The Death of the Driver's Car

"... I looked around and, not finding the automobile of my dreams, decided to build it myself." - Ferdinand Porsche

Why are sports cars always two-seaters*?
*Unless the rear seats can accommodate at least 2 average sized adults, it's still a two-seater in my books.

Many would say, matter-of-factly, that a usable second row is non-ideal for minimizing weight and hence hinders performance. This is true... but consider that some of the (so-called) *lightest* compact sports cars of today are heavier than practical, spacious pre-90's family cars.

Granted, that a lot more tact is needed to pack in all the modern safety gadgets into the same weight. Mazda was able to make their 2016 ND MX-5, even with all the standard modern goodies, within 20kg of their original (relatively) stripped out NA6 model from 1989. Clearly, the task isn't impossible. It's just that nobody can be bothered to actually do it.

If you're now yelling at your screen, "Quit your ranting and just go buy an old rust bucket!", you've completely missed my point. There is, always has been, and always will be, an abundance of people like me. People who aren't professional race car drivers or wealthy enough to afford a second recreational car. People who thrive on the pleasure of driving a fast and nimble car that's full of character; but is also practical to live with daily - something that won't make you choose between your family and your passion.

Yes, the size of this market is relatively tiny. The vast majority of car buyers are more interested in a comfortable mode of transport that will, as far as possible, drive itself. The heart-breaking reality for driving enthusiasts is that fully autonomous transportation is where the industry is ultimately headed.

There are simply no modern equivalents to real-world sports cars like the unicorn BMW E28 M5, or the endangered 4-door BMW E30. Compared to how scarcely available they are there is a huge demand for cars like these! Sadly, BMW is today an utter disgrace to everything the brand was until the early 90's.

Imagine, for a moment, if those godly machines were brought back into production today! That would still not solve our problems. There's a new design criterion for the sports car of the future - it must run on a more sustainable energy source. I was almost relieved when Tesla announced the Model 3. I wondered if this could indeed be the automotive messiah. But given how aggressively Tesla is investing in autonomous driving technology, building a true "Driver's Car" doesn't seem to be much of a priority for them.

This is where Porsche comes to our rescue with their Mission E. Driving enthusiasts the world over can be grateful that Porsche as a brand continues to uphold the design philosophy that they were founded on. Even when embracing new technology they've always shown a commitment to minimizing any compromise to the *driving experience*.

Of course it would be my greatest honor and privilege to be a part of that. But even if that doesn't happen, I can still follow in the footsteps of Ferdinand Porsche and "build it myself".