There Is No Substitute

This week witnessed the passing of FA Porsche, grandson of the designer of the VW Beetle, who did his grandfather one better by penning the iconic 911. The fortunes of his family's company could have slipped into the abyss at many junctures but for his brilliant design, currently in its seventh generation. Indeed, the company explored a number of potential replacements for the 911, including the new-fangled, front-engined 928, but each was forced to yield to the 911's elegant simplicity. In the end, salvation from Guido the Killer Pimp isn't enough to generate product success; the 911 roundly knocked the snot out of the 928 and all other Porsche and non-Porsche rivals.