Badge engineering - coming clean

["Graydon D. Stuckey" <graydon@apollo.gmi.edu>]

On Thu, 22 May 1997 MSV96@aol.com wrote:

> In a note dated 5/21/97 (cool name man) Graydon D. Stuckey writes:
> 
> <<This is all fine and good I suppose, but you'd have the Porsche logo all 
> over the car.   I'd be ashamed...>>
> 
> My first thought was "why?" But then being a Porsche enthusiast almost as
> much as I am a quattro fanatic I realized that unless Porsche really did the
> tuning (i.e. the RS2) that this is just "badge engineering" for which I too
> would be ashamed of doing. I'm not if sure this was Graydon's reasoning...but
> either way I think he's right.

Well, Mike, badge engineering is certainly somewhat detestable, but the
primary problem here is that I am NOT a Porsche fan at all.  I recognize
_some_ excellent engineering in their cars, but the classic Porsches (the
rear engine P cars) are a severe compromise in terms of overall design
concept.  Hanging a huge weight out the rear end is terrible for anything
except packaging and straight line performance.  That doesn't mean that
they haven't made it work - obviously they have, but I don't like it. 
Furthermore, I think their styling stinks (except maybe the 944 series.) 

Obviously, the Quattro does exactly the same thing by hanging a huge 
weight out over the front axle, which again, for packaging reasons is very 
good for AWD.   I guess if Audis were as ugly as Porsches, I'd not be 
driving a Quattro either.

Hence the comment.   :-)

I also realise that pcars are a very religious experience for many 
people, so I expect a fair proportion of hate mail, but I don't care - my 
thoughts are based on basic engineering principles, not the Order of 
Ferdinand.   Besides, this is a Quattro list.  :-)

Later,
Graydon D. Stuckey 
No P-cars in this stable.