Landyphil
Member Since: 23 Jul 2012
Location: Lake District
Posts: 87
 
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This is showing it's age but this post I think would seem relevant for this section.
Any thoughts?
Schnell or Sell?
Things are not so bad in Porsche land it would seem. Yes the takeover fun and games between VW and Porsche hasn’t gone quite so smoothly but all seems well now.
Sales are still climbing across the board but especially for the Cayenne which outsells the 911 by nearly 4 to 1. Clearly Cheshire is bigger than even Porsche thought.
The 911’s been around for nearly 50 years evolving all the time until only the principles that it was born with remain. Going very quickly while being pushed from behind by a boxer engine is an ethos that has endured. It may share nothing with the original version but there’s no need for an automotive version of “Who do you think you are?”. Its bloodline is clear all the way to Adolf.
The same could be said for the Defender and its predecessors. It might not be the biggest seller of the range but the Defender’s ability and history is the core of Land Rover’s principles.
So what if Porsche gave up? What if the next 911 was quieter, more spacious, used less fuel and considerably larger? But massively slower than the version it replaces. Slow enough to delete it from the crucible of motorsport and thrust it into the humdrum of the proletariat.
After all people often argue that you can only use 100% of the 911’s speed 1% of the time yet you pay a price for that rarely used speed. The same could be said for the Defenders ability away from tarmac, in off road terms it’s the full fat 911 GT2. No mouth and all trousers.
If Porsche did claim that their new peoples wagon was the new 911 they would of course be suitable ridiculed. But if they claimed it was faster when it clearly isn’t then the ridicule would turn to astonishment probably followed by public humiliation and maybe people buying elsewhere.
When it comes to performance motoring though the figures given can make for a pretty water tight argument. If you make a supercar that stops the clocks with impressive times round various circuits or develops a winning competition pedigree then replace it with one is demonstrably slower and less competitive but claim it’s quicker then clearly people will say your pants are on fire.
Strangely though I have a sneaking suspicion this is exactly what Land Rover are going to do. The “DC100” or something similar, should it remain anything like it’s current proto-form will be quieter, more spacious, generally more comfortable and potentially more frugal then the vehicle it replaces. But physics dictates that it’s size, shape and current planned design mean making a backward step when it comes to the Defenders “raison d’être” of low speed off road ability.
Some would argue that the current Discovery is just as good offroad in the same way that some would say that their Boxster is just as fast as a 911 GT3 because they once overtook one. But while the big Discovery is good, especially on smooth slippy surfaces it can’t bend physics. Or bend in the middle either which is a shame because it’s just too physically big so can't fit between or grind over bits that a Defender can. End of.
But it’s not.
For some reason off road capability is often viewed in feeling, perception and hearsay rather than ramp over angles, ground clearance and the ability to be driven into solid rock and grind over it. Competitive pedigree isn’t even a consideration. Because something can get round a Land Rover Experience track does not make it the off road elite.
For Porsche the clocks and podiums are difficult to cheat. For Land Rover it would seem they have a luxury not given to their high speed brethren and don’t have to build that pedigree for a new model or prove themselves quite so firmly
Of course you ask yourself “Would it matter if the new Defender is worse off road than the old one?” and the answer is probably “No”.
Land Rover want to sell lots and lots of cars and a less hardcore Defender model may help. That’s fine. Fire away. But if the new model is a backward offroad step then it should be announced as such. This isn’t traditionalism from the “minority” that Gerry McGovern wants to ignore. It’s decency.
The fact that car companies can turn their “Halo” model into cash cow to be milked is well known and Porsche is just one example of a firm who have milked theirs effectively. But I have a worrying suspicion Land Rover are about take away the udders.
90XS Tdci John Eales
110 CSW G4 Edition
88" Series 3 Racer
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29th Jul 2012 6:39pm |
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ZeDefender
Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731
 
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 Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...
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29th Jul 2012 7:04pm |
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WarPig
Member Since: 04 Dec 2009
Location: Sheffield
Posts: 1748
 
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nidge n wrote:The 911 gives Porsche its credibility. The Defender does the same for Land Rover. People buy other Land Rover products, safe in the knowledge that its the Defender that provides the DNA.
True |
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8th Aug 2012 6:42pm |
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DarrenJ
Member Since: 07 May 2012
Location: North Beds
Posts: 312
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Great post Darren
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8th Aug 2012 9:06pm |
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Landyphil
Member Since: 23 Jul 2012
Location: Lake District
Posts: 87
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GREENI wrote:Longest copy and paste ever !
I did write it originally though. 90XS Tdci John Eales
110 CSW G4 Edition
88" Series 3 Racer |
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9th Aug 2012 10:02am |
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