ghostwriter11

I just bought a 2000 996 C2 -- my first Porsche.

It's eight years old and cost me less than buying a new BMW 3 series or Audi A4, but I still find myself reluctant to tell my friends that I'm driving a Porsche. .... I'm afraid they'll think I'm being a snob.

So far, I've only told 2 friends -- both car guys -- and explained that it's not about acting like a snob or impressing anyone: it's just about driving the best car on the planet.

Anyone else having the same issue??

Nicolaasdb

I have it always in the back of my head and mostly refer to my car as a convertable or cab. But oyu are right my wifes X5 was more expensive than my 99 996.

pszikla

Last summer I couldn't resist a beautiful day and drove it to see a customer.
One of his employees looked out the window and yelled out "hey, look at what Peter is driving- I always knew you were rich" (which I am not by the way!).
His boss cam to the window and his comment was "Well, I don't need one of those for my ego"
Needless to say, I avoid driving my P-car to see customers since because like you, I bought it for me and I still have many people that I know that have no clue of what I drive other than the Acura they usually see.

OhioMark

Back in 95', I sold my Jetta to get my business off the ground. That and my
wife working 6 days a week back then has given me the "I don't give a d#mn attitude about what other's think" per my choice of cars. That being said, I won't drive anything but our Durango to my clients to avoid loosing them as a client.
Good luck!

Mark

BruceP

I think your personal mission should be to be at ease with it. It's like a lot of things in life, from cowboy boots to facial hair to dating a model: it's a statement some guys can pull off, and lots can't. Having the ability to do so is not about being able to afford the car; it's about how you wear it.

programmatore

I had a client in rural Macungie, PA. It was an oil pipeline company and the people there were very "conservative." Anyway, they wanted to have some "face time" with the software development team so we decided to drive up from VA and work there for a week (laptops, monitors, printers, etc. in tow.)

So we drove up and one team member drove his M3, another drove a pimped out Ford Excursion (with thousands of dollars in mods), another a new Lexus and I drove my 996 Cabriolet. These are all everyday cars in Northern Virginia but they caused quite a stir up in rural Macungie. The project manager told me that the client had commented that "we must pay you guys too much -- especially the guy with the Porsche" and "please tell the guy with the Porsche not to drive it here next time because some of the employees felt like he was 'showing off' and were offended."

I was a bit offended that they singled me out for driving a Porsche but not wanting to make any waves, I decided to take my more conservative SUV up to Macungie the following week for the acceptance testing sessions. And wouldn't you know it the project manager came up to me and told me that he got another comment from the client "He has a Lexus RX330 too?! Now we know we are paying too much! He should stop showing off!"

First of all, they do not pay me -- they pay my company and our hourly rates are very competitive. Secondly, we all joined the company pre-IPO and made a killing with the stock options (which eventually tanked when the bubble burst.) Some of us were lucky enough to get some toys out of it while others got screwed trying to come up with money to pay the AMT for the options they exercised right before the bubble burst (ouch!) Finally, I felt that it was a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. I switched to the SUV because the Porsche caused such a stir and it made the situation worse. Next time I will rent a Hyundai from Thrifty.

rotokim

This is topic that I've been dying to discuss. I'm glad to hear that other Porsche enthusiasts are facing this annoying issue.

When living in Atlanta, my '85 951 was my daily driver (I still miss it). It was immaculate. But, my newly promoted supervisor who started reporting to me went to my boss to ask for a raise. He said that his pay must be too low because his boss was driving a Porsche.

Fast forward to my Boxster S - We were living in Mandeville, LA and an 8 year old neighbor came over to play with my kids. As he ate lunch with us, he said that his mother believes I drive the Boxster to show off to all the neighbors.

Most recently, I showed a picture of the 911 to a franchisee with my company. He is a muti-millionaire with a huge house and multiple cars. With an uncomfortble look on his face, he advised me to never show up at any functions with "that car." He explained that the perception of marketing guys like me is that we make too much money for too little work.

With all this, I enjoy my Porsches with little inhibitions about driving them to work or playing with them over the weekend. No question, I hate that I expend one ounce of mental resource on this annoying topic by second guessing where I go and who sees me. But, perception is reality. And, where work is concerned, I'm a realist who acknowledges the need to manage perceptions.

When asked about my Porsche by an obvious critic, I'm fully prepared to ask "that's a nice SUV. Was it expensive?" That always gives me the opportunity to say, "Well, you could have had one of these. My wife encouraged me to get one." That double-whammie usually gets their mental wheels turning.

Thanks so much for letting me get all of that out of my system - you guys rock!

Bob

nycebo

Along the same lines, I never drive my Pcar on first dates; it sends the wrong message. Even though we all drive these cars as enthusiasts, there's lots of people that drive them as 'flash' cars and sadly, that perception has permeated society. Consequently, when hoping to meet a nice woman who cares more for the soul than the flash, you want to ensure that you're not increasing the likelihood of attracting a 'gold-digger'. Don't worry though.

If she's a nice one, she learns about the car in the morning...ahem.

Tippy

I have had 2 - 911's, the 996 at one time and my '87 turbo / Audi A6 together currently while my GM drives a small Nissan truck. Management cant help but see what I drive (small company and lot) and they always make comments like we pay you too much. If they only knew how little I pay........

On a side note; I had a girl who would not date me when my friend blurted out I drove the 996. She thought I had a major fault somewhere in my life. I spent most of the night at a party trying to convince her not. She never bought it.........

pongobaz

I'm a consultant in the auto industry and I drive mine everywhere. Some clients have commented on the car, but it's usually quite positive since it shows them that I'm a "car guy". There's been a few (usually the domestic car cos.) that will make a sarcastic comment that I should drive their products, my response is that if I had to own a example of every manufacturer I deal with, my garage would be the only roof over my head; I tell them that I chose a Porsche because they are not my client, so no conflict of interest. most of the time, people just can't believe I drive it in winter!

niche

On the flip-side, last year I got a listing in a nearby town where there aren't too many porsches. After the home-owner signed the listing paperwork, she made a comment how she was glad she now has a real estate agent who can afford a Porsche. Of course, this is probably because she had been trying to sell her house for six months with no luck. Little did she know that my car cost less than her truck.

tooloud10

I don't tell anyone I own a Porsche and I still run into this problem. My clients would not understand, even though they all drive large SUVs as commuter vehicles that cost more than my 996. It's frustrating that people don't understand that I didn't buy the car as a status symbol--I bought it because it was the best $30k sports car I could find.

Hell, if any sports car enthusiast deserves a P-car, it's ME, for putting up with ten years of gay jokes because I own a Miata. The 996 has taken it in the entire opposite direction and people now think that I'm showing off. Go figure...

Lerxst

I have the same problem too, and try to avoid bringing it up...

My mother was with her colleagues over lunch and there was much discussion about somebody's new Camry. Everyone was quite enthused and asking lots of questions. Other people at the table then were talking about their new cars. It got my my mom and she commented that she's got the same old car, but her son picked up a new car. "What kind of car?" everyone asked. "A Porsche" she replied. Then there was silence...

Even worse... my buddy has a car repair shop and busts his butt to make a living. He splurged a little to get himself an RSX-S. He has customers commenting on that being too flashy

RF5BPilot

When any of my clients made a comment about the 996, I'd simply reply, "You like my Karmen Ghia? They really have gotten more stylish over the years." Or simply refer to it as an upscale or glorified Volkswagen--but has the dependability of traditional VW's...and some VW's cost more than this one. That defused their comments and we got on with business.

Marc Gelefsky

Guilt?? I think not. Get over it.