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Farewell, Ferdinand Porsche


Mike

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Unless you've been hit by one...... back in 1972 I got clobbered by an 1962 that was in the process of some serious body work. I remember the hit to this day. My Plymouth Duster survived, not certain the Porsche did.

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Long ago I had a Euro-spec 911 (when I was living in England). It was a beast--loud, unpredictable handling, a laughable HVAC (without the AC part) system--and I loved it. Truly a special automobile.

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The 911 is one of my all-time favorites, and to this day I lust after an 80s-era air-cooled version like no other car. I will own one someday. That's when I know I've "made it." A true icon and a magnificent design!

 

-MKL

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Mike - I beg to differ on the handling.

The 911 has VERY predictable handling, but I will grant that it's not what most people are used to. It's NOT for the timid - if you panic mid-corner and let off the throttle, you'll leave the road backwards. Steering is accomplished by fine-tuning the balance of the inputs between the steering wheel and right foot.

 

Loud? Check.

Harsh ride? Oh, yeah.

Climate control? Best handled by the window crank, not the dash controls.

But those were compromises I was willing to make for a true driving machine.

 

I have to admit that while 914 was a much more neutral (better?) handling car, it's not nearly the rush of the 911... There's something about coming off an apex with the front inside wheel off the ground and the rear stepped out a few degrees that satisfies something primal.

 

(Not me...)

orange1067889227.jpg

 

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Mike - I beg to differ on the handling.

The 911 has VERY predictable handling . . .

 

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

 

Okay, I'll admit that my experience was mostly with my '76, on greasy English back roads, often with the windshield wipers slapping furiously on the fogged-up windshield as the hedge blurred into a solid tunnel of green. That thing was a primal animal . . . controllable, but just barely. No electronic aids, no dynamic stability control. Just me, God, and a center of mass rearward of the back axle. Piss off the God of physics and you were toast.

 

It was predictable in much the same way that a grizzly sow with cubs is predictable.

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roadscholar

Farewell Butzi, your little car had a profound effect on my life.

 

Rest in Peace my good man.

 

 

I'll be driving mine today in your memory.

 

Think I'll do the same later today.

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Cool car...unless you're 6'4" or above, and have your knees next to your ears. One drive and I was convinced pickup trucks were better suited for my frame.

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Lusted after the 911 since the '70s, nearly bought a 914 in the early '80s, but would buy the Cayman today (assuming 6'5" fits inside it) because the 911 has lost the allure of a true sports car and become a "numbers" car. Mission creep bites again.

RIP Dr. Porsche.

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