the final straw or was made you decide on a Porsche

sorry screwed up the title ... the final straw or what made you decide on a Porsche Since I posted the "Conclusion of a journey" thread I have had several people contact me and ask "why a Porsche since you went to a Corvette driving school?" or some form of that question so, I felt a need to explain. Late last summer I put my "play" car up for sale. It was a very well prepped and modified 300ZX Twin Turbo. I new I would replace it someday so, I had been saving some coin to that end. The original plan was a C5 Z06 or a C6 which evolved into the choice that it would indeed be a C6. I then was granted the oportunity to attend a 3-Day program at The Porsche Sport Driving School and I became a little less sure of the C6 decision. A point of interest that should be known that has had a huge effect on my car purchase decision is that The Tire Rack has a test track which we use for tire testing but, on the weekends that same track is used for club AutoX's and I am typically hosting many of the events. So, there a I was hosting quite a few AutoXs and didn't have a car to compete with .... well, since most people who are involved in racing can attest t, we're a good bunch of folks always willing to lend a helping hand, or in my case a car. I had many oportunities to drive many different cars over the next couple of months .... you name the car and I probably drove it .... Elise, C5 Z06, C6, C6 Z06, 993, 996, 997, Cooper S, etc. suffice it to say more different cars than I care to type. Since this was to be a 'play' car it had to meet certain criteria that fact alone eliminated many possibilities. The search and deciding process continued. The Corvette had a signifcant lead in the decision process but Porsche was coming on strong. It came down to 996 or C6 both of which could be found to fit within my budget. I finally decided on the 911 because of several factors here's apartial list. #1.) leather is better than plastic #2.) no immediate need to change things like the seats #3.) Porsche brakes are used as upgrades for many other cars #4.) the realization that the PSD school has no on staff technicians (meaning they are pretty durable) #5.) while it's not much of 1 it does have a rear seat and I like taking my daughter palces with me here's a cut and paste of a post I made about the Porsche Sport Driving School I attended in August. Without the PSD school I would have ended up with a Corvette .... which, in itself, would not have been a bad decision. In the end with all of the factors weighed out the 996 is a better choice for me.

1 drive in my buddy's black Ruf aerokitted 1999 996 - the sound, the steering feel, the look... mesmerizing. It was unlike anything I had ever driven. The same impression that was made on me as the Ferrari 360 did a few days ago. For me, to capture my full imagination, the car has to look good as well. If I drove a stock 996 or Ferrari, I wouldn't have been nearly as excited.

Luke, we shared a lot of similarities in our decision making process. I test drove a few c5 z06s before buying the 996. Worlds of difference. Glad I made the choice I made.

i'm glad for you both!

Speed Back Seat Timelessness Cabrio Top

Great post. I've wanted a 911 since I was about 10 or so. I really can't say why. I've also wanted a Vette from about the same time, just not quite as much. If you could do only one, which of the driving schools you have done would you attend?

Great post. Would love to get out there some day (soon). I know they said that track could never be built on the old landfill, that bugs would be everywhere....

it's hard to say as they are very different but, neither one would be a mistake ... so, it depends what you are looking for .... PSD the track is better (it's a race track not an instructional track) resort is 45 minutes away ... travel time cuts into track time no passing no open lapping (always lead/follow) more vehicle variables (Cayenne, Cayman, Boxster, Cayman S , Boxster S, 911) cool museum on the grounds Birmingham Alabama Bondurant instruction more based on racing skills shorter/busier purpose built and designed instructional track better food resort across the street race seats and harnesses casino a stones throw away Phoenix Arizona I have also done several other schools and all of them have plusses and minuses

I was driving an Evo with a full catless turboback and coilovers and realized that I was getting a bit too old to be beaten up every day with such a loud, raucous car. A Porsche seemed to be the proper choice as I wasn't exactly ready to own a BMW or Benz as I still wanted a performance car. Now, strangely, I have been missing my Evo quite a bit lately...

My first �toy� car was a 2001 Corvette C5 Had it for 2 years and loved it. I then upgraded to 2006 C6. I also started to appreciate performance and took some driving classes with Skip Barber. While at skip Barber I had a chance to drive a 996. I quickly realized that there was a lot more then raw, ground thumping hps and the better balanced P-car was much more fun to drive. Shortly after, my wife and I had our first child and it was a perfect transition for a new toy. Now we NEEDED and back seat!!!!

Reading my Dad's R&T mags when I was 10 or 11.

Was a die-hard 'vette lover.......then I read a friends coffee table book called simply "Porsche". I was so impressed with the Engineering of the car that I was never aware of before. I soon bought one..........

Wanted a 911 for about 25 years. Probably about the only consistent desire I've ever had in my life. I finally got to a point in my life where I felt I could justify one, and my dad got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I said WTF, you never know what's going to happen. And I wanted my dad to see me have one before it was too late. So much for the sad story, I love the car. It's everything I thought it would be and I can't imagine every being without a p-car.

It went something along the lines of... "yes! yes! YES! Yes you can buy a Porsche!"

I needed a sports car with a back seat. I wanted a 911, but never looked past the 993s because of the price, so I prepared to buy a Mazda RX-8. At some point, a buddy pointed out how reasonably priced the 996s had become, so I looked for the right one for about a year. Found mine just a mile or two from my house.

Back seat, massive enthusiast movement with lots of emphasis on performance driving, manual trans (was considering Jag XKR, beautiful, but no manual available), and I happened to drive one....I've only driven one 911, the one I now own. Feel like I made a great decision, and I have the feeling I'll always own at least one P-car. Mitch

When I asked wifey, she just said 'what color'

We owned a his and her Infinity G35 stable. She had the Coupe and I had a highly modded sedan. My brother had a 1999 Audi A4 and was selling it, and was keeping his next selection a secret. During this time my wife had decided that she wanted to replace her G35 coupe with a new BMW 335 Coupe and went as far as to order one up. While we were waiting for the Bimmer to show, my brother comes over with the "Secret", a new 06 Cayman S, Seal Gray with beige interior. WOW. My wife takes it for a drive to the Ventura Porsche show and after getting home, cancels the BMW and gets a 07 Cayman a few weeks later. After driving her Cayman for a few weeks, I could not stand the G35 anymore, and put it up for sale. I now have a 1996 993 and now we know what we were always missing. PORSCHE... "There is no substitute" And to top it off... these Porsche's have been much cheaper in maintenance then the Infinity's were. Who would have thought?

I started making enough money to afford at decent car in the late 70's, not exactly a high water mark in hi perfomance cars from any manufacturer. Most V-8 of the era where lucky to make 150hp, had shoddy build quality and way too many decals (anyone remember the late 70's firebirds with the screaming chicken on the hood). So I bought a slightly used 78 911SC. Haven't been without a 911 since.

After all the mods to my e46 m3, it still felt like a fast 3- series but didn't really feel and sound like a sportscar should.

i bought a p, because I can't afford a ferrari

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.... Well, I bought a Porsche because my wife said we couldn't afford to maintain a Ferrari.

As a kid I always wanted a Ferrari but then I owned some German and some Italian cars and realized that cars are like the people of their country. Italians are charming and love la dolce vita; great place to be but Germans are not only great engineers, they are perfectionists - much better basis for great, reliable cars. As soon as I earned enough money after school, I got my first BMW and loved the solid feel of it. Porsche was just the next logic step.

My first true sports car was a 1993 RX 7 with those beautiful curves that still look great today. I had to give it up when my first child was born, no back seat. i always knew i would wind up in a performance car again and finally got the ok as long as it had four seats. at first i hoped Mazda would resurrect the RX 7 but they brought out the butt ugly RX8 instead. I spent some time with a friend of my Dads who has two beautfully restored 356 and a limited edition boxster. was sold on porsche from that point forward and nine years after giving up the RX 7 wound up in my next dream car. as was said earlier in the post, can see myself owning a porsche from now on and am already dreaming about which model to get in 5 or 6 years.

I saw it looking abused & neglected with a bunch of wrecked cars....it called to me. Unfortunatley, I didn't pay much attention during my high school german class. What it was really saying to me was, "Buy me and I'll keep you broke for the rest of your days" . I knew that I couldn't go wrong. Blue book was $45,000 at the time. I bought it for the bargain price of $20,000. A couple years & $10,000 later, I had a car that I could actually drive. I went into the second project Porsche with a little more knowledge & experience....which means I should have had a little more common sense. Seriously, I would do it all over again. The journey is half the fun.

In 2004 I bought a Nissan 350Z as my "Porsche Substitute". The price for a 993 or 996 was simply out of my range. I loved the Z, but it just wasn't a Porsche. In 2005 I recieved a promotion making things a bit more affordable. Early 2006, I was pining over a local 1996 Arena Red C4. But between my fear of the SAI issue, being unable sell the Z at a reasonable price, and the fact that I couldn't fit in the 993 with a helmut on, I passed on the deal. In early 2007, I received a raise, and the Canadian dollar got much stronger, making US P-Cars much more affordable. I stretched myself and picked up a 2002 C2 in Connecticut in April and haven't looked back.

My Mom had a 928 when I was growing up. I bought an MR2 when I was 20 and thought it was the schiznit, then I drove my sister's 911. Three years later I had my own Drove that car for ten years before getting the water pumper.

The final straw for me was simple, money. The day I could afford to buy a decent 911, I did. Wanted one since I was 15. Right now I have a 1999 996. If I can ever afford Porsche #2 I will get a 1988 930, triple black, mint condition. I really prefer that body style.

Always loved the styling. First fell in love with them when I was about 8 playing Test Drive II (the 959 was one of the two cars you could choose from) on PC. Growing up in a town of everyone driving Trans-ams and Camaros, I decided to be different. Bought a 924S in high school, and had to sell it when I went back to college for the second time. Swore I'd be in one again when I got out, so now that I'm done and in a steady career, I'm getting a 996.

I retired and bought a motorcycle....my wife, sister, my kids all ranted and raved that I was going to kill myself on the motorcycle and suggested I buy a sports car. I walked into a friend's garage one day and there was a 99 996 sitting there. We went for a drive....of course he had to show off and took it thru its paces....and needles to say I was impressed. Sold the motorcycle and started looking till I found a 99 996 and that started it.

I love the solid feel/quality/engineering of Mercedes, and that's all I drove one after the other until shortly after I started my own business. Being an ex-engineer, I did notice the shortcomings in the handling department --- too soft by my tastes. By chance, a colleague came over to my house one night, and after a couple of drinks (and after the alcohol was out of my system) he suggested we go for a spin in his new Boxster. After firing it up I drove off, and he suggested I "step on it", which I did. Evidently I was being too timid, as he said "seriously, step on it ---you can't hurt it, this thing is bullet-proof". I'll never forget that night: I threw everything I had at that engine/clutch/suspension. The handling, brakes, and especially the boxer engine's wide power band had me addicted. A couple months later I returned my benz for a brand-new '04 911 C2. 77,000 miles later, from an engineer's perspective, There Is No Substitute.

I drove my college roommates 2000 C4 cab. Of course, I had to get a slightly better one.

I was always a small sports car fan. I've been a continuous Road & Track subscriber since January 1979 (just before I turned 16). My friends all had Camaro's, Firebirds, Mustangs, etc. My toys of choice were always British Sports cars. I've owned Austin Healey 3000's, a TR4, TR6, TR8, Spitfire, MGA, MGB, etc. I sold my last British Car (a 1980 TR8) in 2000. At that point I was 37 and decided I was tired of the "character" of these cars and wanted something that had a better build quality. Plus, I have two kids and when both of my kids wanted a ride a 2 seater just wouldn't work. I had always been an admirer of Porsche and decided to take the plunge. I bought a 1996 993 C4S and I haven't looked back.

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Yep. That put me over the edge too.

I had wanted one since I was in college (1970s) but "settled" for VWs and BMWs until .... until ... the last straw ... I started watching videos like this one on YouTube. The sound track is what put me over the edge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V9NIaYptFg

So I finally get the question for this thread, ha. I spent a long weekend surrounded by Porsches last October at Laguna Seca, final ALMS race, invited into Flying Lizard garage, plus GT3 cup racing, Porsche paddock, Porsche, Porsche, Porsche for 3 straight days.... The straw was broken a few other times, but I couldn't find the car I wanted/needed at the right price. Recession is good for used Porsche buyers.

I wanted a sports car with a rear seat and 4WD... Having been a Porsche owner for a long time, it seemed like an obvious choice!

some good answers in this thread ...

When they wiped the afterbirth off me.

Great post adn outstanding pics. teh only thinmg that could improve them woudl be soemof Graham;s hot Lithuanian models in the foreground. I had 3 Nissan Z's in a row, but I always wanted a Porsche. I had convinced myself the Z was the more cost-efficient car to own, but after getting thumped by the Zs almost complete lack of reale value (compared to the purchase price) I had enough. Even if my 996 drops way below what I paid for it (and I know it will), it will still always retain a base value. If I had bought a Porsche in the first place, I'd still have it, and it would still have a respectable resale value (ie, more than it costs to insure it) Plus it is so much more of a complete car.

once again, Riad supplies the best answer, in the fewest words.

My brother had a 924 back in 1978. He abused the **** out of it, and I spent a lot of time waiting for the car to be repaired at Heishman Porsche-Audi. I became obsessed with Porsches when I was 14 for that reason. I didn't have one of my own until I bought the 951 in Atlanta, back in 1998.

Easy choice for me. I had a 2000 C5 Vette Convertible and loved it, but I wanted something I could drive daily year round (including in the snow). Enter my 2001 C4 Cabriolet! Well built, AWD, and a convertible?!? SOLD!!! Enjoy your new P-Car!