Allowing Your Kids To Drive your 997 turbo
#16
06-04-2008, 07:07 AM
I'm really surprised by some of these answers. Letting a 16 y.o. behind the wheel of a 500hp car seems just nuts to me. Like the old saying "all good fun till someone get poked in the eye". Think back to the number of times you were challenged on the street and gave in, what if your mature, thoughtful 16 y.o. just makes one mistake.
Actually, the most thoughtful response as far as I'm concerned is by our youngest poster, EDocta
not critical, just surprised
Actually, the most thoughtful response as far as I'm concerned is by our youngest poster, EDocta
not critical, just surprised
#18
06-04-2008, 08:14 AM
At 16 I had a 5.0 LX Mustang, modded, and I did some stupid stuff behind the wheel, took some risks etc. Can be done in any car though, Ive seen some of the local high school kids do some dangerous stuff in their scions.
#19
06-04-2008, 08:17 AM
I think it depends on the kid and the trust between the parent and son...
I learned to drive on my dads 1986 911 ruf turbo and never had any problems with the sports cars I had when I was younger..
I learned to drive on my dads 1986 911 ruf turbo and never had any problems with the sports cars I had when I was younger..
#20
06-04-2008, 08:36 AM
Hey-
I'm the same age as your son (16), and got my driver's license in August of 2007. My father recently bought himself a 2006 Carrera S... largely due to my persistence (like your son, it sounds like). I've never had an accident or a ticket, and am very cautious. I'll throw out my perspective...
I've only ever driven the car alone once, and that was after dropping my father off at a party (alcohol and Porsches don't mix... heh). He allowed me to take it out on a short joy ride. What a blast!
However, I have not driven the car without an adult in the car since, though I have been offered the opportunity.
For one, I feel bad about driving my father's car... it's his, and he paid for it with the money he's earned from working very hard. Also, I have a problem with driving such an expensive car and having other people see me- many of whom probably lust for such an expensive car, and work much harder than I do (in school). Simply put, I feel like I have not earned the privilege to drive this car alone.
I have no qualms whatsoever about driving the Porsche safely, as I trust the electronic nannies will grab hold of me if I do something stupid. Also, I would never do anything stupid because I don't want a ticket, and I would hate to damage the car (I could live with breaking a limb if it meant protecting the car... haha). I care more about the car than my father, and am very careful with it.
Hope that helps!
PS- In my previous posts, I made no mention of my age, as I had hoped my father would get interested in this website and start using this account.
I'm the same age as your son (16), and got my driver's license in August of 2007. My father recently bought himself a 2006 Carrera S... largely due to my persistence (like your son, it sounds like). I've never had an accident or a ticket, and am very cautious. I'll throw out my perspective...
I've only ever driven the car alone once, and that was after dropping my father off at a party (alcohol and Porsches don't mix... heh). He allowed me to take it out on a short joy ride. What a blast!
However, I have not driven the car without an adult in the car since, though I have been offered the opportunity.
For one, I feel bad about driving my father's car... it's his, and he paid for it with the money he's earned from working very hard. Also, I have a problem with driving such an expensive car and having other people see me- many of whom probably lust for such an expensive car, and work much harder than I do (in school). Simply put, I feel like I have not earned the privilege to drive this car alone.
I have no qualms whatsoever about driving the Porsche safely, as I trust the electronic nannies will grab hold of me if I do something stupid. Also, I would never do anything stupid because I don't want a ticket, and I would hate to damage the car (I could live with breaking a limb if it meant protecting the car... haha). I care more about the car than my father, and am very careful with it.
Hope that helps!
PS- In my previous posts, I made no mention of my age, as I had hoped my father would get interested in this website and start using this account.
You sound very mature for a 16 year old and made some good points. With your father supervision, you should be fine but just remember there are no shortcuts to experience. I'm 50 now and but remember when I was sixteen. I bought a VW Squareback from my mother for $1800. The car was an automatic and virtually a gutless wonder but it got me from point A to B so I was a happy camper. My big thrill was driving my father's Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlinetta (under his supervision). Compared to the VW it was a rocketship. Alfa and Porsche were the 2 cars I loved growing up as a kid. Alfa stopped importing cars to the US long ago but Porsche is King in my book.
#21
06-04-2008, 08:47 AM
I am only 26 and a kid myself. Letting my 16 year old take the car out without me would be a no go. Dont get me wrong I will have no problem buying my kid a nice car but a stupid fast barely street legal rocket... not a chance. All it takes is one punk *** pulling up to a light thinking he is sweet and your son not wanting to swallow his pride and then bam a street race gone bad of some sort. I had a Cobra R back in high school and let me be the first to admit I was stupid with that car. Just my .02
#22
06-04-2008, 09:54 AM
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My kids are all still young. But when they start driving, I'll buy them something with less horsepower. They will not be driving any Porsche sport car with big horsepower.
Before any accident happens, everything is fine.
It has nothing to do with the kid's responsibility. There are too many variables out on the street that you cannot control even if you yourself drive responsibly. There are drivers out there that have been driving for many years and yet may not be able to handle a high horsepower sport car.
My mom has been driving before I did. I will not let her drive my Porsche alone. Enough said. And I trust my Mom 100% on everything.
Before any accident happens, everything is fine.
It has nothing to do with the kid's responsibility. There are too many variables out on the street that you cannot control even if you yourself drive responsibly. There are drivers out there that have been driving for many years and yet may not be able to handle a high horsepower sport car.
My mom has been driving before I did. I will not let her drive my Porsche alone. Enough said. And I trust my Mom 100% on everything.
#23
06-04-2008, 10:15 AM
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Driving
I have a sixteen year old son , I will let him drive with me but that's it..
He does fly alone wuth his student pilots ticket and says he does enjoy the turbo...
Like me he started flying at fourteen...
Gee-Bee
He does fly alone wuth his student pilots ticket and says he does enjoy the turbo...
Like me he started flying at fourteen...
Gee-Bee
#24
06-04-2008, 10:21 AM
A very good client of mine lets his 17 year old drive his TT on friday and saturday nights..could you imagine the times that kid is having.
#25
06-04-2008, 10:30 AM
I turn 19 in 2 days and my brother just turned 20 and our dad lets us drive his 996tt all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love driving the car and ripping through the first few gears but don't always like the looks I get drive that car with the loud exhaust. We've both been driving it since 16 with him and alone and my dad has no problem with it. He trusts us enough. He drives it almost everyday and drives it just as hard as we do. He understands it's just a car.
#26
06-04-2008, 10:33 AM
I think it's fine but it depends on the kid.
My daughter is 16 and there's no way I would let her behind the wheel of the TT and she would not want to anyway.
When I was 16 my dad had some FAST hot rods and those were the first cars I ever drove. When I had my permit he would spend a lot of time with me in those cars. The education was great. The main points stressed were understanding powerful cars and the potential for disaster if they are not respected. I was a responsible kid and never had problems.
I had a friend in the same time period that would use his brothers new GTO almost daily. The things he would do with that car were absolutely stupid to the point where I wouldn't ride with him. He ended up totaling the car.
I think the one thing that bothers me in some of the previous posts is the assumption that the newer cars with the nannies will keep these kids out of trouble. This is a mistake and provides a false sense of security.
tw
My daughter is 16 and there's no way I would let her behind the wheel of the TT and she would not want to anyway.
When I was 16 my dad had some FAST hot rods and those were the first cars I ever drove. When I had my permit he would spend a lot of time with me in those cars. The education was great. The main points stressed were understanding powerful cars and the potential for disaster if they are not respected. I was a responsible kid and never had problems.
I had a friend in the same time period that would use his brothers new GTO almost daily. The things he would do with that car were absolutely stupid to the point where I wouldn't ride with him. He ended up totaling the car.
I think the one thing that bothers me in some of the previous posts is the assumption that the newer cars with the nannies will keep these kids out of trouble. This is a mistake and provides a false sense of security.
tw
#29
06-04-2008, 11:52 AM
One of the pastors of my church lost his brother in a car accident. A bunch of kids in a Toyota Tercel were racing some other piece of crap car, ran a red light and killed the guy in front of his house. I don't think if that car had 500 Hp instead of 90 would have mattered much.
If your kid is an idiot, he's an idiot, if he's responsible, then so much the better. But the car won't change that.
If your kid is an idiot, he's an idiot, if he's responsible, then so much the better. But the car won't change that.
#30
06-04-2008, 12:08 PM
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And the 'Best Dad of the Year' award goes to...
Last edited by carbonissimo; 06-04-2008 at 12:36 PM.