As far as the hot Nurburgring time, we all know that was a PDK 718S versus the other two manual tranny models. So that's apples and oranges.
It is not apples and oranges. Its OEM, performance options, vs OEM, performance options. When they took your 991.1S to the ring in 2012 and Timo Kluck put up a 7:37:9, he did it with a SPASM, PDK, PDDC, PCCB car and surely none of the luxury options that just add weight. That's how PAG does it with their factory drivers. You run what you brung. Period. Whining about "Poor me - no PDK" doesn't cut it. Could've, Should've Would've ... doesn't work in the real world. sorry
And guess what? If you don't like the car or their pricing strategy you don't have to buy it.
Exactly, if you don't like it ----- leave. Don't buy it. CYA .... Don't let the door hit you on the way out ... Bye Bye :taunt:
Now that said ... to be fair to both sides, PAG (well the old PAG) might be one of the few car companies that actually listened to their consumers because they had no choice. It's been my experience that car companies can be very arrogant. For example, they keep building station wagons when SUVs had taken over. They come late to the game. Planned obsolecense. They tell consumers they MUST buy the latest model because the tail fins have been redesigned and you own the old stuff, etc.
In the case of the old PAG, in the late 1970s they had decided the Rear engines cars were done. The future was the front engined I4 and I4 Turbo. And if you wanted to pay serious money, you bought the front engined V8 928. For more than a decade this was the decision and marketing clearly targeted different demographics. By the late 80s, the I4 Turbo was FASTER than the 911. And then came the American CEO and the Luddites refused to buy the front engined cars, even though the 944 Turbo and 928 cars were quicker. So they voted with their wallet and poof ..... no more 944 ... no more 928 ... at one time only the 911 survived.
Can this happen today? Can consumers cause PAG to stop making the flat 4 turbos? Highly unlikely. That was then, this is now.
1. Euro specced cars were not certified for the US. US emissions were more stringent. Today, the reverse is true. The EU emissions is driving this, not CAFE (yes Ralarcon I know ... yada yada yada
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2. US was THE market. Period. Today, the US is a secondary market to China in both units sold and profit.
3. 944 sales at one time were MASSIVE, at one time TRIPLE 911 sales. 964 sales were abysmal - pitiful. Today, 911 sales dwarf boxster/Cayman sales for more than a decade. The roles are reversed. If 718 sales lag, they can't lag that much more without just being abolished.
4. Cayenne and Macan sales combined totally bury Cayman/Boxster sales making them insignificant in the complete PAG sales picture.
So can consumers voting with their wallets be effective? Probably less so than in the early 1990s for these three reasons: Emissions and government regulations, US is no longer the dominate market space, and US 911 sales vs entry level cars sales roles have reversed in a dramatic fashion. Think about that last one. Whereas the entry level cars once held a 3:1 ratio sales dominance, today that ratio is 0.67:1. Pretty sad. BTW, I have NEVER heard any rational explanation why those sales ratio have reversed in such a dramatic fashion.