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When would a 911 stop being a 911?

  • Thread starter Thread starter T8
  • Start date Start date
Y'all can keep saying "no flat six it's not a 911" and using the :judge: symbol to suggest your view somehow holds authority, but at the end of the day if whatever Porsche badges as a 911 in the future sells, then it's a 911. Because it's not one to you doesn't mean it's not one at all. :lol:

I'm with Mistercorn's rather 'Douglas Adams' style take that they'll place the battery pack out the back then spend 50 years convincing us all it's the best idea :grin:
 
T8 said:
Disco said:
The thing is though : 911 is as much of a brand as Porsche is, so it is difficult for me to imagine them ever abandoning the number as a model in the range.

:dont know: given that they seriously considered abandoning the whole thing in the 70s. :wink:

Many things have changed in the last 4 decades :wink:
 
Disco said:
T8 said:
Disco said:
The thing is though : 911 is as much of a brand as Porsche is, so it is difficult for me to imagine them ever abandoning the number as a model in the range.

:dont know: given that they seriously considered abandoning the whole thing in the 70s. :wink:

Many things have changed in the last 4 decades :wink:

2+2 layout hasn't changed. Rear engine layout hasn't changed. 'Ode to the Beetle' silhouette hasn't changed. 2 Doors hasn't changed. Compact giant killing everyday supersports car/everyday sports car capability hasn't changed. Five dial dashboard hasn't changed. Ignition key portion hasn't changed. Best driving experience for the money hasn't changed. Sorry, other than cooling system, what's changed?
 
In my opinion the 911 will be whatever Porsche, flat 6, petrol or otherwise. I can't see Porsche stopping the 911 once petrol engined cars are banned from being sold. Some changes in future may be of their own volition, others, like a transition away from petrol power, demanded by new regulations or market/consumer demands.

I think even if in the future human driven cars were banned from the roads (a definite possibility if self driving cars are a success in consumer adoption and in cutting accidents) if Porsche was still around there would be a car carrying the 911 badge.

The 912, Cayman and Boxster were given different names as the 911 was an existing model. The 912 and 911 being very similar had similar names. Porsche aren't going to give 2 different models being sold at the same time the same name. That said, in the near term I could see a 911e being introduced alongside the regular 911 and there being a transition until all 911's are electric.
 
Given Porsche themselves considered (and reached pre-development stage) a flat eight for the 911, cylinder count per se is obviously not a consideration for the nomenclature.

The true test of a 911 is, of course, whether it looks like a squashed Beetle, or not.
 
GT4 said:
Given Porsche themselves considered (and reached pre-development stage) a flat eight for the 911, cylinder count per se is obviously not a consideration for the nomenclature.

The first part of the above is fact but we'll never know whether they would have actually retained the 911 name for that car.
 
GT4 said:
The true test of a 911 is, of course, whether it looks like a squashed Beetle, or not.

I suspect this is right. The powertrain however is very likely to be something completely different to the current flat six out back with a gearbox in front of it.
 
T8 said:
GT4 said:
Given Porsche themselves considered (and reached pre-development stage) a flat eight for the 911, cylinder count per se is obviously not a consideration for the nomenclature.

The first part of the above is fact but we'll never know whether they would have actually retained the 911 name for that car.

Well, that is true*

They could have called the new 911 killer a 928 ... :bandit:

(But the point is, the eight cylinder option was dropped for the 911 evolution - due to packaging issues - for a continued turbo development of the six, and that engineering solution isn't called a 928 either!)

All a bit moot once there are no cylinders (just cells) behind the rear axle :dont know:













*ignoring the complete apoplexy of the marketing director and message to that sentiment he would have given in no uncertain terms to the board about the death of the company's core/halo product were the "911" to be extinguished (don't forget, this is now "just" a label - a model brand - not a type descriptor. "911" effectively covers over fifty years of quite different engineering solutions to that end: 901, 911, 964, 993, 996, 997, 991, 992 etc etc)
 
You all seem to be forgetting........sales dictate whether a model continues.

If there ever comes a day when sales of the 911 plummet, then Porsche will design something else or just phase it out.

While there is still a market for them, they will keep on "tweaking" them.

They tried to phase it out with the 928 but that didn't work.

Amongst ourselves, we don't call our cars 911s do we? 964, 993, 996, 991 etc.

Non petrolheads are the only people you would describe your car to as a 911,
I am right?

Didn't the "air cooled" brigade once say the water cooled cars were not proper 911s?

I think the question should be a more "romantic" one......when will a 911 cease to be a 911 "in your eyes"?

That's when many of the previous posts come into their own.

"You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear".......a statement that Porsche proved wrong, with great success may I add. :thumbs:
 
wasz said:
Meh, who cares.

Porsche will probably drop the 911 one day, its probably its least profitable car anyway

I guess it's all relative (vs the off-roader markup within Porsche), but most other manufacturers would sell their grandmother for the margins on the current 911!
 
Discussion resurrected after 7.5 years to collect the views of a newer audience. (y)
 
Discussion resurrected after 7.5 years to collect the views of a newer audience. (y)
apparently my 992 is not a 911 so in some eyes 911s ended with 997

can you define what newer audience is as I count myself as one and im 57 :)
 
Look what Ford have done.........the new Capri:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: They have also introduced an EV and called it after one of their current iconic models....the Mustang.
As the new marketing guys arrive on the scene, the appreciation for the past diminishes it seems.

I'm sure we all lust after a self driving EV 911.
 
Discussion resurrected after 7.5 years to collect the views of a newer audience. (y)
I was reading prior comments and noticed 2017 dates, I thought my phone had travelled back in time 😂

Interesting earlier comment from someone believing all ICE cars will be illegal by 2040.

I can categorically tell you that the electricity distribution network isn’t nearly ready enough for that.
Besides there are too many high value vehicles for the government to do another scrappage scheme type affair to get a huge demographic to jump to EV’s it just won’t happen.
They’ll likely keep increasing the running costs of such cars, ie fuel, tax, etc.

With regards to what makes a 911, I believe, along with someone else’s comment it’s multiple factors rather than just 1. Sure the demise of the ICE is a sad thing, but I believe as has been evidenced with the 992.2, Porsche will for as long as possible, find ways to keep the spirit of the cars alive.
 

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