I'm not young (mid 30's) but I know that I may look like it in my car. I generally don't get hassled or receive negative reactions. It really depends on your driving characteristics and personal behavior. I do have 3 young kids <4 and I'm going to try to buy them any car they want as long as I feel they have the behavioral characteristics to handle that car. Crazy and out of control = minivan. Responsible = Porsche.

 

+1 for this post, i am 29 years old, and I have been working since 14 years old, in new york at that age you only could work after school, and only for 3 hours during the week, and 4 hours during the weekends. I saved up for 2 years for my first porsche, and then 1 1/2 years for my second, every situation is different. I was 24 years old when i had my first porsche it wasn't new but you couldn't tell me that, it was practically new It was a 02 in 05..... I still miss it....

 

expensive is not related to FAST. A Subaru WRX or Mitsu EVO can be just as dangerous as a Boxster if not more. I had an old 68 Firebird in high school and it is just as fast as many cars today.

 

i don't see much harm in young peope driving nice cars. In L.A., there are many kids who drive SRT's, Porche's, even Maserati's. I just think "lucky bastard" in a positive way and move on.

 

Agreed. I'm 25 and I've worked my a$$ off for the past three years to afford a 911. It's the second expensive car I've bought in the past two years (the first was a BMW 335i). Being able to "afford" something is certainly a relative concept, but I paid cash and I wasn't stretching at all (plus I don't have a wife, kids or a mortgage to worry about). I admit that I am probably on the younger side of this board's membership, and as such the older and wiser members might argue that I haven't earned it, but I think one quick glance at my current and past work schedules would convince them otherwise.

Aside from being able to afford a Porsche, which I've argued is a relative/subjective concept, there is an arguably larger issue. A Porsche is something that most would postulate should come after certain other milestones in life (i.e. homeownership, a family, career success, etc.). I can accept the merits of this argument, but cars have always been a passion of mine and I don't have any regrets about that. Owning a car that I enjoy driving so much keeps me motivated and focused at work. I bought my 911 for its performance and the way it drives, not for its status. It's a personal decision, in my humble opinion.

All that being said, I will admit that I constantly find myself trying to avoid telling people what kind of car I drive. I only drive it on the weekends to escape the city and visit my family and friends. It's just a toy for me, even though I treat it like my child.

 

The underlying assumptions in this discusson are: 1) A person needs to work for something to appreciate its value; 2) the corollary being that given things w/o working for them damages moral character; 3) the predication of our work ethic is that delayed gratification builds moral character; and finally 4) HL Menken's observation that youth is wasted on the young is only understood by those who are no longer young themselves. Whether you buy into these assumptions is a personal choice. I would say that if you end up living in your Porsche you were probably too young to make a good choice.

 

Bought my first 911 9 years ago. It was a 1978 911 SC in great shape and I was 2 months from turning 19. I bought it myself and crashed it myself in 4 days. Spent the next 5 years paying for it.

Twenty seven now and just picked up a 997. I own my house and rent part of it out as well as own a second property that is a rental. I sacrificed much to own my car but don't regret it for a second. At the end of the day it all comes down to priorities. If you want to be a slave to you transportation (or obsession) then it's your prerogative. I learned after my first porsche experience that buying a 911 was much different than affording one.

I get tons of sideways looks but it comes with the territory. I don't own it for the attention I get, I own it because I love and always have loved the 911. Couldn't care less what people think, they'll always have their opinions.

 

what you said captures most, if not all, of the issues under contention. However, I don't know why you invoke morality into the discussion in your third point. I agree that this is an issue of personal character, but it's not one of moral character.

 

I'm assuming in this thread young = under 25?

Reminds me of when I was 18, I had saved up to buy my dream truck. When I went to the dealer to buy it, they wouldn't sell it to me. They said "son, you ever notice how older people have nicer things? That is a lot of truck for you, you need to work a few more years before you can have the best." It infuriated me and I never went back to that dealership. And I made sure none of my friends did either! Age discrimination is rarely talked about but it does exist.

 

[quote=ntlgnt1;2656106]I'm assuming in this thread young = under 25?

I was 25...22 years ago

 

I found it amazing that of the 25 posts on this thread, only 4 or 5 have either posted or stated their actual age.

I'm 35 and on my 3rd 911, fourth Porsche overall. I have been in some sort school/training for nearly 29 of them...and when I had the means, I bought my first 911 at 30.

There is something to be said about buying the car of your dreams with the money you earn.

 

I wrote it somewhere else, but I am 22. I afforded my 911 "nearly" completly myself - I could had, if I had/wanted to. But my parents gave me a small amout (10%). Paid cash - no leasing/financing or something...
I worked hard and saved a lot in the past two years. Furthermore I had a lot luck on the stock market this year. The stock market made the 997 possible - otherwise I would have been a 996 Facelift.
I honour the possibility to drive this car - and I am by no mean the guy, who show off. I drive the car just on weekends or special occasions. A 911 is more than a car - its lifestyle
My co-workers know from the car - but i didnt received any bad words or envy. But I wont drive the car to work!
I think more my "halfgood" friends might be a "little" bit envy....

 

I just don't like the kids that boast they bought it themselves working at Pizza Hut with their own hard earned money... Let's be real, if you have nice generous, you should be proud of their hard work and give them credit and not try to steal that from them... with that being said, I wish I was a spoiled kid... My car payments tell me else wise

 

Boast? Working at Pizza Hut? Steal? Pleeease.....
I am not spoiled at all. All the money I put in the car is self earned(except the 10%)...So you can think what you want.
My parents gave me the money because they wanted to. I didnt ask them at all.

There might be spoiled scallywags - but not me! I know what I have have reached - and it was not working for Pizza Hut getting my butt pumped full with money.

 

I agree with a lot that's been said on this thread. My view is that by giving a "kid" something, whether it be a car, a phone, whatever, that is the absolute best of it's class (or close) you truly do a disservice to them. What happens when they are on their own a few years later and they can't afford the same crap they had when they were 18-19-20 years old? How will they feel about that? Right now my daughter drives a Sentra and I even struggled to buy her that (not with the $ but the idea of an almost new car). What she really wants is a Mustang. Hopefully when she graduates she'll be able to get a good enough job to buy one for herself which I hope feels 100x better to her than me just giving it to her.