There is no doubt that putting a 10-year old (soon to become an insufferable 11-year-old, then an insufferable 12-year-old, etc.) into the back seat of a Porsche 911 is tantamount to child abuse. Not to mention parent abuse. That must be balanced with the substantial cachet riding around in even the back seat of a Porsche will give your daughter with her friends (though picking up your daughter as well as one of her friends from, say, gymnastics, will be interesting). Add to that the possibility of your daughter eventually pulling up to her high-school parking lot driving a Porsche 911 (rather than the Chrysler minivan "Grocery-Grabber" that our kids drove), which has both its pros and cons. Have you asked your daughter what she thinks?

 

Interesting topic, to be sure.

We may be able to get away with driving a 911, but it's pushing it and somewhat untested waters, so that's definitely a factor we're struggling with.

As far as spending money, yes it's a bummer not to be able to get what you want if you're a car enthusiast. But at least there are less conspicuous things like the house, vacations, etc., not to mention eventual financial independence (not there yet!).

 

She's so tired of car shopping and car talk at this point that she's becoming indifferent to what we get.

But I have to admit that I did feel bad seeing her squeezed into the back seat of the 911. Of course, that's less of an issue if she can safely ride in the front seat and we don't expect that the three of us will be in the 911 at the same time.

 

Oooooh... engineers, sort of like archeologists... their sub-culture is that they can't show success .

Seriously though, it's the strangest thing, I've got a degree in Architecture and when I was working in that field the engineers (from all fields) where always very low key whereas the architects wanted to project their success (real or imagined).

All I can say is that I'm happy I'm now in the entertainment industry... low key is not part of the industry vocab.

Anyway, I think you've answered your own question... get the industry accepted standard of BMW or if ya really want to go low profile... a Volvo .
personally I would go with the "new" Benz E550 cab, might be worth checking out.

Cheers!

Sid.

 

Yes, US engineers tend to be dull and conservative compared to architects (different story in Europe).

We did try the E550 cab, and it's a nice luxury car, but not nearly as fun to drive as the 911 or M3. The S5 is a bit better, but still not quite in the same league.

 

If the back seat of the 911 cab doesn't really cut it for a child, what about abandoning that requirement and going with a Boxster S? That would still get me a Porsche, the cost is way less, it's less flashy, and it seems like the performance is comparable.

I'll ask in the Boxster forum too, but I thought I'd ask you guys first.

 

No way! If you want a 911 why settle for a boxster. Dont live for others opinions of you, and many clients might actually be impressed with your car and feel that you are very successful because you are really good at what you do. Would you want to see a doctor that drove a hyundai? That would scare many patients off. Also most people do not know the difference in cost between a boxster and a GT2.

I work in a large 5 story building and I drive a brand new CTT half the week and a fairly new c2S the other half of the week. It has not affected my business at all (without going into details, it certainly could affect my business if people got jealous). If anything people who are into cars love talking to me about them.

 

I've squeeze moderately sized adults into the back seat of my 911 ... not very comfortable but it works! Your 10 year old will be just fine ... Nothing beats a Porsche, especially not a BMW. It isn't all about power or speed. Yes, the M3 is quicker ... but it's not a Porsche.

 

unfortunately, the rear seats of a 997 cabs are more vertical than the 997 coupes.. thus less comfortable.

regardless, my choice would be the 997 cab between the two.

every time i drive the 911, i get a huge smile.. even now.

u only live once.. no regrets.

 

Yes, the 911 cab rear seats are steeper than vertical. Pretty crazy.

I know what you mean about getting these fun cars because we only live once. I'm in my fourties, and am starting to feel my mortality.

997 cab? Boxster S? Boxster Spyder? M3 cab? What choices!

 

But is the Boxster really settling? Aside from not having a rear seat, seems like a real Porsche.

And the Boxster Spyder caught my wife's eye in the showroom today, so that might take it to another level. Could it be something like a poor man's GT3?

 

apart from the power difference and the 2 add. seats, the boxster is a true competitor to the 911 imho.

 

You get a Boxter S, you may live to regret not having gone with the 997.2 Cab. The vice-versa is unlikely to be true.

You accept that because you are a car enthusiast. The same way others feel the Cayman R is the true sports car in the Porsche line while the 911 has morphed into a GT.

To the rest of the world, the Boxter will always be considered the gateway, entry-level Porsche one drives before moving on to a 911. Truthfully, how many of us see a Boxter or Cayman and think to ourselves "That person could not quite afford a 911?" I've driven and respect the Cayman but can't say the same for my friends who drive 911s.

 

I personally feel that in terms of performance driving the structural benefits of a coupe surpass those of a convertible .

But if one is trying to blend various aspects of driving with top down driving Porsche hits the nail on the head above BMW . Part of the BMW problem is the size and weight of the car along with how it tries to accomplish performance with the practical nature of a larger coupe (or even a sedan in hard top form). When one throws in a convertible top it becomes one more hurdle integrated into the car's design .

Drive them both and use the wind deflector in the Porsche . You'll see .. it's quite impressive .

 

They were designed by their maker to be folded in half at the waist.

Jim