You're Probably Buying Too Much Porsche | PCA's Technical Director

Are Porsche owners spending thousands more for performance they can barely use?This week on ElevenAfterNine, I sit down with Manny Alban, former National President and current Technical Director of the Porsche Club of America, to talk about why the "base" Porsche may actually be one of the smartest and most enjoyable cars in the lineup.Manny has driven an enormous range of Porsches, from base Carreras and Boxsters to GT cars, Turbo S models, the 918 Spyder, and just about everything in between. His take surprised me. When Porsche sends cars to PCA for testing, the base models are often the ones everyone wants to drive.We get into what happens when you start adding horsepower, all-wheel drive, rear-wheel steering, carbon buckets, center locks, Sport-Tex, PASM, Porsche Sport Exhaust and other expensive options. At what point are you improving the car, and when are you simply buying more Porsche than you can actually use?We also talk about two used Porsches Manny believes are up and coming.IN THIS EPISODE:Why Porsche doesn't actually call the Carrera a "base 911"Why PCA testers often prefer the least expensive versionBase Carrera vs Carrera S vs GTSWhy lower horsepower can make a Porsche more funRear-wheel drive vs all-wheel driveWhich Porsche options Manny always recommendsWhy carbon bucket seats may be the wrong choiceManny's problem with Sport-Tex and Alcantara steering wheelsWhy he thinks Porsche center locks make little sense on a street carThe story behind PCA's 60th Anniversary Club CoupeHow modern stability systems make today's Porsches easier to drive fastWhy modern Porsches may simply be too fast for public roadsWhy the 991.1 Carrera may be one of today's best Porsche buysWhy buyers shouldn't automatically fear an early BoxsterManual vs PDKThe one Porsche Manny would choose if he could only have oneCONNECT WITH MANNY AND THE PORSCHE CLUB OF AMERICA:Porsche Club of America:https://www.pca.org/PCA Insider Podcast:https://podcast.pca.org/PCA Insider on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/porsche-club-insider/id1599573815PCA YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/porscheclubofamericaPCA Tech Tactics:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCZmxzg99WQxxBgFOwP1r5O6yfBGTRIsACONNECT WITH ELEVENAFTERNINE:Website:https://elevenafternine.com/Porsche Buyer Consulting:https://elevenafternine.com/consulting.htmlYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@ElevenAfterNineInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/theelevenafternineListen to Eleven After Nine:https://shows.acast.com/eleven-after-nineApple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eleven-after-nine-a-porsche-culture-podcast/id1887344928Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0fpVL61pWEZDkaygT7cGZhCONTACT:11afternine@gmail.comQUESTION FOR YOU:Would you rather own a well-optioned base Carrera or spend the extra money for a Carrera S or GTS?Let me know below. I'm especially curious to hear from anyone who has owned both.CHAPTERS:00:00 - Meet Manny Alban01:50 - What Does "Base Porsche" Actually Mean?03:13 - Why Manny Loves Base Models04:54 - Building a Carre