I have been meaning to write this post for a while (about two years to be exact), but have been reluctant to introduce politics into the content of this blog. As all of our readers know, the one thing this blog isn’t is political. This blog is about freedom. This blog is about lifestyle. This blog is about helping Porsche lovers live their dream of driving the best cars on the best roads in the world. This blog is about creating lasting memories manifested through unforgettable experiences provided by the best car manufacturer the world has ever known.
That being said, 911Nation is a community. We thrive on the connections we make with our readers. Our success is based on the breadth of the value we provide our audience which is made up of those who own, want to own, love, drive, and cherish Porsche cars. When something comes along be it social, political, economic, or whatever else, that affects our citizen’s abilities to do what they love most, we have to speak up, and defend their interests. That’s just how we roll!
So I pose this question in the interest of getting to the bottom of an issue that affects all Porsche enthusiasts, from the very young to the seasoned owner, from the newbie to the die hard aficionado. I pose this question because of the serious threat it poses to the very existence of the Porsche brand in America.
Will Obama take away your Porsche? First things first, we want to know how each of you who come across these pages feel, and we encourage you to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below this article.
Here is my take on the matter.
In February of this year, I came across an interesting article on the blog, the Truth About Cars, which confirmed a concern that had been lingering in the back of my mind for a while. In the article, author Bertel Schmidt talked about the threat that new CAFE standards being touted by Obama and the Democrats pose to the future presence of Porsche in the American car market. What’s even more worrisome, is the timetable for Porsche’s extinction (it could be as soon as 2016).
I know what you’re thinking. Right now, you’re telling yourself there is no way in hell you could even conceive of something like that happening. Not here. Not in America. Not in the last true bastion of freedom and democracy on the planet. Well, the bigwigs of the Porsche corporate superstructure don’t seem to share your confidence.
We are approaching the problem on a political and a technical level†said a Porsche spokesperson to Das Autohaus. In other words, they’re taking the possibility of extinction quite seriously.
Basically, Porsche’s strategy relies on being granted an extension by the Federal government while it manufactures technology that will reduce carbon emission to the newly proposed levels. What does that mean? It means they are at the mercy of administrators in the US, which given their current political agenda, is risky business.
Here are some interesting and illuminating excerpts describing the gravity of the situation taken from this great article on TAC.
Germany’s Focus Magazine explains: The new law says that size determines the allowable mileage of a car. A car with a bigger footprint has wider parameters than a small car. This rule favors US manufacturers, who are heavy on pick-ups. Porsche is hit hard. A sports car manufacturer has to contend with an unfavorable relationship between size and consumption.
Germany’s Börsen-Zeitung: In the worst case, this could be the end of Porsche in the U.S. Porsche hopes they can avoid the worst.
Feeling a bit incredulous. Ask Porsche and see for yourself. If you want to find out more, we recommend you write or phone your local congressmen and let them know your concerns.
Here is a link to the full article which provided most of the information for this post.
Obama Will Take Away Your Porsche
[PHOTO CREDIT: RPMVT]
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
If they do that , there is not going to be another choice that moving to Germany!!
That is a very good point. Wouldn’t it be a great excuse?
As if the Autobahn, Romantische Straße, Schwartzwald Strasse and sweet back-country roads wasn’t enough of a reason!
Sie Chinese are coming…. “China Drives Sales of German Luxury Cars ”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575354813322346000.html?KEYWORDS=Porsche
As the World leaders (especially the European Union) are pushing towards a One World Government, and Climate Change is high on their agenda (i.e Carbon Taxes, & even more stringent EPA standards) Porsche cars as they are today may not even be allowed in Europe along with many other manufacturers. Which means their survival at current scale will require them to “change”. Smaller displacement motors, Superchargers, Turbo chargers, Hybrid’s, electric cars, and new technology such at ATG’s Sprintex Superchargers with Plasmadrive fuel saving engine systems: http://www.aer.com.au/announcements/2010/0609/01070494.pdf
Smaller lighter more efficient sports cars are on horizon – think 1972 911 Carrera that get’s 40 mpg, or Lotus today!
I’m sure Porsche has engineers working on this. Sure they are being forced to innovate, but i think they’ll be better for it.
Porsche Hybrid Concept….see, they are already working on it.
http://www.notcot.com/archives/2010/07/porsche-hybrid-918-spyder.php
I agree that these measures will lead to innovation and I’m confiedent Porsche will rise to the challenge.
I think Porsche would be working on these technologies anyways. I see no need to threaten companies that help shape the future of new technologies by imposing restrictions based on unproven theories.
Well, that’s that. I’ll see you all in Germany.
See you there! Thanks for coming by and sharing.
And all this time I thought wealthy people with Porsches must be intelligent to make all their money. Now I know it’s just greed. Thanks group
Hey John. I’m sorry you feel that way. Unfortunately your conclusions are based on assumptions that have no basis in reality. That fact alone makes it difficult to come up with an appropriate response to your comment. If I may, assuming that people are not intelligent simply because they defend their interest in one aspect of their lives: their love for great automobile performance, design, and manufacturing, is irresponsible.
First of all, you assume that all Porsche owners are wealthy. That is just simply not the case. In fact, on a recent visit to a Porsche event, i found most of the folks in attendance, many of which were owners, were very humble middle-class hard-working people who just happened to have a Porsche. I’ve written several articles that show that one doesn’t have to be rich to be a Porsche enthusiast, and even an owner. Just the other day I saw a beautiful 1973 Porsche 911 that was for sale for 9,000$.
Your second assumption is that Porsche owners are greedy, a conclusion you reach based on your first assumption. Well, again your argument doesn’t hold water. The main reason it doesn’t hold water is because you have no idea who these people are, how they live, and what they do with their money. You claim to know something about me simply because of an article I wrote on a speciifc public policy that I may or may not disagree with in general, but do take issue with what it means for the Porsche brand. The truth is, you haven’t the slightest idea who I am, and what motivates me, the least factor of which is greed. You don’t know for example that I am not wealthy in the slightest. You don’t know that I run another blog, Simply Optimal, the main premise of which is to help others grow as conscious human beings. Everything I offer as part of that blog I do for free, based on my passion for helping others grow and succeed. You don’t know that I am dedicated to starting a foundation meant to help provide grants in education for underprivileged kids in underdeveloped nations.
Another assumption you make is that wealthy people are successful. Many of them arrived at their fortune through inheritance. Others become wealthy because of their greed. Some do it through illicit practices such as Bernie Madoff. And some people, well, they just get lucky.
There are several other faulty assumptions you make in your brief statement, but I think you get the idea.
I would appreciate your conclusions alot more in the future if they were based in fact and supported by evidence. I do, however, appreciate you stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us. Come back again soon.
Gianpaolo, I couldn’t agree more with your response to John. He clearly allowed his unfortunate bias to blurt out an illogical and unsustainable comment. I agree wholeheartedly that most Porsche owners are NOT wealthy. They are simply passionate about driving and about a brand that has stood for excellence since it was born. EXCELLENCE is the one word that describes Porsche, and the pursuit of EXCELLENCE that Porsche represents is the single most important attraction of its enthusiasts.
You rightly point out that you can be a Porsche owner for a few thousand dollars. A well informed Porschephile can acquire a pre-owned Porsche for very reasonable amount, much less than a new Toyota or Mazda or Chevy, and that well chosen Porsche can give driving enjoyment for many years. Porsches can give decades of good service to a good owner that maintains it properly!!
However, one small addition that I would make to your comment about wealth is that MOST wealthy people WORK SUPER HARD FOR IT, AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE GREEDY TO SET OUT TO ACHIEVE IT. ALL YOU HAVE TO BE IS COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AND, IN MOST CASES, INTEGRITY. A few greedy, unscrupulous misguided examples should not be used to cast aspersions on the wealthy, most of whom have worked very hard for their success, are achievers that contribute significantly to society and are wonderful persons.
Well, I will turn my 996 into an electric. On the October issue of GTPorsche mag there is a fellow that converted a 912 into a 911E for about $20,000, it was a good article.
Thanks for your comment!
You’re safe with your 996, but your next Porsche may have to be electric if environmental extremists get their way. And it will cost you a lot more than $20,000. Actually, $20,000 may be the cost of replacing its batteries!
This is hyperbole and conjecture and it’s apex. They only one putting an end to the Porsche is those that own the company. CAFE standards do not nor will they ever prevent a company from operating. At worst, they charge a sort of fine for each vehicle that does not meet requirements. Though the OEM pays this fine, it is passed on to the consumer. That said, Porsche like every automaker has every incentive to develop state-of-the-art technology that provides us with both a great driving experience and the comfort of know that we are polluting ourselves to a lesser degree as the world population continues to climb.
Obviously, CAFE has nothing to do with extremism of the environmental or other kind. Extremism might dictate that none of us use powered vehicles of any kind, which is clearly not the case here. Indeed, one could further argue that a generation of people who have lived in an era of fossil fuel consumption are cheating future generations by consuming resources that are not sustainable.
We need look no further than the new Porsche Panamera Hybrid S, which according to sources, has a CO2 g/km of only 160. Indeed that is a competitive number, especially for a car capable of great handling and performance.
PS, it’s CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) not CAFÉ. The government isn’t trying to regulate how you drink coffee in your car, thank goodness!
Also, I might further posit that America is the follower not the leader in developing improved environmental standards with respect to the automotive industry.
Beyond,
Thanks for the nitpick on the accent on the “E” in CAFE. That was very illuminating, if you catch my drift.
Although this blog is not political, I must say that the jury is still out on whether or not carbon emissions are the reason for global warming. Plenty of controversy on the science, and in fact, it has come out that some British scientists were doctoring their data to justify the correlation falsely.
You are right, it is Europe that leads in environmental standards. Plenty of chest beating on the subject over there. I guess you are part of that chest beating, haughty, “I told you so” attitude on the old continent. Keep blazing it in your Panamera Hybrid, or is it a Prius?
When the batteries in your Prius need replacing, what are you going to do with them? Will your disposal of the spent batteries be sustainable? Or will you be part of creating the next environmental crisis.
For now, I will stick to the internal combustion engine, and consume gasoline while I enjoy the hell out of my weekend drives in mountain roads in a ten year old Porsche, confident in the knowledge that cows generate far more CO2 than my cars. In your case I hope you are a vegetarian non dairy product consumer. Otherwise you are fooling yourself into believing you live a sustainable life.
And do remember please, that in China and India, with a much higher proportion of the world’s population, they don’t give much of a damn about CAFE or your European CO2 emission follies.
Enjoy your Prius.
I drive a Range Rover and a BMW (and dream of replacing the BMW with an older 911), both of which consume what I consider to be a lot of fuel for the utility they provide, which is primarily commuting. Incidentally, I consider myself an environmentalist (likely an ‘environmental extremist’ in your parlance, Giancarlo) and struggle with the fact that I believe my vehicles are causing more harm to the world (both environmental and power struggles related to use of oil) than other currently available vehicles (a diesel Golf for example). However, as an auto enthusiast, I derive tons of satisfaction (and CO2!) from my beloved Range Rover and BMW. Although some may complain about restrictions of freedom that these types of indulgences are likely to be taken away if innovation does not make them more energy efficient, it is the simple reality that, if someone like me, who strongly identifies as willing to make significant compromises to minimize negative impact on the environment, is to date unwilling to relinquish my inefficient vehicles, that goes to show that, to the dismay of many, regulations will be the only way that shifts to better efficiency will happen at a fast enough pace by forcing manufacturers to innovate their way to meeting more stringent standards in lieu of continuing down the path of least resistance which is proving to yield an untenable level of negative externalities. Yes that will be financially costly to organizations and individuals (if only in the short term), yes some characteristics we currently enjoy in our vehicles may change, and yes car companies, change-resistant traditionalists, self-serving ‘freedom’ fighters, and fear-mongering fascists will cry foul, but the reality is that to create more sustainable transportation in an effective timeframe, more restrictive regulations (more stringent CAFE, gas taxes, whatever) are both imperfect and necessary.
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