Perk10

For example, when was the first time you sat in a Porsche, saw one, heard one or drove/rode in one? What made you fall in love with the 911?

I can guarantee that I've at least tied the forum on this one. . .

When I was born in West Hartford, CT, my Dad drove me home from the hospital in his Guards Red 930T while my Mom held me tight in the passenger seat.

Also, the leather bra was stolen off of the front of the car while sitting in the parking lot during my Mom's 17 hour labor!! I guess you could say I caught the bug early

kcheves

Thats a nice story - very cool that you were driven home in 930.

I grew up in a house with BMWs, back when BMW's were exotic European cars. My dad had a series of 5-series sedans, all manuals, and I remember what those cars smelled like. I used to go into the garage at night, slip in a CSNY cassette, and pretend the car was mine.

I first sat in a Porsche the day I bought my 2008 Cayman, 3 years ago. Drove away from the lot with a Fathers Day gift to myself at age 50, with the encouragement of my lovely wife.

My first ride in a 911 was the Launch party for the 991 at my dealership. Then I was invited to a driving event where PCNA brought instructors from Birmingham and a trailer full of cars to our local fairgrounds and let us have a go at it - in the rain.

9 months later, the Cayman is gone, I have a 997.2 C2S cab in the garage, and I feel like I am home at last.

bpang1

In 1996, I was just getting an understanding of cars beyond their use as transportation. My parents weren't gearheads and my Uncle was the only one in our whole family that had a decent car (BMW 5-series then but right now he daily drives a pretty mint condition E36 M3). But he was never vocal about his taste in cars.

So really, all I knew were from magazines and posters on walls.

I was riding in a bus on the way to a tennis match going about 55 on the highway. I noticed a 993 Turbo in the left lane just kind of cruising. The Camry in front of him moved over and the 993 let loose...I'll never forget the sound it made and the acceleration.

bpang1

D'oh!

UseThe4s

When I was about 12 years old I saw my first Porsche 911 and thought it sounded awesome as it drove past. Add the movie experience of Risky Business a few years later and of course there was 'no substitute'. I made a little promise to myself that I'd own a Porsche someday. First car I ever sat in or drove was a 2008 997.1 Carrera 4s. That was about 5 weeks ago and it's now my daily driver. I smile every time I drive it. A friend of mine commented when he drove it last week - "It just feels right". Couldn't have said it better.

MarcoRemius

I actually almost blew by this thread until i really thought about it. Then it sparked some memories and now it all kind of makes sense...

I grew up in South Jersey and a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers. Their practice rink was about 2.5 miles from our house. As a kid my parents used to take me over to watch practices once in a while and see the stars.

One evening the word in our neighborhood is that there was a massive accident on Somerdale Road. Mind you, there was no internet at the time, so it was a lot of "I drove by and saw this horrible accident". Anyhow, the next day it was all over the news. Pelle Lindbergh, the Flyers' new star goalie, had just crashed his car into a wall about a mile from our house. My dad is a HUGE car buff, so he threw me in the car and we drove over to the impound lot to see what the deal was. Don't ask me how he knew where it was, but he knew. Anyway, there sat Pelle's RUF tuned 930 Turbo crumpled to about half its original size.

I've always had a fascination with that car since then. I even have my own pics of the wreckage somewhere in a photo album. But here are some pics I found on the internet. Amazing goalie with great taste in cars. Unfortunately, he didn't have great judgement when it came to drinking and driving.

Anyhow, fast forward to 2 months ago. I moved to Atlanta to start a new job. I looked at it as a clean start. New job, new life, new friends... so why not a new car? I looked at leasing new a Boxter at the local dealer, but after some thought and thought provoking arguments from a friend, I settled on looking for a CPO 911. Believe it or not, I had never driven a 911 until the driver unloaded it off the truck... after I had bought it from an out of state dealer! I couldn't be happier!

GO FLYERS!!!

Philster

Sat in a 944 in the garage area of of Porsche-Audi dealership on the Main Line near Philly (Phila, PA; USA) way back around 1986. My dad had his Audi 4000S in for service.

The seat position, the view...the shifter.. the feel... just the overall sense that it was built to be driven.

Never did I imagine that it would be 28 years before I owned one.

In those 28 years, the timing was never right, and when there were windows of time, I wasn't in love with the 996, and the Boxster's anemic sounding power output of the 90's deterred me (I was too focused in high HP). When the 997 came out, I was really loving it, but the timing was bad again.

I am kind of glad I waited to buy one at a time in my life when I use it for special events and special drives only.

I'm not blown away by the handling. I've have and had some great handling cars. I am blown away by the entirely different dynamics of how it handles, and I do whatever I can to 'stay on the cam', because it's definitely raucous from 4500 up to redline.

Clutch and shifter deliver big smiles. Engine does, too. Trying to understand the turn-in characteristics though, and the best approach to different types of turns, sweepers, apexes, etc.

But I really remember the first time I sat in that red over black 944. It just felt.... right.

.

Gonzo911

Not exactly the first time I saw a 911, but I was in my early 20's and on a smoke break (only cigars now) in front of the drug store I worked at in Florida. This older guy drives up in a Guards Red 911 G Cab, golf clubs in the passenger seat and asks where a certain golf club was. I knew where he was talking about (needless to say, I never stepped foot on the grounds), and gave him directions, followed by, "I like your car."

The guy smiled and said, "Yeah, me too". Not in a cocky way, but even at a young age, I could tell he appreciated having that car. I watched him drive off thinking how cool it would be to be that guy. Porsche. Country Clubber. Tan. Cool hair.

Flash forward, many years later, and my first PCar is a Guards Red 996 Cab. I didn't even recall that memory at the time, but it came to me a few months later.

I just wish I still had MY hair.

Ben Z

Back in the 80s I had a colleague who bought a black 911 and I thought it looked awesome, not at all like the upsisde-down bathtub my mind conjured up whenever I heard the name Porsche up until then. A few years later I found a black/black one like it (late 80s model, pre-964) with low miles for sale and took it out for a test drive. Five minutes in that thing...loud cabin, bone-crushing ride, no power steering, tail that whipped out at the drop of a hat...was all I needed to satisfy me that Porsches were not my cup of tea. 20 years later, another colleague bought a 997, and I asked him how in hell he could stand it. He told me the new ones were nothing like the old ones, so I checked it out and lo and behold he was right. Glad of that!

Fred R. C4S

I picked up my first 911 at Zuffenhausen on a Monday morning in May, 1993. On Thursday, three days later, I participated in my first ever DE, a three day affair at the Nurburgring. Arrived at the track with just over 500 miles and left with over 900. To say it was an intimidating experience for a first time driver of a 911 would be an understatement. Yes, it's as scary as it looks on all those YouTube videos.

ddrxdd

First time I ever sat in a Porsche was my brother's 1970 S. It was 1972. In 1977, I sat in my own 1973 E. Brought my brother's triple black 05 C2S Cab two years ago when he died of pancreatic cancer.

Carrera75

I was 7. My neighbor brought home a new 75 Carrera and took me around the block. I'm pretty sure this was the beginning of my Porsche addiction.
When I was 27, I came across a lime green 75 Carrera on Auto Trader in LA for $12,000. I had to have it and didn't have the money. I had to actually borrow the money from my mom. I flew to LA, met the owner and went for a test drive. It was perfect. All original with 50k miles. I drove it back to Seattle.

I still have it by the way. I don't think I could ever part with it.

fjpdds

Carrera 75, great pic (and car)!
It ties in for me, In 1975 or '76. A pilot who lived in the neighborhood bought a lime green 911 like yours. First one I had ever seen. I was a total gear head, into the muscle car scene. That green 911 was so striking, impressive ....just too cool. Seeing that guy drive it by, is still such a vivid memory.

Dark Helmet

always fascinated by them, but not until recently did I really think seriously about one. test drove a couple 944s 12 years ago, but they were all a mess.

after a series of 8 BMWs ranging from an 83 533i that is still one of my favorite cars, to a 2013 535i M Sport 6MT that was totalled 11 months ago with 3300 miles on the clock.

in Feb of 2013, my best friend bought an 83 911SC with a 3.2 Carrera motor out in LA, and we flew out there an drove it back across the mountains in FEB on ANCIENT tires... twas quite the adventure.

that was the first 911 I'd ever driven.

June 6, 2014 we drove that same old SC to St Louis and back and DIDN'T buy a car, and then I few to Houston the next morning and bought this one.

3300 miles later and I'm almost all smiles (currently stuck in limp mode for some dumb reason I can't sort out).

JustinCase

Below is a link to the October 2013 "Spiel," publication of the Pacific Northwest Region PCA. See pages 42-46:

http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/186711