As a car lover for as long as I can remember, a great deal of my leisure time as an adult has been spent pondering my next vehicle. Since young adulthood, even before the internet was widely available, I have invested hours with price guides and with online sites building potential cars - BMW 5 series, the "all new Z3," M3s, Nissan 350Zs, Audis, Shelbys, the occasional Corvette, and in recent years, Porsches!
Last August I finally pulled the trigger on a leftover 2008 911 Cab. And as much as I love the car, I realize I have now lost something.... There is no longer any pleasure in contemplating all of these other types of cars. After driving one for awhile, Porsche has become the only viable option. So inbetween patients, sooner or later, I meander to the Porsche website and I end up building my dream car. But how many times can one build essentially the same car over and over and over again! Crema, Cocoa top, Carrerra red interior, Carrerra sport wheels, and side model designation in guards red! The most beautiful car I have ever seen. And I will own it some day. But for now, there is the ennui to endure of having "nothing" to look forward to. Except another Porsche.

 

i know exactly what you are talking about.
Before i bought my first porsche six years ago, i was well aware of all cars coming out into the market, performance, price, size, from all manufacturers.
Now in my third porsche, my focus is very narrow.

I am planning to jump to either lambo, or ferrari within next few years.
Then, I will truly have nothing to look forward to.

 

" But for now, there is the ennui to endure of having "nothing" to look forward to. Except another Porsche. "

The more you know and learn the more you can imagine things you want, not just the limited items on the Porsche configurator; for example:

1) Every few years Porsche comes up with some great improvements
2) You have great aftermarket options, both performance enhancing such as
suspension improvements, or the purely gingerbread stuff such as
aerokits.
3) You can do different things with your car; DE or autocross or rally
4) You can figure out how to keep the Pcar as your beater and get a Lambo
for show.

 

1. I look forward to Porsche's continued improvements, but I think the 997s are a near perfect combination of elements.
2. I will consider aftermarket mods once the warranty is up, but the risk of voiding the warranty is too great for me to mess with the car now.
3. I look forward to getting back into DE, but living in New Mexico, with no SCCA sanctioned track nearby, it will require a trailer, an SUV, and preferably a coupe (currently have a Cab.)
4. Do you prefer Lambo over Ferrari? I've shied away from both as there are no dealers locally, and I've read that, from a driver's perspective, it's tough to beat the P car even at twice the price.
Ultimately I hope to also own a 968 Cab, a 993 (perhaps for DE), and a 1987-1989 M6.

 

I actually prefer Ferrari because of it's racing heritage. Lambo doesn't have any (yeah, I was shocked to learn that too ). But to be honest with you I wouldn't touch the Italian stuff even if I had unlimited funds. I've spoken to both dealers and owners of these cars and many will tell you they are not made for frequent use. That seems to be backed up by the extremely low milage on them when you look at the ads for pre-owned ones. Also, the maintenance on some of them is over-the-top expensive. The purchase price is just the beginning. My Porsche salesman used to sell Lambo and the Porsche dealership he works for now takes some in on consignment. He told me that a "simple" oil change on some of these cars can run up to $5,000 because they have to drop the engine out to do it.

 

At least that's not the case for a 360, an F430 or a Gallardo as we've had all those in my immediate family and know this not to be the case. Needless to say, if there is a car out there that would need its engine dropped for a simple oil change, then that's one car I'd never ever buy!

 

Does it cost significantly more for an oil change in one of these cars than for a Porsche?

 

There is a certain satisfaction in having found "the one" . One can reflect on the past or comtemplate the future but there is something to be said about living in the present.

Enjoy the moment .

 

I have the same sickness you have and love contemplating the next move! I find my happiness with cars is a moving target as my level of auto education, taste and driving requirements involve. It's a normal condition given the obsession we and many others share on this forum.
For example, I just picked up my new C2S today and am already contemplating what I will do next. Maybe add a Boxster Spyder or go to a Turbo?

 

As a car guy myself for a very long time, my dilemma is a bit different. I don't want to go beyond the 997S or maybe TT for a daily driver in our climate (successors allowed, of course), and any other daily driver seems like a step down. So now I'm shopping for an additional car - maybe for track use (M3 pre-e9X?), for build fun, for restoration, or for collecting. I like a wide range of cars, even if my p-car can spank most of them, so the hobby continues but with less emphasis on something to drive every day and more on occasional fun, shop work and collecting.

 

Yes, true to all of the above. But the nice thing about cars as opposed to some other things in life is that societal norms do not limit us to just one. (Tiger Woods!)
So while enjoying the heck out of my current 997.1 Cab, I also look forward to reliving special "moments" in automotive history when a certain car got it right - put together that certain blend of styling and performance and technology that made it the perfect car for the moment.

 

+1: Perfect

 

That's funny. I haven't even received my C4S yet (should be this week) and I am already perusing the ads for a cheaper, yet capable track only car. I am thinking of a few year old Boxster (with roll bar) or a Lotus.

 

All of this is why I have indulged myself in owning as many cars as possible, much to the detriment of my retirement fund. A 2005 Ford GT (red with white stripes) to collect and sunny day drive, a 2001 Corvette Z06 in yellow with a Lingenfelter 427 and DRM track mods for the track
(also can be driven on the street), a 2008 Cayenne for daily utility use, and now my 09 911S. Oh, don't forget my two Harley's! The more I have the more I want. It seems that only the lack of garage space prevents me from spending all my savings. The Corvette is up for sale because the Cayenne is parked outside at night after the purchase of the 911. Is there a 12 step program out there for me...............!?

 

No 12 step program, but I'm sure there is a 12 car garage! Or a 6-car with lifts.