[AUDEW]

As others have said, it’s wonderful, but only if you love it. I love the feeling of the road and the roar of the engine, and being super responsive at all RPMs.

 

[bodbr01]

What does it mean to me to drive a Porsche? OMG is my short answer. Having always wanted a 911 since I was old enough to walk and help my father work on all of our cars/trucks. My first car was a 1966 GT350 Shelby and it went thru High School, the Navy and college before I foolishly sold it due to marriage and other commitments. There was always something about the older 911 air cooled Porsche's that I could never shake. I finally get to enough financial independence years ago and now I wonder why I didn't but one sooner. Looked at numerous 911s in the used market; however after I went to the Porsche Driving Experience in ATL and drove 911s, Boxsters and a Cayman, I fell in love with the perfect balance and feel of the Cayman. It took several months of looking to find my 987.2 2011 Base Cayman with 6SP manual. It was a one owner snow bird car in south FL with only 28K miles. I now have a little over 33K and use as my daily driver. I've taken like very trip I can in the Cayman and my other ride, a BMW X3M hardly gets used except to pick up stuff at Lowe's or go to the nursery for plants or something. I park far away at work so nothing is close to it. It gets numerous comments everywhere. And the unrelenting smile that cannot be wiped off my face every day, even if its just to run to the market. Somehow I find myself taking a very long route just to go pick up a takeout or groceries.

 

[3G3T7I]

Back in 1969 our Dad took our family to Germany for a 5 year tour duty with the US Army. Dad was a modest car guy Peugeot 403, 504, MB 220, 270 and Volvo 142, 145 and so it went. I was hooked on cars especially all of the great German cars BMW, Opel, VW and of course Porsche. When I turned 15 I was eligible to work at the local NCO club about two miles from home. I worked third shift Saturday into Sunday. The Club was run by local nationals with the the boss being Herr Heinrich Steiner. Herr Steiner was a no nonsense guy with the facial coloring of an escaped cadaver. Legend had it he was ex SS and even had a lame arm which was attributed to a war injury. Occasionally he would require assistance moving some items to another Club. Well I was on deck one day and got to accompany him in his bright Green Porsche 911. There was nothing like it, the sound the precision handling and the speed at which he drove was inspiring and I hoped that I would own a Porsche someday. One particularly interesting aspect of Herr Steiner was that arm. It was his left arm and kind of hung by his side although he could use it to steer, but he was always placing it on the wheel or leaning over to lower his window with his right arm all the while a non filtered cigarette hung from his lips with ash nearly as long as the cigarette. Even more interesting was the change in his demeanor as we drove along he became more social and would engage in conversation while at the Club it always guttural broken English and only about the work. I'd like to think the car opened him up and know that when I drive my Cayman there are very few things in my life that bring as much joy.

 

[jroal]

I was actually a die hard Ford fan until I drove a Porsche. Even back then I was a closet Porsche fan. I never really understood Porsche until I was in the drivers seat. Then take one to the track and you are hooked for life. I drive a Cayman S and this machine, like the rest of the Porsche sports cars, and magical. As an Engineer, I really appreciate the low polar moment of inertia and very low center of gravity a mid-engine flat 6 design delivers. You can really feel it in very sharp corners how effortlessly the car can change directions. I was a V8 lover too. I love the sound of a V8 with a big cam loping at idle. That is the sound I liked... until I drove a Porsche that is. The wail the flat 6 makes when at WOT redline and shifting to 3rd reminds me of F1 cars back then they had V10's and V8's (and sounded great). Hard to describe but fantastic. I can't seem to catch it in a recording either. You have to be there in the car. The induction sound is really great and in the Cayman it comes from the grille just behind the drivers door too so with the window down you really get to enjoy it.

 

[hardrivn]

The Dance:
As the sun rises and the morning dew starts to dissipate, The garage door slowly opens and it just makes you smile. For the next 30 minutes or so, it doesn't matter that you are going to work, or to the beach when your behind the wheel your senses are focused on just the drive. The engine rumbles to life, and you start the morning warm up. As you pull away from your house your dancing partner tells you exactly what they are feeling and doing. 5 minutes later she is awake and ready to go, encouraging you to dive deeper into that corner, feel the shimmy of the slide as you throttle out, get her light on her feet as you crest the hill. She is whispering in your ear and telling you she can do so much more. But you have to be careful or you may have a date with your local officials as well.

 

[cavediver]

As a child growing up in the Vermont countryside in the 60's and 70's I dreamed of owning many different cars and motorcycles. I would read my Dad's Car Mags and dream of "One Day!!".Of all makes and models my favorite was The Iconic Porsche. For many follow on years the 911 was the apple of my eye. I joined the US Navy in 1978 and retired in 2000. But....still no Porsche! For the following 18 years after the Navy I owned my own business which financially kept me from my dream car. But Oh yes I still believed "One Day" !! Well at the turn of the year 2018 I decided to escape from the clutches of my business ownership and at the age of 57 pursue my dream! I am not one to live outside my means so I had research to due. I didn't want too old and I had a year group cutoff of 2007. The 911 was out but I was really drawn to the Cayman S model. it fit my matrix financially and the design fulfilled my vision of a sports car. Most important a Porsche!! I am the proud owner of a 2007 Cayman S black on black 6 spd with 24,600 mi at purchase. This Porsche Cayman S truly fulfills my dream. Some things take time and I have picked the best for last..Porsche!!

Cavediver

 

[sixisenuff]

As a child growing up in the Vermont countryside in the 60's and 70's I dreamed of owning many different cars and motorcycles. I would read my Dad's Car Mags and dream of "One Day!!".Of all makes and models my favorite was The Iconic Porsche. For many follow on years the 911 was the apple of my eye. I joined the US Navy in 1978 and retired in 2000. But....still no Porsche! For the following 18 years after the Navy I owned my own business which financially kept me from my dream car. But Oh yes I still believed "One Day" !! Well at the turn of the year 2018 I decided to escape from the clutches of my business ownership and at the age of 57 pursue my dream! I am not one to live outside my means so I had research to due. I didn't want too old and I had a year group cutoff of 2007. The 911 was out but I was really drawn to the Cayman S model. it fit my matrix financially and the design fulfilled my vision of a sports car. Most important a Porsche!! I am the proud owner of a 2007 Cayman S black on black 6 spd with 24,600 mi at purchase. This Porsche Cayman S truly fulfills my dream. Some things take time and I have picked the best for last..Porsche!!

Cavediver

Congrats! My '06 was purchased with 16K miles in '09 for the cost of a new minivan. Since then, I've driven it about 130,000 more miles and it still makes me smile when I drive it. Looks great, drives great, is great. I've made a few changes...all for the better, I think, except maybe harder trans mounts. Stick with stock on that.

Best mod for the buck I've done on my Cayman....If yours has Bose, remove the subwoofer from the passenger's floor and stuff pillow stuffing (buy a bag at Jo-Ann or Michaels craft store for around $10). Put as much in plastic sub-box as will fit...and then a little more. Re-assemble into the floor and behold your new and infinitely better sounding stereo. If you look in the Articles in this website, you'll find the instructions. It takes about 20 minutes and a few tools....You need a small set of torqs wrenches or bits.

These are definitely DIY sorts of cars. Many little things need tweaking. Porsche dealer will absolutely bleed you dry and won't solve a lot of the real issues. The good information is on P-9. This is the best car I've ever owned. I keep thinking about buying something new. I don't like new ones more than this. Would be a lot of work and expense to get one working the way mine works. Woohoo! Have fun!

:cheers:

 

[RWP]

Retired at age 70, I've been fortunate to have owned and driven a lot of interesting cars, even raced Formula Fords for five years and short track NASCAR for three. Having a modest income most of my career since the 70's, the interesting cars have largely been well used (various Spridgets, Miata, MR2, SAAB 900, etc.) or "affordable" (e.g. VW Scirocco, Mini Cooper S). In more recent years, I've had a series of vintage BMW's, now including an older Z3........

But there has been something missing. As involved as I have been in sports cars, my perception of Porsche was that it was exotic and the playground of more affluent players than I. I could afford a used one, but my lack of knowledge held me back. But Porsches were always out there as as standard for comparison.

As I turned 70, I determined this was a bridge I had to cross. I started doing my homework, and a couple of good friends who were Porsche owners encouraged me.

Fast forward......

I have had an '06 Cayman S for a year now. My only regret is having waited so long. Not only is the car a precision tool and an object of pride, I have opened up a whole new world of kindred spirits. Our PCA Appalachian Region is only 3 years old and small, about 300 members, but the focus is social and knowledge sharing. The sense of inclusion is amazing.

As to the car, I now understand that I have as close to a true exotic car as I am capable of using, yet I'm comfortable with its reliability and maintainability. I don't know if its a universal behavior, but I find myself vacillating between "This is a great car and I'm fortunate to have it." and "What do I want in my next Porsche?"

These simple lessons are not communicated enough and likely are preventing a lot of enthusiasts from a great experience.

 

[supercroc]

Driving a Porsche. On a late Fall/early Winter's evening in Germany(my Dad was in the US Army) in 1959 I was in the back of our '53 Opel with my sister going to dinner(movie?) with our parents. A little car(red?) growled past, that I just barely caught a glimpse of.
"Daddy, what was that?"
"A Porsche."
"Oh!. . . I want one." I wrote the first of several letters to the Porsche factory the next day. Like William in the 2006 Porsche ad "Business Card", my wait was 19 years until I owned one.

Almost uniquely, during my life, Porsche has come closest to never failing to meet my expectations. With 14 owned, so far, and closing in on 1 million Porsche miles, the experience of driving a Porsche has remained remarkably constant although the cars themselves have constantly evolved.

Central to the experience are the people I have met due to Porsche ownership. Having moved fairly frequently(military career of my own) the friendships I have made with other owners and people professionally involved with Porsche have added immeasurably to the quality of my life.

It is somewhat difficult to explain, but the cars all seem to speak to me, saying "Let me show you how to be a better driver(and sometimes, even a better person)".

 

[Ukthunderace]

In a word, driving a Porsche is anticipation.

My first Porsche was a white 911 at the age of 8. Okay, so it wasn't exactly MINE, but it was in my neighborhood and it did have my fingerprints on the windows from hours spent looking at the curves and dreaming of being in the driver's seat, thumbing the Blaupunkt with the windows down. 8 years later, my first car, a '74 Nova, couldn't have been further from my dreams. If the Porsche was a barracuda, my Nova was a bloated guppy, with very little grip and soulless steering whenever I happened to find some. Underwhelming doesn't even come close.

I enlisted in the Air Force the following year, mostly to get away from the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and ended up in England for my first assignment. I had never seen so many fantastic cars, and among them, so many Porsches. My anticipation was renewed, and my meager paycheck made sure that anticipation would be long-lived. My focus was blunted as life happened; a gorgeous blonde then two baby boys showed up in quick succession and suddenly I was in my mid-thirties. My requirement for speed and handling had been answered by riding motorcycles; a cheaper option to the Porsche--at least that is how I got my wife on board with those purchases.

As time progressed, so did my search for my Porsche. A very bad crash on my Aprilia Factory at Hockenheimring meant my days of riding were over, my wife demanding that if I wanted to go fast, I should have some steel surrounding me. That '87 Guards Red 911 Carrera showed up the month after. I made an offer after my test drive and went home to rearrange my garage in anticipation of bringing it to its new home. I was outbid by $1000, and stared, crestfallen, at the empty space in my garage. This pattern became all too familiar as time went on, cars just out of reach or just under spec.

Then suddenly, the stars aligned 40 years after my journey began. A '14 Cayman S was looking for a new home and the test drive said it should be mine. Again, I made the offer, went home and cleaned out my garage to make a space for it and this time, the dream became reality.

The anticipation, however, is stronger than ever. I anticipate the drive every time I open the garage door. I anticipate the sound of the engine, the throw of a lever, the feeling of being pushed back into my seat. I anticipate the feel of the steering wheel, the perfect weight of it. I anticipate the curve ahead and the rubber biting hard, internally shifting my organs to one side of my body and then the other as I change direction and accelerate. I anticipate the brakes, unfortunately all too often, as they handle everything I ask of them with a shrug and tell me I can brake later if I want.

As I close the garage door, catching the glint of sunlight off the rear curves and hearing the faint crackle of the cooling engine, I anticipate tomorrow when I get to do it all over again.

 

[Papa Fittig]

I am on my 4th 911. They all been my DDs.
Driving a Porsche means you have a precise instrument for whatever you need at the moment from driving spiritually on an open road to sitting in the traffic. Everything is easy. EASY.

 

[upwinger]

Finally, I am a new Porsche owner!
I've wanted a Porsche my whole life, but they have always been out of reach financially. It only took me 55 years to finally successfully get one... and WOW! What a gem! A 2013 baby Boxster, silver with blue top and interior, and with less than 11K miles!
The sticker found in the glove box shows that it was sold for $65K originally... I just picked it up yesterday for almost 50% off! The deal was too good to pass up! I purchased a one-way flight to LAX, had my daughter pick me up at the airport and take me to the dealership.
I just got it home after driving it 700 miles. It poured the whole way. I've read about how some Porsche owners wont drive their cars in the rain... the thought of which makes me laugh because, do you know how much it rains in Germany?!! I live on the coast of northern California, and the climate here is very much like the climate in Germany, from what I saw while on vacation there. If I wait until good weather comes, my baby will never get out of the garage!
The car has a 6 speed manual, Chronos with Sport and Sport + modes. It's not the S that I was hoping to find, but this deal was too good to pass up. Driving it is so confidence inspiring! I never felt any threat of hydroplaning uncontrollably the whole 700 mile trip home, even hitting puddles at freeway speeds. And it poured the entire way on this road trip.
I had to drive it thru San Francisco and over the Golden Gate bridge to get home. The "hill hold" feature works amazingly well. What better place to test that feature than the hills of San Francisco?!!
The Bose surround sound is spectacular! The heated seats felt oh so nice to warm my ol' tush after stopping for gas in the cold, wet, windy conditions. The navigation worked flawlessly. The windshield defogger is the fastest of any vehicle I have ever owned. Simply amazing! Superb! I'm trying to find the right adjectives to describe this incredible happiness that I've discovered! I'm truly blessed and so very grateful for this experience!
I can't wipe this smile off my face... not even with a belt sander!!
I can't think of any better way to start off 2019 than with a new, used Porsche Boxster!
Maybe after a few years, I just might have to upgrade to an S!! Maybe then, this blissful feeling will be revisited!!
Thanks for reading.

 

[DandareBR]

Before the Porsche, I had other sports and muscle cars and in each new car, I always craved for more power and more complexity. It was like having a sport watch with thousands of features, buttons, alarms and all possible bells and whistles. With each car, more challenging to drive.

Then I drove a Porsche and my world turned upside down.

What does it mean to drive a Porsche? It means realizing that is not about pilot vs car, power vs grip, and comfort vs performance. Riving a Porsche is about uniting all this things (power, stability, performance, control, car and Pilot) in a single entity. It is about balance in order to archive performance.

Different from other sport cars that I had before, a Porsche does not fight against you. It fights WITH you against time and limits.

 

[Old Sailor]

I'm now 72 years old, and have recently acquired my first Porsche - a 2004 Cayenne Turbo. What does it mean to drive a Porsche? To me, it's about the history of the car, the quality, the name, the engineering, the records. It's about a class of automobile that stands out among others, even today when there is an alphabet soup of brand names, models, and performance cars. Say "Porsche" and you suddenly have people's attention.

That being said, I was first bitten with the Porsche bug as a 7 year old living in England. Both my father and my uncle were stationed in London in the early 1950's. My uncle owned a 1953 Porsche 356 which he raced at Goodwood. The thrill of my life was riding with him in that 356 going to and from the raceway - memories that are alive today as then!

Unfortunately, as with many, careers and family took priority when I reached my adult years and family cars, vans, and pickup trucks were the necessary mode of transportation. Today, my son's are grown and on their own, I'm doubly retired from two full careers, and an opportunity I couldn't pass up to finally own a Porsche presented itself. No matter that it is Porsche's SUV and not a whale tail Carrera - it is ALL Porsche. Yes, it's about a class of automobile that stands out among others. Yes - that's me, the Santa Claus looking fella with the ear to ear grin in the Titanium Metallic Cayenne Turbo.........

 

[Double Helix]

In the foolish days of my youth, I owned a Ferrari 246 GT Dino, and that convinced me that the mid-engine layout spoke to me. With all due respect (truly) to 911 drivers, I’ve never really lusted for one.
I come from a (long) series of BMWs, the last two being M3s. When the 987 was introduced, an acquaintance was a Porsche sales associate, and we went for a drive about a half-hour before the dealership closed for the evening. It was a Cayman S, and although it was not as fast in a straight line as the (Dinan) M3, there was definitely something special about it (I know that I am preaching to the choir, so to speak). I remember thinking, “I gotta get me one of these.” But I needed a back seat, so I stuck with my M. Flash forward a couple of years, and I ended up getting a second car, an A3 hatchback, to haul my musical equipment.
About six years ago, I saw a 2007 Cayman S, at a Chevrolet dealer of all places, equipped the way I wanted (6-speed, navigation &c), and I pulled the trigger. (Sold my E46 M3 to a nice youngster from Naples, FL)

Now I have a 6-speed 2014 Cayman S and a 2017 Macan, which has the requisite back seat. If I somehow came into millions of dollars, I would have no need to blow it on a Chiron or F12. I remain perfectly happy with my modest, utilitarian pair of Porsches.

 

[sevenfourate]

Many points of view here are from seemingly near life-long Porsche owners. I must confess though: i am the complete opposite having owned my Cayman for just a couple of weeks. I arrived here after owning a couple of extremely well rated, revered and reviewed 'drivers' cars. And they were good. Real good. But now already almost pale into insignificance. Somehow and so quickly: i cannot imagine not owning a Porsche. And although i fully intend to keep this one for a few years yet - i already find myself dreaming ahead as to what Porsche i'll replace it with.

As an Engineer i'm beginning to appreciate both some of the major design concepts - and the small details. As an owner the build quality shines through compared to previous cars i've owned. And as a driver the feelings ignited, the emotions produced, the feeling of 'completeness' and of a car that is so keen and able to unite both man and machine is glaringly obvious.

Enough talk. I'm off to open up the garage door and be made to feel special. Going to be increasingly hard to keep this one a 'low miler'.........

 

[OttawaSteve]

Going to be increasingly hard to keep this one a 'low miler'.........

LOL, drive it! Don't let someone else have your fun for you.