Porsche  

I've never
driven one -- but a tail-heavy car isn't my idea of handling heaven. Given that, the Butzi Porsche-designed new body is lovely -- that shot at the left, from the rear, so nicely captures its sporting essence. It's like a bird or some other natural life-form, isn't it ?
I had the same reaction at age 9, when (at a MoMA show called "Eight Automobiles") I saw for the first time a Cord sedan. Although it now begins to look a little clunky in places, it was a fresh breeze like the new 1963 Porsche body -- in 1936 !

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My daily driver is a 2007 Carrera S coupe. Warrantee is just about cooked. It's been a sweet machine and will be missed.

Just about to buy a 911 too....
Just about to buy a 911 too. Love them. Would love a '73 RS...Oneday!

I think the early cars are...
I think the early 911s are the nicest. I had a 71 for several years. Loved to look at it every day. The simplicity of the interior is wonderful. The 5 gauge dash with the huge tach in the middle is so purposeful.
I will have another when my kids are older.

Is anyone taking these cheap ...
Is anyone taking these cheap and clapped out (but very nice looking) old sports cars and converting them to electric?

928
My daily driver during good weather is an 82 928. It is just about the most beautiful thing I own. The lines, the handling and the sound of a Porsche V-8 are amazing. Certainly destined to be a design classic.

The good old days
I lived and worked in Germany from 1964 to 1978, for Hughes Aircraft under contract to the German Air Force. During those 14 years I drove 4 Porsches, a '64, '66, '71, and '74. And in between a '70 Lancia.
I posted a video on YouTube of those wonderful machines. What a great time that was. The Gullwing next to my '64 Porsche belonged to a friend of mine. And standing next to the Gullwing is my future wife!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi-W9Y0cJcw

Nice . . .
Thanks for the show. Yes, the earliest version of a car body is normally the cleanest and best. Even when the sales department doesn't require change for change's sake, other meddling fingers, and regulations, force compromises to the designer's vision.
The 928 is sweet -- and strong, no doubt. It, and the Ford Taurus sedan, marked the switch from crisp styling back toward curvature and the Rubenesque -- the eternal pendulum in the history of auto body design. Someone always makes the first move . . .

Porsche "There is no substitute"
They do have beautiful lines. I posted this a few years ago my $5 thrift store chair, and in the background 1989 Porsche 928S4 which now shares garage with 1976 Porsche 912E, both weekend cars when weather is nice.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30124482@N03/3423938421/

Yeah, Porsche makes decent cars.
I still miss my last one sometimes:

alternative power
Ruf are testing a fully electric 911 at the moment (Article below)
plus there are the factory GT3 RS Hybrid and 918 RSR hybrid
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/02/ruf-n-roll-with-10-electric-porsches/

Is that a Flux Capacitor...
Is that a Flux Capacitor sitting shotgun in that last pic?

Electric conversions
Heath: The 911s don't have much room for batteries, but the 914s do. The photos below are of Electro Automotive's 914 conversion; they show 6 batteries in the front trunk and 3 in the former gas tank area, 9 batteries in the former engine bay, and 2 in the rear trunk:
http://www.electroauto.com/gallery/vp914.shtml

Oh , hell no
I can't imagine a better way to suck the soul out of a 911 than to replace that beautiful, throaty boxer six with a battery pack.