First and foremost, this article is not intended to spread hate or discriminate against a particular portion of the car community. These are merely my personal feelings and opinions based on observations and experiences.
My name is Michael. I am an automotive enthusiast. I prefer imports over domestics. And I am a Porsche owner.
I specifically state that I am an automotive enthusiast, because a large majority of Porsche owners are not car enthusiasts; they are Porsche enthusiasts. Without a doubt, Porsche manufactures some of the best sports cars in the world. The evolution of their styling has remained largely unchanged over the decades, suggesting that Porsche got the recipe right the first time, over 70 years ago. While many consider Porsches to be without flaws, there is no such thing as a perfect car…
…Good luck telling that to a Porsche enthusiast.
As a car enthusiast, I respect all cars for what they are capable of. I love my Subaru, I love my Volvo, I love my Ford, and I love my Porsche. Each car serves its own purpose in my life and each is unique in its own way. There are definitely areas in design and performance that I believe my Porsche falls short in; I acknowledge its faults and understand that there are more capable vehicles. A large percentage of the Porsche community is comprised of enthusiasts who believe Porsche is always the answer. All other cars fall short. Their car is the best. How dare anyone suggest that Porsche is not the best!
Porsches can do most performance things very well, but they are not truly perfect for anything. There are faster cars in a straight line, there are better cars for the track, there are more versatile vehicles for passengers and hauling. Though Porsche has done a great job of developing cars that can check multiple boxes. Not many vehicles can be used as every day commuters while simultaneously feeling at home on a track.
Of all Porsche enthusiasts, a large percentage are Porsche purists. In their mind, the manufacturer got the car right and any modifications ruin perfection. Aftermarket wheels? Disgusting. Upgraded suspensions that Porsche did not develop? Ruined. Custom interior and exterior styling parts? Disgraceful.
It is hard for me to decipher whether this purist mindset comes from ignorance or a self justification from overpaying for features. The luxury and engineering can justify the Porsche price tag, but many features are highway robbery. $3,000 for contrast stitching on the interior, which only requires changing a spool of thread in production. $32,000 for carbon fiber bucket seats, when most race teams swap these out for better carbon fiber buckets which cost less than $10,000 each.
However, there are many in the Porsche community who have made names for themselves for their modifications and being unique. Magnus Walker is the Urban Outlaw. RWB wide body builds are works of art. Let us not forget the hill climb beasts that BBI produces.
As I began my journey of modifying my Porsche for my driving style, my comfort, and my cosmetic tastes, 30% of the feedback was positive for the creativity and boldness, 70% of the feedback was negative for “ruining” a perfectly good Porsche.
I am a do it yourselfer and I like to fabricate my own parts. This concept is largely foreign on Porsche forums. If you are not a professional race shop, then the community will not recognize your work as being functional. If you are modifying your car with parts that are not from Porsche’s catalog or from a high end supplier, then you are wasting your money.
“The car is not cheap, why are you ruining it with cheap parts?”
For someone like myself, buying a Porsche was an investment for a solid canvas that I could use to express myself. I get no satisfaction in spending thousands of dollars on parts that I could easily fabricate myself. Do not cheap out on suspension or brakes, sure. But there is no reason why home made mesh grilles or vinyl wrap should not be appreciated. If the owner is happy, that is all that matters.
The Saab groups are known to be nerds, the Subaru gangs are known to vape, the Honda crowd is known for obnoxious revving. While a large percentage of owners fall within these categories, it does not define all of those owners. But alas, the Porsche community is known to be posh and that is how most people now view Porsche owners.
Unfortunately, a lot of Porsche owners do drive these cars for the status symbol and not for the engineering. This is especially apparent on the mountain roads, where there is a significant lack of driving skill from a high percentage of owners. Porsches are some of the most common offenders of the unspoken rules of the mountain roads. Anyone can drive fast in a fast car, but that does not make the person a good driver.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are many Porsche owners who are professional drivers. They track their cars weekly. They know what they drive and they know how to drive it. I commend these people. Porsches are expensive, therefore, a lot of people try to preserve their car as a concourse winning trailer queen and do not utilize what it was actually engineered for. Cars are meant to be driven.
Further within the Porsche community, there appear to be two stereotypes. The first type of owner believes their “fast” cars make them a fast driver. They brag about their skill but behave dangerously on the road and they have no comprehension for how to improve their car. The second type of owner actually knows how to drive, but they assume all other Porsche owners are that first stereotype and lack technical skill.
I immediately encountered both types of owners with my first posts on the Porsche forums. While seeking advice for modifications to improve handling, I received no constructive feedback nor answers to my questions. Some people were baffled to think these cars had limits. Some people told me to take driving lessons and learn how to use the car… With all due respect, I have been a driving instructor and I have found my car’s limits. I know where the car lacks and had ideas for ways to improve it, but I still wanted the community’s feedback since they have been modifying these cars longer than I have.
The lack of support within the Porsche community is very unfortunate. Almost every inquiry for a mechanical problem has a response of “take it to the dealer for diagnostics.” Tutorials are hard to come by because so many are unwilling to turn their own wrenches. What good is a forum community if it fails to provide answers or do it yourself guidance?
Then there are the organized group drives….
Porsche-exclusive events are not fun. While the club funding can allow for some pretty nice venues, or renting out entire tracks, the people and rules can be unbearable. I attend for the sake of driving with a community of car enthusiasts. I do not care how much money you make. I do not care that your vacation to Italy was disappointing. I do not care about how you outlapped others on track. I do not care to hear how your Mclaren is better.
I’m here to enjoy driving and appreciate the aspects of these cars that brought us together.
The Porsche clubs have so many rules, that the drives are not fun. While the “rules” are to make the group look respectful, this is often for the wrong reasons. Their drives are not just about scenic roads and cars, they are about putting on a show for others. Routes will intentionally go through small towns to draw attention to the cars. It is not fun for a driver who wants to stretch their legs on the open road. It is not fun for small town locals who will be upset at the traffic. It is only fun for the people who want to show off their status symbol of a car.
Oh, and if you sold your Porsche or brought a different car, you will be frowned upon and asked to drive behind everyone else, even if you are a paying member of the organization.
During the 2020 pandemic, driving became a common activity for automotive enthusiasts who were social distancing. The Porsche club chose to cancel all of their events for the safety of others; a respectable decision. However, the club admins actually had the nerve to request that Porsche owners stop going on unofficial group drives because it could reflect poorly upon the official club. They feared that people would think these unofficial Porsche groups were official club gatherings. While the underlying intentions were good, no club has the right to tell private individuals when they can and cannot drive.
Sadly, the last few official events that I attended have all but discouraged me from returning. At one such gathering, this kind older lady approached me to make friendly conversation, but it quickly turned into talking about her success in life and how perfect her Boxster is. She concluded with telling me that if I worked hard in life, maybe one day I could buy a car like the one I was attempting to photograph. At which point, I had to kindly inform her that I was taking a picture of my own car for instagram… A quick “Oh,” and then she walked off.
Of course, not all Porsche owners are actually this posh. I have become great friends with many Porsche owners who are simply enthusiasts of all things automotive. Our group appreciates capable cars and we let anyone drive with us, so long as they are respectful. Truth be told, every Porsche, Subaru, and Volvo owner that I have encountered has been an awesome person; not matching their stereotype at all. Never judge an owner by the type of car they drive. We’re all enthusiasts and we all share an automotive passion.
