unfreindly porsche owners

[stg]

I've a habit of waving as I cross paths in my GT3 at another Porsche driver.

Generalising, I find boxster drivers less likely to acknowledge than any other type.

However this maybe due to the approach speed being often rather high, but its nice to see a wave in the rear view mirror.

[paultje]

London Irish said:

Boxster owner here. I flash at other Porsche all the time but rarely get a response. It is a pity to read all the posts above bascially saying that unless you drive a 993 down (or a TT/GT3) you are not a true Porsche owner. I have found a great way into a great marque at 27. The problem is that Porsche are loosing their exclusivity (over production) which dilutes the die hards from the die hairdressers. Cayanne owners are the worst IMHO.

I'm not saying that Boxter owners are not enthusiasts, I'm sure a lot are...it's just that they don't seem to respond when waved at...and I don't mean with two fingers! as for Cayen....nes forget it !

>> Edited by paultje on Monday 21st March 13:16

[will_t]

I wave to any 911 but not Boxster drivers, they never wave back

Will

[hammerhead]

Another Boxster owner here. I wave at all Pork and also wave at other obvious Petrolheaded drivers. Yesterday for example, waved at a chap in a Austin Healey 3000 - he waved back, I gave a respectful nod to chap in a newish looking NSX, got nod back. Was following a 3.2S Boxster out of Bathampton yesterday afternoon and was blanked by the pler driving it. I peeled off onto more interesting roads whilst he went drove on, listening to his Steps CD. Probably.

Enthusiast Boxster driver,

Steve





>> Edited by hammerhead on Monday 21st March 14:14

[SimonHarrod911]

verysideways said:

Mike, I actually find i get slightly less abuse since driving a 911 every day than in any of my previous BMW's. That was the nice thing about driving a Chimaera everyday for a while - people don't see you as public enemy number one. VS

I agree totally. Most people smile at an old 911, people look at you like you want to kill their children in an X5.

[verysideways]

SimonHarrod911 said:

...people look at you like you want to kill their children in an X5.

[miracle]

I know many Porsches owners and one of them a owner of a 993 said to me once


"I feel all sad when I have to come home and turn her off"...

[ubermensch]

his wife following some semi-naked diy show ?

I think most porsche owners are a bunch of pussies, at least bmw drivers will perform some outrageous death defying overtaking manoeuvrers one in a while.. the whole problem is this 'weekend status' while they are subjected to the horrifying ordeal of a hyundai mpv or its equivalent during the week (while the sports-car gathers dust), tending to overemphasise the special lets-not-bin-it-'ness as they drive around like oul women instead of keeping the boot planted like say an M3 driver would..

Whats all this waving about anyhow, just drive the flucking thing

[silverback mike]

ubermensch said:

his wife following some semi-naked diy show ? I think most porsche owners are a bunch of pussies, at least bmw drivers will perform some outrageous death defying overtaking manoeuvrers one in a while.. the whole problem is this 'weekend status' while they are subjected to the horrifying ordeal of a hyundai mpv or its equivalent during the week (while the sports-car gathers dust), tending to overemphasise the special lets-not-bin-it-'ness as they drive around like oul women instead of keeping the boot planted like say an M3 driver would.. Whats all this waving about anyhow, just drive the flucking thing

Ahh, a BMW driver

Oops, that's me too. I strive not to conform with the stereotypical BMW driver though.

PS. M3's are for girls.

[verysideways]

I drive my 993 everyday and i don't "play nicely". These cars are meant to be warmed up and then driven, if you want a cruiser buy a 728i or an M3...

VS
(this is me trying to keep my 993 in a straight line whilst accelerating up a wet slip road on to a dual carriageway)

[popov123]

popov123 said:

I still carry on the waving thing... The modern ones dont tend to be interested, but I will wave at anything from 924 through to 997 if I can get their attention. Im hoping when the weather gets better I might actually see some more cars like mine to wave at

As an addition to my earlier post above...

I am stunned and disappointed by the puzzled looks I receive from 'predominantly women' driving round in Cayennes. They simply dont know what they are looking at as I scoot past in my 3.2 waving at them.

[havoc]

popov123 said:

I am stunned and disappointed by the puzzled looks I receive from 'predominantly women' driving round in Cayennes. They simply dont know what they are looking at as I scoot past in my 3.2 waving at them.

Probably wondering who the prole is in that ancient bucket of a car, and how dare he wave at me, I can afford £50k on a car, not some 10-year old heap of junk...I mean, what does he think he's driving, a Porsche?!? MINE's a real Porsche!

[halfpenny43]

When I had my 964C2, I too would wave and flash at other Porkers. Boxters rarely waved back...

Currently I drive a Lotus Exige. I flash and wave all Loti variants. Again, other Elise/Exige drivers generally flash and wave back. Earlier model cars like Elan / Eclat / Europa generally don't wave or flash back as they don't consider the Elise/Exige (certainly the S2 variants) a proper Lotus.... Interesting to see the same conversation about different makes of cars.

It'll all be different next year when I get a nice 993C2S (or at least thats what I'm saving for) !!!

[cyberface]

It's a combination of a numbers game and the fact that you can buy virtually any Porker, as a non-enthusiast, and own it as just another quality car. The only people that wave to each other when driving are enthusiasts.

With TVR, you have to be a reasonably serious enthusiast to consider buying the car in the first place - the lack of driver aids and big torque-weight ratios mean you need to be a confident driver to enjoy most of them. They are also well known for crap build and unreliability, so you don't in general get the status-symbol non-enthusiasts buying them.

(before I get flamed, I've owned 3 993s and a Griff 500 - my TVR was a good'un and only let me down once, exactly matching my 3 993s, in which I've only had one breakdown... however I consider myself lucky with the Griff)

This, along with the fact that Porsche make 100s of times more cars than TVR, ensures that the guy/girl in the TVR coming the other way is pretty much guaranteed to be an enthusiast.

With Porsche, it's a lot harder to tell. Other than the obvious giveaways (how many non-enthusiasts drive RS models, or Rufs, etc. ??) - how can you spot that the driver of the higher-production cars like the Boxster is actually a full-house Porsche fan who's wanted one since they were a kid, or instead someone who liked the colour and the ability to tell people they drive a Porsche??

Buggered if I know. I'll gladly wave back to any enthusiast in a Porsche, engine in wrong end or watercooled or whatever - but I can't be arsed trying it out on every 996, Boxster or Cayenne I see. There are still some non-enthusiasts left out there in 993s!!

Answering the original question - I don't agree, Porsche enthusiasts are just as friendly as any other marque enthusiast. The popularity of the PH Porsche forums and Rennlist speak for themselves. However if the driver ain't an enthusiast, then who knows? Sounds like you were just unlucky.

[SURJ_993C2S]

I usually do my 'circuit' on a Sunday eve if I've not had the chance to take the cars out during the week. At that time of day I usually flash any P cars and more often than not, the Boxta's dont flash back, but the 996's usually do.

(The Lancia Stratos didn't either but that's because I was behind him in my runaround car - 1991 LHD 260,000km 325 in green - which he probably never even saw!!)

S

[croyde]

Living in London I think me arms would fall of if I waved at every blinking Porsche that drove by.

Due to pick up my first Porsche, a Boxster, in a couple of months and I will wave back. Old Biker habit.

[456mgt]

There are just too many Porsche to wave at every one that passes. At least that's the conclusion I came to when I had a 996. I've never yet been blanked by another 'rarri driver, and on the rare occasions I come across one going in the same direction it's turned into a spontaneous mini hoon. Carrying this over into Porsche ownership lasted about a week, then I gave up. Always waved back if someone waved at me first tho'.

[Porky]

I am a Boxster owner (for 4 years) and I wave at all other Porkers but it is rare that I get any acknowledgement, particularly from 996 or 997 drivers. The people who ALWAYS wave back are 356 drivers.

The suggestion that those who wave are enthusiasts rather than just owners is absolutely right.

Don't get me started on Beemers - great cars often driven with strange attitudes.

[C310]

I drove my 997 today for the first time and had 2 very positive thumbs up from Boxster owners. A real delight. I also watched in amusement (through the mirror) as others discussed the rear spoiler at work.

[silverback mike]

Porky said:

Don't get me started on Beemers - great cars often driven with strange attitudes.