Benjamin Choi

Well, let me break it down on my case here bullet by bullet

*i'm single, no kids, never been married

*I live alone and can do whatever I want with my time for myself

*I love cars

*I'm insecure enough to want to look good, be cool, be well-liked by others (believe it or not )

*At the end of the day, I spent $67K on the 2002 c4s i bought about a year ago ($52K for car + $5K sales tax + $3.5K warranty + $6K wheels/tires) right out of the box

*If i really wanted to pimp out, i could've gotten a lot of other cars out there for $67Gs out the door

So yes, my 5-6 year old 911 is pricey esp if you compare it to a new car since the factory warranty cannot be bought esp a BMW factory warranty. but bottom line, i'm a sports car guy so i'll give up the new body, the new gizmos which i actually like and my 911 has none of, the blend of luxury and sport for a 911. gladly.

if people didn't judge based simply on what they see and read what i wrote above, i'm sure no matter how flashy my car may be by seattle's standards (certainly no Miami or LA), they would be slightly more understanding why the 911 is so worth it for someone who values the things I do for my mobile transportation needs in my life at the moment.

heck the car is just plain fun to drive. the sound of that flat6 is like nothing else out there. 911 people wave at you like you're in a club. people break necks. WOT is glorious esp with all windows down, sunroof open (yea yea cab guys i know). i'd go so far as to argue people who buy an E550 are the real "idiots" because that is a complete vanilla appliance of car that is absolutely NOT worth the sticker price which i'm guessing is $70K+. but you can show/tell people you drive a benzo. whoopdeedoo.

GAME OVER

Van

Here's a story for you: many years ago, I'd met a girl (who would later become a girlfriend, and is still a good friend) and she knew I had a Porsche (it was a red 944 back then). Anyway, the second or third time we got together was the evening after a track event, so that's what was on my mind... So I told her all about it and what it was like to drive on the track.

Later, when we were really dating, she told me, "When I first met you, I figured you were some insecure *****, because of the car; but after I learned that you drive it on the track, I realized you were just a car guy who loves using machines the way they were designed."

I try to educate people whenever I can.

Having said that, occasionally there are still circumstances where I will choose to drive something like the minivan if I think people will be too quick to draw conclusions.

pat056

1st of all...
mlt911sc_ You might have only 1 post, but that still doesn't exempt you for posting a pic of your car...Tim, you're REALLY slipping...

On topic, 2 stories:
1) When I was a young up and coming exec., I was as judgemental as Ben talks about. I had a colague buy a 911. I saw him at the gym and he was so apologetic, explaining why he bought the car and how he didn't really pay all that much for it. I had a 10 year old beat up Celica w/100,000+ miles at the time and judged him twice; for getting the car AND for being apologic for it. Well, now I can understand why he was that way.
2) I was GM at another company and got called to the HR office because someone told them I was accepting sponsorship from a supplier. I asked who the supplier was because obviously the checks were being intercepted!! He didn't laugh. I told him that was BS and if he was worth a crap he'd put an investigator on it immediately to protect the ethics of the company and myself ! My CEO told him to lighten up! That I could drive whatever I wanted and if racing was my hobby, fine. That same CEO used to ask me about my racing every time he saw me and would brag to customers about it (obviously, he never saw me race ).
Anyway, I agree w/the majority here, I find myself explaining why I bought my car or how old it is or how little I paid. I hate to do it but you know, I used to be judgemental about people with nice cars too!!

rmillnj

When people at work comment on the fact I drive a Porsche and must be rich, I point out to them that the majority of the new SUV's in the lot cost a lot more than I paid for my Porsche when I bought it. I further point out that today most new Honda Accords or their like are worth more than my Porsche on a trade in. That usually shuts them up.

It is really nice though to drive what is basically a 9-10 year old car and have everyone think it is brand new. Try doing that with just about any other car make. Even a 10 year old BMW in good shape looks dated compared to a Porsche 996. Few non-Porsche owners can tell the difference between a 993-996-997.

Benjamin Choi

Happened yesterday. Friend of mine I haven't seen in a while saw my car parked outside for the first time on his way to the Superbowl party... thought it was my cousin's (he has a same color 993 C4S sans wing).

But I'll be very clear here.. a stock '99 996 looks hella dated amber lights and all.

tooloud10

To Rennlisters,? Absolutely. To my mother-in-law? Nope. If you showed her a picture of a $190k GT2 in black, she'd SWEAR that that was the car parked in my garage.

Benjamin Choi

how old is your mother-in-law?

the only sense of guilt i have and it's a big one is... to even drive a car is a blessing... to have the resources we have is a huge blessing... more than half the world doesn't even know where their next meal is coming from yet i'm on here blabbering and arguing over nothing... absolutely nothing. many families stress about gas prices while i'm here burning thru it like it's nothing just cuz i wanna go the long way back home.

not to get too off topic since we are on a car forum, but do i feel guilty about someone else perceiving me diff cuz of this ride relative to the things above? NOT AT ALL.

Benjamin Choi

now back to regularly scheduled programming...

this looks like ****:

tooloud10

I dunno...65 or so? If you're implying that she's the exception, not the rule, well...that's just not been my experience. Of course, here in the heartland, my C4 is either not noticed at all or the rarest car on earth, depending on who's looking.

I have said in the past that my Miata gets more looks from the ladies around here than the 996, but it might just be because the top goes down.

I've got NO personal guilt issues about my 996, just that my boss and most clients aren't "car guys" and sometimes see it as showing off, which I like to avoid since it could theoretically affect my salary. I guess you could say I've got "annoyance" issues, as it annoys the hell out of me that some people think my $33k (gasp!) nine-year-old car needs to be talked about.

tooloud10

Looks like an early-'99 C4. I wouldn't say it looks like ****, but then, I do have a strange attraction to the "basic VW" look of the stripper 996s, kind of like the nostalgia I feel for early Miatas with steel wheels.

BruceP

So I'm not alone! I don't think the basic coupe looks better than the rest, necessarily, but it was my choice and I like the purity of it. I remember Excellence describing the C2 coupe as the 911 "... most resolved to its purpose."

tooloud10

Exactly...Ben's picture reminds me of this:

Benjamin Choi

i guess i need to drive an older 911 to see if i can learn to appreciate it or not cuz looks wise it does nothing for me other than... hey i'd better wave now!

hwk72

I think that's really a question of taste. The amber lights and the early C4 wheels aside I think the "base" Carrera looks as attractive as the aero version. Someone (not me) could even argue that the aero parts disfigure the car and the "plastic" wing seems cheap like on a Honda.

BruceP

That's the great thing about a Porsche. No end of interpretations, no end of personalization. Almost all of them turn my head, but mine, and the way I have it set up, just suits me. (Believe it or not, I actually prefer the pre-facelift 996!)