Car Philosophy Friday: Is the Porsche 911 Just a Backwards Subaru?

New series! Wow!! Much New!!! Much Deep Thoughts!!!! No, but seriously, this is a series I hope to start about analyzing automotive topics with short blogs. My wish is to provoke thought, but I promise to not take this too seriously or try to act enlightened. So let’s get right into the meat of this topic!

So to some the very thought of comparing a brand which has never sold a car over 40k with a German technoligical powerhouse which sells many sports cars of 6 digits or even 7! While there are clear differences, the parallels reveal truths about good car production.

Firstly, let’s address the obvious fact many Porsches and most Subaru’s have boxer engines. While Porsche has more often used 6 cylinder boxers, and Subaru uses mostly four cylinder boxers, the similarity stands. It’s worth noting Subaru does have its own 6 cylinder engines used in the Legacy, SVX, and Tribeca, and that Porsche has had flat 4s in the past for example with the 914 and recently the turbo 4 took over as the main power plant of the new Cayman and Boxster. While the rest of Porsche’s range including the Cayenne, Panamera, and Macan, are not boxer powered, we’ll be ignoring these exceptions, as they are mainly cash cows and borrow heavily from the Volkswagen group in terms of platform and engines. The purest Porsches since the 356 have for the most part been boxer powered, and Subaru has carried the tradition on ever since the Subaru 1000 in 1966. Both also went from air cooled boxers to water cooled boxers to keep up with technological advancement.

Another similarity between Subarus and the Porsche 911 is their use of all wheel drive. Subaru’s all-wheel drive system is perhaps more highly touted, but Porsche has put it to use with their 911s too. Subaru started their tradition with the Leone in 1972, while Porsche’s first awd boxers came with the 959 in 1986 and the Porsche 911 (964) in 1989. Additionally, both Subaru’s BRZ Sports car and Porsche’s Cayman and Boxster are rear wheel drive only. While all-wheel drive is now standard for Subaru and optional for the Porsche, it has proven a popular option for Porsche. This further expands on the mechanical similarities, meaning the drivetrains are almost entirely flipped.

Outside of the prior two mechanical similarities, the connections run deeper between the brands. Both manufacturers seem to try their best to make amazing automobiles and not to just throw something together and spend more on marketing for a quick buck. This means that these cars live on to please their owners for many years, and many are still on the road today. Everyone know’s that a respected Japanese company like Subaru often brags about the number of their cars still on the road, but Porsche also goes the extra mile, especially with a program to help keep Porsches of all ages tearing up curves and even offer full restoration services. These cars could also easily be lifeless as so many other cars from Japanese and German automakers, but both Subaru put the extra ingredient found in any good car, love. Just like your mother’s homemade cooking, it’s nice to know that the person offering you this product did it willingly and with the goal of pleasing you, the recipient of this treasured machine. They both came from the ashes of WW2, companies which developed some of the war’s deadliest machines, but now they both make amazing cars, and whether the engine be in the front or the rear, you can sure bet your car with passion for automotive excellence. #blogpost #carphilosophyfriday

"In August, Subaru spent just $857 per car on incentives; only Porsche spent less. Edmunds.com senior analyst Jessica Caldwell says Subaru customers are generally capable of affording a more expensive vehicle."