1996 Porsche 993 Twin Turbo In Polar Silver 25,700 Miles Completely Serviced on 2040-cars

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Porsche prioritizes 200,000-unit sales target over exclusivity [w/poll]

Would a Porsche still be a Porsche if it weren't as exclusive? That's the question which industry pundits are asking - and customers may soon as well - as the German automaker emerges from the fringe in pursuit of larger volumes.
A dozen years ago Porsche was barely selling over 50,000 units per annum. In a sales surge that has gathered pace as fast as a 911 Turbo, however, it was already hovering around the 100,000-unit mark a few years later. Last year it sold over 160,000, and has targeted 200,000 units by 2018. But it may not even take that long.
Automotive News reports that Porsche has advanced its targets to reach for 200,000 units by the end of this year or the next. The bump in sales would be driven particularly by the introduction of the new Macan, of which it aims to sell 50,000 units annually, starting next year. The Cayenne currently stands far and away as its most successful model. The 911 and Panamera have swapped second place a few times over the past five years, followed by the Boxster and Cayman.

'We're not a hedge fund': Porsche plans to curtail speculators and flippers

A sizable number of speculators view cars as an investment. Rare or unusual models are quickly snapped up and either parked for years or flipped for a profit. Cars from automakers like Porsche and Ferrari are more prone than others, and at least some people behind these models are getting a bit tired of it. While it's difficult to police what goes on after you sell a car, Porsche has some plans that might curtail the problem before it starts. Andreas Preuninger, the head of GT road-car development and the man behind the new 911 GT3, spoke to Car and Driver at a recent event. "I personally like to see my cars being used," he said. "That's what we build them for. They are just too good to be left to stand and collect dust." One recent example of this rampant speculation is the 911 R. While the special manual-only model sold for $185,950 when new, used versions were selling for nearly $1.3 million just months after it went on sale. While the car is a masterpiece and an instant classic, a good number will be parked and simply used as art and not the rolling testaments to the man/machine interface they were intended to be. The concern over valuations has become so fierce that some owners are upset that Porsche is offering the new 911 GT3 with a manual transmission, fearing that it may hurt the value of the 911 R. "When I said we're not a hedge fund, I'm talking to those people who are yelling at us for offering the manual transmission similar to the R," Preuninger said. "But if there are people wanting to buy cars like that, then as a company we should try to fulfill that, to meet that demand." It seems Porsche is keeping a close eye on who is flipping cars. Since there is often far more demand than supply with certain models, the German automaker has a name for every car before it's built. Buyers with bad reputations might not even make the wait list. Related Video:

Petrolicious studies the purity of a Porsche 911 2.7 RS

Water-cooled Porsches are superior to the old, air-cooled models. This really isn't up for debate, despite the mob of Porsche purists, with pitchforks and torches in hand, currently descending on the Autoblog offices. Water-cooled models are more powerful and easier to live with, two factors that make modern Porsches just so darn amazing.
And while we won't hear arguments on anything we've written above, we will say that the old air-cooled models, while not superior, are just, somehow, better. They sound better - a lot better. They're simple, elemental and wildly entertaining things, that just beg for more and more. They rev in a way that forces drivers to work to unlock their power, rather than just push their right foot down. Part of the appeal of air-cooled Porsches, in addition to what we just listed, are the gorgeous cars they're slotted into, like the subject of the latest video from Petrolicious.
Starring a 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS, this video is a bit shorter than recent ones, but it's no less exciting. This 911, complete with it's sweet-sounding exhaust is the kind of simple, entertaining thing we can watch over and over. Scroll down for the full video.