24 replies to this topic

[968forums]

You may have noticed new information popping up at the left of each post of a number of members. This is part of the new addition of things that will hopefully generate the desire and ability to reach out to people and get more people involved

To further facilitate that, new User Profile Fields are now available to those who have achieved "Member" level. Please now go in and add your City, State, year and model of your car.

Merely click on "My Controls"
Then click on "Edit Profile Information"
Then enter the appropriate information via the blocks and drop down boxes

Have fun.

[RPM]

I think 'coupe' is a more accurate description of model than 'hardtop.'

And... the way this displays looks dorky.

Group: Members
Posts: 884
Joined: 31-January 05
Member No.: 18
City:Apex
State:NC
What year is your 968?:1993
What model is your 968?:Hardtop

Should be more like:

Member
Posts: 884
Joined: 31 January 05
Member no.: 18
Apex, NC
1993 hardtop (coupe)

Edited by RPM, 07 May 2009 - 08:49 AM.

[flash]

actually, no - that was a misnomer that porsche applied so as to avoid the marketing stigma of "hatchback" which is what it really is (could be called a GT too)

a coupe is a hardtop with a trunk, but smaller than a full rear seat sedan, with less than 33 cu ft of interior room (per SAE) - the 968 has 63 cu ft

i opted to call it a hardtop so as not to insult anybody by calling it a hatchback - regardless of the fact that many people feel this is one of the key features in why they like the car, it still carries with it the stigma of the econobox cars of the day

trying to work out the display too - i agree that it is too much, but it was a profile carryover that i have not yet been able to edit - the decision was merely "better to have the info and have it look dumb, rather than not have it"

i'll keep working on that though

[ds968]

i opted to call it a hardtop so as not to insult anybody by calling it a hatchback

so, to be consistent with definitions are you renaming the cab as "soft top" ?


hey, better than "rag top"..... so as not to insult anybody

Edited by ds968, 07 May 2009 - 09:10 AM.

[flash]

lol - that one seemed accurate enough, though roadster would be cool too - i chose to use the term used by the department in charge of defining those things

be happy - i probably could have called it a stationwagon - lol

[cosimo]

Flash, this a nice addition. It is nice to see where the members live and what model they drive. Softtop/hardtop, coupe or cab everyone knows what they are. Your rational for hardtop seems to but accurate as I do not refer to my coupe/hardtop as a hatchback. This is a reference to a ricer or American car, although it does have a hatchback. Now I'm confused! I do like GT.

[flash]

yup - i never liked the term "hatchback" either - i do like GT - brings on memories of my 250 ferrari and the mgbgt - maybe i should change it to that - the only reason i didn't was that i thought it might bring on more confusion, and "hardtop" seemed self explanatory and simple without being grossly inaccurate or offending anyone

[94SilverCab]

I like topless...what were we talking about???

[ds968]

Excellent ! My vote is for GT and Topless

[chrishazle]

Excellent ! My vote is for GT and Topless

2 points :

First, the "new vehicle order form" and delivery invoice for my car, both from Parkwood Porsche in Maidstone, Kent, describe her as a 968 Coupe - that's good enough for me!

Second, over this side of the pond a hardtop is a removable metal roof for a "rag top" - to make the car useable in winter, or more secure in neighbourhoods where the friendly locals take a knife to your soft top to aquire car or contents.

You use the French cabriolet for the soft top, IMHO Coupe sounds a lot better than hardtop - and reflects what Porsche themselves call the car!

[Johannvb]

Yep, my car is also refered to as a coupe here in the Netherlands. I always thought Soft top cars were called convertibles in the US?. My preference would be for Coupe and Cabriolet.

IMHO a 928 is a GT a 924/944/968 is to sporty and small to be a GT...GTs usually have big powerful, but at the same time relaxed engines, lots of luxury and are used to cross continents at high speed. I'm thinking SL mercedes, Bentley Continental GT, Maseratti GT, bmw 8 series etc and we just don't fit into that category.

Anyway, just my 2 cent's worth

Edited by Johannvb, 08 May 2009 - 02:36 AM.

[flash]

while i understand that some people would think about larger cars when they think about a GT, as it does mean "touring", our car is by no means a sports car, so what else would you call it? i was trying to stay clear of calling it a hatchback, which is what it is

on the other hand, as an example, MGBGT - Alfa Romeo GTV6 - Triumph GT6 - Opel GT - and any ferrari GT come to mind as smaller GTs

anyway, i'm going with the SAE definition and disqualifying it as a coupe - it just isn't, regardless of what anybody called it for obvious marketing reasons - it's nearly twice as big as the limit - it's not even close

i really wish they made a real coupe - i keep thinking about doing it - it would be cool - the attempts i've seen so far just don't cut it - they were just hatchback replacement pieces without a real trunk - they still look goofy to me - one of these days i might get around to it - the rear window treatment would probably come out a lot like a honda del sol - nice short flying buttress rear with a drop down window and a real trunk, probably gleeped from the cab

i digress

i am ok with either GT or hardtop (or something else i may have missed)

i'm ok with sticking with cabriolet, as that still fits, but roadster would have been cool for the 2-seat versions

p.s. - we use the term "removable hardtop" for those who have a roof shell for their convertible

by the way - how about the GT2 or GT3? i hesitated to call it a GT, thinking that it might be too confusing, and went with something more "descriptive" but perhaps GT was really the better choice

[biotechee]

I would vote for consistency - go with the nomenclature the factory used... just like the wheels.

Coupe
Cabriolet

[flash]

me too, IF they were right to begin with - but i'm not one to perpetuate a mistake or erroneous information - i tend to correct it when i find it, and do what i can to promote others to do the same - i'm actually surprised that SAE allowed that term here for this car - the definition has been in place for decades, and way before this car was even on the drawing board - perhaps they just don't have that authority - not sure

[RPM]

Aha!

This is one of those times where your thoroughness is going to undermine your own argument. In the 968 related Porsche materials posted in the 'Reading Room' of this very website , both the Porsche factory Technical Specifications pamphlet and the Porsche 968 Sales Brochure clearly use the terms 'coupe' and 'cabriolet.'

So there! It's a coupe! They built it, they sold it, they get to call it what they want.

Edited by RPM, 08 May 2009 - 06:32 AM.

[Darryl]

Aha!

This is one of those times where your thoroughness is going to undermine your own argument. In the 968 related Porsche materials posted in the 'Reading Room' of this very website , both the Porsche factory Technical Specifications pamphlet and the Porsche 968 Sales Brochure clearly use the terms 'coupe' and 'cabriolet.'

So there! It's a coupe! They built it, they sold it, they get to call it what they want.

Sorry to pile on, but yes, Porsche does call it a coupe. Matter of fact, it's pronounced COO-PAY. There's one of them dohickies things over the e!

I remember playing some video presentation on the Porsche website and the voice over guy said "COO-PAY".

However, wasn't the 924 or 944 referred to as a hatchback??

- Darryl

[94SilverCab]

Yup.....Coupe and Cabriolet!

[flash]

lol - i KNOW they misnomered it - i'm fully aware of that - that's the dilemma - they were WRONG - does that mean that we should perpetuate that error?

this is fun though, and all in good humor

i think i'll call it a station wagon

[rxter]

FWIW Clarkson called it a hatchback.

[Johannvb]

lol - i KNOW they misnomered it - i'm fully aware of that - that's the dilemma - they were WRONG - does that mean that we should perpetuate that error?

this is fun though, and all in good humor

i think i'll call it a station wagon

In Europe the more up market cars are never referd to as Hatchbacks. I have seen them referred to as 3 doors, like the Audi A3.

I did some more research into the current day naming used for Porsches and guess what....the Cayman is referred to as a coupe. See the links below:

http://www.whatcar.c...yman-Coupe/754/

http://www.edmunds.c...2008/index.html

From my point of view the cayman and 968 has the same layout...well sorta if you don't look at engine placement.

Also what would the 911 Targa be? If the regular non cabriolet is a coupe is the Targa a Hatchback? Here's a link calling it a coupe

http://www.pistonhea...les/1021027.htm

It is also imporant to note that this is an international site...even though 90% of the members are from the North American continent, for us non US guys a hardtop is the thing you put on your cabriolet in the winter.