Man Buys Dream 996 Porsche; Drives it Across California
This road trip in one man’s dream Porsche should remind all of us of what owning these cars is really all about.
Owning a Porsche should be about driving enjoyment. And it was for many years, but over the past few years Porsche ownership and owners have changed a little bit. When the values of the air cooled 911s took off, along with many limited-edition models, Porsche cars began to be looked at as a commodity more than a vehicle. Porsche themselves fed into this by introducing special edition models that were sold to collectors who rarely if ever drive them. Enthusiasts of more modest means were shutout. The value of these cars increased over the original MSRP, and many were looking to buy cars as investments. A dream Porsche began to become the one that would deliver the maximum profit, not the car that gave you the most joy in driving it.
A video recently posted on the Willem Verbeeck YouTube channel should serve as a reminder to everyone what owning a Porsche should really be all about. It is about making memories behind the wheel with friends. Not about how much you could flip it for. Verbeeck is a photographer who was invited by Porsche last year to photograph some past, present, and future Porsche models in Germany to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the company. To wrap up the trip Porsche gave Verbeeck a new 992 GTS convertible, which he took on a 1,000-kilometer road trip across six countries. The Porsche bug had fully infected him at that point, and he was determined to buy a Porsche of his own. He did just that and promptly drove it across California with a friend.
Dream Porsche
Often on Rennlist we cover outrageous Porsche models that have staggering price tags. And while that is always fun to write about, those cars are not what most enthusiasts are driving around in. The dream Porsche that Verbeeck picked up is a high-mileage 996 model with a salvage title due to flood damage. Not a car that has much monetary value. But that doesn’t matter to Verbeeck.
To him, it is a dream car. He was so excited about it that he asked a buddy to drive him 600 miles to go see it. And when it checked out, he bought it on the spot and he and his friend embarked on an epic road trip across California. You can see and hear the absolute excitement over his 911 in his face and voice. It is that excitement, that thrill, that feeling that makes owning a Porsche 911 special.
Road Trip
Verbeeck’s friend Hector followed along in a new Honda Civic Type R. The two stopped often to photograph the car and the stunning landscape that they were driving through. It is a trip that both young men will probably remember for the rest of their lives. Was the 996 the fastest Porsche in California, or the loudest, or most valuable?
No, but it is not about any of that. Verbeeck was having the time of his life. The car has some issues, but nothing catastrophic, and the car never leaves him stranded. He doesn’t reveal in the video how much he paid, but he claims it is one of the least expensive hardtop 911s in the country. And he is getting his money’s worth.
Porsche Love
This video should serve as a reminder to all of us of just what owning a Porsche is really about. It is about driving to cool places, with good friends. It is about taking in the scenery from behind the wheel of one of the most iconic cars ever made. What it is not about is obsessing over the value or talking endlessly about the IMS bearing.
While many 992 Sport Classic owners leave their precious sports car sitting in a climate-controlled garage, Verbeeck was out in his dream Porsche making memories. In that sense he got a far greater return on his investment than anyone who owns a more expensive model but is afraid to drive it because it might hurt the value.
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