Paul S.

the place where the Club Coupe draws the most attention is at work, and I'm in Dallas where there is every nameplate you care to name.

Average people think Porsches cost much more than they do-Ferrari and Lamborghini prices. So yes it will probably attract attention.

I'm 3 months into a new position and the Porsche is my well kept secret. I was in my former position for 17 years, and my string of cars was common knowlege, yet each new one attracted attention, and some small minded types may resent one because of the car they drive. I was OK with that where everyone knows me. A certain amount of attention is part of the package.

If you're sensitive to the opinions of others, any form of conspicuous consumption is a bad idea.

My A6 costs about as much as my first Porsche, which was a 99 Boxster, but the A6 is invisible. The Porsche crest is not.

ajag

Interesting thread. I'm planning on driving my S4 as my daily to the hospital, at least until I get a feel for the politics of the place, I'm a little reluctant to drive up my first day of work out of fellowship in a car the majority of the primary care docs (who will be referring to me) can't afford many years into practice. It does kind of irk me as I've been moonlighting my *** off this second half of my fellowship year to save up a large down payment on a car I've wanted since I was a kid, but alienating the hand that feeds is never a good idea. With regards to the perception from people outside of work, I'm curious the reaction I'm going to get but that doesn't matter to me nearly as much.

jjv

You totally hit the nail on the head with that comment. If I spent $100K on a Range Rover no one, and I mean no one, would take a second look. Then again, I could spend $120K on a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and I'd be just as invisible. If anything, people should be more ashamed driving SUVs like the big honking Escalade, not a 3200-pound 911 that has a much smaller impact on the environment.

You guys are totally right on this. I'm a respectful driver and I think I'm a pretty decent person. I live my life on the premise that when the end is near I should able to look back and enjoy what I see all over again. If people want to think I'm a jerk because I own a 997, then that's out of my control. They're only hurting their own karma, not mine.

This thread has been super helpful, and now I feel much better about the idea of owning a 997. Now to start combing the internet/classifieds for a low mileage CPO C4S Tip. I saw one with options that my wife even loved a couple of days ago, but I just found out this morning that it's under agreement.

chuckla

All of this reminds me of the harshest remark ever made to me about my 911 ownership. I am a lawyer and about ten years ago represented a German mutual fund which does business here and was sued. At a meeting attended by the investment manager of the fund, who was a young hottie from Germany, I mentioned that I thought Porsche's stock was cheap and that Wiedeking was doing a bangup job. She said something like "I suppose you drive a Porsche, to compensate for something...." As she was with the client, I bit my lip and smiled without responding. You can figure out that : (1) people who say crap like that have more issues than you, (2) Porsche stock took off, and (3) I did not buy any. Nor did she. Moral: enjoy life and don't worry what others think or say.

geof

I'm just curious- when someone gives a negative comment like "you are paid too much" etc., have you ever just responded "Man, I've wanted one of these things / dreamed about owning one of these things since I was a kid, know what I mean?"

ajag

If someone makes that comment, I don't think there is any point or reason for you to justify your purchase to them, or the means by which you were able to make the purchase. Nothing you say is going to make a difference to them anyway, they're still going to resent you. Just watch that they don't key the car as you walk away.

911Dave

I would say "I get paid what I'm worth. And some day when you make enough, you'll be able to afford one too." One rude comment deserves another.

E55AMG

It's funny that some people would make disparaging comments about the car you drive, like "why would you spend so much on a CAR"!!?? Some of these same people i'm sure, also have hobbies/intersts that I would think silly and never think to spend that much money on. Hey, i'm into cars you're into your thing.

If owning a certain car impacts your business then I guess you need to be careful. Otherwise I say screw everyone else. I worked for it and if you don't like it, too bad.

My 997S got almost no attention. My TT on the other hand gets quite a lot. All positive up until now. I was kind of surprised by this as I didn't think too many people would really distinguish between an S and a TT.

Restless

jjv, you should attend one of the local AutoCross events at Ft Devon. There are usually 2 Porsche Club events a month, during the summer. You will see 20-30 P-cars, and get to know the owners.

Also, watch the Region area in this forum. There is a Breakfast Run that had 20+ Pcars in attendance the last one I was on, and there are other social gathering listed there. Sometimes its nice to run with 10+ other varieties of P-cars, and in a crowd of them, you feel like you stand out less.

The other reason Boston may seem to have fewer Porsche's is the horrible downtown parking! Further out from Boston, I still see few other Porsche's, but there were three in my small town of Uxbridge. Of course, two of them were owned by the same person, and I've only seen his 550 on the road once.

Oh, and my brother is still pissed off over my buying a Porsche, and he hasn't even seen it!

jjv

I'm not a huge autocross fan. I attended an Evolution school a few years back and participated in some autocrosses with BMWCCA and NESHOC. Admittedly, I found NESHOC to be a little more interesting because they turned Devens into one huge course that was probably longer than the road course at NHIS. However, seat time is just too little for my liking at autocrosses, but I love DE events. I attended one undersubscribed Audi DE event at NHIS where each run group lasted 25-30 minutes. That was really interesting because from minutes 20 and on, it became a "heat management" exercise for my tires and brakes in my Audi RS6 at the time. I agree, though, that the autocross/track day crowd is a bunch of good people, surprisingly selflessd "salt of the earth" types despite their luxury cars who are *always* willing to lend a hand, on or off the track.

I'm officially looking for a pre-owned 997 C4S now. I'm going to do it right and wait for the right one to appear with the options I want. I'm not in a rush. Heck, I joined Rennlist in 2002. If I waited *that* long to come to my senses, what's another few months to find the right car?

When I get the 997, I'll definitely join PCA, stay on with BMWCCA and NAAC, and give up my membership to COMSCC.

As an aside, I bought a modest home as opposed to a McMansion in part so I could "afford" to participate in hobbies like cars and travel on vacations. It irks me when people prejudge. I get the sense that many folks here, too, sacrificed in one area or another in order to get their 997s. My financial advisor once told me that he's found two types of people in his world, spenders and savers. The irony, he said, is that the "savers" of the same income level as the "spenders" level seem to possess the same luxuries as the spenders, if not more.

jjv

I wanted to thank you guys again for your input in this thread. Largely in part to the comments here, I just yesterday put a deposit on an '06 C4S with 9500 miles on it. It's Midnight Blue/Beige. Options: Heated Front Seats, Power Seat Package, Tiptronic S Transmission, Park Assist System, Bose Surround Sound, Navigation, Stainless Steel Exhaust Pipes, and Rear Window Wiper.

I'm looking forward to getting it over the next week or so!

Joe

akim47

excellent!!! congrats... pics of the car when u get it =)

cascade

I turned 50 last year and a funny thing happened-- I stopped worrying about what other people think. You get to the point where you realize you've only got so many years left -- what the heck is the money for if you are not going to enjoy it. Leave it to a charity? So, I bought a Porsche and have never regretted it -- best toy by far I have ever bought. It does bring looks and I am careful where I park it (the riskiest part of the equation), but it is an amazing machine to drive. You will grin like a little kid when you drive yours -- guaranteed!

dog_tired

I turned 45 this week. I've wanted a Porsche 911 for as long as i can remember. Funny thing, i finally got an 08 Carrera S Cab, triple black, two weeks ago. When i took it over to show my parents, by 81 year old father confessed that he tried to talk HIS father in to getting one when he was much younger (my grandfather replied that "it was too expensive"). I didn't get my C2S cab for my dad, for my wife, for my "image". I got it because i finally could...My dad's proud -- and i didn't even tell him that i couldn't sleep for the two weeks prior to taking delivery.
I think that most people who get a Porsche are similar to myself. It's just like the slogan about being a "life long obsession".
Don't worry about what other's think. But don't be foolish enough to disregard their envy.
Enjoy the car...i have all of 450 miles on mine and look forward to seeing it every morning.

Cheers...

yemenmocha

People will still look no matter which 911 you buy.

People will look less and you'll get far less attention with a more conservative color choice.

Something else to consider - many of your friends may treat you a little differently. I'm not talking about best friends, but more so everyday friends from recreational activities, neighbors, etc. This happened to me and it was almost all somewhat negative. Little things that would otherwise not become an issue start to become an issue - for example, once I (innocently) asked how much to leave for a tip and the fact that I even asked got negative replies. "people with porsches shouldn't have to think about such things, just leave a good tip". It's almost as if the moment you own a porsche is the moment that you have to act like a high roller and just throw cash around.