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You do wonder sometimes whether Porsche isn’t a touch too understated for its own good, particularly when it comes to the mid-life revamping of its various models. Take the latest ‘heavily revised’ 997 as an example.

Here is a car which, to the untrained eye, looks all but identical to the original 997 of 2004, yet under the skin it has a brand new range of direct injection flat six engines, not to mention the gearbox Porsche has been threatening to put into one ...Read the full article

 

Autocar:

It’s also no secret that Porsche is struggling to shift metal in the current economic climate, sales in the UK being over 20 per cent down compared with this time last year. Which means this new, hugely improved model won’t arrive a moment too soon when it hits the showrooms on July 5.

Okay, two things here:

First, total sales are indeed down by around 20 per cent, but sales of the 911 are down by a buttock-clenching third. In America, where almost half of all Porsches are sold, they shifted just 832 of them last month. It won't get better.

Second, many pundits are suggesting that demand for cars like the 911 actually peaked a little while back, and that with the price of oil and environmental awareness riding high, Porsche are on a slippery slope from hereon in. It won't help them that in trademark iterative style this "hugely improved" model is indistinguishable from the last one; I disagree entirely that it "won’t arrive a moment too soon". On the contrary, it won't make a blind bit of difference.

I do question how long can they go on upgrading rather than rebuilding their flagship product, because I can't be the only one who's bored to tears at the mere sight of one now. I know motoring hacks rate them and city geezers wouldn't park anything else outside their favourite wine bar, but most people don't even give a second glance.

I believe the new front end looks too much like 996 turbo....liked the old 997 front end better It would have been better by just integrating the led in the existing bumper design. The rear looks nice though!

It's not just Porsche who are suffering. Ask any high end dealer and they will talk about being "amply stocked". So Porsche may be suffering now but will bounce back.

The 911 is an iconic sports car with 45 years of history behind it. If you're a sports car enthusiast you already know that Porsche evolve the car slowly, the only exception being the switch from air-cooled to water cooled.
 
If you want a more radical change then the 911 may not be the sports car for you - a Bangleized BMW or Lamborghini or the latest Skyline might be a better, flashier fit.

Porsche is doing a good job of being relevant in the real world by reducing emissions - where are we now 225? Most other sports cars seem to be well north of 300. In silver, battleship grey, or black the 911 is the safe choice for a practical day-to-day sports car.

The changes just announced make it even more so, and with PDK there's no reason not to drive it every day, whether that be on the M25, or the 405.

Le Chef:

If you want a more radical change then the 911 may not be the sports car for you - a Bangleized BMW or Lamborghini or the latest Skyline might be a better, flashier fit.

Or a nice Cayenne?

Porsche nuts always bang on about 'purity' and the awful compromise of rivals, but the truth is that the company's history has been tainted by a heavy reliance on selling SUVs to stock jocks and footballers' wives. Their ugly Touareg-alike accounts for what, half of total sales now? Car and Driver claimed Porsche were responsible for just 20% of the overall Cayenne package; the only 'pure' thing on show is badge fashion.

ThwartedEfforts:

Car and Driver claimed Porsche were responsible for just 20% of the overall Cayenne package; the only 'pure' thing on show is badge fashion.

You've obviously never driven a Cayenne, or probably any Porsche for that matter. I have a pre-facelift Cayenne Turbo and a 993 Turbo, as well as a 986 Boxster 2.5 (well, it's my mum's actually, but never mind). I believe that there is no other car company in the world that understands itself better than Porsche. I don't mean as a maker of sports-cars, but I mean how a Porsche should 'feel'. It doesn't matter what Porsche you get into and drive, nor the age, that core interaction between car and driver, the feedback, control weights, basic handling characteristics - they will be the same. I am constantly amazed that every Porsche I drive only reinforces this feeling - the constant evolution of each and every model (remember, even the 'failure' 928 was in production for 16 years) means that they truly understand their product. And as for the Taureg and Cayenne only being 20% different - having driven both, it appears that Porsche made every .01% of that difference count, as apart from architecture, they feel as different as an X5 and an ML.

Porsche's problem is they ( and this refers to the 911) produce far too many and charge far too much for them.

Price:

I think per car produced they have the largest profit margin of any manufacturer. They need to rethink thier pricing. When you spec up a Carerra S to decent level it comes in around 80k- that's too much for a 'standard' 911.

Volume:

There are just too many produced. There used to be a time a 911 was a good investment, decent running costs and a good residuals at the end. The residuals now just doesn't apply. With the R8 and V8 in the marketplace the running costs for alternatives isn't that different now, but they'll both be worth more than a Carerra S come 3 years down the line.

Competition:

Over the last couple of years the competition has grown considerable with the likes of AM V8, Audi R8, M series, AMG's, Jag XK, Maserati's, GTRs. I am sure you'll see that the 911 market share has shrunk in the last decade.

Don't get me wrong, I love 911s- heck I own one!, but while being the best drivers car ( in my humble opinion), Also think it would be the most economical as well as the cars above are all gas guzzlers. Personally, I wouldn't change the look of a 911 at all (but the interior needs a serious rethink).  however, I do think the overall package however has diminished. 

No doubt the current economic situation is having an effect along with eco concerns, but I think if you are looking for a 2+2 everyday supercar you'll struggle to beat a 911- but I ask how many 911 owners use thier car this way?.

I'm sure most 911 owners will use it as a 2nd/3rd car.

 

PDK may be a staggering technical achievement, but there is not greater satisfaction than a perfectly executed downshift in a manual. Having a computer do it for you is no fun! I suppose PDK helps to cut emissions, which can only be a good thing.

 '...This effectively enables the system to pre-select and deliver full bore up or downshits...'

Sorry to be juvenile, but this spelling mistake made my day.   Frankly I really don't want any full bore 'upshits' thank you. 

 The gearbox and other changes sound terrific.  The external design changes, or lack of, bore us all silly.  And worse, if you line up the main Porsche cars on sale in profile, it's hard to distinguish any of them, from the A pillar forward.  And I used to love the 928/944 designs when alongside the 911.

I don;t mind them not changing the 911 radically - sometimes best not to tamper with an icon - but I wish their other cars were more visually dynamic.

 

They better acquire VW in a hurry or VW will own them, which would make sense because it is a VW after all.

ThwartedEfforts:

but most people don't even give a second glance.

oh I don't know, two girls (one in a Beamer) the other in a Fiat 500 followed me home after work this week and that was in an early 997

I think all this Porsche and 911 'hating' is hilarious - car sales are down across the whlie market, its not just Porsche. is 80K too much for a fully specc'd Carrera S? Well, its been like that for 4 years and Porsche can't make enough; the waiting lists are still present and correct.

The 911 is an icon - car fanatic anti-snobs hate it as they lust after ugly machines like the GTR which are form after function, but in real life where people who can afford 60 - 80K on a car people don't want that annonymous crap, they want a best along with the status and image. They're not car fanatics, they're people with cash who want the brand, want the quality and want the feeling they've made it. AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT,

This is why if an economic crash happens the 911 will be still around while Nissan has stopped making any so called sports cars. People I know with 911's - its their only car... and I know quite a few. And if its not... well its their car while their wife has the family car. The 2+2 thing is more important than people realise.

Stop the hating!