The Porsche Guys Blog

Recently, the family sedan had the engine blow up (a rod broke in two and did quite a bit of internal damage). Since the car has been in the shop we have had to use one of our other cars. So, we could either use our 1959 VW Type I (a.k.a. Bug) or the 1983 Porsche 944. Our first choice was the 1959 Bug, but the car is missing the front driver side fender (the part is being painted), so we can’t exactly drive it in the current condition.

This left us with using the 1983 Porsche 944 as our family car. My first thought was how is this going to work? Will I even be able to get our two year old son’s car seat into the back seat?

Amazingly, his car seat fit like a glove in the back seat and my 5 month pregnant wife has plenty of room in the front seat. We have been using the car as the family car for the last three weeks and it has been able to haul groceries with plenty of room. The Porsche 944 is a very versatile car that, at least for us, can work as a family cruiser or a lively sports car.

As you can see from the photo below my son is very happy with riding in the new car. In fact, I don’t think he wants our normal family sedan to get repaired (he is already a Porsche man).

Most of us would think that a Porsche would be worth quite a bit more than a Nissan (or Datsun as the case may be). This is usually the case with new cars (with the exception of a Boxster or Cayman against a Nissan GT-R), but with some older cars there are some interesting trends that I recently noticed.

Recently, I was reading the June 2010 issue of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car magazine which had a story about the 1983 Datsun 280ZX (or as it is called, Datsun by Nissan). What I found interesting was that the current price range for a 1983 Datsun 280ZX is $4,500 – $10,000. When I saw this, I remembered reading in Excellence that the current price range for a 1983 Porsche 944 was $4,361 – $6,638.

Yes, you read that correct the 1983 Datsun 280ZX is currently worth more than a 1983 Porsche 944. What’s more is that according to Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car the 1987 Porsche 944S (which in all the price guides is worth more than the 1983 Porsche 944) has a price range of $5,500 – $8,000 (according to the February 2010 issue). So, the 1983 Datsun 280ZX has a higher top end price range than the 1987 Porsche 944S!

You may be thinking that the 1983 Datsun 280ZX, must be an incredible car. While it is a good car, it just isn’t a Porsche and even the Datsun purists would say that it is a car was not the best that Datsun ever made. You may wondering what to think of the fact that a Datsun/Nissan is worth more than a Porsche. Is the world coming to an end? The good news is that it isn’t 2012 yet (so, if the Mayans where right we have a little time left).

The fact of the matter is that the Porsche 944 is a highly undervalued car and unfortunately this is leading to many of them being destroyed (either by being wreck or molested by being rice rocketed). This could lead to a shortage of good cars and see a resurgence of the car as has started to happen with the 914. So, now may be the time to grab a great car for a low price and to enjoy it as it hopefully goes up in value.

Sure there will always be the rear/mid engine purists that will never consider a 924, 944, 968 or 928 a “real” Porsche. But I say that we should look at each car for it’s own merits and not shoot ourselves in the foot because the engine isn’t in a traditional Porsche place. The Ferrari guys seem to have no issues with the engines being moved around, so why do we have such a problem. I love the 911, 356, 912 and 914 (and the rest of the rear or mid engine Porsche’s), but that doesn’t mean that a front engine Porsche is not a real Porsche (and while I love the tradition aspect of the engine placement, I think we can go overboard). So, the next time you see a front engine Porsche, don’t let the Datsun’s of the world win, show a little love to the front engine Porsche and give the driver a wave (you’ll make their day).

No matter how you think of it a Porsche should always be worth more that a Datsun (at least if they are in equal condition)! So, lets make the world right again and grab up all of the “unwanted” Porsche’s and leave the Datsuns of the world to the rice rocket guys.

If you are a Porsche owner that has not joined the Porsche Club of America, you may be asking yourself if it is worth the expense of joining.

If you are looking to meet other Porsche enthusiasts and to have fun with your Porsche, joining the PCA (Porsche Club of America) is a must. The club offers Autocross, Club Racing, Divers Education, Concourse Car Shows and many other events that involve your Porsche and getting together with Porsche enthusiasts. Whether you have a 356, 911, 912, 914, 928, 944, 924, 968, Boxster, Cayman or any other Porsche model, you will find a group of people with similar interests (often many people with the same model as you own).

Below is a video of the type of event that you will hear about if you choose to join the club.

I highly recommend the club to any Porsche owner, but it is up to you to decide if you want to join.

Back in 1983 the buyer of a new Porsche had a really tough choice. They could either go with a front engine Porsche like the new 944 (for most people the price of a 928 put it out of reach) or the tried and true 911 SC.

A new 911 SC cost $30,400 while the brand new 944 only cost $18,450, so you could spend quite a bit less and get the 944. For some people the fact that the 944 had the engine in the front and was water cooled would keep them from buying the 944, but for those who just wanted the best Porsche for the money it came down to performance.

Both cars where good performers in 1983. We must remember that performance standards where very different back in the early 80’s. In 1983 a Ford Mustang GT took 8 seconds to reach 60 MPH and a Mazda RX7 toook 9 seconds to get to 60 MPH. The 911 SC had more horse power than the 944 (172bhp vs 143bhp in U.S. form), but also weight about 200lb more. When you look at advertising from 1983 you see that the 911 SC had a 0-50 (remember that in the 80’s the speed limit was reduced throughout the U.S.) time of 5.8 seconds where the 944 would get to 50MPH in 5.9 seconds, so not much slower than the 911 SC. Where the 911 SC had a bigger advantage is in the 0-60 time as it can reach 60MPH in just 7 seconds as opposed to 8.3 seconds for the 944 (0-60 times went down to 7.4 seconds for non U.S. spec cars due to the lack of a catalytic converter according to Autocar). Much of this difference in 0-60 times has to do with gearing in the 944 as it requires that you shift into 3rd gear before getting to 60MPH where the 911 SC could do it in 2nd gear. The 911 SC has an advantage in the top speed area with a top speed of 140MPH versus 130MPH for the 944 (a huge deal in Germany or for racing, but not for the average driver in the U.S. that would be speeding by quite a bit at only 100MPH). Since in the early 80’s many buyers would be looking more at the 0-50 times the performance of the 911 SC was not much better than the 944 and made it hard to think of spending an extra $10,000.

Where the two cars have the largest gap is in their handling. While both cars have great handling how they go about it is very different. The 911 SC with most of its weight in the back allows a driver to do some incredible things once they know how to handle the car’s very different balance. This is very different than the 944 that has almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution due to having the engine in the front and trans-axle in the back. Because of this layout not only is the car very balanced, but it is not usually affected by crosswinds as most rear and mid-engine cars are. Because of the great handling the 944 is an incredible car on twisty roads and is a great drivers car. Having said that someone that had owned a 911 in the past would probably not want a 944 as the handling is too good (they would call it a car for sissy’s).

Since the 944 was new in 1983 it received many accolades including being one of Car and Drivers 10 Best (in fact the article states that it was the best of the best) and wining a Road and Track road test against a Corvette, Ferrari 308GTBi and the Porsche 928.

While the 944 got quite a few accolades many in the press thought that the 911 SC was the zenith of what could be done with the 911 platform. Many writers thought that the 911 had advanced as much as it could and that because of this all future Porsche’s would be front engine cars. Looking back we can see how wrong they where but at the time most thought the 911 was a dying bread (fortunately they where wrong).

The one big thing that the 911 SC has over the 944 is the emotional connection that comes with a 911. There is something special about a car that is air cooled and has a rear engine. While the 944 is an incredible car and is a joy to drive, the model never quite had the emotional appeal of a 911.

This emotional appeal is what caused many to think of the 911 SC as the real Porsche in 1983. While looking at it from a performance stand point both cars are fairly close, with the 911 SC having a little better straight line performance, but the 944 having better handling, it is the emotional connection to the 911 SC that has kept the 911 in production while the 944 has come and gone.

So, you can see that in 1983 it was a tough choice as to which Porsche to buy, and it comes down to what someone wanted in a Porsche. If they wanted great performance for a lower price with incredible handling and didn’t care about the emotional connection (or just wanted the latest in technology from Porsche), the 944 was the way to go. However, if they wanted an incredible Porsche with great performance and an emotional connection in a tried a true package, the 911 SC was the only choice.

If you are looking to buy one of these Porsche’s either one is a great choice. In today’s market 944’s can be had for a very low price (they are currently very undervalued). For around $6,000 you can get an early 944 that is very well maintained. The 911 SC has held its value a bit more and to get a good early 80’s 911 SC you will be looking at paying around $12,000 for a good well maintained example.

So, just like in 1983 it is a tough choice as to which Porsche is the best value. Do you want the emotional connection of the 911 SC or the great handling and lower price of the 944?

I’ve heard many people say that they would reserve judgment of the styling of the new Porsche Panamera until they see one in person and I have said the same. Well, On a recently trip to Las Vegas, I was fortunate enough to see a Panamera in person and was blown away at what it looked like.

In person the car looks quite a bit different than it does on TV or in magazines. From the front it resembles a 911 or Cayman with some slight styling differences. The car is a good size car, but doesn’t seem as long as it appears in pictures. The back appears to have a little steeper slope than what it looks like in most pictures and the car sounds great.

Although for me it is hard to think of a Porsche having more than two doors, the Panamera appears to be a very great four door sports sedan that is about as close as you can get to a sports car in a sedan and by it’s performance and appearance looks to be worthy of the badge. Now perhaps they will use it as the basis of a new GT sports car (almost a new version of the 928 as the rumors out there are saying).

You may have read in a recent issue of Excellence about the values of the Porsche 914 and early Porsche Boxsters being about the same. So, for similar money which of these great mid-engined Porsches should you buy?

The answer to this question depends on what you are looking for. If you want a more modern car that is a faster car and has all the bells a whistles, then go for the Boxster. However, if you want a classic air cooled Porsche that tends to be very dependable (as long as you buy a well maintained rust-free car) then the 914 is for you.

Both cars have great handling and if well maintained are usually very dependable cars. The Boxster convertible top has a tendency to show it’s age, so you may need to do some work on this in order to make the car look the best. The early Boxsters have had a problem with catastrophic engine failure (although many early Boxsters have had no problems, so it is hard to say if any early Boxsters will have this issue), so if you can afford it go for a post 2000 model (however, this will cost quite a bit more than an early Boxster, so it may not be within reach yet).

If you want to buy a fun Porsche that has great handling, but may not be the very fastest car (although it still isn’t slow) then I would go with the 914. These cars can be worked on fairly easily by a home mechanic that is familiar with Volkswagen or air cooled Porsche 911 engines (the biggest complaint to working on one of these cars is that it is not always easy to get to everything in the engine compartment). In looking for a 914 I would recommend going for a 2.0 or 1.8 engine as these cars have a little more power for a good price (If you can afford and find a 914-6 then that is the one to get). One cool thing about the 914 is that the values are on the rise and while I don’t know if they will become extremely collectible the values should continue to increase over time and it will take a Boxster a bit more time to start to increase in value.

As with buying any Porsche if you buy the best car that you can afford it will usually save you money in the long run (especially with cars that don’t have an extremely high value like some 356s). So, make your choice, either way you will get a fun great handling car.

You may have heard the rumors that Porsche is considering using an Audi TT sourced engine in future versions of the Boxster and Cayman. The reason for this has been reported to be to increase sales of the Boxster and Cayman lines. It has also been reported that this decision may be due to the need to reduce emissions due to new European Union rules. No matter the reason there is a good chance that Porsche may be putting an Audi power source into the Cayman and Boxster models.

So, this begs the question of would you still consider the Cayman and Boxster a true Porsche with the Audi engine? While the Audi engine that would be used may be a very good engine (in fact some reports are saying that the engine may actually have more horse power), it seems as if we may be going the way of the 924 (not including the 924S). If Porsche is in fact planning to do this to increase sales by lowering the price, it may very well work. After all the 924 sold pretty well, especially considering the lack of performance for the non-turbo models.

If the rumors are true the first thing I started thinking about will the 2009 or 2010 model be the one to own (while you can still get them). Since the newest Cayman S cars have about the same performance as the 911 Carrera it may be the most likely of the bunch to become a valuable collector car in 20 to 30 years (I’m always looking for cars that are enjoyable to drive and may become valuable to leave to my son some day). If all of this happens, then in about 10 to 20 years when the value of the Cayman S goes down around its lowest it will be the perfect time to invest in a good one.

So, if you are thinking about buying a Porsche Boxster or Cayman you may want to purchase it soon. Otherwise, you may end up with a Porsche that is considered by many purists as not a “True” Porsche (even though if Porsche does use an Audi engine, unlike when it did with the early 924, the performance will still be very good).

Porsche’s newest attempt at a transmission that does not require a clutch pedal is the best yet. In fact the PDK actually is one tenth of a second faster from 0-60 than the manual transmission. However, the PDK is one mile an hour slower than the manual transmission in the top speed category. So, now that the performance of PDK is up to par would you buy a new Porsche (I’m talking about a 911 or Cayman, not a Panamera) with PDK ?

Well, for me the performance of the PDK  isn’t the deciding factor. The factor that matters to me is how much fun the car is to drive. In a performance car there is something about driving with a clutch pedal that makes you feel more connected to the car. You have to think about what you are doing and that is part of the driving experience.

Having said this if I was driving my Porsche everyday in stop and go traffic (for instance driving from the California Central Valley to the Bay Area), I would probably go for the PDK. Fortunately, I live in a part of California where I can enjoy my Porsche without going through stop and go traffic everyday.

So, what about you, would you PDK or not?

The Porsche 928 is one of the best GT cars ever made. However, due to the cars break in tradition and stepping on the 911’s toes by becoming the top of the line Porsche has kept this car from getting attention from Porsche collectors. This has caused some very good, well maintained examples to be available for extremely low prices consider the car that you get.

With the release of the Panamera which has quite a few rumors of a coupe version, the stage is set for the 928 to become more accepted in the near future. If the rumors are correct then the new coupe will resemble the 928 pretty closely (some rumors even have the car being called the 928, but I think that is unlikely). So, if this happens there is a high possibility that in the next 10 to 20 years, that the 928 will become very valuable. Having said this as with any possible collector car you won’t know until the future, so there is no guarantee that the price will increase.

So, having said this, should you go out and get your 928 while you still have a chance? Well, if you want a great GT car with good performance and the possibility of becoming valuable, the 928 may be just the ticket. I’m hoping to get a 928 in the near future as a possibly collectible, but mainly to enjoy the car (If you want a car that has less of a chance of not being a high priced collector car buy a 911. But if you are looking for an affordable possible collector car for a lower price go for the 928).

This is my first of what I hope will be many posts about Porsches.  My hope for this blog is that it will become a free on-line magazine to allow for the love of all things Porsche to spread.

So, for my first post I decided to write about one of the biggest issues in the Porsche world. For me this is a big topic as I currently have a Porsche 944 (please don’t stop reading yet purists) that I am working on restoring.

Many purists would say that the only real Porsches are air cooled, rear engined (some might throw in mid-engined) and should have great performance at the time of its creation. Some people would now remove air cooled from the list because if you keep this then no newer Porsche is a “Real” Porsche. For me the only criteria that really matters is the performance, although I do like the tradition aspect of the rear engine layout (even so, none would argue that it is the best design).

Now that we have a definition that we will use to define a “Real” Porsche. Let’s go through the production models and see if we can figure out the “Real” Porsches.

Porsche 356

The car that started it all. The 356 was a rear engine (although the very first car was a mid-engine car) air cooled car that started out as basically a souped-up VW and became a great performance car. For it’s time the 356 was an incredible sports car and there is no question that it is a “Real” Porsche.

Porsche 911

The model that most people think of when they think of Porsche. The Porsche 911 started out as a car that was very difficult to handle and had good performance to a car with incredible performance (sub 4 second 0-60 times for some models) and great handling (especially in all wheel drive form). This is the car that everyone will agree is a “Real” Porsche.

Porsche 912

The 912 came in as the entry model for Porsche to try and increase sales. While the 912 did not perform as well as the 911 due to its smaller engine, it looked just like a 911 except for the 912 badging. While the 912 had mediocre performance the look was all Porsche and I would consider it a “Real” Porsche (although just barely due to the poor performance, but I love the look of the body and may buy one someday for that reason).

Porsche 914

The 914 was the first mid-engined entry level car. While in the U.S. the 914 was marketed as a Porsche in Europe it was marketed as a VW-Porsche. The original concept was to have a 4 cylinder model marketed as a VW and a 6 cylinder model marketed as a Porsche. This would be changed before going to market. While the shape of the 914 is either loved or hated (it is starting to grow on me) the performance of many cars was very un-Porsche. The handling of the 914 was incredible especially compared to the 911 of the time. I would say that the 2.0L 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder models where definitely “Real” Porsches and the handling of all versions is great, especially for the time. If you like open air driving with a go-kart like feel any 914 is a great choice.

Porsche 924

The 924 was the first front engine model that Porsche released. While the 924 especially in the U.S. did not have very good performance it had great handling due to its front engine rear transaxle design. The 924 got much better with the release of the turbo and 924S models, but the 924 Carrera GT and its varients where increadible cars for their time (the 924 Garrera GT finished 6th overall at Le Mans). I think that the 924 turbo (including the 924 Carrera GT) and 924S where definently “Real” Porsches.

Porsche 928

The 928 was a GT supercar in it’s time. The 928 had great performance and for a while was the fastest production car in the world. A 928 could handle much better than a 911 and was a very fast car (although not always the fastest from 0-60). While the 928 was the top of the line Porsche it was ridiculed for being a front engine car the stepped in above the 911 with no pedigree. I would definitely count the 928 as a “Real” Porsche on it’s performance alone (plus you can get a very good 928 for very little money these days).

Porsche 944

The 944 was the car that the 924 should have been. The car had great looks and very good performance for the time (0-60 in 8.3 seconds for the 1983 U.S. spec 944 which was about as fast as a Mustang GT of the same year) and the handling was second to none. In fact the first 944s where even quicker in European form (163bhp versus 143bhp in U.S. spec) with many European magazines getting 0-60 times of 7.4 seconds. The 944 may have been the car that kept Porsche in business through the 80’s and into the early 90’s. Plus with the turbo and 16 valve models the performance of the cars became world class for the time (0-60 times in the mid 5 seconds for some turbo models). The 944 is definitely a “Real” Porsche because of it’s performance and handling, pus it is one of the most reliable cars that Porsche has ever made.

Porsche 968

The 968 was an even better car than the 944 (it was originally planned to be called the 944 S3) due largely to the addition of VirioCam. The 968 was a great performer, but unfortunately did not sell well, so it was not available for long. I think the 968 was a “Real” Porsche and the cars may become very valuable one day (especially as Porsche makes more models that are not rear engined) due to the low production numbers.

Porsche 959

The 959 was the ultimate sports car when it was released. Unfortunately, the car was never sold in the U.S., although many examples did make their way to the U.S. through wealthy people like Bill Gates. the 959 is definitely a “Real” Porsche.

Porsche Boxster

The Boxster is a great opened air car designed to resemble the 550 Spyder. The cars handling is great due to its mid-engine layout and the performance of Boxsters has always been good. The performance was stepped up a notch with the release with the Boxster S models. The Boxster is great “Real” Porsche and the early models are becoming more affordable.

Porsche Cayenne

The Cayenne is Porsche’s first attempt to enter the SUV market. The car especially in turbo form is capable of sub 5 second 0-60 times. Not bad for a car that can easily haul the whole family. From a performance stand point there is no question that the Cayenne is a “Real” Porsche, but it is always going to be hard to think of an SUV as a Porsche.

Porsche Cayman

The Cayman is Porsche’s newest mid-engine car. The Cayman is one of the best cars the company makes. The performance and handling are incredible (especially now that the car is available with a limited slip differential). The only thing that we would all love is to be able to get an S modeled that was turbo charged (but that would compete with the 911, so I doubt it will ever happen). The Cayman is definitely a “Real” Porsche.

Porsche Carrera GT

The Carrera GT is a Supercar by anybodies standard. The car is capable of going over 200 mph with an incredibly quick 0-60 time. No question the Carrera GT is a “Real” Porsche with incredible performance and handling.

Porsche Panamera

This is the Porsche that everyone is talking about and that started me thinking about what makes a “Real” Porsche. The Panamera is a 4 seater sedan that is able to go over 195 mph, with a 0-60 time of less than 5 seconds in turbo charged form. While people either love or hate the body shape, it will be interesting to see what it looks like in person. There is no doubt that from a performance perspective that the Panamera is a “Real” Porsche, but it is hard to accept it as a Porsche with those extra doors (although it will be interesting to see if it does spawns a coupe version as is rumored).

So, what makes a “Real” Porsche? A “Real” Porsche may very well be in the eye of the beholder. If you think the car is beautiful and has the performance and handling that a Porsche deserves, then to you it is a “Real” Porsche.

This is my take on what makes a “Real” Porsche, but I’d love to hear your thoughts. So, leave a comment as to what you think a “Real” Porsche is.