Boxste' size

[32wildbilly]

So talking to a guy in a grocery store parking lot about his new Boxsta'. I didn't ask the year but guess it is the latest generation.

My question is why in the Hell has Porsche decided to make their cars so freakin' large? I have not looked at the specs for this car but in appearance it is larger than my 996 C4S! It is a good looking car but presents as FAT(not phat).

The last AutoCross in 2021 we had an early version Boxsta' show up and it looked to be about half the size of this behemoth.

I don't get it.

WHY?

[5chn3ll]

The newer Boxsters seem ENORMOUS compared to my old (2003) 986 - I don't know the reasoning behind it, but the size difference is remarkable.

[theprf]

It's the way of the world.
992's seem enormous next to my 996.
A 2022 Ford Ranger is about the same size as a 2009 F150.

[gnat]

992's seem enormous next to my 996.

I haven't been up close to a 992, but the 991 was bad enough and the wide S versions are just silly.

[32wildbilly]

Ok so I'm an "old" sports car guy. In the past I owned a TR4, a Sunbeam Tiger and a 300ZX(which was too large). To me a sports car should be small compared to the mom and pop four door hi-way cruisers. I just don't understand a sports car company growing everything so large. I've lived through years of cars growing and shrinking but "sports cars" were always on the small size of that insanity.

I just don't get it...

[Dr_Strangelove]

prf has it right. The way of the world. Another way to say it - the way of the focus group. Also - the way of the pedestrian safety regulator. The way of the insurance adjuster. The way of the crash dummy. Etc.

All cars have a much higher beltline (pedestrian safety,) and have gotten to be roughly the same shape for fuel efficiency as well as a really interesting factor I had never considered but I learned about it listening to the designer of the "original" new Mini. (Early 2000's.) He was talking about how he fought tooth and nail to have the tail light completely encompassed into the fender, and was explaining how most manufacturers fight to have it blend out into the edge of the panel because it's cheaper to repair in a collision. It had nothing to do with cost of manufacture.. At least for that car.

In the case of the Boxste' - I'd bet it's getting misshapen for a lot of the reasons I listed above but in its own right.

[32wildbilly]

Pedestrian safety by higher beltline?? I swear I reviewed an article a few years back breaking bad on the new larger trucks and SUV being more dangerous in pedestrian strikes in the front as the height allowed for zero "roll up the hood" action. In other words like running into a brick wall at 30 mph. Maybe I was scanning too fast.

On fuel economy I get similar shapes, but wouldn't a smaller lighter vehicle give the opportunity of potential better gas mileage? I get design impacts efficiency at speed so a Lincoln Navigator/Chevy Suburban type vehicle or any of the new pick-up must be incredibly inefficient due to size. Even some of the semi-tractor designers are beginning to demonstrate a basic knowledge of streamlining for fuel economy.

prf has it right. The way of the world. Another way to say it - the way of the focus group. Also - the way of the pedestrian safety regulator. The way of the insurance adjuster. The way of the crash dummy. Etc.

All cars have a much higher beltline (pedestrian safety,) and have gotten to be roughly the same shape for fuel efficiency as well as a really interesting factor I had never considered but I learned about it listening to the designer of the "original" new Mini. (Early 2000's.) He was talking about how he fought tooth and nail to have the tail light completely encompassed into the fender, and was explaining how most manufacturers fight to have it blend out into the edge of the panel because it's cheaper to repair in a collision. It had nothing to do with cost of manufacture.. At least for that car.

In the case of the Boxste' - I'd bet it's getting misshapen for a lot of the reasons I listed above but in its own right.

[gnat]

Pedestrian safety by higher beltline?? I swear I reviewed an article a few years back breaking bad on the new larger trucks and SUV being more dangerous in pedestrian strikes in the front as the height allowed for zero "roll up the hood" action. In other words like running into a brick wall at 30 mph. Maybe I was scanning too fast.

Anything classed as a truck (pretty much any larger SUV) play by a different set of safety, fuel economy, and emissions rules. So what he said is true about cars, but not applied (or applied the same) for them.

On fuel economy I get similar shapes, but wouldn't a smaller lighter vehicle give the opportunity of potential better gas mileage?

All that safety and emissions stuff adds weight and requires space. Then you have all the stuff that the owner doesn't want to live without which is more weight and space. The only option is for the car to keep growing to make it all fit.

I mean even something as simple as the seats have gotten nuts. My P!g's front seat makes one of the 996 seats look like a baby seat!

[32wildbilly]

So if I understand correctly the "safety" items and the consumer wants are driving the size of new vehicles. Perfect...simply perfect.

Which brings me to one of my pet peeves. Who in the f--k needs a full size four door pickup when is is quite evident it is not a work truck, farm truck, doesn't have a trailer hitch so not towing things, is spotless with chrome rims so no off road(we call them O st. four wheelers around here after the main drag in town used for cruising). If ever you are in a low slung sports car in a diagonal parking space next to one of those I wish you well in your attempts to back out safely. Another fun thing is sitting while a driver is backing into a spot which almost all of these ginormous trucks tend to do around here. I think it is the new "I gotta big one, just look at my truck..." You know considering the above the Boxsta' today was tiny.

On fuel economy I get similar shapes, but wouldn't a smaller lighter vehicle give the opportunity of potential better gas mileage?

All that safety and emissions stuff adds weight and requires space. Then you have all the stuff that the owner doesn't want to live without which is more weight and space. The only option is for the car to keep growing to make it all fit.

I mean even something as simple as the seats have gotten nuts. My P!g's front seat makes one of the 996 seats look like a baby seat!

[FRUNKenstein]

These damn new cars!!!

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