It may be just a commercial but you gotta give cool it's due.
Ironically, roots are undeniably in racing but it's the posing that created commercial success (...cough...Turbo Cabriolet Tiptronic....cough...Cayenne...Panamera....cough.)
(Porsche)
More Porsche on Axis.
May I also add to the poser list... the biggest of them all: The Boxster.
ReplyDeleteThe Boxster is the car which really saved Porsche. It (and the following 996) sold in astounding numbers and brought Porsche the extra funding they needed for the Cayenne project (among others.) The Boxster was much, much more successful a seller than the 993.
How could the Boxster have sold so many? Porsche needed a way to persuade the public they 'knew what they were doing, they had the right stuff, so that new Boxster of theirs must be good.' What was this way to persuade? Winning the '96, '97 and '98 24 Heures du Mans.
Posing supported by Racing.
And vice versa.
I suppose what I am saying is, don't accuse Porsche as being hypocritical because they also produce Poser cars. This has been their business strategy for a while now.
The ad drags a little towards the end but, despite that it was an enjoyable ad. Regardless of the Cayenne I still respect the hell out of Porsche for their presence in motorsport. If they have to build a few cars to keep the GT2, GT3 or Cayman on the road then so be it.
ReplyDelete@ Tristan Good point. I did not especially want to get down on Porsche because certainly the whole Race in Sunday, Sell on monday philosophy is based on posing, one could argue, but they brought it up!
ReplyDeleteEven more than Porsche, Ferrari was a company that sold road cars to finance the racing and it certainly relies on posers (and Cavallino branded teddy bears and slippers) as a business model.
If that's the case for Ferrari - then who cares? If posers keep enthusiasts and hardcore cars on the road then perhaps that's just a necssary evil we have to live with?
ReplyDeletejust don't mention the war
ReplyDeleteRoots are in Racing and that's a Fact but posing makes more money than racing (BTW, who makes money on Racing anyways, other than Bernie?)
ReplyDeleteI totally disagree on the Boxster being a poser. It was the cheaper new 550. Greater volumes and manufacturing synergies helped Prosche avoid bankruptcy. Midengine is the better platform, but Porsche keep making and promoting/selling 911s at a Premium over their "better" midengine alternatives. And Posers keep paying 30% premiums for the equivalent new 911 b/c they want to be seen in the "real" Porsche.
I disagree about the Boxster being a poser car. It is more of a spritual successor to the 914. Entry level pricing with lots of go-fast parts bin stuff in common with the 911. Porsche knew that a mid-engined platform was superior a long time ago. The fact that their buyers didn't get it and insisted on buying nostalgic rear engined cars is no fault of theirs.
ReplyDeleteNow that the Boxter has depreciated down to under 10k for a clean one I bet you will see a whole slew of them with roll cages decidedly not posing.
I agree with CG and Walter, Porsche is keeping an inferior engineering solution alive because so many are worried about being seen in "a girl's Porsche"..... :O)
ReplyDelete