Ferris Beuller lives!

[pwd72s]

Globe journalist’s son crashes $180,000 Porsche - The Globe and Mail

[billybek]

That is a pretty good story!
Poor kid, but if you have to take out a car, why not a loaded new turbo?

[Jim Richards]

Nah. It's his cousin Freddy.

[nynor]

that is a lesson for the father: teach your children how to drive a manual!

[Noah930]

Can you still start up a manual transmissioned 911 (turbo or not) without having to put the clutch in?

[Tidybuoy]

[legion]

Originally Posted by Noah930

Can you still start up a manual transmissioned 911 (turbo or not) without having to put the clutch in?

My guess is that he pushed in the pedal to start it, then released it when running. My guess is that he just tried stuff until it worked.

I've been trying to save up for Skip Barber for years, and that kid gets to go to racing school BECAUSE he crashed a Porsche.

[Noah930]

I wondered if the kid started up the car with the tranny in gear and the clutch not pushed in. If the hand brake wasn't pulled, the car easily could have jumped forward through the garage door. Or he could have accidentally dropped the clutch with the motor idling but tranny in gear. Similar end result.

I also caught that bit of automotive injustice, legion. Kid doesn't give a crap about automotive performance...and gets sentenced to a high performance driving school. Wish I had a dad like that.

[lukeh]

At a park my girlfriend did something very similar to my 88 turbo cab. While I stopped in the bathroom she went ahead to the car. When I came walking over I noticed she was in the drivers seat. She was just playing around and wanted me to think she was planning on driving home. Having no clue how to drive a stick she turned the key with the car in 1st gear and it jumped the curb and started rolling across the grass.

She started screaming and a dozen or so people came running. The car coasted to a stop and she was crying her eyes out. She kept sobbing "take me home...take me home". So now with a good 25 people standing around I drove around on the lawn to where I could get back onto the pavement without having to drive off the curb. People were taking pictures and if this hadn't have happed 20 years ago I'd guess we'd be up on the internet. In the end we were very lucky. The car didn't hit anything or kill anyone. The curb was pretty low so no damage was done. And best of all...I ended up marry the girl.

[bivenator]

good story lukeh.

[onlycafe]

at least this guy could drive.

[m21sniper]

[jhynesrockmtn]

Can you still start up a manual transmissioned 911 (turbo or not) without having to put the clutch in?

I seriously doubt it. I was in my son's Subaru the other day briefly dumbfounded about why it wouldn't start. I'm sure he started it and dropped the clutch.

A few years ago I pulled my then pristine blue Boxster S into the garage not remembering I had put a bed frame against the wall earlier. A huge gouge all the way down the right rear fender was the result. As the Porsche rep in the article told the kid (*&^ happens. Porsche's response was pretty cool.

[m21sniper]

I believe it is a loooooong time federal safety mandate that a manual trans car must have the clutch depressed to crank or start.

[Christien]

That story circulated ridiculously fast around here - most of us know at least some of the people involved. I think the father handled it as well as could be. The kid is going to be around high-performance cars for most of his life, by the sounds of things, so driver training is a good idea. You bet my kids will be in it when they're old enough. Prepping their own cars, too, if they get the bug.

FWIW, my 911 (and every one of its vintage that I've driven) starts without the clutch pedal in. It's really handy when you're working on it and you have to start it frequently - just leave it in neutral with the parking brake on.

[sammyg2]

Oh, it's OK to crash the car. Oh, it's OK to try and lie about it.
Don't worry about it.
With that kind of moral upbringing I predict that kid will end up dead or in prison.

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Oh, it's OK to crash the car. Oh, it's OK to try and lie about it.
Don't worry about it.
With that kind of moral upbringing I predict that kid will end up dead or in prison.

when did the kid lie?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I believe it is a loooooong time federal safety mandate that a manual trans car must have the clutch depressed to crank or start.

Originally Posted by Christien

FWIW, my 911 (and every one of its vintage that I've driven) starts without the clutch pedal in. It's really handy when you're working on it and you have to start it frequently - just leave it in neutral with the parking brake on.

My '88 didn't have a neutral Safety switch.

[coolngroovy]

WOW!.....dejavu!
Except only the car had changed.

I will never forget the terrified look on master 4s face as he drove thru the garage door.

Priceless!

[Racerbvd]