Daryl Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 One of the best men at my wedding rocked up at my house on Saturday in a 57plate Cayman S, lots of extras and 19" Turbo rims (which I personally hate on the Cayman). Spoke to another mate of mine today, that went to pick it up with him, and apparently people were complimenting him on it, and saying what a nice car it is etc etc at the petrol station half way home. He told me it was the spec he wanted, but when I started asking what this and that did, he said he didnt know........ I know he has no intention of driving the car as it was intended, and just wants it because of the image it projects, and maybe a few fast seconds in a straight line. Question is, its a Cayman, yes, a very nice, well built car that goes well, what i cant understand is, there are thousands of them on the road, and you see them every day, yet people seem to respond more to it than the Nissan, is it the Porsche badge? Should i stick a few Porsche badges on the Nissan and see what happens? Or maybe I need to splash some cash and get a Cayman R or Maserati or something. Or maybe I need to grow up, and take solice in the fact that its only marginally quicker than the Nissan, yet he spent 20K on it, and I can drive better than he can. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 (edited) That's all a Porsche is! (Sorry Ekona, with a few exceptions) Even a boxter would get more attention than our Zeds, because Non-Car person, knows what a Porsche is and just thinks Oooo Sports car. Same as the person that buys it, just thinks ' Oooo Sports Car' with out even knowing much about it. Yes I hate MOST porsches and their drivers! Sorry Ekona As i said, there are a few exceptions. Edited April 30, 2014 by grundy225 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Slap a BGW on yours and people's heads will turn! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 It's 1) the badge and 2) they have reached a point of evolution where they are pretty much trouncing everything else in their class and some of those in classes above. But they are a victim of their own success as there are so many of them about. I bet if I jumped in one and experienced the handling and balance all the reviewers mention is love one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 That's all a Porsche is! (Sorry Ekona, with a few exceptions) Even a boxter would get more attention than our Zeds, because Non-Car person, knows what a Porsche is and just thinks Oooo Sports car. Same as the person that buys it, just thinks ' Oooo Sports Car' with out even knowing much about it. Yes I hate MOST porsches and their drivers! Sorry Ekona As i said, they are a few exceptions. But Dan isnt one of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flex Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 It's 1) the badge and 2) they have reached a point of evolution where they are pretty much trouncing everything else in their class and some of those in classes above. But they are a victim of their own success as there are so many of them about. I bet if I jumped in one and experienced the handling and balance all the reviewers mention is love one. I'm not sure how selling loads of cars equates to be a victim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grundy Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 That's all a Porsche is! (Sorry Ekona, with a few exceptions) Even a boxter would get more attention than our Zeds, because Non-Car person, knows what a Porsche is and just thinks Oooo Sports car. Same as the person that buys it, just thinks ' Oooo Sports Car' with out even knowing much about it. Yes I hate MOST porsches and their drivers! Sorry Ekona As i said, they are a few exceptions. But Dan isnt one of them? I think it's because of the colour he chose, that allows him to be the exception Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl Posted April 30, 2014 Author Share Posted April 30, 2014 Thanks Will, maybe you have hit the nail on the head with that one. Instead of people buying them because they are great cars (which they are mostly), people are buying them because of the badge and what it represents to the outside world. Sort of what 90% of Ferrari drivers do I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
370Ad Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 This sums up my GF's parents quite well. When I switched the 50 to the 70 I test drove an M6, Cayman and a TTS. When I told them what I was planning to test drive over the weekend they were like, 'Wow you must be doing well for yourself" In the end I got the 70 and they said 'Did you not want to spend as much on the car in the end?' It was near enough the same bloody price as the others!! Its because its not 'German'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suits Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 If you buy a Ralph Lauren Polo @*!# it's probably not because you play polo or want to play polo, it will be to keep warm or hide your modesty. Or because it looks smart and may get you noticed more. Whats wrong with that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I love Porsches. Even if they did sell exploding/flawed engines for 10 years. As a drivers car I honestly don't think z's come close to porsche cayman/boxsters and the pdk box is amazing. I didn't like autos at all before I drove one, it's a beast. I think z's look better though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I know he has no intention of driving the car as it was intended, and just wants it because of the image it projects, and maybe a few fast seconds in a straight line. This in my experience describes 99.9% of most Porsche drivers, they dont want them because they are very capable cars, they want them for the badge! A mate of mine bought a Cayman S, he sold it in 6 months for some ropey old 911 cab, couldnt tell you which variant. He had zero interest in the fact the Cayman was a better drivers car, he just wanted want he saw as the pinnacle of Porsche ownership, the 911. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14N Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 (edited) Whilst visiting the McLaren dealer a couple of weeks ago and chatting to the sales man, I asked what the 'typical' buyer was like that had a disposable £300k in their back burner to spend on a car. He said most of the visitors they get into the showroom that are seriously interested in buying a McLaren are down to earth individuals that have worked hard for their money and they are car enthusiasts - intersted driving a drivers car. If choosing to buy a McLaren, he finds that the buyers do generally have an interest in more than just the badge. When Ferrari owners arrive at the showroom in their Ferrari's, he said they are (most of the time) noticably different in their attitude. Almost a "looking down my nose at you because I own a Ferrari" persona. Most choose to drive a Ferrari, not because of the motorsport heritage and driving experience, but due to the badge on the bonnet. To quote him, "It's a lifestyle choice". Not sure of the relevance of this story for Porsche driver's, but yeah, a car's badge can certainly be associated with a desired image. My Zed still has the Nissan badges on. Dammit. Anyone selling some 'Z' burgers....? Edited April 30, 2014 by 14N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Whilst visiting the McLaren dealer a couple of weeks ago and chatting to the sales man, I asked what the 'typical' buyer was like that had a disposable £300k in their back burner to spend on a car. He said most of the visitors they get into the showroom that are seriously interested in buying a McLaren are down to earth individuals that have worked hard for their money and they are car enthusiasts - intersted driving a drivers car. If choosing to buy a McLaren, he finds that the buyers do generally have an interest in more than just the badge. When Ferrari owners arrive at the showroom in their Ferrari's, he said they are (most of the time) noticably different in their attitude. Almost a "looking down my nose at you because I own a Ferrari" persona. Most choose to drive a Ferrari, not because of the motorsport heritage and driving experience, but due to the badge on the bonnet. To quote him, "It's a lifestyle choice". Not sure of the relevance of this story for Porsche driver's, but yeah, a car's badge can certainly be associated with a desired image. My Zed still has the Nissan badges on. Dammit. Anyone selling some 'Z' burgers....? I think your spot on, or the salesman is. I mentioned in another thread, in general most people stick to a particular marque. I had an interesting chat with a couple of mates last night, one has just bought a Ferrari California, his business partner has an SLS for a while. I asked the guy with the SLS if he had had a drive, he had, so i asked do you prefer it to your SLS, he said its a great car but he prefers his SLS, its just more me was his reply. Given the choice of the two i would pick the California every time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMballistic Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Imo I don't really care what anyone thinks of the car I have ~ love the 350 and that's all that matters to me. F**k the rest of the world. Most of them are dumb as pig sh*t anyway and wouldn't know a decent car if it ran them over. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
350zedd Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Imo I don't really care what anyone thinks of the car I have ~ love the 350 and that's all that matters to me. F**k the rest of the world. Most of them are dumb as pig sh*t anyway and wouldn't know a decent car if it ran them over. Nicely said GM F**k 'em all!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonPG Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Hell no am I going to ever going to change the nissan badge for a Z one - when people ask me what I drive I simply reply "a nissan" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 I quite like that people that dont know what it is,dont know what it is. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I quite like that people that dont know what it is,dont know what it is. Lol That is, and for most of driving life has certainly an appeal for me - to have something different from what you see everyday on the road. But that is not to say something in me has a lot of respect for Porsches etc and no doubt if I got to drove all the 'competitors' I might find the experience more rewarding in many, but for me the badge image is sadly a factor that attracts far too many that are not true car enthusiasts but feel the need for a status symbol and sadly is a fact of life. And, although the 350/370 are not cheap to run I suspect that compared to most sports cars with similar power outputs they are one of the least expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sipar69 Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) I made the mistake of heading down to the local Homebase yesterday without realising the traffic would be much worse than usual due to the Tube strike. As a result I spent a lot of time stationary. It was the first time I'd had chance to notice just how much attention the car gets. Pretty much every bloke in the traffic going in the other direction (and a good few pedestrians) was turning to have a good look. Same thing happened in the Homebase car park where the blokes hanging around at the resident bacon sarnie van all had a good stare. I reckon a lot of these people were probably wondering what make the car was. Personally I like having something that's not common on the road and gets positive attention. I'm also entirely happy with in being a Nissan. They make the Z - a sports car with a historic lineage and loyal following, as well as one of the fastest and most talked about cars in the world today - the GTR. It's hardly a brand to be ashamed of. Oh and there's a new model Cayman in our road. Wheels had been badly kerbed within a few weeks of ownership and it's so dirty all the time that it's starting to look very unloved. My car cost less and doesn't have the posh badge but gets treated a hundred times better Edited May 1, 2014 by sipar69 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daryl Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 The fact its not an M3, etc, is one of the main reasons I went for a 350 over the competition. I have warned him that compared to the mk1 TT he had before hand, its a very different driving experience, and he should be careful not to drive it in the same way. Though to be honest, he probably didnt get anywhere near the limits of the TT, so he has no chance in a Cayman S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Question is, its a Cayman, yes, a very nice, well built car that goes well, what i cant understand is, there are thousands of them on the road, and you see them every day, yet people seem to respond more to it than the Nissan, is it the Porsche badge? Should i stick a few Porsche badges on the Nissan and see what happens? Or maybe I need to splash some cash and get a Cayman R or Maserati or something. Sorry to smash all these pairs of Nissan tinted glasses but its not just badges. In the main Nissan are a manufacturer of low to mid spec family cars, if you remove the 200SX and 300ZX they havent actually had a UK sports model since the 280ZX in 1983. Porsche have always been at the top end of the sportscar market since 1963 and along the way have one of the best motorsport pedigrees of any motor company ever, its only in the last few years theyve actually started making 4 seaters. The 911 turbo has been one of the fastest production cars in the world for the last 30 years and I definitely remember having a picture of one (and a 959) on my wall as a kid, I dont remember having a Gloria or Cedric there Dont get me wrong, the Z33, Z34 and R35 are all pretty awesome cars but they arent built anywhere near as well as Porsches, the interiors arent as well designed and for me at least, the Zeds dont come close to a Cayman in terms of poise, balance and control - I might even admit I prefer a more "muscle car" type of drive but the engineering thats gone into making a Cayman do what it does pisses all over the **** up that is the Z33, strut braces and extra bracing and all. The Porsche is also out of most peoples reach which makes it something to aspire to, if your dream is to own a Nissan one day you aint aiming high enough IMO Bottom line is that Porsche has made some of the best, if not the best sportcars for over 50 years, is renowned for its quality and engineering, has a competition pedigree thats second to none and has always been at the top end of the market. Nissan have made some bloody good cars recently but its going to be a long time before they are lusted after like the Pork is. Look at how they hold their money, that should tell you something 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Netnomad Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Having traded in my 911 for a 350Z I have found that the Zed gets far more looks and attention that the 911. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 (edited) Question is, its a Cayman, yes, a very nice, well built car that goes well, what i cant understand is, there are thousands of them on the road, and you see them every day, yet people seem to respond more to it than the Nissan, is it the Porsche badge? Should i stick a few Porsche badges on the Nissan and see what happens? Or maybe I need to splash some cash and get a Cayman R or Maserati or something. The Porsche is also out of most peoples reach which makes it something to aspire to All valid points But i have no aspiration to own a Porsche regardless of how good they are, they just dont float my boat. My desire stretches to more than a Nissan as well though, but given a lets say Porsche (whichever model) budget to work with, there are other cars i would much prefer to own! I probably wouldnt want a BMW either ( M car), unless my circumstances changed dramatically where i needed something more practical, seating etc I dont think anyone is saying owning a Nissan is their ultimate goal in life, but nor is owning a Porsche. One day i hope to have a Gallardo or maybe a 355 Spider, i wouldnt doubt for one minute you could say either of those are better than a high end 911, but thats what i would have given the choice Edited May 1, 2014 by Jetpilot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 I dont think anyone is saying owning a Nissan is their ultimate goal in life, but nor is owning a Porsche. One day i hope to have a Gallardo or maybe a 355 Spider, i wouldnt doubt for one minute you could say either of those are better than a high end 911, but thats what i would have given the choice I know plenty of people who have lusted after a 911 since they knew what one was, Ive known at least 5 achieve it as well. Its a personal thing, but if a Gallardo or 355 are aims of yours one day I cant see why a 993 Turbo wouldnt be just as acceptable for someone else. No doubt theres a few fellers out there who dont find Scarlet Johansson particularly attractive, but that doesnt mean that the other 99% that would give up their right hand for 15 sweet minutes are wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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