RobotBoogie:But then, the whole 911 thing is frankly bizarre - 50 years or more of huge industrial engineering talent thrown at solving a problem that could be removed completely by the simple expedient of not hanging the engine out over the rear wheels.
You don't understand the immense value of the 911 and its format; a "problem" that has been blithely solved in recent times, infinitely, by every other manufacturer apart from Renault - who delightfully created the problem again in the flawed but almost unique (and slightly crap) Alpine GTA.
It is sad that there are people so visionless that they can't see firstly what the configuration offers technically, and secondly how the way in which Porsche has honed this driving machine to exploit all its potential is something approaching sublime. Look how they have made the whole visceral experienced a balanced and beautifully engineered one: the braking power and stability combined with incredible feel, the usability of what was once a terrifying chassis, and the continual advancement of the ergonomics to make it a car that can be used regularly without too much pain.
And then, think about what is lost in the termination of a model devotedly developed over maybe 70 years with the engine rearwards of the rear axle: the most effective way of producing accelerative grip; the delicious quirk of a chassis that bites tenaciously out of corners in a way no other car can. The packaging also allows the car to be kept relatively small and therefore light, so that the performance figures, especially off the line, are astonishing.
You are yearning for a world full of anodyne and yielding solutions to selective questions. You don't appear to appreciate the profound statement of engineering, flair and genius that is made in the relentless 911 project.
If you have not seen it before, you might appreciate this, though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYiJ0ATSM1s
I have always thought Clarkson was good (although sometimes an idiotic thug), but this was very good. Almost genius.
