New Porsche owners - do they wave?

[Fidalgo911S]

Everytime I see a Boxster or a 99-something coming the other way, when I wave or flash the lights, there is absolutely no response. If anything they look at me like "Who is that?"

When I bought my first Porsche, a '68 911, back in 1987, it was the standard to give a little wave to another Porsche. To do otherwise would be rude and considered bad form.

I was wondering if any other 911/912 owners have had the same experiences. It's a little trite but yet makes me shake my head. Sad.

[cowtown]

No, they don't wave. They also don't change oil, don't autocross, and don't know how to adjust their clutches because they don't need to.

With apologies to the rare owner of a 996/986 on this board who does wave. You're a rarity.

[MOMO3.2]

No waves from the Boxsters or 996's I have encountered.

[addictionMS]

I change my oil, I race on the track, and I flash and wave....look for the aero kit on a 996, dead give away the owner has a better chance of being an enthusiast, however I also own a 1970 with a 3.2/915, a 1988 comemerative ed, and a GT3S race car....so I might be a rarity....I get alot of blank stares from air cooled cars when I wave or flash, must me shock or something....


Jim

[Par911]

Good Luck trying to get waves from Boxster owners, or 996 drivers. These drivers hardly ever wave. Remember, people also buy the water cooled new fancy smancy porsches because its an elite german vehicle, so you get people who don't know what p-cars are about, or could care less about the passion in buying them......What do they know about a car that is 24+ years old?

[phoneguy]

Been discussed at length before... My theory is 986/993/996 owner who doesn't wave is driving a "status symbol" and that's all!

[traveler]

Since I'm a fairly new p-car owner, I haven't noticed, but it brings to mind an experience from last weekend I'd like to share. I took my wife to the shopping mall (about 20 miles on the interstate) and noticed literally hundreds of vettes going the other way. I later learned they had an event in a town about 40 miles in the other direction. About 10% of them looked our way as they passed by and a few of them waved. My wife commented, "You can tell how secure they are as a person by whether or not they look at us." Pretty inciteful! (and, yes, I know the difference between a Corvette and a porcupine!) (Oops, did I break some unwritten code by mentioning that other car?)

In the three weeks that I've had my 911 I've only seen one other Porsche and he both waved and flashed his lights. Cool!

[GSpreeman]

I was so excited the first time a Porsche flashed his lights at me when I got my car I almost hit a parked car trying to find the light switch so I could flash back. To answer your question, Boxter owners have never returned my flash and 1990 and up seldom do. I just figured the 993's had such lousy wiring that they couldn't flash without stalling.

[geof33]

Nope, never been flashed. But I street raced a dude, and he "thought" he was hot ***** until I smoked him. He could have had me, just NO driving skills or nuts...

[CarreraS2]

OK, I'll admit it - in my 911 I don't wave 99% of the time. And I don't ever flash. It's just not reciprocated around here.

When I had my 914, I ALWAYS waved to other 914 drivers. And almost always got a wave, smile and/or thumbs up back.

I give a little raise of the fingers off the grip on my MC to other MC'ers, except for Harley riders, who apparently around here don't recognize anyone else except for other leather-clad, poseur, lemming Harley riders.

[jazzbass]

Usually they don't. But...

Was out driving yesterday with my wife. Let her drive for a while (all part of the "get her addicted so I can justify buying another Porsche as say its hers" plan - thanks Jim). Wife looks in the mirror - "There's a Porsche right behind us". Guy changes lanes and pulls up beside us, rolls down his window and tells me what a gorgeous car I have. He was driving a brand new 996 Turbo.

So, yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause. There are also 9x6 drivers that appreciate old Porsches.

[Carrera Sled]

Jazz - good to hear that. I bet many (not ALL!) latest-model owners have them for the "status", and probably couldn't find the dipstick if they had a gun to their head. Apparently the 996er you encountered knew that the 911s are the real driver's cars .

[lateapex911]

Originally posted by addictionMS
..... however I also own a 1970 with a 3.2/915, a 1988 comemerative ed, and a GT3S race car....so I might be a rarity......


Jim

Yup...and a lucky guy too!! How do you decide which to drive?

[96conv]

There's a guy that lives just a block down the street from me who owns a Boxster. He was washing his boat this morning when I drove by. I waved and he just looked at me for a second and went back to his boat. How rude! Another time, I walked up to an '87 Targa owner and tried to strike up a conversation about his car. I pointed out my car which was parked about 30 feet away. This guy couldn't get away from me fast enough. I'm starting to get a complex!

[CarreraS2]

That's why I don't wave/flash anymore.

I can't handle that kind of rejection!

[Mark McClure]

Tried it with a Chayanne the other day........the guy looked at me as if I was driving a Volvo........

My wife tried it when we had an old collectable Ford Cortina Mk 1, she waved at 2 other ones as she passed.....none of them waved back. It was only then she realised that she was driving my Toyota.

[speeder]

Well, there are definitely a few different catagories of Porsche owners. The people on this board represent a pretty active enthusiast group, maybe even more so than typical PCA members. We are the people who keep the Porsche-only magazines in business, plus support businesses like Pelican and Elephant Racing with our DIY projects. Many of the members here own pristine older 911s and 914s, and/or beautifully modified cars. We are the owners who identify as Porsche fanatics and wave/flash one another.

It is true that once upon a time, most new Porsche buyers were enthusiasts, but that peaked with the 356 and has been slowly decreasing for 40 years. Porsche has done an amazing marketing job with their cars. They have sucessfully built a mistique based on their racing heritage, but in recent years focused more on the cars just being a symbol of the good life/having fun. There aren't enough hard-core enthusiasts in the world to support new Porsche sales, they need to sell them to doctors and lawyers, movie biz people and affluent single women.

I am rare among my buddies here in that I like most of the new Porsches, albeit for different reasons than I like old ones. Stock 996s don't do much for me, but then stock 993s do absolutely nothing for me. They all need to be tastefully and purposefully modified to get me excited. The exception would be 996 turbos, stock is fine if anyone wants to donate one my way.

Over this weekend, besides going on a fun canyon drive w/ Pelicanheads, I saw my first new turbo cab on the street, (had to pull over and wait to see it go by, it was stopped at a light, warm night w/ top down, went by so fast and quiet it was freaky, 2 passengers smiling and talking inside), also I was out Sat. night w/ a woman who owns a new Cayenne turbo. She said that I could drive it anytime, I'll file a report here when I do. I explained to her how Porsche traditionalists resent the Cayenne, she just stared back at me like you would look at a bum telling you his life story. She had no idea what I was talking about, or even why I was trying to make conversation about her car. I felt like a tool and quickly changed the conversation to her shoes or something.

So what is the point of all of this? Not sure, but enjoy your car and keep up the courtesy/friendliness. It can only be a positive force in the world, regardless if some don't respond or "get it".

[Aussie]

I always get a wave from the Pre 73 Porsches some times from the 70's and mid 80's ones but not from the newer ones.

I guess alot of people who have 996 or Boxsters are not that into porsches, they just have an expensive company car or expensive status symbol.

Thats not to say there would be plenty in the other basket too who have new porsches and are die hard porsche fans too.

The headlight flash/wave thing is slowly disappearing. I flashed my headlamps at a 911 similar to my own a few days ago. No response 924s & 944s never wave back either. Same goes for the newer cars (986 etc.).

Maybe we should just "flash" instead, that'll get their attention Of course this will be easier for cabrio drivers

[clay1g]

Keep in mind, just because you saw another 911 coming your way doesn't mean the other driver saw you in time to wave.

I always try to look out for other 911's but sometimes I don't see them until it's too late. After reading this thread I wonder if those drivers I missed also thought I was a snob because I didn't wave?