Okay, it's raining here in Seattle. Nothing else to do so here goes:
I've been wondering - over my lifetime (have owned 6 911's - all used) how the rest of the world views us (not that I care).

I suggest it's all in the details and attitude. When someone asks "what kind of car do you have?" Saying "Porsche" is very similar to what they call the "H" bomb - something some women will tell you if they attend Harvard - they don't like to tell a prospective date. I guess it's supposed to be intimidating.

Anyhow, I've noticed that some people will react to your P-car as if you have to be an "a**hole" by definition. The old joke: "What's the difference between a Porcupine and a Porsche? - ans: The Porcupine has the ***** on the outside"

Others suggest they "wish" that they had one. I note that the very first text in the owners manual says something like: "judging by the vehicle you've purchased, you've selected a very special car"

Just wondering what you all have encountered. And I always get some comment about the car when at a gas station. Especially if the car/person next to me is driving, say, a mini-van. You can see the "stars/glaze" in their eyes. As if they are thinking: "why can't I be driving that?"

I also would like to note that the only "group" of people that seem to stare at a Porsche as you drive by are 12 year old boys.

 

That's because they haven't developed their 'Peripheral Vision' staring technique. I have to say when it comes to Porsches and perceptions, things don't change much. I attended a post mortem 'wake' last week where the group was mostly folks I had previously worked with in the mid '90's. To a person, within seconds of saying hello to me, they would follow up with "Still driving those Porsches?" Some with a smile, some with a sneer, and probably all with the ulterior motive of finding out how I had financially weathered the last 15 years. I just hedge these days for the most part and say 'you know me, it's all I know...' and think, if any of them ever saw my storage garage, they wouldn't have even said hello. The real friends in my life today are either fellow addicts or they don't care what I drive. The latter are the people I feel the most comfortable around ....

 

I drove my first Porsche last weekend. It was a test drive of a prospective purchase and the owner graciously allowed me to take it out for a couple of hours . I was wondering how the car would be perceived by both pedestrians and fellow drivers and was quite amazed by the reactions. First off the car has had a lot of mods done to it and sounds incredible thanks to the Fabspeed exhaust system and motor sound package, so it really grabs the attention.

I drove around town and noticed Porsche 996/997 drivers would deliberately fall back and slot in behind to take a better look.

But what really surprised me was the reaction of drivers in other cars. I was expecting to be cut up, maybe given the 2 finger salute (Brits will get that) or some other wrist movement, but instead I found I was being let out of intersections and allowed to filter. Gave up trying that in my M3 as many would deliberately speed up to close the gap.

Maybe my idea of Joe Publics perception of the Porsche driver has been misguided all this time......not that I care of course.

 

I grew up in Southern California and recently moved to TN near Nashville. In SoCal, the perception I have had with Porsche drivers has been that many are inside out porcupines. The status attributed to cars in SoCal is major. We sold our house in a very exclusive area and had to rent an apartment for a couple of weeks until we were ready to leave. It was unbelieveable how nice the cars were that people drove who lived in the apartments. Nicer than the average car in my multi-million dollar neighborhood. Many were Porsches. So my take was that many of the residents of the apartments chose the status of driving a nice car vs. prudent spending (i.e. buying a house etc...). I understand that many of these people were in transition like us - so I do not want to over-stereotype.

TN is much different. Though I live in a very wealthy, conservative county, cars do not appear to have nearly the same value placed on them. Multi-million dollar houses here (much rarer than in SoCal) have SUVs and pickups parked out font. Sure there are some nice cars, mostly BMWs. Porsches and other exotics seem to be owned by people who appreciate cars. Sure, there are the country music folks who do not know the difference between air-cooled an water-cooled engines, but others appreciate the machinery.

That is what I believe is the difference between the inside out porcupine and the Porschephile - the enjoyment and appreciation of the heritage, design and engineering that Porsches offer.

The Rennlisters mostly fall in the latter.

VInce

 

It's just a Porsche, not a Ferrari. If they don't realize that, they must be pretty ignorant... Unless you're driving a Carrera GT, GT1, 959, 935, RS60, etc. I don't see the big deal.

 

I typically say, "An old Beetle."


Andreas

 

So, where are you in Seattle where there's nothing to do because it's raining? I'm in downtown Seattle and will be heading into the CBD for some lunch. I'm not driving the 993 today.

 

That is why we usually have a DD. So I say I drive a jeep...

I have the same thing where I grew up. I grew up in Lloyd Harbor which is a village in a large township Huntington. Huntington is a normal township with lots of smaller towns and villages in the township.
I would always say Huntington because if you said Lloyd Harbor you got funny looks like you A-hole.

My friends all bust my chops about both now. oh well I can't really hear them over the reving flat six!!

 

Fixed it for ya. No charge

 

I try to kill 'em with kindness when I'm out and about in the car. When challenged in conversation, I take the edge off by remarking that my other car is a beat up truck with the side view mirror held on by duct tape. That tends to break the ice.

 

I have owned, a couple of Porsche cars over the years, and believe it or not, I actually get quite a bit of comments, and not the bad ones.

I actually think that is because I do not own a late gen 911, instead I drive a 69 targa. It is not in the best of condition, but it tromps on the street thanks in part to new Weber carbs, and a pretty tricked out gearbox. I don't have much to offer the morons that want to run hard on the highways, but it sure is fun pulling away from a light. (NO I don't street race or anything like that.)

I really think that it depends on how your act personally. I am always respectful on the roads, and as a result I think that people have always returned the respect.

My first Porsche was a Guard Red 944, which I know, I know ewwwww,l but it was a looker, and drew a great deal of attention to itself. Overall I have loved my experiences with owning Porsche cars, and while there are certainly people that will call ME a Porsche snob, as I almost always wear something that says Porsche on it, I do not think that I am unfairly judged while driving, simply because I drive a fabulous car.

Great question though.

Erik Johnson

 

Erik,
You wear porsche gear while driving a porsche? see to me that is snobbish. I am very aware of that and won't wear a hat or shirt in the pcar that says anything even a logo for the car.

 

I always tell people I drive a "911", when asked. Once, my favorite response to that was "Why would anyone name a car after the terrorist attacks on NY?". Yes, the girl who asked me this was very hot.

 

Although I'm careful with whom I tell, invariably I come out of the Porsche-driving closet. Usually the subject comes up because it's a pretty big part of my lifestyle: I attend most P-club events, go to the track, and I'm an officer in the club (President for 2 years now). I usually water it down by saying how old my car is and how many miles. One thing is for sure: people always remember, and subsequently ask me about my car next time I see them. It's as if my car is now my child or something.

I try the ambassador approach. Some people do have bad impressions about Porsche drivers. I try to right their wrong. I've met some of the nicest, most genuine people through the Porsche Club and on Rennlist.

 

did you meet the lady in your profile pic with the car? if so I will tell everyone I drive a pcar