and into a tree at over 130 mph. You won't survive that in any car.
The Golden Gate crash was a driver who was doing over 100 on the off ramp from the bridge, lost control and went head on into another car coming the other way. Again, the cause of that death was idiocy - since there were 3 people in the car a guy was probably trying to impress his friends with how cool he was, and some drinking was also involved. www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAR7105.pdf
And the NBA player was drag racing a teammate when he lost control of his car. No fire involved. And NBA players have never been known for their motor racing skills.
So, mainly these accidents were caused by stupidity combined with enough money to buy a car that was fast enough to make stupidity dangerous. Darwin won those events.
The weirdest thing for me is that what actually saved Porsche from going tits up was making a suppository shaped SUV. The first time I saw pictures of the Cayenne I nearly cried and i'm sure that Herr Porsche spun once or twice in his grave.
Porsche are now an SUV company that makes some sports cars for PR, but apparently their SUVs are pretty good., if you like that kind of thing. I don't think they saved them from 'going tits up' though, Porsche own half the European car industry.
True but notice how much they look like early 356s if inflated cartoon style.
not true. The transaxles saved Porsche......
@@grahamthompson5581 Volkswagen Group did, not Porsche. VW was the largest(or close to) car company for awhile until the diesel scandal and is now back to #2 I believe.
In its defense the suv hauls ass
I just watched this video again and I think it’s one of the best put together videos ever on TH-cam.
I owned a 944 Turbo for a while. Excellent car. On one of my Trips to Vegas my company took us to the exotic car driving experience. I decided on a Lamborghini because it was something I had never driven and probably would not get a chance to drive again. I absolutely hated it. It did not feel fast. It did not corner well. There was nothing about it that I liked. So I then decided to try the Porsche Cayman R. Now that was a car. It did everything that I asked it to do. The automatic was the absolute best automatic I have ever driven. Turn ins were crisp. While not overly fast it pulled like I expected it to pull. By far one of the most enjoyable cars I have ever driven. To counter that I also drove an 80's era 911 and there was no place for my left foot to go. Was not a car I would want to own.
I guess I'll have to be the one to tell you that your 944 Turbo is more Audi, than Porsche a descendent of the 924, and Porsche snobs, I'm not one BTW, sneered at it then, and now.
@@allenl9031 Except that the 944 was mostly a 928. The 944 shared few parts with the original 924. The 924S and the 944 were mostly the same.
@@atw9913 correct, the 924 had the Audi engine, the 924S and the 944 had basically half a 928 engine. Taken to extremes with the 964, which had the largest production four cylinder engine (3 litre displacement) at the time, and I believe still today.
Also, where the 924 was somewhat mangeable to maintain on a low budget, the 944 has so many porsche-specific parts and solutions that it's beginning to hurt the wallet a lot. The driving feel of the Transaxle is extremely good though, it could've been faster than the 911, but it wasn't allowed to for company reasons.
Similar to the cayman, which was also always not allowed the larger engine options so as not to eat into 911 sales.
@@Kommunisator My 88 944 T on a stock motor an Turbo with a 3" exhaust and chip made 270hp and 290tq at the Wheels. The people that made 3.0 Turbo's were insane. I owned a shop for a while that made and sold parts for the water pumpers.
@@Kommunisator 968*
I love your humor & ability to talk about "taboo" topics, and just presenting things as they are, no-BS.
Great video!!!
I used to be a Ferrari die hard…..until I bought my first entry level Porsche! I remember the salesman telling me that this Porsche would not be my first and only one I would buy. I remember thinking “this guy is crazy”!! Well, he wasn’t wrong, I fell in love with the car….so much so that I’m on my 4th.
I am not snotty or anything like that, nor am I your typical prick guy that drives a Porsche.
I say that because at the time of my first Porsche buy, my wife had a 5 series BMW with all the bells and whistles. I used to think it was the ultimate driving machine……..until I owned my first Porsche.
I am hooked, the quality of the car, the drive, the experience, I can track the car in the morning and drive it right out of the track to pick up groceries on my way home with ZERO issues. They are just fantastic cars!!
In high school a 997 Porsche 911 turbo was my absolute dream car. I thought one day after I paid off my student loans and saved up I'd be able to buy one. As I have became better with my finances I quickly realized that I was never going to be able to feasibly afford a 9/11 turbo ( without financing a massive amount of it which I will never do again ). I later discovered there's plenty of incredibles sports cars that are highly affordable and approachable. Both in culture and your ability to work on them yourselves, something that Porsches often don't share with other sports cars, the ability to do your own work and be able to afford it. Porsche has branded itself into the space of Ferrari and Lamborghini. I get it, it's a car that not everyone will be able to afford and has more time goes on less and less people will be able to afford it. There are some one-off cars that are pretty interesting like first gen Cayenne turbos and modern day Macon s's but those aren't real Porsches. They're wallet fatteners for Porsche. The real cars, the real 911 simply are not approachable unless you're in the c suite, and executive, a successful business owner. I say this as a man who makes low six figures. But when an entry level Porsche 911 used with no options cost almost 80% of your yearly salary it honestly makes absolutely no sense when there's so many other great cars you can drive.
I couldn't have written this better myself as a man making $100,000 more than you; I still feel hesitant pulling the trigger on a REAL Porsche. I can buy a low cash-flowing rental property for the prices of these cars smh.
Why don't you just increase your income?
Low 6 ain’t what it used to be. Still, you can get an older 911 or a Cayman for about the same price as a bmw 3-series, and it’ll last longer
You can buy a very nice, fast, reliable modern 911 such as a 997.2 for WAY less than six figures. They’re easy to work on too. I recently bought one (a Carrera S) and am very pleased with the ownership experience so far. I can’t think of a better sports car to buy for the price.
@@skycaptain95 genius
I used to hate Porsche, but in the last few years they became my favorite brand. I just love the pure passion the always had. The fact that they could make such monster cars and sell them for way cheaper than other companies did speaks a lot. Also almost every car they used to release it was tough not to become an icon
sometimes, the macan isn't very well priced.. neither is the Panamera
@@roboticvenom1935 What do you mean? Macan is the 2nd cheapest Porsche after cayman
@@roboticvenom1935 the macan is a masterpiece. The GTS is pretty much the best SUV you can buy. It is well worth the 86 that they are charging for it
I don't drive, but I find Porsche to be pretty neat, albeit the 911 has too many models types that look similar... BTW, Porsche are working on producing e-fuels from renewable energy, that can run in a gasoline engine. Very innovative, and futuristic.
@@thatguyalex2835 That's been my problem. Over the years, Porsche has made probably 40 different models. 34 of them were the 911. They've obviously made it a success though.
I am a German and it was always very hard to explain to my English speaking Friends why I am so hopelessly infected by the Porsche virus.
I think by sharing this nice clip it might help to explain a bit my sickness lol.
Is it because you're a Nazi?
So Porsche or Mercedes, Boxter or SLK 55 AMG? Was würden Sie empfehlen? (Eng: What would you recommend?)
@@ashtonodoyle7660 You can not expect a answer to that question from a Porsche freak without bias. So of course go for the Boxter.
@@Ferlu62 not some boxster with the base motor, that's stupid. but let me ask you, would you rather have a porsche macan $60k 2.0 liter vehicle, or a $60k BMW x3 m40i with its legendary inline six b58 that sounds amazing. macan with ZERO equipment or features(cars that are $28k are better equipped interior and safety wise, literally) and a rather measly gutless engine. Watcha choose? or even better what about the cayenne or panamera with their old n/a v6's vs turbo v6 or v8 competition with comparable interior quality or better infotainment.
Having both Hitler and Porsche not being Germans doesn't really help either, they were Austrians lol
I rarely watch TH-cam videos from start to finish, however this was masterpiece. You did a great Job Matt and I enjoyed every minute. Thank you!
As a German i appreciate you not saying "porsch"
Honestly one of the best videos I've seen about Porsches, great perspective. I've had a 996 turbo for about 10 years and 50k miles now with no end in sight!
For me it’s the handling and the lines of the 911 that gets me. I bought a 68 911 to restore and I have had no problems being welcomed in the community. People I met buying parts were all generous with their advices, showed me their collection and even gave a ton of leftovers parts for free. I totally agree that prices at the dealers, on bring a trailer and auctions are overinflated but there is a way around this. Hope you will buy yourself a nice one, you won’t regret it
Wow! I really like your channel because I appreciate engineers- guys that can innovate and solve problems. I've always been amazed that you are not leading an engineering team at some big company like the one I retired from (Bell Helicopter Textron). I directed advanced military programs there and I really could have used you!
I love that you looked at the "why Porsche" question by asking the people who owned them. After owning 17 I would answer your burning question, but you already did; masterfully! I've owned several 356s, 911s, a 944, a 928 and a Taycan. Two years ago I gave my 1965C to one of my sons and my 1995 911 Carrera to the other. I was going to give them to them in my will, but I decided to watch them enjoy them and get additional pleasure from that. I sold my 991 (which was the best 911 I had owned) so I could by the Taycan4S.
Okay, there is one reason that people didn't give you: When I flew Cobras in Vietnam, it was the best helicopter or aircraft I had ever flown because it felt like it was a self-extension, enabling unimaginable maneuverability with absolute smoothness. It was like you were the bird itself. That's the same characteristic that most Porsches have.
Keep doing great videos! And be careful with the fast, narrow one, we need you around!
Chuck
In one comment I learned you’re an absolute badass. Keep it up Chuck
@Charles Jacobus Yes, that sums it up exactly. The only other cars I've owned that gave me that feeling and confidence were early BMW 2002's and a 1600 I owned many years ago in VT and I drove them at the limit most of the time. My Porsche was even more of that same feeling.
Regret giving up the 991?
@@zoner__ I'm 77, the 991 was loud and felt like a race car. The Taycan has the same punch and feels creat in corners. I take them at the same rate, but I do worry about the mass, and I wish it was a little smaller. The bottom line is I still drive my son's 45,000 mile 993 so I am fortunate to have the best of both worlds.
@@ChuckJ1944 cayman is going electric in a few years...
Outstanding video. Describing the experience of driving a Porsche is very difficult. People always ask my why I drive a Porsche. All I can say is I’ve driven just about everything else, and Porsche is better in every aspect that matters to me, including the not so exotic look. You can photograph a car and report the numbers all day, but get in a Porsche. Physically touch the build quality, and drive it. I agree the worst part of driving one is that everything else you drive after will leave you asking, why can this car be as good as a Porsche.
I own a 718 Boxster but I have had the opportunity to drive most of the other models. Moving from one to another you always feel like you could drive it forever and love every minute of it. A bit of a magical feeling really.
Seeing your smile in the GT3 was a little weird. Your gushing sarcasm melted away, and opened up a door into your soul. And it was happy. 😁
Yeah saw that smile crack, and thought "ah i know that 9000rpm feeling"
One correction: the C8 Corvette you pictured when mentioning the Corvette’s 50:50 weight distribution does not have 50:50 weight distribution: it is mid engined and has 38:62 front:rear (edit: I was off in my recollection, it’s 39.4:60.6 or 39:61 if we round)
This brings up a good technical point: the 911 is rear-engined because Porsche snobs think that all Porsches should have a Beetle layout, not because it makes a better car. Even completely accepting Matt's argument for rear bias, mass centralization is good and an engine just ahead of the rear axle combines rear bias and mass centralization... which is why the Cayman is inherently better than a 911, but will never be the top model.
@@brianb-p6586 And don't mention the 944 in polite company.
@@FairladyS130 the 944 and 968 were more "legitimate" Porsches; it's the "924" name which should not be uttered. 🙂
@@brianb-p6586 you can brake much deeper into the turns with a 911 because of the little weight over the front wheels. And you can use that rear weight to rotate the car and then be on the throttle again much earlier. It is much harder to drive it like that than a Cayman at its limit. 911's spin when you do it wrong. Don't ask me how I know lol.
@@brianb-p6586 I like the 924 personally, but maybe that’s because it’s what the Mazda FC RX7 was based on and I love that car too.
My first Porsche was and is a 718 Cayman S, 6 speed. It’s an affordable way to get into the club to have a great appreciation for the brand, the people, and even access to the Porsche marketplace.
Loved your video and breakdown of a brand I’ve come to love and don’t ever see myself leaving. PCA Member for life
The jokes and satire are over 9000. You've reached new heights Matt!
Great Matt. I love Porsches (never owned one) but I also love the joke:
Q: What's the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine?
A: With a porcupine the pricks are on the outside.
That 'joke' is about 42 years old. Dates from around 1984. It's 2022. Keep up.
@@blackporscheroadster6415 Sorry to have struck a nerve.
@@blackporscheroadster6415 Well you certainly tick the Porsche douche bag bingo. Your car colour is how you identify yourself in public. If you meet another Roadster owner you use your model year. Then like waspy women at a wedding you only have options or which dealer, eye role if its a euro delivery.
@@jamesmiller8298
You pricked his subconscious......
I choked a little on my coffee at that. All I can say is if that joke has been around for 42 years there must be some perceived truth to it 😂.
You know your doing good when you have two different garage door openers.
home with 3 car garage means you are above average.
Or when you can afford the garage door openers but choose to lock and open them manually several times a day. (you do know an auto closed door is not actually locked?)
Excellent video and explanation. Most Porsche owners are common folks that grew up dreaming of owning one. I’ve had the pleasure of owning 3 including a new Spyder RS. You have to drive them to understand why we love them. Words do not give the experience justice.
Great piece. I road raced RX7s for years, mostly because I worked in an engine lab, and didn’t want to rebuild a piston engine at night. I looked at, researched test drove multiple Porsches, after driving my roommates for a week… never could commit. Anyway, Matt, I am curious why you skipped discussing the Boxster and Cayman?
Because its hierarchical, like a 914 owner the Boxster/Cayman are their own subsect, oddly the more normal owner as its not as religious. Go to a Porsche Club meet and they are grouped separately. Not as bad as the 924/44/68 guys. Ferrari owners have the V12 and the rest thing going on too. In Japanese car culture it is the domestic market and everything else, stickers, girlfriend, subway handle on the towhook sort of thing.
Excellent job. I'm on my second Porsche. My first was a 2007 base model Cayman. Like you Porsche was really never on my radar. I grew up in the south so my passion was drag racing and stock cars. I like the old muscle cars from the late 60's to early 70's. The closest thing I ever owned to a muscle car was a 1974 Dodge Dart Swinger, sadly with the 225 slant 6 that was way under powered. When I got to a point I was over buying practical cars and wanted something sporty I was looking at Mustangs, Camaro's and Corvettes. Then I came across the little Cayman and one test drive was all it took. The car had 65,000 miles on it but it was so tight it drove like new. It wasn't very powerful, just 254 horsepower but the power delivery and handling were so much fun. The 5 speed gearbox was excellent.
After buying the car I started getting into their history, mainly focusing on the racing history. The achievements at LeMans, Daytona, the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, Nurburgring were mine boggling. No other manufacturer is really close. And I remember an interview with Derrick Bell where he said he would get frustrated sometimes when they were developing a new fuel injection system, the Motronic, or transmission, the Tiptronic. He was told by the engineers they had to get these things right before it went into their road cars. All that endurance racing performance and success filters down into their production road cars. And you can feel this when you drive one. No one has done this better than Porsche.
My second Porsche I ordered new, a 2028 718 Cayman S. It has 100 more horsepower than my old one, the suspension is way more sophisticated and it's fast. I've taken 1000 mile road trips in it with no issues, it gets 34 MPG on the highway and with front and rear storage it's pretty practical too. I can't imagine not owning a Porsche now.
Such terrific narration. Love this style. Good voice, suitable vocabulary and the right level of comic relief.
Before a member of Ferrari club a friend switched to our Porche club. As we returned from a track day on a F1 circuit he went: you are quite spoiled in this community. Up to now l had never experienced the situation where after doing a track, everybody returns home with the same car. Refreshing video and comments, good job.
That was a very good video about Porsche. Probably something any car person who thinks "what is up with porche?" Should check out. Excellent script. Great visual diagrams. And knowing when to use quotes by Leno. I am sure there are literally 10000 Porsche videos on TH-cam. But I doubt there are more than a handful that are so tight and approachable. Thank you Matt.
This is one of the best car videos I’ve seen. Very eloquent and thought provoking. I’m a huge Porsche fan, but it is sad how the 911 is no longer attainable.
911, never forget
Told my mom my dream car was a 911 she said like the terrorist attack? 😂
There’s literally tons of used 911s, Boxsters, Caymans, 718’s out there in good condition and waiting for a new owner. Why limit yourself to just the newest models that still have such huge demand, hence higher prices. A used 911 depending on your era of choice CAN be reasonably affordable. But always, always be prepared to have it properly gone through by a well known and trusted Porsche mechanic so that you have any maintenance or mechanical issues addressed, well worth the initial cost so that years of trouble free driving will be your reward.
Love your cynical, humorous, sincere and dry presentation style. You've got a subscribe from me. 👍
the tire guy knowing the priceless value of customer service offered to drive my '91 Saab spg out to my work to hand deliver since their service was overdue. very cool shop effort. so, he drives up to the work lot in the car & exits quite spiritedly in his 6'4" medium overweight package. hands me the keys & with the most profound nonchalant expression my way shares his moment: "This car is such an amazing drive." Never thought anything else about something supposedly better since that refining affirmation by a tire jockey . . . . since. your vid was so well done & so evenly crafted i felt inspired to post about my incredible Saab commitment.
I am a 68 year-old old guy. Growing up, I thought Porsches were ugly. In 1980 I drove a 911 and it was like a religious experience. Every car I drove for the next decade felt like a school bus. That car was incredible and I turned into a Porsche fanatic. It drove like an exotic, was robust and reliable and while it was expensive, it was still achievable. I agree with Matt that today Porsche is creeping up to the exotic market and of course those exotic car margins.
My wife, now of 31 years, didn't understand the Porsche passion until the day she drove my oil leaking, noisy, uncomfortable and fast 911. All she said less than 5 minutes into the drive was "I get it now" with a smile bigger than the one she had on our wedding day. Go figure
The main Reason for producing smal numbers in Cars might be EU Regulations. If you produce less cars per year regulations wont be that harsh, thats the main reason why the Lamborghini Urus has a way louder exhaust system then the Audi RSQ8 despite being baisicly the same car.
"Within specificity of obscure details, Porsche owners land somewhere in between Rainman and the Germans"
That was laugh out loud. And I'm speaking as the owner of a 911 996.2 X51 40Jahre
Great video, i love Porsches and personally i think a Porsche is the defenition of a sports car.
Fast, Nice Styling, Comfortable and a history in racing
history of racing has nothing to do with the definition of a sports car. the rest yeah sure, but also apply to a dozen other cars.
I bought my dream car 2 weeks ago, a yellow 996tt. It is incredible. It drives like no other vehicle I’ve owned. I used to have a 986 boxster which I also loved, and this reminds me so much of it except it goes from 0 to Jail in what feels like the blink of an eye. I traded the boxster in for a new WRX STI and never had any fun with the Subaru, which I blamed on the turbos. The 996tt proved that wrong. It corners like it’s on rails and it will do so at any speed i have asked it to. It is simultaneously settled, responsive, and incredibly dynamic. It also is comfortable and carries a week of groceries comfortably. On top of that, I’ve already had to replace a water pump on it and it wasn’t even as hard as the power steering on my raptor. It’s frustratingly difficult to access parts but designed well enough that a lot of the edge is taken off by the sheer simplicity of each portion of the disassembly and assembly.
We used to have a 911SC from '84 back in 2007 when they cost about 18k€ and not the 50k they are now... I overall really liked it ( and should have kept it...) but there were a few things I did not like. One thing is that the car was so well sorted out, it was actually kind of boring to drive at normal speed.. and then workshops in Germany are just using a completely different price list when they see a Porsche emblem.. we payed about 4k to fix the broken heater (they rust shut and then you can't drive the car because you have exhaust-hot air on your ankles..) and something like 6-8k to fix the clutch and the head studs.. every inspection was like 1000€... today I drive a Volvo from the 60s which surely is a worse car, but it is way more fun to drive around in at legal speeds :)
Well, I'd say considering that old Porsches had shorter gearing than that of the modern ones, I'd say that they were asking to be wrung the hell out of. Quite some Modern Porsches require you to go to a track to test the limits of them. You could have quite the solid fun with the old 911s due to that short gearing which allows it to have fun at legal speeds. After all with any car like a classic Porsche or Ferrari, they don't like being driven like a corolla, they want to be wrung to their max level and beyond. Any stretch of road would be your best friend in terms of spirited driving.
I love how when you said, 'to understand Volkswagen, you have to understand this guy', and you segued to that photo of the crazy man with the infamous mustache. Perfect editing.
After WWII, it was the British government that kept Volkswagen in business. The Americans decided they didn't want to touch the company and handed the option to the Brits who hesitantly took control of it.
This video is the best coverage of Porsche I've ever seen simply because it's the most honest thing I've ever seen done on them.
Great job. I've been a subscriber for a while, and appreciate your output. Keep it up.
When I was young in the late 1950's, Porsche was the underdog giant killer. They were running cars that had evolved from the VW but now were real racing cars...but still under 2 liter. Rear engine, air cooled that raced against 3, 4 and 5 liter cars...Ferraris, Jaguars, Maseratis...and sometimes beat them. I remember when they won the Targa Florio outright in the 1950's. They often won the Index of Performance at Lemans.
Originally, Porsche's were reasonably priced cars...I bought a used 1957 Speedster in 1965 for $1200 and I hopped it up myself and raced it locally. Then they went up market...meh...
I also grew up a bit indifferent to Porsches but as I've gotten older, they've really grown on me.What really did it for me though was a friend in college owned a 1974 914 that he let me drive. It was slow AF even with the hot-rodding he had done to the engine, but the cornering and handling of that car on just 195 (I think) section cheap economy car tires he had on it ran circles around anything else I had and maybe have ever driven. When it broke loose it was so perfectly balanced. It didn't make sense that it could be that good as a 1974 model. It even had reasonable storage space! I've wanted one ever since!
Love the detail you went into to explain this, you’re getting better and better with every video
Actually you dont need to know anything about the history to value the character of a 911, especially from the 993 on. Its got massive traction, the engines linear power, the sound, and that near perfect frontend, a big difference with the earlier 911’s. And its comfortable and safe.
Linear? Not even close
@@liviu543 well, the na versions got power all over the rev range, and the modern turbos too. Don't what you name that. They're easy engines picking up at any speed.
In 1982 I was working for a Jaguar Daimeler, Rover dealer. Our panel shop told us of a new Porsche of that year had been reversed into a wooden telegraph pole. The dent was big. The morning after the owner dropped it off he came by to see what the cost of repair was. The dint had repaired itself. They were honest and didn't charge the customer. Good people, good car.
Hey Matt, this is the first video I watch from your channel and I have to say that you have a very pleasant way of telling a story. Thanks! Watched it all.
My thoughts exactly 👌
This was a very useful video and I truly found the information fascinating. But it also touches on why I bought, in 2013, a Scion FR-S - which now has a solid 186,000 reliable miles under it - manual, of course - Most of which were on the twisties of kentucky. It's the most fun car I've ever owned and absurdly reliable. I drove it 150 miles every day to and from work and put nine sets of Michelin SS's on it and had the time of my life. Now it's just sitting in my garage because I'm retired. I want to sell it, but I think it's reached a point where it's only going to go up in value as it sits there. And since tabs and insurance on this thing are super cheap where I live, it's really not costing me anything to own it and I've got plenty of room in my shop building for it.
But if I was at a different income level, you bet I have one of those porsches. I have a couple of friends who have raced them and they're huge fans. But they have more money than me.
By the way, one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much here is that they don't use cops to keep the speed down on these back roads. They use deer. I have a good eye for deer. 😁
I’ve have the same 2013 Fr-S and I don’t miss it. I paid $7000.00 less for my 2000 Porsche 986. And it is another level of vehicle.
@@jarrettmaurice3070 I'm concerned about the cost to own it. Cost of parts, parts of service, cost of insurance, etc.
And one of the reasons I'm kind of cavalier about keeping it is that I've had my feel of racing every time I get in a car. The car I drive most of time now is my first gen xB with 230,000 miles on it. It's a 5-speed and I haven't even had to replace the clutch yet. I had a deer 155,000 mi and kept the money instead of fixing it because I figured the car would die. Boy was I wrong. I love driving that thing but my wife refuses to sit in it. I bought it as a musician's car and I just joined yet another band, so this will be what I use to get around the state until it finally does bite the dust. It's hilarious how drivers treat you differently in the deer damaged XB versus the frs. Or a porsche...
@@ReasonablySane my dad bought a first gen scion xb that ive driven a lot. Im still surprised how good the handling and steering feel are for inexpensive car not intended to be sporty.
@@zeusmultirotor8479 I'm completely with you on that. I throw that thing around like a sports car all the time. It's just absolutely smooth and with the five speed it actually feels like it has some power. I bought it new, it looks like a piece of junk now, and I plan on driving it to the junkyard.
By the way, you can get 8 ft long lumber in it. And it's the ultimate gigging musicians' vehicle.
I love my Boxsters, mostly because of how much fun they are to drive … also, its the only car I can more or less afford( have a 2015). The two I had were quite well built and never dumped me in 6 years. But still expensive and unpleasant to maintain at times. still drive it nearly every day.
@Redlined997 C2S I've been driving a 2012 SLK55 AMG I got with low mileage, my only car. Love it as much as my neighbors love their Boxters. We're gonna switch up--what will the differences be, I wonder?
@@ashtonodoyle7660 I always wanted to drive one of those, pretty neat looking little buggies. how much of the hood can you see while driving?
@Redlined997 C2S which is the same with a corvette, a BMW M, an AMG, certain ferraris, the list goes on.
Hey nice to hear a fellow Boxster owner! I have a base 981 with a stick and the sports Chrono package, mild tune and a cat back exhaust. It's the nicest car I've ever owned (and I've owned many) and it has got me hooked on Porsche
Great and comprehensive video. I've had the good fortune to drive a few Porsches and enjoyed it, however with the barrier to entry I just can't justify owning a Porsche. I've also realized that while I enjoy driving with a purpose and like to enjoy the cars I drive, I don't actually enjoy driving to just drive. I love that they exist but I will leave supporting the company to other people.
That pikes Porsche was insane. Great video!