Original sentence: Their reputation for unreliability and poor-quality engineering (though largely dispelled by the 1990s), was viewed as an example of the car's "character" (though fans of Porsche would  argue that their vehicles had similar virtues and were as reliable and tractable as a Toyota; Porsches are referred to Ferrari owners as merely expensive roller skates)
Edited sentence: Their reputation for unreliability and poor-quality engineering (though largely dispelled by the 1990s), was viewed as an example of the car's "character" (though fans of Porsche would laughably argue that their vehicles had similar virtues and were as reliable and tractable as a Toyota; porsches are referred to more accurately by Ferrari owners as merely expensive roller skates)