Slipstream - March 2020

Oversteer: Letter from the Editor
by Kurt Scaggs, Managing Editor
Last month I revealed a little about my love for cars
that underwent some questionable transformations in the
80’s, and that brought up some conversations about what
constitutes a “real Porsche”. We’re an opinionated lot I’ve
found. This month Robert Turner shares a conversation he
had with another enthusiast at one of our fine events and
that opens the door on my article this month.
So what is a real Porsche? Does it need to have a flat six
to qualify? Should only cars with the engine in the back be let
into the club? Should they even have automatic transmissions,
cup holders and backup cameras? We’ve heard things said in
fun like: Oh, the 914 doesn’t count, it was developed with
VW. Your 944 is nice, but it isn’t a real Porsche. And why
oh why do we need an SUV from our favorite manufacturer?
I’ve driven on of those SUV’s, a Turbo Macan, and I can
confirm that not only does it have the crest on the hood, it
has the soul inside. And while I’m still holding out judgement
on the Taycan, I think we can trust the folks in Stuttgart
to keep real Porsches rolling out the door that we’ll enjoy
driving. They are real, and they are fabulous!
A lot has been said throughout the years of controversial
Porsches and all of the terrible mistakes the company has
made. I read an article a few years ago that aimed to find
the car that represented Porsche’s biggest failure. You
know what they decided? It was the Carrera GT. I’m not
even going to begin to parse how wrong-headed that is,
but I do think it points out something very interesting. If
that beautiful and very potent car is considered the biggest
failure the company has made, they are doing pretty well.
I can’t think of another mainstream manufacturer that can
come close to that.
My day job is branding and design and Porsche is such
an interesting study, on many levels. Their core product is
eight generations old, and made its debut in 1963 and
launched in 1964. Some perspective: the Ford Mustang
also debuted in 1964. It has had six generations, but one of
those was the Mustang II. It was based on the Pinto, so
there’s that. Ford is making a Mustang based electric crossover,
the Mach E. I can’t count the wrong. We call it brand
dilution. It might be a great car but imagine if Porsche had
named the Cayenne the 911 Xtra. Shudder. The Corvette
has had seven generations, beginning in 1953. Not only
does the new one have the engine in the back (okay,
middle), it just doesn’t look like a Corvette to me at all. But
a Porsche still looks like a Porsche. Still drives like a
Porsche. So, keep the faith and enjoy the drive.
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