Hammonds 924 was the star of the show" Jeremy Clarkson - Top Gear

[scm924s]

As a non member and occasional visitor to this forum, I am aware that I am in no position to criticize any part of this august Club or it's forum, and I mean no offence, but am I the only 924 owner that finds the comments attributed to the self opinionated Mr Clarkson attached to the top of the 924 section a bit tasteless? Usually any favourable comment from that source is only commending the fact that they couldn't destroy a car by dropping a caravan on it, or drive it to destruction with half it's entrails hanging out!

With Porsche now recognising the 40th anniversary of the 924, and it's contribution to the formation of the transaxle Porsche line, would it be fair to say the 924 has come of age, and deserves a comment more appropriate to it's position in the Porsche heritage?

 

[John Sims]

You are most welcome to come up with what you feel may be a more appropriate tag line for consideration.

 

[vitesse]

How about -" The car that helped put Porsche in the Black"

 

[John Sims]

Or "The one VW didn't want" or was that the 914?

or

"Just because they a cheap to buy doesn't mean they are going to be cheap."

or

"In 20 years this could be the Ferrari Dino of the Porsche world...maybe"

 

[clyde]

Whilst I personally like Jeremy Clarkson's style of presenting I can accept that it's not to everyone's taste. And I know where you're coming from with regard to his many flippant and deliberately incendiary comments Stan. However, having seen the piece from which the quote was taken several times I have no doubt whatsoever that Jeremy was sincere in what he said. So I for one would vote that it remains unless a much better tag line is created. That said, maybe it now needs to be ascribed to "Jeremy Clarkson - Ex Top Gear"?

Being relatively new to the world of 924 ownership and re-acquainted with non-assisted steering, I would suggest "the little car with the bleeding heavy steering"

 

[pse_SC]

Being relatively new to the world of 924 ownership and re-acquainted with non-assisted steering, I would suggest "the little car with the bleeding heavy steering"

Ah, you are right there, but only when parking (maybe you need an ‘S’ with power steering?)

 

[scm924s]

I will paraphrase parts of an early Brochure introducing the 924_

"The Porsche design team....were given the design brief:-

To produce a sports car with thoroughbred handling...
To maintain the very best standards of Porsche engineering....
To provide the very best driving pleasure at reasonable cost...

To meet these requirements some innovations were necessary and the "transaxle system" is perhaps the major new development"

I would suggest the phrase - "To provide the very best driving pleasure at reasonable cost" really
exemplifies what the 924 is about?

Regarding the comments about heavy steering, I find this surprising, having had 4 n/a's with standard wheels and tyres, which in my view is essential, I find the steering quite reasonable if pressures are maintained at 30psi (recommended pressure 29). Yes the S I owned had power steering and was easier in parking, but coming from a background of non p/s classics, don't find it a problem. Perhaps the younger generation used to their "moderns", need to toughen up?

 

[PaulHere]

Thanks for the post and comments.

I added the quote soon after the Top Gear episode aired on 5th December 2004, I was excited to see the model shown on TV and afterwards was struck (as was Clyde) by the sincerity from Jeremy.
The quote could be changed in future, but only when there is sufficient demand or when a great quote lands in our laps.
For now the quote still has a resonance, partly due to Mr Clarksons name, and partly because it is a positive quote.

[]

 

[vitesse]

Frankly I find Clarkson is now well past his sell by date-like everything these days -dummed down -instead of being reasonably objective,so I vote to remove any reference to him on here-there again,I admit to having been brought up on a strict diet of "Motor Sport" featuring excellent journalism.

As to power steering,our initial 924 Lux was manual,usually driven by my wife,after a diet of 2 previous MGB GT's & she didn't complain.even after a tuned 850 Mini.
Her current S has power steering which I find nicely weighted even on track but my S,trackday car but used mostly on the road is manual & is very heavy until you get going but then it does have lots of negative front camber,However my wife struggles to park it ( with her lovely tiny wrists).
However on track ,I don't notice it & one does get immediate feedback from the road surface-however slow hairpin corners do require anticipatory repositioning of the hands for smooth progress.

 

[clyde]

I suspect mine is worse than most due to a variety of non-standard aspects as well as geometry. But apart from being a bit too quick to self-centre it's great once your going over 5 mph or so.

 

[geoff Ives]

Why not leave it as it is but with the addition of 'Well he something right for once'.

 

[vincematthews]

A certain number of quotes and material to choose from on a sister forum . . .

http://924board.org/viewtopic.php?t=15422

 

[nwns]

I think it should be 'the car that saved Porsche' but I can think of many more flippant ones if required []

As to heavy steering, setup as Porsche intended my turbo, my 77 & my 84 all steer with one finger and require very little effort at parking speeds.

 

[John Sims]

Reading this thread I think the tag line should be:-

"One is not enough"

 

[John Sims]

I think it should be 'the car that saved Porsche' ...

I think Boxster owners would argue that that belongs to them. Either way I think it has more negative connotations for the brand than some of the tongue in cheek offerings.

 

[BartyB]

As a Boxster owner, I would only presume to argue that the Boxster was 'The car that saved Porsche... again'. Without the 924, there would have been no Boxster.

 

[pse_SC]

Indeed, nicely put, Alan []

 

[scm924s]

I hadn't appreciated, when I opened this thread, that I would be treading on the toes of a local chapter of the Clarkson Appreciation Society here in PCGB[]

I daresay he is revered amongst the elements that are into the modern Porsche models who enjoy the aroma of smoking tyres and screaming revs, but to anyone who owns classic cars, or cars with aspirations to be classic such as the 924, he is not considered with the same appreciation. He and his team have wilfully destroyed many old cars, perhaps unappreciated here, that have left others seething with anger.

Hence my suggestion that linking his name with the 924 did not, in my opinion, do it any favours, however sincere he may have been some 12 years ago.

However, as I stated at the outset, I have no wish to offend members here, and have having stated my opinion, leave it to 924 owners to air their views.

 

[John Sims]

I hadn't appreciated, when I opened this thread, that I would be treading on the toes of a local chapter of the Clarkson Appreciation Society.... anyone who owns classic cars, or cars with aspirations to be classic such as the 924, he is not considered with the same appreciation....

Well that is a little presumptuous. []

 

[scm924s]

Well that is a little presumptuous. []

....that the 924 has aspirations to be a classic...?