Are Porsche's snubbed at most car shows?

Or am I imagining? Unless I go to a Porsche gathering, no one walks over to see my car or any of the other Porches. Like driving in, people will look up to see what is coming in and look away quickly, like when one gets caught looking at a woman. If it's true than why? Maybe the 996 isn't old enough. Too many made? Maybe they assume we are all check book mechanics? Not American? Other? My friend who came along had a base 99 986 he brought. The curves are stupendous and reek of Porsche DNA. Not a glimpse. Just weird to me.

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You Tube I've not experienced that, but you may live somewhere that exotic cars are more common.

I'd say it depends on the car show you're attending. Every demographic and generation has it's own groups that are into their own thing when it comes to cars. I'd be surprised if anyone snubs you, but it certainly may not be the type of car they came to see.

I don't know that it would have anything to do with the 996 itself. Most people would just see it as a "Porsche 911" Most car shows around here are more of the old muscle car crowd.

There is a McLaren dealership (and a Porsche) but I think it was more the crowd. More a muscle car group. No biggie.

Well, Porsches are not exactly rare and most people have seen one at some point. I've had people approach my car to chat but it was most commonly other p car owners. But who cares....as long as you are enjoying it! And who knows, you could go to 100 shows and at the 101st you could meet someone who was really into what they had. It's timing and you just never know....

I don't care. I am more curious about the mental part of it. So bases on the small sample of replies, I conclude there is no secret hatred but just my imagination. Good to know. Thanks

Hey, you could be driving a BWM I usually skip those at most C&C meets and they seem to make up 60% of attendees in some cases!

to the uninitiated, a 911 is a 911 is a 911. i doubt it's disfavor as much as it's the audience. i don't even bother going to generic shows anymore, as i prefer a group that can distinguish between a 964, a 993, and a 996.

people come up to me/car all the time to talk about it. take pictures of it and with it. I've been chased down multiple times on the road from people asking to take pics of it. I was driving by a food truck one time and was given free dinner for me and my family if I would park my car in front of there truck and let them take pictures.. it was some good food lolol but .. I live north of Detroit in the thumb and there is few car up here like mine. so I think its more of the demographics of the group.

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The color might have something to do with that. I love your car btw.

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no doubt mine is quite custom but before i did the work to it and with my boxster.. lots of attention. I think a lot of it has to do with the people around your area, plus... we have cool cars guys

Shoot, the 996 is snubbed at my local PCA meets! On the other hand one thing I really like about the 996 is how relatively incognito it is when out and about. Most people don't seem to pay any attention to it.

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We had a PCA meet two weekends ago, 40 cars showed up. The 996 and 986 crowd had a combined total of 19 of the 40. It was the first time having that high of a ratio.

I would work on your insecurity first.

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If your goal is to post negative comments on everything then job well done. A real valuable contributor to the community. OP. I've gotten nothing but positive engagement from people at shows or on the road in general.

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Nothing is really that cool about a 986 or a 996, or any contemporary 911 for that matter (I say this as a 996 owner, I love my 996, not that I should have to say that to justify an opinion). If your enjoyment of anything is contingent upon what you perceive someone else's opinion to be, then you missed the plot on your entire life.

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So why are you here exactly? Your opinion is worth your exact estimation of 996 values. Nothing. So if you're that miserable with your own life, you don't need to try and drag others into it. We enjoy our 996, maybe you should try to enjoy yours a little more.

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Believe it or not, it's OK for people to have differing opinions. I enjoy my car quite a bit, I also have a realistic perspective on what it is. It's not that special.

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I have a 996 that�s a balance between performance, age, and price. I�d really like something cool from the 80�s from my youth, but can�t really afford them and in some cases maybe most, the 996 is better anyway. It�s in my budget range. I enjoy talking to people here and most any place I meet them regardless of income about their cars. I miss my 71 cuda but it�s all good. I loved my Duster and Dodge Dart too.

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Thank you for the reminder, almost forgot. That being said, OP didn't ask for anyone's opinion on if they had an insecurity with their car choice, but rather what other's experiences are at car shows. You can be as "realistic" as you want in your own mind, that doesn't mean you need to subject those feelings to others asking a genuine question.

Most of the time I just go to Porsche specific meets with my car. I went to a Cars and Coffee type meet a few weeks ago. The offered to let me park my car in the very first parking spot, but I declined and told them I'd park in back.(The first 2 rows were already full except for the spot up front) It seemed like all cars were thoroughly looked at by everyone. Nobody seemed to snub any of the other cars, not even the Porsche 944s and 996s. Around here car guys are car guys. The seem to like seeing all different kinds of cars.

A Porsche 911 is not rare. When I go to car shows, I look for the old quirky stuff and the rare classics like vintage Ferraris, 1950s Jaguars, etc. I do look through the Porsches, but it is the pre 1974 stuff that interests me most.

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Argeo, out of curiosity, what town was the event in.

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Gotta agree. Porsche lovers will look at every Porsche. They are always looking at ideas for what they can do to their car. Case in point is how popular pictures are in the RL forum. Everybody wants to see more pictures. Non-Porsche specific car shows are a different story. Depending on the event, location and attendees, they may not be interested in porsche's or even cars for that matter. It may just be the cocktails and to be seen. Especially if it's at a McLaren dealership.

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None of the 911 models were ever special until they were. Kinda sneaks up on all of us.

Too many variables. If it's some type of "Hot Import Nights", you're not going to get much attention, if any at all unless you have a crazy wide body conversion with 19x15" wheels out back. Even at a Cars & Coffee, a stock 996 won't get tons of attention unless it has some modifications done to it. There's too may high end 911s there so it gets drowned out. That being said, as long as you like you car, who cares. If you want people to break their necks and take pictures, you have to modify it. Heavily.

Pembroke. I was interested because I typically look at everything. Just felt odd that no one would be interested in a car a little different than the rest. Special maybe not, but different. I was more surprised no one came over to see the 986. Ever year that passes, they get more unique imo. Never said I was upset by it, just curious. Oh, very nice 924s there. Again, nobody around it. Just weird to me.

As others have said, I think the location and type of show are important factors. That being said, if we want to throw some generalizations out there, here are some potential reasons a 996/986 wouldn't get much attention: people are more interested in older (pre-80s) cars people are more interested in rare/unusual cars people are more interested in domestic makes A 996 doesn't check any of those boxes. YMMV

I think you nailed it with the Domestic make and personally I think a lot of folk just find Porsche a snobbish car. It's silly since as we know, most of us bought our cars for a lot less than the average Honda. Perception I guess. Regarding rare, I think in the big picture the 996 is rarer than a lot of cars that frequent car shows. In California or Florida they might be a common sight. Not so sure that is true in the rest of the country. With each year, this becomes even truer. I'll just leave to the audience that day. No biggie. Again I was just curious if I was the only one. Sounds like I am.

I don't go to generic car get togethers with the P-car so have no experience there. I feel kinda like a celebrity when I go to local PCA activities as I'm usually the only 996 there! I never see one around town. I attribute that to where I live... And, yes I paid more for my Honda than I did my 996.

Well done sir!

My 996 didn�t really get much attention at the recent cars and coffee I attended. My friend�s 1980 Polish Fiat, however, would have killed. My 996 isn�t special (yet), and despite the gorgeous and somewhat rare 991 C4S Exclusive edition parked next to me, it didn�t get love either. I ended up talking to the SL450 owner who paid $5k for his car, and the guy who had the 1988 Jeep Wagoneer with wood paneling, among others. The Ferrari at the show received almost no love. I stay away from Ferrari�s because I worry that if I spend time and learn more about them, I�d want one. Porsche might be like that too. Heres what the Cars and Coffee in my town typically has as to offer: You Tube

The editing of that video made me dizzy. In regard to being snubbed, maybe you should have asked if they go unnoticed. If it ain't modded to some degree, ain't nobody gonna look. A 996, big deal to us, but the regular Joe, nope. Most car shows suck for the most part anyway.

On weekends, at Newcomb's Ranch, my 996 got a lot of attention before they even saw the interior. The usual comments are about how it's the best value Porsche out there and things like that along with curiosity on how it stacks up or just general interest in purchasing one too. Since Newcomb's is about 30 miles up the canyons, it's generally true car enthusiasts up there. I'd almost venture to say my car would get more attention than a 991 GT3. Los Angeles, in particular, exotic cars are pretty common place and I'd say a 996 sighting is rarer than any recent Lamborghini or Ferrari model.

That's a really nice car show Mike. So much better than being in a parking lot. My town host 3 a year on the harbor which abuts all the shops and restaurants. It's always a good draw.

Went to my first �cars and coffee� a few weeks ago. I noticed just as many people checking out the 996 as the car parked behind it. But perhaps people thought my car was abandoned from the night before. Maybe they were looking to see if someone left a note.🤷‍♂️

I like those VW vans and pickups. Not sure that I'd own one, but they are cool. Beetles are interesting too. I don't get too wrapped up in who's looking at my car.

I think this happens with all cars. At Italian car shows, I don't give 458's or 488's a passing look. Not that I don't love them, but I've seen them a million times at car events even though they are fairly rarely seen (at least compared to Porsches) out in the wild. I will spend time looking a odd Fiats and Lancias -- or older Ferraris like a 308 GT4, but the things I've seen many times I don't even look at. Of course, with 911's, it doesn't help that they have been making the same body style for 60 (sixty) years!!! There are those that don't know the difference in the 911 models, so all the 911 models meld together and they've seen them. Then there are those who are "internet educated" and "know" (from what they've read) that the 996 is junk . It's good the internet thinks 996's suck, it's kept them affordable. I love the 996 -- in it's purest lightest form I think it's at or near the top of driving experiences (next to early 911e's) across all of the 911 models. I love the headlights -- totally fits the modern feel of the 996 (versus 993). I don't love 996 the body shape as much as most other 911 models, but "lightweight sports car" driving excellence far outweighs that. If you have a very unique color, you'll probably get some attention, but otherwise not in a 996 (or, honestly, most (non-turbo, non-vintage) 911's) .

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If you look at the "crumple zone" in the old VW vans, you definitely won't want one. Spoiler alert -> "you" are the crumple zone . I'm not really a safety freak -- but there is literally a piece of thin sheet metal and about a foot and a half of space between you and what hits you. I never realized that until saw one recently -- no radiator, no engine, no bumper to speak of -- just thin sheet metal is all that's there.

Put a big wing on the 996 and everyone will look at it. People seem to like the stuff that is out of the ordinary.

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Definitely true yesterday at the local Porsche Get Together. Also for aircooled:

I went to Cars & Coffee this morning and some people actually looked at my car. These were real people, not paid actors. Pretty good P Car turnout but not many 996s. Pristine electric powered bus. Pretty clean conversion.