To worry over all that, so that you cannot comfortably drive your car as you like, is to have the wrong car. My memories of cars I have loved are me in the car somewhere doing something - not me not driving the car because I felt weird about it.

First, there's no telling what "most" people think - my guess is most have their own lives to think about, not some else's car - not my car.

Second, there's no sense trying to guess or assume how or why someone else, young or otherwise, has or drives the car they do - there's just too many people in the world and so many variable circumstances. I'd say if there is a huge curiosity about it, it would make more sense to simply ask the driver rather than speculate.

Again, no guessing - wondering or knowing by asking seems better. As for the negatives of that upbringing. What really do we know about the upbringing in general? Or the person for that matter? They may be simply forutunate and brought up to high standards and turn out to be fine adults. Maybe they are just cool and like 911s.

Are Porches all the rage with young people anyway? Maybe FLA is different, but a 911 here is maybe a once a day encounter - no one looking too young so far driving them - not even the Boxters. Seems like more of a "cult" car.

 

I bought my first 911 at 24 years old. Parents are poor. I enjoyed it for a couple weeks until I saw a 360 spider drive by, and I was thinking like maybe if I had worked a little harder I would be driving that instead on a used 996. Lol. I ended up buying another 996 later on instead of the 360 as I couldn't afford the maintenance.

I noticed the negative attitude you get when driving a Porsche though. People will race up behind you and stop six inches from your bumper or park right next to you in an empty parking lock. Pisses me right off. Why do they act like this? I now have a ding in my door. So little respect given for those that appreciate cars so much. On the plus side, I love all the thumps up when driving

 

Well, I'm 33, and I just got my 997.1 Targa 4 used about 3 months ago. I'm in kind of a funny situation in that I look much much younger than my real age. In fact, I'm frequently mistaken for being right out of college.

I'm still trying to evaluate the reactions to it. On balance, close friends have been really positive about it. But, last week, I had one close friend that I haven't talked to in a while give me a really negative reaction. Asking what I was compensating for, how the hell I could afford something like that, that I was too young and too old for the car simultaneously.

I also learned that she apparently thought for some reason that I was doing the same job as her or was of a similar position, which is maybe where all that came from. In fact, I do something completely different and am compensated accordingly. The P-car was a significant purchase, but one that I can afford by every financial benchmark.

At the end of it she said well if you're happy for it, good for you, but it sounded pretty fake to me. I think my opinion of this one has changed a bit after that whole exchange.

I'm generally from the Warren Buffett school of thought in that you need to get young people to associate reward with effort. There are plenty of studies to show how just putting that safety blanket under your kids demotivates them from their true potential.

In terms of the car's effect on my life ... aside from the fact that I enjoy driving it after years of doing the Buffett thing and driving my Toyota's into the ground .... I find that the 911 has done something else interesting, which I will share with you now.

The Porsche, in my opinion, simply sends a very clear signal and gets people to ask questions. Leading up to the purchase, I was worried about being judged by people on the basis of the car. Now I'm beginning to see that I was being prejudged by strangers and even friends based on my appearance and demeanor (which is very non-serious) all along. The 911 sends a very clear countersignal and makes them understand that 'hey, you do not know everything about me'. So, yes, I'm actually beginning to consider this a positive; I'm not relying on appearances to drum up money from clients ... but I wonder if there are better ways to get that across. Or if this is just a unfortunate commentary on some people in general!

 

This does not sound like a "friend" . You do learn a lot about people.

The reason why they "don't know anything about " you is because they are so busy being full of themselves that they never took time to look . The reason why they look now is because what that porsche represents to them has them searching inward examining themselves . If the reaction is negative .. maybe they didn't like what they saw in their own self inventory.

 

No because I would have purchased that lottery ticket fair and square. Whether you win millions thru the lottery or thru inheritance, both are based on luck, but I would give back neither. Giving a teenager a "status" car when they turn 16 sends the wrong message, in my book anyway.

 

I am not advocating buying a Porsche for a teen . I am neither for nor against the purchase and feel that it boils down to a decision bettween that parent and his/her child and in some cases there are some exceptional young people . My guess is that some of them are reading this forum and maybe they arrived at this thread .

I do not see the difference with splitting the hairs of "luck" to attach some sort of "fairness" validity . Luck is luck .. being random .
If it's lottery .. it's hard to justify a 1 dollar purchase paying out millions . In fact the teen might argue that 18 years as a loving son or daughter might actually exceed that in terms of merrit . Regarding inheritance that's simply an act of being born and deemed by the parent as a worthy beneficiary. A person doesn't even ask to be born and has no choice in any of the matter .

But you did answer my question --you would not reject the lottery . Would you expect the teen or young adult to reject the Porsche?

 

If I gave my child a Porsche I wouldn't expect them to reject it. But that will never happen. My children are only 3 years and 21 months but I don't see me buying them any sort of status car. They will probably get something new and I've thought that I will probably give them a limited choice of cars to choose from. I just don't see the point of giving a teenager a new BMW or Benz.

 

There are some who clearly will never get one . There are many young people who are not equipped to even take the bus , much less get a car , or a Porsche . However .. I refuse say that no examples exist where there truly are exceptional young people and if their parents feel that a Porsche would enhance their parent bond .. they have the right and it may be the right decision for their relationship . Either way .. I would not expect the young person to reject it .. and it seems like this thread has a few of them questioning how to handle the fallout if they are met with opposing views in their surroundings.

 

When I see kids driving expensive cars, I don't fault or think negatively of the child but wonder about the parents.

Giving a kid a Porsche is just an extension of the parent's need to further extend the perception of their own wealth. Emphasis on the perception.

I think it's unhealthy and a way to simply hasten the failure of their child to develop any work ethic in life. Many who are so lavishly raised are more likely to make less than excellent grades, become dependent on their parents for $$ after college and lack that same drive that got their wealthy parents to their financially successful end. And kids with excess cash is an invitation to drugs.

Of course, this is not the guaranteed result but kids, cash and excessive 'stuff' is not healthy no matter how you slice it.

I worry about spoiling my own kids... and it is something I actively have to keep in check as caving and saying, 'Yes' to their whims is so much easier than saying, 'no'.

 

++++1 for this. Sometimes i feel the same way, but hey i work hard and take her out on the days i have off as well, its all good. They have great deals on these cars right now so you cant beat it, 25 percent below sale value. I could have easily bought a m3, but a saved a little more for the porsche. I didnt buy it for no other reason but for the performance, it clears my head when i take long rides upstate, it relaxes the mind ,body and soul, when i change the gears and pop the clutch.....a feeling like no other.....Porsche there is no substitute

 

Wow this thread has gotten really interesting. I am the first to admit that I don't deserve my car whatsoever. I've been into cars/engines since I was a little kid (used to mod and rebuild my go-ped engine in 4th grade) and Porsches have always been my favorite cars. When my dad gave me the opportunity to get that I couldn't turn it down even if I did and still do feel guilty for it at times.

There are a few things I've thought about regarding parents who buy their kids premium cars.

One thing is that everyone says you're doing a disservice to your kids, and for the most part I agree with that. At the same time though if I had a beater car I don't think anything would be different in the sense that I'm still living a life style by being attached to my parents that was never earned. My dad has a boat and nice cars so I still get to use them, they go on nice trips so I get to go, live in a nice house, etc. Sure, they could tell me that I could never use any of their things but at that point I think it's a little overboard.

Another thing is that in Miami (if you look at the private high school schools and UM) nice cars are everywhere. The majority of kids I know/went to school with drive nice cars (from bmws to range rovers to turbos). I know so many people whose parents struggle with bill payments yet they buy their kid a brand new A4. Now I think this is extremely stupid but it seems to have become the trend in Miami.

As I stated before, being that the "norm" is an A4/325 it seems that most these kids don't appreciate their cars at all. They think it's normal to have a 3 series and so many crash them, don't wash them, etc. it pathetic, but then those people's parents are the first to criticize someone for buying something like a Porsche for their child when a)its actually less of a sacrifice for them and b)the car is actually taken care of and appreciated.

 

My parents supplied me with a bicycle for transportation. First car I bought was on my own earned money, for $1800. It was quite a trash, but my own trash and it made me quite proud at the time.

I know times has "changed" but no way I will buy anything expensive for my kid just for the sake of keeping up with the joneses.

 

A couple of comments here made me want to add one more observation. When a person has a true passion and enthusiasm for something the ownership experience has a value far greater than for someone who acquires (or is given) something for which there is no personal connection or enthusiasm. This is age independent. What I find disappointing is that someone could be given (or buy) a Porsche and use it without any enthusiasm, regarding it as simply another expected perk of wealth. This is not age restricted either. I would say that the vast majority here are not lacking in passion or enthusiasm for their cars, and that is an important context of this discussion.

 

I'm kind of in the same boat as some. My parents bought me a '95 NSX when I was 15, only to find that I totalled it being a complete idiot two years later. There were some crazy things I did in that car that, only 5 years later, I would never think about ever doing again. I was very fortunate for my parents to have bought me some very nice cars, but I'm not sure I would do the same for my kids. They had a lot of faith in me to give me an NSX at 15, and knowing what I know now, there's little to no chance in hell I'm buying my kid a car like that at that age.

 

There are many young people raised in poverty who choose the path of poor grades, crime, drugs , and exhibit the lack of motivation you decribe.

Although again I won't cite that I am in any was advocating buying a Porsche for every young adult that does not mean I woild exclude 100 percent of them as canditates .

To simply select age as a factor of development and draw these conclusions makes this sweeping generalization (age discrimination) that every young adult and even their parent are somehow deficient and that it would be impossible and even unhealthy for both .

What of a young adult who is in college, doing well, and goes together with his father to PCA events ? What of the potential for the positive which can develop? Parents don't live forever . Maybe they want to share the little time they have to create a lifetime memory with wealth that they intend to pass down anyway .

Also what is wrong with the car having some conditions ? That the young person pay for some gas at least and maintain grades . It doesn't have to be simply handed over with no set of guidelines .

Alkso there is a distinction between a 25 yhear old who buys the car for himself versus a 22 year old still in college . The former is established rapidly and the latter is still in this period of partial extended dependency .