Depicted above is a picture of Porsche 911 GT3R racecar. It’s in orange racing livery and the car seems to be in motion. Everything seems normal until one reads the word “hybrid” on the windshield. This makes the sign transgressive because the index at play is in the seemingly wrong place to certain viewers. In general, when people think Porsche they think sports car not hybrid. On the flip side, when people think Prius they think hybrid not sports car. Among Porsche enthusiasts this is not particularly taken well. To the enthusiasts it’s a departure from tradition and a watering-down of the edginess of Porsche automobiles. This sign was created by Porsche to introduce the new racecar that will enter in Geneva and the Nurburgring 24-hour race.
As mentioned earlier, automobile enthusiasts find this sign transgressive. Many of these people hold strong values about the importance of keeping to the traditional layouts of automobiles. Enthusiasts feel that technology is taking away from the passion of driving cars. This passion is derived from the fun of driving cars and it is being hindered by driver aids such as traction control.
Interestingly, there really wasn’t a negative public uproar over this sign. When reading the article in depth, it becomes evident that this hybrid system has a different kind of advantage than usually associated with hybrids. Hybrids are usually associated with being fuel-efficient, but instead, this hybrid system is there to provide a temporary boost in power as applied by the driver.
Without an accompanying article, the reaction to this picture may have been different. The viewers may have assumed that the hybrid system was there solely for efficiency. The fact that it adds a boost in power adds to the fun factor. This, in turn, goes to the roots of racing in providing speed to provide maximum thrills. Automakers should take note and market future hybrid entrants this way instead of just being efficient vehicles.
An inquiry that may arise from this is to attempt to transform a seemingly transgressive sign to a sign that is accepted by the viewers. One can show a crowd something they feel doesn’t belong but by the end convince them that it is not at all that bad.
This picture can and its article can be found on http://jalopnik.com/5469456/ porsche-911-gt3-r-hybrid-coming-to-geneva-nooooooo. This article was posted February 11th. As of today there are approximately 8500 views of the article and 200 comments on it.
