Reputation of "Porsche Drivers"

[VroomGrrl]

Hey. This is no more off-topic than all those "show me your 911 doing back-flips" posts

I've long been aware that "they"attribute all manner of negative qualities to "Porsche drivers." Kind of the same negative qualities associated with "lawyers."

Got a twisted sense of humor? Check out this blog post referencing "Porsche Drivers" -

Doggone it I can't even post the URL because it has a naughty word in it. If you click it and get the error page, just go into the URL and swap **** with the 4-letter word for sexual intercourse which starts with an F. The whole website cracks me up!

[Oh Haha]

Interesting. We had a similar discussion over on Bimmerfest. Seems BMW drivers are classified as pricks, too.

It would be interesting to find ou what the folks writing the comments drive.


A bit jealous, maybe?

[Joe V]

I sometimes hesitate to tell people that I drive a Porsche, because I get the: Oooh, a Porsch-A! response most of the time.
My wife drives it to school sometimes (when I need 4 doors instead of 1 and a half). She bumped into a fellow teacher that commented that "somebody at the school drives a Porsche" as if it were a Nobel Peace Prize. She admitted to holding the keys to said car and got the: Oooh, a Porsch-A! response.

So you really don't know if they're mocking you or praising you. I would much rather have them ask for a ride and get chat about the technical bits of the car.

Here's a question about attitude towards us and our cars: Do you find that most people behind you in traffic, regardless of what THEY drive, are always trying to push you to go faster? My wife, who is a conservative school teacher that normally drives a 2002 Civic well below the speed limit, mentioned this to me the other day. It seems that the expectation from other drivers is to drive them fast and hard. And when you don't, other drivers assume that is either something wrong with you, or your machine, and usually neither is true. We just want to enjoy our cars.

[calling911]

What I've noticed is if you even make a slight aggresive move like pulling ahead of someone and turning in just a little tight.. you get the finger.. if I was in my truck it would have been no issue.

So now I just drive super aggresive so rather than finger me they are so scared they just white knuckle the steering wheel. So in other words, Im the problem here.

[mppickett]

I think most folks think owning a Porsche says something about us (in addition to the fact we like our cars).

They're just not sure what it says: crazy driver? (I usually think of that when I see a riced-up car); rich and wants to show off? (gee, some folks I know fit that stereotype); likes really nice machinery and can afford it; not practical (how am I going to fit the kid's soccer team into that?); fun loving (awww); sexy (of course); on the make, perhaps in more ways than one; etc, etc.

So it is complicated. My other car is a Toyota Yaris (no joke) and sometimes I wish I had a bumper sticker for my Porsche saying that to take the edge off of people's imagination of who I might be and what I might be trying to say about myself.

Cars do reflect things we want to say about ourselves, but they're also things we enjoy for differing reasons. For me, my car is relatively cheap entertainment, fast and fun, and the source of hundreds of projects to keep me out of trouble. I also like the way it makes little kids point and wave

I sometimes try to relieve some of the guesswork when other folks comment on the car by asking if they've heard about the difference between Porsches and porcupines (pricks on the outside). That usually puts them off balance enough that their preconceptions don't get too much in the way.

[exc911ence]

Most Porsche drivers, myself included, are very courteous on the road... possibly to avoid attracting the negative attention described above.

The worst, most aggressive drivers on the road bar none are the clowns in their 3 series BWMs! I've seen more Top Gun moves in traffic by these jerks than any other. Pontiac Grand Am drivers are almost as bad in their wannabe Bimmers. Must be something with those twin-kidney grilles...

[Winter]

I definitely get some attitude, but it depends upon where I am driving my car. In Vail, which is defined by third and fourth homes priced in the multi-millions, no one cares. Ditto for Denver's Cherry Creek area.

But in Boulder (defined by rich white liberals), people seem to think I'm a spoiled prick. (although I'm in my early 40's I look ten years younger, which adds to their "impression" of me).

What they don't understand is that the car was purchased on Craig's List for a mere $3000.

Yes, "stinky" is a ratty beast! But unless you know these cars, the people in Boulder who look at it from ten feet away, think, wow, that "kid" is driving a Porsche! What a rich, spoiled jerk!. That being said, I've exchanged a few waves with other P car owners in B-town.

----

Tom '75 Targa ("stinky")

[Oh Haha]

I find that I am extra courteous when in the 911 or the BMW. I figure that if the other person has a notion about the driver I can show them that we are not all bastards.


Somebody said recently that we(Porsche enthusiasts) are more aware of OTHER drivers as we tend to be more into the driving enjoyment and not into "posing".

That said, I do drive my cars in a fun manner when I can.

[Mike Thomas]

Originally Posted by exc911ence

Most Porsche drivers, myself included, are very courteous on the road... possibly to avoid attracting the negative attention described above.

The worst, most aggressive drivers on the road bar none are the clowns in their 3 series BWMs! I've seen more Top Gun moves in traffic by these jerks than any other. Pontiac Grand Am drivers are almost as bad in their wannabe Bimmers. Must be something with those twin-kidney grilles...

God, I guess I'm a super-dick, then, having one of each . Wait, my 3's a wagon, do I get a pass?

[Oh Haha]

Originally Posted by Mike Thomas

God, I guess I'm a super-dick, then, having one of each . Wait, my 3's a wagon, do I get a pass?

Welcome to the super-dick club.



Wait, mine's a 5 series AND a wagon.






I'm confused now.

[jwasbury]

Hmmn,

I do get a lot of people wanting to race me it seems. Recently I was cruising along on the highway at 75 or so and a young guy in a Camry pulled up alongside and looked over at me like "wanna go?" I was thinking, "are you serious?" Our cars may be old, but they can still stuff a Camry. Usually I will just ignore this sort of challenge but sometimes I can't help myself. Guess that makes me a prick

As others have mentioned, I have also noticed a propensity for 3 series drivers to display some crazy "hi-performance" driving skillz. But, it might just be New Jersey motorists are the world champions of offensive driving and a 3 series lease is practically mandatory here for recent college grads getting their 1st paychecks.

[Shadetree930]

Must be a Pelican thing ....

the wagon thing, not the dick thing ....

see my sig

[Nine17]

As the Wall Street/real estate collapse proves: most people out there are morons. Some of these morons even drive Porsches and BMW's (but probably don't hang on the Pelican boards). Who cares what they think about us?

For the record: I'm a lawyer; I own an '88 Porsche, an '04 BMW 3-series Sport Package, and an '06 BMW SAV (although through savvy shopping my total investment is less than the price of a new Cayman S). I guess that makes me a mega-dick. I also always try to treat every person courteously and respectfully on or off the road, even if that person is a card-carrying Left Lane Bandit member of the Anti-Destination League (apologies to David E. Davis).

[RexNoctu]

For the most part I have to fit the pelican mold. I am a pretty conservative driver, but then my commute doesn't really lend itself to high performance high jinks.
I have noticed other drivers who seem to feel that they need to prove something when I am around. I can follow them for miles and they are happy. But if I change lanes and wind up in front of them, suddenly they remember that they have to get to a fire or something.
The only time I've bothered responding is when a bimmer boy pulled up next to me at a light a couple of blocks from my house. I had only had the car for a little over a week so was still figuring it all out. Light changed and he actually stayed with me through second gear then my engine started cutting out. It took me a second to realize I was banging off the rev limiter. Third gear made him a very small speck in the rear view.

[JeremyD]

after I got out of high school I quit worrying about what other people thought of the car I drive.

[75Carrera]

I refuse to concern myself with "opinions" from non-Porsche people. Who cares what they think or say. If they wanna be rude, I gots plenty of rude to share with them but prefer to enjoy my car the way I want to. I've never understood the way many people look at skateboarders, rap artists, base jumpers and/or democrats for that matter. Again... who cares?
Just think "NO PORSCHE FOR YOU!" and move on...

[NathanR]

Originally Posted by calling911

What I've noticed is if you even make a slight aggressive move like pulling ahead of someone and turning in just a little tight.. you get the finger.. if I was in my truck it would have been no issue.

So now I just drive super aggressive so rather than finger me they are so scared they just white knuckle the steering wheel. So in other words, I'm the problem here.

I've noticed the exact same thing, and that's pretty much how I deal with it. I figure if I'm already down the road a couple hundred yards, they can do anything they want with their fingers. I drive my 911 fast, and that tends to freak people out.

I had the glorious opportunity to take my Uncle's 911 out for a work out on the country roads around his small town last summer. I was booking down a straight road and there were a couple pedestrians on the side of the road. I drove all the way on the other side of the road when I passed them, but I still got the finger. We had a good laugh about it.

All that said, if I'm in traffic, I go out of my way to let people into my lane, etc. on the off chance it might create a little goodwill.

When I acquired my 911, one of my British car "friends" told me, "buying a Porsche makes people pricks". He was dead serious. I've since come to the conclusion he simply projects his own personality flaws onto others. I don't speak to him much any more.

I'm glad to read this discussion - its been one of the more perplexing issues surrounding 911 ownership. I try not to let it bother me.

Merry Christmas
Nathan

[dondarnell]

There's a joke to this effect. What is the difference between a porcipine and porsche? In a poricipine the pricks are on the outside.

Anyways, I live near the University of Michigan, and here in Michigan you can get your state school "brand" on your tag. It seems that the big blue "M" is on every frickin BMW in Ann Arbor, and they are not the most courteous folks. I am a EMU grad (not the best school), and I have an big green "E" on my 993 just for a retort. My wife is a two time grad of the UofM, and there is no blue M on her Saab 9-3.

If you want a great car that has no negative reaction, buy an Audi.

[calling911]

Originally Posted by JeremyD

after I got out of high school I quit worrying about what other people thought of the car I drive.

Good job.. took me till I was 36. I was a pathetic multi-bmw driving yuppie. Sad.

[calling911]

Originally Posted by NathanR

I've noticed the exact same thing, and that's pretty much how I deal with it. I figure if I'm already down the road a couple hundred yards, they can do anything they want with their fingers. I drive my 911 fast, and that tends to freak people out.

I had the glorious opportunity to take my Uncle's 911 out for a work out on the country roads around his small town last summer. I was booking down a straight road and there were a couple pedestrians on the side of the road. I drove all the way on the other side of the road when I passed them, but I still got the finger. We had a good laugh about it.

All that said, if I'm in traffic, I go out of my way to let people into my lane, etc. on the off chance it might create a little goodwill.

When I acquired my 911, one of my British car "friends" told me, "buying a Porsche makes people pricks". He was dead serious. I've since come to the conclusion he simply projects his own personality flaws onto others. I don't speak to him much any more.

I'm glad to read this discussion - its been one of the more perplexing issues surrounding 911 ownership. I try not to let it bother me.

Merry Christmas
Nathan

Funny.

You know here is my observation.. I almost NEVER see a Porsche guy driving agressively.. in fact, I normally see them driving the speed limit and cautious.. almost like.. hey I own a Porsche so I dont drive fast cuz I got nothin to prove.

Im out there to change things.. I drive the speed limit usually but getting to it and around corners is another thing.