Is the Porsche 911 Played Out?

The classic German sports car is better, and more common, than ever

Let me get the disclaimer out of the way: I love the Porsche 911.

My fascination with the car began on a fall day in the early 2000s. Out of the blue my normally conservative Father showed up with a Marlboro red 1992 911 Carrera 2 drop top. The 3.6 liter air cooled flat six howled like a VW Bug’s transformer werewolf avatar. At thirty miles an hour, it sounds like sixty, at sixty it was more exciting than a Space X pleasure cruise.

From there I couldn’t be stopped. I did class projects on the company, I collected Porsche models, I even bought a lesser front engine 968 with 130,000 miles as soon as I could. To this day I still have Porsche posters on my apartment walls. 

A Porsche 911 always used to turn my head, but now something’s changed.

When I see another Mr. JWW YouTube video about the latest GT3, I click next. Social content, magazine articles, and blog posts about Porsche no longer hold my interest. Most telling, I’ve stopped browsing classifieds looking for that dream Porsche. Decorating a new apartment, I look for different car posters.

So what gives? The Porsche 911 has only gotten better over the years. A 992 version is arguably the best all around sports car ever made. Porsche has never been more popular or on point culturally. 

 For me, however, the German company has become a victim of their own success and somehow is no longer special. In a way, it’s almost become too perfect.

Stifling Ubiquity

Porsches were once rare beasts. Hand made in limited quantities, it wasn’t everyday you’d see one. Last weekend I went to an older friend’s for pasta and he described the reaction to his white 911 in the 80s. People would line up to take pictures, they would ask what it was, the car was genuinely shocking with it’s iconic bathtub shape and rumbling rear engine.

Now every Soccer mom and her dentist husband drives a Porsche. It’s just way more common.

First let’s deal with the much deserved acclaim and success of the Cayenne and Maccan SUV ranges. They’ve made over a million of them since the cars came out in the early 2000s. Easy to drive, fast, and reliable, these SUVs are brilliant vehicles for every day use. But, to be totally honest, they’re not that special. 

While the turbo versions give the old college try, somehow it feels like a three hundred pound linebacker leaving the NFL to get into ballet. Pure genetic athleticism provides a big advantage, but it’s way harder to be nimble and plus sized.

These cars are everywhere  in the toney parts of the United States, the majority ending aup in Miami, LA, San Francisco, and the New York suburbs waiting in the same private school pickup lines.

But That’s not the 911 you might argue, it’s still an exotic right?

A 911 is indeed not as common, or tame, as an SUV, but not by much. While they used to be raw imperfect beasts, now they’re made with the same efficiency as an assistant principal's Honda Accord. Since the car went watercooled in 1996 the company switched from a charming workshop to a mass production assembly line.

Debuting in 1964, a little over one million 911s have been produced. From 1996 to 2020 the company put out 622,000 911s and is currently minting the newest model at 1,800 a month. 

Again, these are great cars, both fast and reliable. I even think they’re good looking. But, the new Porsche 911s are not special. It’s a mass produced car that you see on every street corner. The choice for the consumer who lacks imagination. 

Mass production increases efficiency and practicality, but isn’t the entire point’ to be impractical? A Rolex keeps worse time than a Casio, but that’s part of the charm.

Porsche has tried to liven things up by producing an endless range of subtle variations on a theme. This is confusing, and for the average person it's impossible to tell the turbo from the GT3, the R from the GTS, the Carrera 2 from the Carera 4s. Explain Porsche’s model and options lineup to your date and she'll be asleep before you finish the shrimp cocktail. Maybe they are just trying too hard?

Speaking of boring, the once rebellious culture around the 911 has become a yawn fest.

Boring Enthusiast Culture

For a long time, Porsche guys were the diehards of the automotive world. Every weekend they could be found at the local race track, setting lap times in purpose built race cars they maintained during the week. Yes a few tax attorneys had them, but they didn’t always say their professions at meetups.

To be honest, for good and bad reasons, the barrier to entry was higher. An aircooled engine was anachronistic by the late 90s, and required special care. The rear engine configuration forced drivers to become skilled or end up in a local hedge.

Hollywood’s leading men loved these cars. Steve McQueen and Paul Newman were big fans, Michael Jordan had one as well. They raced 911s and were genuinely passionate about the car. They also had money and time to care for them.

Soon, however, the legend went mainstream. Cool kid cult classic style came into full effect just as production numbers ramped up. Now I can’t open IG without seeing a gaggle of 911s that are uniquely the same. Groups of guys arguing over details forgetting that true narcissism is found in small differences. 

Even Kendall Jenner has an air cooled 993. I get that the 90s are back, but that's way too trendy for me. 

Last week a Soho House, about 6 Peronis deep I struck up a conversation with a short 30 something clad in the black T shirt fuck boy uniform. Recently arriving from San Francisco to Miami, he went to the Porsche dealership to get a new ride. After laboriously picking options, he ended up with the same car as every other finance bro. For the privilege, Porsche was forcing him to wait almost a year. 

The internet creates echo chambers, where certain brands are the winners who take all. Today this can be seen from watches to women’s purses. The 911 has become a checkbox on every boring banker's Christmas wish list.

It also helps that they’re the only people who can afford them.

Price Escalation

Group think is skewing the supply demand dynamics behind these cars. While always expensive, the new ones are often nearing Ferrari prices. I like the cars, but there’s no way a new 911 targa is worth $170,000. True, the list price for a base car is lower, but good luck finding one at your local dealer.

It’s even worse for used and classic cars. The original 60s and 70s chrome bumper ones have been in the stratosphere for a while, but even 80s and 90s ones now cost almost as much as a new model.

My dad sold his 1993 car for $27K in 2006, now it would be worth more than double if not triple that. If you want the last of the breed late 90s 993 cars, you need to think in the six figures for a cherry one.

High prices cannot be separated from culture. Hot rods and racers can no longer afford these cars, only posers are interested. Money can buy a lot of things, but genuine cool points are hard to put on an Amex. Normally I don’t like to cry about changing tastes and rising prices, but these seem a bit insane for a relatively common car, especially when other companies, with more interesting products, can’t get anyone into their showrooms.

If you have money and no taste, Lamborghini is there for you, just make sure you’re more interested in internet THOTs than car guys approval.

Alternatives

If you’ve read Florida Flaneur before you know I love British cars and bikes. My V8 Vantage is a great 911 alternative. Sexy, loud, and  rare, my hand built car is what the Porsche used to be. The good news is prices have bottomed and there’s nowhere to go but up. Get one while you still can.

For the die hard German fans out there, ton’s of BMW M cars can be had on the cheap. These Teutonic hot rods are the ultimate sleepers. I love the 2000s m5, a big V8 in a four door is an insane amount of fun. If you go Porsche, the Boxter and Cayman carry on the true spirit of the 911.

Beyond all of this, you have Lotus, Corvette, Audi, Mercedes, and even little old Nissan offering unique sports car options. Choose one of these, benefit from being a connoisseur, not one of the herd. When the 911 bubble bursts you’ll be happy you stood apart from the crowd.