Photography by Bring A Trailer and Porsche
Thomas Holland is an automotive journalist and presenter. He hosts “Throttle House” on YouTube and “The Grand Tour” on Prime Video. But he’s most proud of the fact that he has consistently managed to keep two of his three Alfa Romeos working at any given time. His opinions are very much his own. Because usually no one else wants them.
I don’t actually like rare steak.
Even though Instagram keeps trying to tell me that if I don’t eat mostly raw beef, unpasteurized milk, and pigs testicles, that my “T levels” will drop and I won’t be allowed to join the morning’s ritual of kneeling on a small carpet facing southwest, to pray to Joe Rogan.
I prefer lean cuts of steak cooked medium and sliced properly so they are still tender. I like slow cooked beef that falls off the bone. But you can keep your fatty, $300 tomahawk that looks like it was cooked by someone lighting a candle in a different room. Oh, and yes, you’re supposed to eat carbs.
I believe this is what’s called an “unpopular opinion.”
I have others actually. I think short-form content will be proven to be even worse than smoking. I think kids should be taught to memorize basic arithmetic in schools again. I don’t care if GTA 6 ever gets released.
But interestingly, “unpopular opinions” are sometimes just “popular opinions” that no one wants to be the first to admit. Like maybe certain large breeds of dogs that were literally bred to hunt lions shouldn’t be allowed near school playgrounds? Maybe we aren’t out of touch grownups and the “broccoli” haircut actually does look friggin stupid?
The fun happens when you don’t know if your opinion is truly unpopular, or if it’s just what everyone is thinking, but no one has the guts to say.
This brings me to Porsche.
I think the Porsche 911 is massively overrated. There, I said it.
Furthermore, I think the used Porsche market has totally lost the plot, and this has caused even Porsche themselves to decide their shit don’t stink.
I’ve never seen such unjustified inflation of prices for any car ever.
The 964 prices and 993 values (that’s the ’80s and ’90s air-cooled generations of the 911) have gone through the roof since Covid. They are selling for simply FAR more than they are worth as an experience.
You see, the Germans are phenomenally effective at engineering performance cars. They know how to develop suspension that will keep the contact patch of the tire perfectly mated to the road at all times. They know how to make engines that pull with a clinical voracity, and they know how to make a sports car devour corners. What they often miss, however, is making the car fun. That tends to happen by accident. When they really push the limits of engineering, and pull back the veil of civility in search of performance, they occasionally make something that really spikes the punch.
New 911s meanwhile are no longer the go-to midlife crisis sports car for the upper-middle class. They are a lifestyle car you buy to instagram in between trading crypto and health-maxxing.
But the character and flair of these accidental gems may just have been a product of their lap time goals. Essentially they are exciting because they had to push the limits of what was possible at the time. Not because they set out to make something that would be fun. That would of course be silly. And meaningless. And illegal in Germany.
Cars that fit this bill would be the Porsche GT cars of today (GT3, GT3 RS, GT4 RS etc.) and the RS cars of yesteryear. But the rest of the 911s? They are just sports cars. Really great ones. But still just sort of… normal.
Take a simple 1990 911 Carrera for example. Once you come to terms with the fact that it has an engine prolapsed out its bum, it is just a competent sports car. Steering is good, shifter is good, engine is good. It makes no mistakes. But it doesn’t sing or cry. It doesn’t get dirt under its fingernails. It doesn’t try to eat your leg. It just… is.
And that’s fine. But it’s not $130,000 USD ($184,000 CAD) fine. Because that’s what they go for now.
The same is true with modern non-GT 911s. A base, black 2026 911 Carrera with literally zero options, is now $150,000 CAD. Why? Because Porsche keeps raising the prices to move their image up market. Don’t get me wrong, the base 911 is a very good sports car. But it’s not worth that much moolah.
This is happening because a Porsche has recently become a symbol for the elite. Where once a vintage 911 was a great sports car bargain for the average enthusiast, it has transformed into something for the concours crowd. New 911s meanwhile are no longer the go-to midlife crisis sports car for the upper-middle class. They are a lifestyle car you buy to instagram in between trading crypto and health-maxxing. It’s a shame. The 911 should be an aspirational yet attainable car for the average Joe.
The solution to this problem? There is no solution. I believe (and hope) the market will self correct. Because people will eventually realize that 911s are just good sports cars. That’s it. Nothing more. And you know what? There’s nothing wrong with that.