What is it with 996 owners?

[N11Porsche]

A 996 IS a 911 and more than a few of our fellow board members are 996 owners and nice people - too.

So someone doesn't wave, maybe they have personal matters occupying there minds as they drive.

Some Porsche owners aren't into the "wave" thing, so just because you are, doesn't obligate everyone else to join in. Life is way too short to get your feathers ruffled, because someone doesn't acknowledge your wave........

[JBO]

Since there is a heat wave at the moment, I'm sometimes jealous of the 996 owners who can actually drive their cars in the summer heat in comfort, with neither the engines or occupants overheating .

[84porsche]

The whole wave thing is just an acknowledgement and a sign of respect to Porsche that has been established throughout the generations of P-car ownership and I think if someone doesn't wave that it can seem offensive. I don't think a harmless wave going to kill you unless your other hand is not on the steering wheel and you are canyon carving .

It shows that us the Porsche owners value each other and each other's appreciation and enthusiasm for fine automobiles. I learned the Porsche wave thing my first week of ownership as I was driving to work and I thought it was the coolest thing. Otherwise one might as well go buy a Toyota Camry and blend in the background.

[Plavan]

You do not want a wave from a 996...... It is just another model of a 964... Nobody wants them cuz the 997 is out (and Cayman S is coming)

EDIT: I can make fun of 996 owners..... Cuz I was ONCE one

[glenndeweirdt]

Yes, you can make fun of 996s, and many of the admonishments are true. As the owner of both a 996 and an '83 SC they are apples and oranges-I love them both.

I do know that other Porsche owners notice my 996 less than the '83, perhaps they think I am a Mitsubishi Eclipse?

[gerard vaglio]

The following are generalizations and as such may, at times, bear no resemblance to reality.

I work in the advertising industry and I donÕt think there is any reason for the owner of an older 911 to take offense if the owner of a new model doesnÕt notice them. Mostly because the two people involved are actually in whatÕs known as different target markets.

I drive a 79sc, a car that typically sells for something like $12,000 on a good day. The person who buys a twenty six year old sports car and pays $12,000 for it is an enthusiastic do it yourselfer usually with a fair knowledge of a lot of different older cars.

The person who purchases a new Porsche is spending more like $50,000 and is usually deciding between a Porsche or Mercedes-Benz or Lexus or some other similarly priced car. Generally speaking, this person isnÕt interested in working on the car and may not even have much awareness of models dating back twenty years. For many of them a Porsche may be nothing more then an alternative to a Jaguar.

Very few consumers ever ask themselves, Ò should I buy a used 79sc or a new 2005 CarreraÓ

It just doesnÕt happen because over the years Porsche has steadily moved up market to capture more dollars. My car is a good example of this as it weighs more and typically features more amenities then previous models. Real enthusiasts may not need electric windows, sound deadening or cruse control but those things were added to broaden the appeal of the car and move it up the price ladder.

With all the time thatÕs passed between 79 and 2005 the move upmarket is so complete that the driver of the new Porsche has little in common with me, Òautomotively speakingÓ.

[Sonic dB]

No offense to the OP...but Im sure as hell glad that every 911, 993 or 996 owner doesnt acknowledge me... im a private person and that would get pretty scary out on these roads

[Sonic dB]

I saw that one of my customers purchased a blue with sand beige 2004 996 coupe today...

I helped convert him from a Vette owner to a Porsche guy...he loves it.

[clevy70911T]

My best friend is a dentist and he has been driving newer MB, Boxsters, Lexus, etc. for years now. I have always tried to get him to look at an SC or Carrera and I could maintain it for him and save him $$$ as he does free dental work for me. Anyway, he drove a 1988 911 Cab and told me he wasnt impressed. The truth is, he is so used to driving newer more comfortable cars, the older true sports cars seem rough and unrefined. He ended up buying a 2003 MB convertible. I'm sure a 996 would have impressed him more. You either have the fever or you don't.

[island911]

[island911]

a drive-by wave-post . . . no one waved back. . . snobs.


point is; it doesn't really matter.

[jshape]

It all boils down to the reason why a person bought their new(er) 996-997 P-car:

1. If purchased as a status symbol or as just another trapping of success - they think those of us driving their air-cooled predecessors are just driving 'old cars' and that if we had the money, we'd be driving a new one just like them. Unfortunately, it seems to me that most (as well as most Boxster owners) fit into this category.

2. If purchased for performance of for the pure joy of driving, they will not only be interested in your car, they will frequently tell you about the older 911 they used to have (or might still even have) or about some of the other interesting rides that they had in the past.



2.

[Jastx]

Porsche has dramatically expanded their market over years. Many people today buy Porsches as regular cars, like a BMW or a Jag or a Mercedes...or a Buick. They just drive them for transportation. Nothing wrong with that, they're just not enthusiasts like us. I wish I could drive a 997 for my everyday ride! Anyway, that's the reality today.

[wholberg]

I wave at every Porsche, and I just let it go if they don't wave back. One thing bothers me, though, I cannot tell the difference between a newer Porsche front end and a Japanese sports car if it is coming right at me. By the time I determine it's a Porsche, the car has passed me.

[Hladun]

The newer the Porsche the more likely that it's driven by a doctor, dentist or lawyer who knows very little about what they're actually driving. They've paid $100,000 to have a car that is not like yours; why would they want to acknowledge you? They do have a useful purpose though in that they absorb those huge amounts of initial depreciation so that we can drive cheap Porsches.

[Christien]

I think newer 911s are so common as you get closer to downtown Toronto that you hardly even notice them, much less wave at others. They just blend into the multitude of cars and traffic. They do seem like status symbols for most of the folk that drive them. Every single 996 or boxster is silver or black. I've seen very few older 911's downtown, and exactly one ducktail, other than my own.

I was out in the middle of nowhere last week on Ridge Rd. in Grimsby (Niagara wine country) where you don't see another car for 20 minutes. A dark SC (I think) drove by and I didn't wave or flash, because we were busy looking at addresses - only noticed the tail lights - oops. Sometimes there's a good reason, other than snobbery

[kang]

I heard an interesting observation recently. It’s not entirely accurate of course, but there is some truth to it. Porsche makes two kinds of cars for two markets: one is for the doctors and lawyers who want a prestigious $100,000 car (996’s and 997’s) to drive to work in comfort (on the phone) and the other market is the enthusiast (GT2’s and GT3’s, real drivers’ cars, e.g. no traction control, etc). Of course, most of us can’t afford the GT2’s and 3’s. I asked the guy who made this comment where he thought boxsters fit in. He dodged the question with some remark about traction control on them or something that I don’t really remember.

[ianc]

Ha! Ain't there radiators in them thar thangs?

ianc

[darkbeer]

I grew up "around money", but not "with money", if you know the difference. I can (after over 50 years of exercising my diaphram muscle) make the following generalizations.
OLD MONEY: more often then not, can be pretty cool people...sometimes you wouldn't even know they be STINKIN' RICH !!! (because, THEY didn't earn it...some great Uncle or Grandfather did...they just spend it...)
NEW MONEY: more often then not, can be pretty big a s s h o l e s...usually because they were so "driven" to move up the socio-economic ladder because they were uncomfortable in their original humble position...& they ditest anyone else who is just as happy to remain humble, thank you very much !!!

It's the 2nd group (gruppe...you know who you are) that wants to show off their money...boring, pathetic little turds that they are... You do NOT want to get stuck in a elevator with these types. I get a kick out of the fact that 996 motors go BOOM so often....even the good Dr. P probably gets a good heavenly giggle out of it.

[BigMan_99]

Being new to the whole Porsche thing, I have made a few observations regarding this.

I bought my dream car. I had to wait sixteen years to finally have the means to do it. I lusted after my 89 Speedster since the day Porsche decided to build it. In between I have owned many different cars and have many different car communities over the years but I have been most perplexed by this one.

First incident. Two days after driving it home, I pass a 993 Cab and wave as I go by. Look in the mirror and the fella is waving, big smile on his face. He obviously loves his aircooled ride and certainly appreciates mine.

Second incident. Come up to a red light next to a 996. Look over and smile at the guy. Very nice night but his windows are rolled up tight. He rolls the window down and says " What year is that?" I reply thats it's an 89 and that I just bought it. His reply? " Guess you couldn't afford a new one eh?" He then revs it up and takes off, almost hitting a guy turning into traffic.

Incident three. Older fellow comes to my door tonight and tries to sell me duct cleaning. I don't need any but he comments about my Porsche that he saw in my open garage. wants to have a two hour conversation about older Porsches and how much he admires them. With no prompting from me he tells me how every time he talks to owners of newer(996) machines they have no time for him, don't know much about their cars and are generally a s s h o l e s. Of course I don't agree but wheres theres smoke, there is usually fire I guess.