ORIGINAL: flat6
ORIGINAL: MillerIanF
ORIGINAL: Rocket Man could be true, on the other hand it could be the forcast launch of the 981 spyder that is holding back the prices of the 987/2 spyder. if the 981 spyder does not turn out to be something special then the 987/2 spyder prices could rocket then. if it is something that the 987/2 spyder owners want then perhaps prices will hold for a while, who knows untill the new launch
Has anyone read Peter Morgan's article on the 981 in February's GTPorsche. Here is a guy with a lifetimes experience driving and writing books on Porsche who is lamenting the passing of the 986/987 and has a less favourable view of the 981 and the market it is aimed at. The 987 Spyder was also one of the last cars made by Porsche before VAG, I have difficulty visualising VAG allowing the sort of traditional Porsche whim that brought something as impractical as the Spyder to fruition. I have no doubt the Spyder2 will be a great seller but a different car to our Spyder.
I have to agree that the 981 is no doubt designed to appeal to a wider audience. E.g. my sister bought one and wouldn't have considered a 987. But I think the way in which the 981 moves away from the 987 more than 986 to 987 isn't really detrimental. It adds an interior that will appeal to a wider audience. It adds a more refined ride that will appeal to a wider audience. It may lack some feel but I guess the sport chassis option puts that back but even without the sports chassis it's just as capable in the true Porsche way. Just takes a couple of drives and then you adjust. I think it's easy for the media to say the new car loses something from the old car. But they should also recognise what the new car offers. What you lose you can still go after by buying the older car (and that's why older Porsche are very valuable as they have a lot of character). But there's character in the newer car which will be its attributes when it is superseded by an even newer car that lacks them. I.e. when the 981 is superceded, there'll be some who say the newer car lacks something the 981 has, but some will be also quick to see what the 981 doesn't have compared to its successor. It depends whether you live in an era or embrace progress whilst also appreciating the past and what is lost as we progress. A standard Boxster may not be so well remembered vs the 981 but the Spyder is a bit unique and special so I reckon the 987 version will maintain a cult status even if the 981 Spyder is better in every way or worse or indifferent. I don't think the 987 Spyder value will be impacted by the 981 Spyder whether it is good or bad because enough current 987 Spyder owners like their car enough for the £20k or whatever to upgrade, to be unjustifiable. Even if the 987 Spyder grows in value it doesn't necessarily mean something about the 981 version. Each car has its time to shine as the expensive classic. The 981 may get there later on, which is typically the case for the newer car; today's commodity is tomorrow's treasure. Or it may rise straight away on the back of Spyder awareness that the 987 version didn't have at launch. I guess we all grow through a range of cars and a point comes where (I guess with age?) the cars move too far away from what we like, and that will be the case with some media reviewers. My first Porsche was a 987 Cayman S and so I don't have a perception of the loss of air cooled engines, for example. My second car had the more refined DFI engine, which didn't give the same flat six vibrations and sound in the cabin like the older engine in the Cayman did. I don't therefore wince at all at the thought of the inevitable move to flat 4 cylinder turbo engines (I remember the Alfa 4C being marked down by Porsche fans for having a 1.75 litre 4 cylinder turbo engine, because it is4 cylinder and because it is turbo charged. Well, a small 4 cylinder turbo is coming to Porsche too [
] ) I don't think VAG will have an impact on Porsche making low volume special cars. It's pocket change to VAG and works wonders for brand awareness - all car companies need halo products. VAG will more be pushing Porsche to increase unit sales of their standard products, which, for how good the Boxster and Cayman are, the sales figures are consistently relatively underachieving compared to the 911. The lower priced product should sell more units than the more expensive product in any business. I think VAG will want to address that.
