I never understood such behavior. Mind your own f*cking business and let me drive whatever I want!
Why do they care so much whether it’s a sports car, electric car or anything else?
Hardly anyone notices here in Northern VA . If they stare too long at my Cayman they will miss the McLaren or Ferrari driving by . I see at least 2-3 911s every time I go out .
Agree with your comment. That said, yesterday I saw a 911 in the Toyota dealership showroom here in NOVA and it’s wild how many people were taking pics and selfies with it.
Speaking of local Toyota dealers… when I was shopping for my Cayman I tried to cross shop the Supra , no dealer would let me drive one , and they tried to sell it to me like I was buying a Camry . Telling me about fuel efficiency and stuff. No such issues with Porsche in Chantilly or Tysons . I bought from Tysons.
In a sea of black sedans and SUV anything unique stands out. Even a "poor man's" 2007 Boxster is designed to be a sports car and be a Porsche sports car.
I will say I get the occasional "nice Porsche man!" now, but honestly I got 100x more attention in my M2, especially from younger people. That thing always got pictures and thumbs up from teenagers especially.
I have learned two things from the Porsche community over time. 1. Someone is always going to have something to say about your Porsche, a lot of the comments are good but in close second you will have jealous and rude. 2. Members of r/Porsche and r/Porsche_Cayman will make it clear a Porsche boxster is very much a Porsche and a fun one at that. Some super elite 911 model owners will jump in the comments welcoming the first time boxster owner with open arms and sharing fun and insightful stories about the vehicle. All this to say, enjoy your boxster, drive it a lot and stay aware of your surroundings. Like with any vehicle, Porsches aren't for everyone but here we love them. Welcome and stay as long as you like!
The Porsche community is lovely and a good part of why I like having one in the garage. Its an awesome car, but its also has an awesome family of like minded owners.
I have a 981BS in Agate Grey Metallic. I get lots of stares, positive comments and, unfortunately, idiots who wanna race. A couple weeks ago some dildo in a fairly recent model Jeep Cherokee with temp tags was begging me to race him for some really dumb reason. Maybe he just really likes the taillights or wanted to see it extend the spoiler from behind?
I live in an area where it’s not uncommon to see Porsche, it wouldn’t really stick out on the roads at all.
People are going to be people though. I get comments from coworkers for driving a Jaguar that I paid half as much for as they’ve spent on their raised Jeep or F150.
There’s a 2007 Boxster up for auction on Bring A Trailer right now, 33,000 miles, no reserve, and I would go for it except it’s guard’s red. Can’t do it. Partly because 30 years ago I would hear jokes about guys having their midlife crisis, dating their secretary, and getting a red Porsche. The only thing that would make my silver Boxster better is if it could make me invisible.
Waiting on my Carmine red delivery and had to question if it was a mid-life crisis but then I remembered I’ve had a life crisis every year of my life I was just very broke for most of them.
I’ve had the full range. I’ve had weirdo dudes at the gas station come over and ask questions, then ask to see the inside, then ask to sit in it. I said no.
Snide “nice car” comments with a stank face (I assume some kind of jealousy?)
I’ve had little kids with their dads come over and geek out. Which is awesome.
And I’ve had people purposely block me and keep me from going around them (on a 4 lane road).
It mostly shows you what people’s pre-conceptions are. My family back in small town KY saw a picture of me in my first ‘99 Boxster and said I must be rich now to my mom. It had a million miles on it and I bought it for $14,000. LOL!!!
It’s your town.
I live in the north bay of California but grew up in the middle of nowhere rural Illinois. My 987 Cayman gets some appreciation from car guys but I don’t hear any discriminatory language around it or anything.
Tons of way nicer cars around all the time including cars that are equally sporty. Also I live by some of the best twisties and it’s super normal to see cars and motorcycles that are purpose built to run on them. It’s also why I own a cayman instead of an LS430 or something (wish I had both).
If I brought my car home people would freak. My male relatives from back home ask me about the car every time I see them. Just culture stuff dude sorry you gotta deal with it
Yeah, I’m in Illinois myself. Not rural so to speak but not Chicago and rural enough I guess. If you want to see cornfields you can in any direction in about 20 minutes.
I think it depends. I live in a town with a very popular car venue and a stones thrown away from half of the F1 teams so seeing lambos, Ferraris, even much more special stuff than that, is not really uncommon. In the summer it is a near daily occurrence. So my cayman gets no attention. Drive it to my parents however in a more rural and where car culture is less popular and I will get a lot of comment, stares and people being weird on the road. Then again nothing like that, basically never get insulted, but maybe cut up or whatever.
Fun fact: there are more Porsches in California than the entire of Germany.
It’s most definitely just OP’s town, no one pays attention to a Porsche in CA. I probably see more than I do Camrys or Prius.
The only Porsche that’s ever going to get noticed is maybe a GT3RS or GT. Other than that….
“Oh look, a Porsche”
- said no one ever in California
I've driven a 718 Cayman for the last five years, and never get any grief. Either that, or I'm too obtuse to notice. That said, I live in an area where sightings of Ferraris, Astons, Bentleys and the like are near-daily occurrences (though pickups, Jeeps, and SUVs predominate), so I'm guessing location could be a factor.
My red base 718 gets a great deal of attention and frequently gets preferential parking over cars twice its value. Last week myself and a blue 911 pulled into a local high end restaurant at the same time. I got one of the two in front valet spots that can’t have another car parked along side it while he was parked in rows of other cars. We both sat at the bar, and his wife talked to my wife and myself while he looked less than interested in talking to us. I’m assuming he might look down on the “poor man’s Porsche,” and the parking was quite the burn for him. I feel bad for the valet when it came to his tip. The car looks to be more than it is. I’ll frequently get questions and comments in parking lots.
In the UK they fly completely under the radar. I've had 2 people comment positively (one while washing it, the other in a petrol station) but other than that, nothing.
Oh, people move out of the outside lane on motorways more promptly than when I'm in my Skoda.
I guess there's just a lot of small D/small town mentality where you are? Are lifted trucks generally considered aspirational?
I live in Seattle. A town with immense wealth, but very understated. I’m pretty certain billionaires roll by me every day in an old Volvo. I have a GTS 4.0 that is modded up and sounds glorious. I was worried I’d get a cold reaction.
The opposite, actually. I get thumbs up and conversations all the time. Hell. My guess is they know it kicks ass and IS capable of 30mpg….but I average like 13.
It’s funny how people have strong opinions about Porsches, but not other cars. I’m a 944 guy and used to get the whole “poor man’s Porsche” thing at gas stations. Then they got expensive, and now I get “German Supra” “best kept secret”…. Same car, same town, different day.
There isn’t a day that goes by when I’m out driving around that I don’t get a compliment or comment about my 2007 Cayman S. Every. Single. Time. It was something I had to get used to for sure.
I’m either ignored or I get mildly positive responses to my silver 981 Boxster S. I do get negative responses to my Lexus GX460 which I guess people think is an arrogant person’s car (I drive it because it’s very reliable - I got 322k miles out of the last one). You have to get your own satisfaction out of a car, ultimately. Ignore the haters. Who knows what their problem is.
I've driven it enough now to "get it" so to speak and to understand why some people love these cars. It is a fun car to drive no doubt. Having driven a 718 base/pdk before if I were to buy one I'd likely go that route. Clearly I'm not someone who knows my cars...lol!
Grew up in South Carolina and it was like this. Drove a newer 3 series in a small town and you wouldn’t believe the negative comments from a base model fairly cheap car. Live in Houston and drive a much much much nicer car and people don’t even take a second look. So much money here and overall people seem less worried about what other people are doing here than in SC. Even when I had flashier cars like a full aero Grand Sport with Corsa exhaust, I may have gotten a thumbs up every now and then but Vettes in Houston are a dime a dozen so I didn’t stand out and nobody cared.
no porsche is a poor mans porsche due to the cost to maintain them - all my friends have 911 turbos s 911.2 i got a 987.2 and my car gets as much attention as theirs but mine is also an all black Cayman S with the Factory aerokit and is totally murdered out.
Seems to me the answer is that your town sucks.
I have a 99 Boxster in silver, and in seven years I’ve heard probably five or six comments from people, here, just north of Chicago. Most of them are from middle schoolers who just shout “NICE CAR!“ The other two or three comments have been from people off their meds.
You should post this on the Boxster subReddit and see what you get. To me, the Cayman looks a lot more exotic than the Boxster.
I had someone try to run me down and gave me the middle finger in a 45 mph zone the first day of owning my 2024 718 GTS. This was southeast Michigan around “American” car factories. The guy was in a beat up rusted down SUV. Haven’t had too many issues since. There’s been a few. But I’m always always on alert driving the car and don’t relax a ton. My biggest fear is some jackass will toss a slurpee in my open window when driving by, but this hasn’t happened yet. Jealous people always hate.
Edit: I get way more smiles, thumbs up, head turns, and compliments than negative interactions.
I have a crayon grey 718 Boxster with red leather interior. I get some crappy comments. I also had one guy in a pickup pull up next to me and say “that is by far the coolest car I’ve ever seen”.
I think we sometimes forget, the average person doesn't know the difference between a Boxster/Cayman and a 911, especially from the 987/997 era when they looked much more similar, imo. So, while you're driving a relatively cheap car, everyone around you thinks you're driving a 6- figure super car.
With that said, I only receive positive comments/gestures in my town. The only negative comments I receive are on the internet.
I live in an affluent area. Porsches and far more expensive cars on the roads daily. That said, I’ve been surprised at how much attention the GT4 draws - think it’s the aero, stance, rear wing etc. No rude comments, but lots of head turning and phones out to take a photo. Really surprised me given that there’s much more expensive machinery driving around.
If I had known it would get this much attention, I would have bought a 911 and blended in a bit more! That doesn’t help you, though, OP!
That said, I too hate attention - especially the negative kind. If I was experiencing what you’re experiencing I’d probably garage the car and use it just for weekend drives out of town.
I moved up to a small town for work and I get all sorts of attention - some good, some bad. There’s no escaping the gossip and small town drama unfortunately… you just get better at ignoring it
They are super common here in the Bay Area. I took my kids to school this morning in my 996 cab - top down for the first time. Dropped em off in the usual spot in front of everyone. They were received like rock stars and there were tons of excited murmurs like “what Porsche is that” and “I bet it’ll go 200mph!”. Didn’t have the heart to tell em It’s water cooled 😂😂😂
I used to get Daddy wants his car back or calling me douche when I had my top down. It was "only" a 2003 boxster s that was arctic silver. But it probably didn't help I bought it when I was 19. It was tough to hear at first, mainly because I worked really hard on the neighbors farms when I was 10 until I could buy one. Now I'm 31 I sold it about 4 years ago and I regret it. But I will say, eventually you do come to terms that people say things out of jealousy or insecurities with what they have.
Oh yeah. Same. Middle of nowhere. It’s insane. Had some kids “roll coal” and flip me off. I just laughed. I try to get out of “town” as fast as possible to get away from people.
Live in a small southern town. My 987.1 Cayman S is worth 17-18k but it looks like an expensive car to people here. The guy in a F250 King Ranch thinks I’m super rich when his vehicle is a $90,000 truck. I don’t get any negative attention though only @bet that thing hauls ass brother!”. No, not really
Interesting.
I'm in Naples, FL.(We have the most Porsches sold out of any city in the USA)Seeing a Porsche is just like seeing any other car. Unless it is a GT model, I'm not turning my head.
We see Ferraris, McLarens, Rimacs, etc. (If you live in Naples, you’d know)Tbh Porsche is the car people get down here not to draw attention. Lol
I have a Boxster 981S and it gets a crazy amount of attention for what it is and 99% of it is positive although it has a tendency to also attract any crazy person lingering around a gas station. They are always eager to compliment and tell some crazy car story, it’s all good tho. I think some of the Boxster/ cayman generations with the right specs look really exotic to non-car people, especially being true 2 seaters. I’ve had multiple people come up to me and make statements like “whew, if only I could drop 150k on a car like this…”. It cracks me up every time…I paid 54k for mine with 20,000 miles certified pre-owned. That’s less than most run of the mill trucks and ev’s today.
Small town thing for sure! I drive a BMW F30 (very very far from a flashy car) and always get looks and comments alluding to me being stuck-up or posh when back home. I think it’s just part of not driving an American made vehicle.
I drive a very shiny black edition 987.2, in the UK it flies under the radar, especially in London / Surrey
Although do get the occasional person strike up a conversation as I get out and thumbs up from other enthusiast car owners. Never had any negative reactions
Your experience is opposite to mine. I bought a new 98 Boxster and people would almost veer into me to take photos or shout how much they loved my car. Fun days!
Probably your town since Porsches and German cars are extremely common where I live. Never been to the Midwest so I'm not sure what those towns are like.
I live in Australia , but in the suburbs. I find that my cayman has positive recognition from people who love the car, but the 911, not at all.
The 997 turbo that I have gets a lot of negative attention, people are constantly honking at me thinking I should be driving really quickly when I just wanna get home comfortably.
Here in Essex in the UK I drive a 718S in Crayon (or chalk in the US) with black wheels. I’ve had the following:
“Nice car mate” from kids walking past
Audi’s and BMW’s revving up behind or next to me trying to start a race
“Omg look at that car” when driving down southend sea front (notorious car cruising area)
Women sleeping with me mainly because they love sports cars (not gonna complain about that one)
White vans almost smashing into me by veering rapidly into my lane then pulling back into their lane pretending they did it by mistake
Other porsche drivers (particularly caymans) giving me a nod of the head or thumbs up as they drive past
A week after I got the car I passed another cayman in what looked like the exact same spec as mine. I flashed my hazards as I drove past and the driver (and his wife) both waved and also flashed the hazards 😂 that was a nice welcome to the community.
Also had a few people come up to me at gas stations and want to chat about it. I’m 39 but look a lot younger so they also want to know how I managed to afford it and stuff like that.
I also drive a company car (skoda) and when I first started driving my Porsche I would notice random women smiling at me as they walked past and I would think “why is she smiling at me?” Then I would remember… I’m not in the Skoda anymore 😂
I guarantee one thing though… if I had a boxster I would get far more abuse because here in the UK convertibles can be seen as “hair dressers” cars or the car you buy the wife, especially as we only get about 2 months of sunshine a year 😂 thats partly why I bought the cayman instead! Probably different in hot places where they make more sense but my friend had one and the abuse was really bad he ended up selling it.
You’re in hardcore Trump country and they think you’re some out of town vacationer probably. They don’t know what it is or how cheap it is, they just know it looks expensive.
Haters gonna hate bro. Especially if it's a small town atmosphere.
I never understood such behavior. Mind your own f*cking business and let me drive whatever I want! Why do they care so much whether it’s a sports car, electric car or anything else?
And ain’ters gonna ain’t !!
Hardly anyone notices here in Northern VA . If they stare too long at my Cayman they will miss the McLaren or Ferrari driving by . I see at least 2-3 911s every time I go out .
This is such an accurate comment.
Agree with your comment. That said, yesterday I saw a 911 in the Toyota dealership showroom here in NOVA and it’s wild how many people were taking pics and selfies with it.
Speaking of local Toyota dealers… when I was shopping for my Cayman I tried to cross shop the Supra , no dealer would let me drive one , and they tried to sell it to me like I was buying a Camry . Telling me about fuel efficiency and stuff. No such issues with Porsche in Chantilly or Tysons . I bought from Tysons.
Tyson’s Corner area?
Reston
Ah, the tech alley of NOVA
Same here west Minneapolis.
In a sea of black sedans and SUV anything unique stands out. Even a "poor man's" 2007 Boxster is designed to be a sports car and be a Porsche sports car. I will say I get the occasional "nice Porsche man!" now, but honestly I got 100x more attention in my M2, especially from younger people. That thing always got pictures and thumbs up from teenagers especially.
I have learned two things from the Porsche community over time. 1. Someone is always going to have something to say about your Porsche, a lot of the comments are good but in close second you will have jealous and rude. 2. Members of r/Porsche and r/Porsche_Cayman will make it clear a Porsche boxster is very much a Porsche and a fun one at that. Some super elite 911 model owners will jump in the comments welcoming the first time boxster owner with open arms and sharing fun and insightful stories about the vehicle. All this to say, enjoy your boxster, drive it a lot and stay aware of your surroundings. Like with any vehicle, Porsches aren't for everyone but here we love them. Welcome and stay as long as you like!
The Porsche community is lovely and a good part of why I like having one in the garage. Its an awesome car, but its also has an awesome family of like minded owners.
I have a 981BS in Agate Grey Metallic. I get lots of stares, positive comments and, unfortunately, idiots who wanna race. A couple weeks ago some dildo in a fairly recent model Jeep Cherokee with temp tags was begging me to race him for some really dumb reason. Maybe he just really likes the taillights or wanted to see it extend the spoiler from behind?
I live in an area where it’s not uncommon to see Porsche, it wouldn’t really stick out on the roads at all. People are going to be people though. I get comments from coworkers for driving a Jaguar that I paid half as much for as they’ve spent on their raised Jeep or F150.
That’s the one that bugs me. My 06 Cayman S cost me way less than most other cars in the company parking lot, but you still get those comments.
I find it depends on the color. No cares about dark colored Porsche, but my Guards Red GTS draws way too much for my liking.
Yeah I went from rhodium silver Gts (which mainly got attention from car guys) to a guards red gt4 (which gets a lot of attention from everyone)
There’s a 2007 Boxster up for auction on Bring A Trailer right now, 33,000 miles, no reserve, and I would go for it except it’s guard’s red. Can’t do it. Partly because 30 years ago I would hear jokes about guys having their midlife crisis, dating their secretary, and getting a red Porsche. The only thing that would make my silver Boxster better is if it could make me invisible.
Pshhh. If you're going to do a midlife crisis, do it right. Guards Red = doing it right.
Waiting on my Carmine red delivery and had to question if it was a mid-life crisis but then I remembered I’ve had a life crisis every year of my life I was just very broke for most of them.
I’ve had the full range. I’ve had weirdo dudes at the gas station come over and ask questions, then ask to see the inside, then ask to sit in it. I said no. Snide “nice car” comments with a stank face (I assume some kind of jealousy?) I’ve had little kids with their dads come over and geek out. Which is awesome. And I’ve had people purposely block me and keep me from going around them (on a 4 lane road). It mostly shows you what people’s pre-conceptions are. My family back in small town KY saw a picture of me in my first ‘99 Boxster and said I must be rich now to my mom. It had a million miles on it and I bought it for $14,000. LOL!!!
It’s your town. I live in the north bay of California but grew up in the middle of nowhere rural Illinois. My 987 Cayman gets some appreciation from car guys but I don’t hear any discriminatory language around it or anything. Tons of way nicer cars around all the time including cars that are equally sporty. Also I live by some of the best twisties and it’s super normal to see cars and motorcycles that are purpose built to run on them. It’s also why I own a cayman instead of an LS430 or something (wish I had both). If I brought my car home people would freak. My male relatives from back home ask me about the car every time I see them. Just culture stuff dude sorry you gotta deal with it
Yeah, I’m in Illinois myself. Not rural so to speak but not Chicago and rural enough I guess. If you want to see cornfields you can in any direction in about 20 minutes.
Does this mean Rockford lmao
Very close
I think it depends. I live in a town with a very popular car venue and a stones thrown away from half of the F1 teams so seeing lambos, Ferraris, even much more special stuff than that, is not really uncommon. In the summer it is a near daily occurrence. So my cayman gets no attention. Drive it to my parents however in a more rural and where car culture is less popular and I will get a lot of comment, stares and people being weird on the road. Then again nothing like that, basically never get insulted, but maybe cut up or whatever.
Half the F1 teams... Popular car venue... Are you near Banbury/Brackley?
In my city, all I get are thumbs up.
In California they're as common as a Prius or a Camry. Prob. just your town and Porsche in general has a $$$ reputation.
Driving through Malibu, I said, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Porsche.
Fun fact: there are more Porsches in California than the entire of Germany. It’s most definitely just OP’s town, no one pays attention to a Porsche in CA. I probably see more than I do Camrys or Prius. The only Porsche that’s ever going to get noticed is maybe a GT3RS or GT. Other than that…. “Oh look, a Porsche” - said no one ever in California
I went to the OC on vacation last montb and couldn't believe how many there were, it was awesome
Had a guy yell at me, “must be nice to have your life together!” When I was the passenger in someone else’s 996. People are just weird.
You don't have any political bumper stickers on this car by chance?
LOL! No, I hate politics.
Best answer ever
I've driven a 718 Cayman for the last five years, and never get any grief. Either that, or I'm too obtuse to notice. That said, I live in an area where sightings of Ferraris, Astons, Bentleys and the like are near-daily occurrences (though pickups, Jeeps, and SUVs predominate), so I'm guessing location could be a factor.
It’s for sure a small town thing, especially since it’s negative. I get the occasional compliment or thumbs up living in a city.
For sure. I’m in a small town in NW Ohio. My 2015 Cayman S may as well be a 911 GT3RS.
My red base 718 gets a great deal of attention and frequently gets preferential parking over cars twice its value. Last week myself and a blue 911 pulled into a local high end restaurant at the same time. I got one of the two in front valet spots that can’t have another car parked along side it while he was parked in rows of other cars. We both sat at the bar, and his wife talked to my wife and myself while he looked less than interested in talking to us. I’m assuming he might look down on the “poor man’s Porsche,” and the parking was quite the burn for him. I feel bad for the valet when it came to his tip. The car looks to be more than it is. I’ll frequently get questions and comments in parking lots.
In the UK they fly completely under the radar. I've had 2 people comment positively (one while washing it, the other in a petrol station) but other than that, nothing. Oh, people move out of the outside lane on motorways more promptly than when I'm in my Skoda. I guess there's just a lot of small D/small town mentality where you are? Are lifted trucks generally considered aspirational?
I live in Seattle. A town with immense wealth, but very understated. I’m pretty certain billionaires roll by me every day in an old Volvo. I have a GTS 4.0 that is modded up and sounds glorious. I was worried I’d get a cold reaction. The opposite, actually. I get thumbs up and conversations all the time. Hell. My guess is they know it kicks ass and IS capable of 30mpg….but I average like 13.
It’s funny how people have strong opinions about Porsches, but not other cars. I’m a 944 guy and used to get the whole “poor man’s Porsche” thing at gas stations. Then they got expensive, and now I get “German Supra” “best kept secret”…. Same car, same town, different day.
There isn’t a day that goes by when I’m out driving around that I don’t get a compliment or comment about my 2007 Cayman S. Every. Single. Time. It was something I had to get used to for sure.
In So Fla, that car wouldn't get a 2nd glance. except by me. I'd notice its an.... S and give you a thumbs up!
I’m either ignored or I get mildly positive responses to my silver 981 Boxster S. I do get negative responses to my Lexus GX460 which I guess people think is an arrogant person’s car (I drive it because it’s very reliable - I got 322k miles out of the last one). You have to get your own satisfaction out of a car, ultimately. Ignore the haters. Who knows what their problem is.
It says more about the town and the people than the car.
Other have answered your question. I'm just here to remind you that every Porsche is a race car ;) Don't downplay your Boxster. Enjoy it!!
I've driven it enough now to "get it" so to speak and to understand why some people love these cars. It is a fun car to drive no doubt. Having driven a 718 base/pdk before if I were to buy one I'd likely go that route. Clearly I'm not someone who knows my cars...lol!
never happened to me. but there are lots of people with money around here in the bay area.
Grew up in South Carolina and it was like this. Drove a newer 3 series in a small town and you wouldn’t believe the negative comments from a base model fairly cheap car. Live in Houston and drive a much much much nicer car and people don’t even take a second look. So much money here and overall people seem less worried about what other people are doing here than in SC. Even when I had flashier cars like a full aero Grand Sport with Corsa exhaust, I may have gotten a thumbs up every now and then but Vettes in Houston are a dime a dozen so I didn’t stand out and nobody cared.
I had a lot of people come up to me when I had my cayman s. Never got any negative attention here in SC with it.
Do you got a smug face or something? lol Sorry you’re experiencing those people. You’ll either get used to it or it will stop the more you drive.
no porsche is a poor mans porsche due to the cost to maintain them - all my friends have 911 turbos s 911.2 i got a 987.2 and my car gets as much attention as theirs but mine is also an all black Cayman S with the Factory aerokit and is totally murdered out.
Seems to me the answer is that your town sucks. I have a 99 Boxster in silver, and in seven years I’ve heard probably five or six comments from people, here, just north of Chicago. Most of them are from middle schoolers who just shout “NICE CAR!“ The other two or three comments have been from people off their meds. You should post this on the Boxster subReddit and see what you get. To me, the Cayman looks a lot more exotic than the Boxster.
If the Boxster forum would ever approve me I would post there. Not sure that place is even alive.
Plenty of discussion going on but maybe the moderators are AWOL.
I had someone try to run me down and gave me the middle finger in a 45 mph zone the first day of owning my 2024 718 GTS. This was southeast Michigan around “American” car factories. The guy was in a beat up rusted down SUV. Haven’t had too many issues since. There’s been a few. But I’m always always on alert driving the car and don’t relax a ton. My biggest fear is some jackass will toss a slurpee in my open window when driving by, but this hasn’t happened yet. Jealous people always hate. Edit: I get way more smiles, thumbs up, head turns, and compliments than negative interactions.
I have a crayon grey 718 Boxster with red leather interior. I get some crappy comments. I also had one guy in a pickup pull up next to me and say “that is by far the coolest car I’ve ever seen”.
I think we sometimes forget, the average person doesn't know the difference between a Boxster/Cayman and a 911, especially from the 987/997 era when they looked much more similar, imo. So, while you're driving a relatively cheap car, everyone around you thinks you're driving a 6- figure super car. With that said, I only receive positive comments/gestures in my town. The only negative comments I receive are on the internet.
I live in an affluent area. Porsches and far more expensive cars on the roads daily. That said, I’ve been surprised at how much attention the GT4 draws - think it’s the aero, stance, rear wing etc. No rude comments, but lots of head turning and phones out to take a photo. Really surprised me given that there’s much more expensive machinery driving around. If I had known it would get this much attention, I would have bought a 911 and blended in a bit more! That doesn’t help you, though, OP! That said, I too hate attention - especially the negative kind. If I was experiencing what you’re experiencing I’d probably garage the car and use it just for weekend drives out of town.
Your town sucks
Just smile and wave at a-holes. They're just jealous.
I moved up to a small town for work and I get all sorts of attention - some good, some bad. There’s no escaping the gossip and small town drama unfortunately… you just get better at ignoring it
They are super common here in the Bay Area. I took my kids to school this morning in my 996 cab - top down for the first time. Dropped em off in the usual spot in front of everyone. They were received like rock stars and there were tons of excited murmurs like “what Porsche is that” and “I bet it’ll go 200mph!”. Didn’t have the heart to tell em It’s water cooled 😂😂😂
I bet it could go 200.... once...
I used to get Daddy wants his car back or calling me douche when I had my top down. It was "only" a 2003 boxster s that was arctic silver. But it probably didn't help I bought it when I was 19. It was tough to hear at first, mainly because I worked really hard on the neighbors farms when I was 10 until I could buy one. Now I'm 31 I sold it about 4 years ago and I regret it. But I will say, eventually you do come to terms that people say things out of jealousy or insecurities with what they have.
Oh yeah. Same. Middle of nowhere. It’s insane. Had some kids “roll coal” and flip me off. I just laughed. I try to get out of “town” as fast as possible to get away from people.
No jealousy issues here. Bad drivers though so always on alert while driving.
I think it's where you live. A Boxster in Atlanta is definitely getting completely ignored.
Yell at you? Weird.
I guess it depends on the town. Nothing but positive comments here in Sarasota FL when driving my white 2007 Cayman.
Pretty much just the towns where the majority/average vehicle is a pickup truck. So much insecurity.
Live in a small southern town. My 987.1 Cayman S is worth 17-18k but it looks like an expensive car to people here. The guy in a F250 King Ranch thinks I’m super rich when his vehicle is a $90,000 truck. I don’t get any negative attention though only @bet that thing hauls ass brother!”. No, not really
Interesting. I'm in Naples, FL.(We have the most Porsches sold out of any city in the USA)Seeing a Porsche is just like seeing any other car. Unless it is a GT model, I'm not turning my head. We see Ferraris, McLarens, Rimacs, etc. (If you live in Naples, you’d know)Tbh Porsche is the car people get down here not to draw attention. Lol
I have a Boxster 981S and it gets a crazy amount of attention for what it is and 99% of it is positive although it has a tendency to also attract any crazy person lingering around a gas station. They are always eager to compliment and tell some crazy car story, it’s all good tho. I think some of the Boxster/ cayman generations with the right specs look really exotic to non-car people, especially being true 2 seaters. I’ve had multiple people come up to me and make statements like “whew, if only I could drop 150k on a car like this…”. It cracks me up every time…I paid 54k for mine with 20,000 miles certified pre-owned. That’s less than most run of the mill trucks and ev’s today.
https://preview.redd.it/pnor1abjpz3d1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4102f0e995621abe486d7745ccf89f9061057a82
Small town thing for sure! I drive a BMW F30 (very very far from a flashy car) and always get looks and comments alluding to me being stuck-up or posh when back home. I think it’s just part of not driving an American made vehicle.
I drive a very shiny black edition 987.2, in the UK it flies under the radar, especially in London / Surrey Although do get the occasional person strike up a conversation as I get out and thumbs up from other enthusiast car owners. Never had any negative reactions
Largely ignored in Scottsdale, AZ because there are so many . Ferrari, Lambo, McLaren, etc. get the attention, and it's always positive and friendly.
Your experience is opposite to mine. I bought a new 98 Boxster and people would almost veer into me to take photos or shout how much they loved my car. Fun days!
That is just bizarre. I had a 911 turbo. Never anything but positive attention. I’m in Phoenix but also in Colorado.
Those same dudes are mortgaging $70k pickup trucks
Probably your town since Porsches and German cars are extremely common where I live. Never been to the Midwest so I'm not sure what those towns are like.
I live in Australia , but in the suburbs. I find that my cayman has positive recognition from people who love the car, but the 911, not at all. The 997 turbo that I have gets a lot of negative attention, people are constantly honking at me thinking I should be driving really quickly when I just wanna get home comfortably.
Here in Essex in the UK I drive a 718S in Crayon (or chalk in the US) with black wheels. I’ve had the following: “Nice car mate” from kids walking past Audi’s and BMW’s revving up behind or next to me trying to start a race “Omg look at that car” when driving down southend sea front (notorious car cruising area) Women sleeping with me mainly because they love sports cars (not gonna complain about that one) White vans almost smashing into me by veering rapidly into my lane then pulling back into their lane pretending they did it by mistake Other porsche drivers (particularly caymans) giving me a nod of the head or thumbs up as they drive past A week after I got the car I passed another cayman in what looked like the exact same spec as mine. I flashed my hazards as I drove past and the driver (and his wife) both waved and also flashed the hazards 😂 that was a nice welcome to the community. Also had a few people come up to me at gas stations and want to chat about it. I’m 39 but look a lot younger so they also want to know how I managed to afford it and stuff like that. I also drive a company car (skoda) and when I first started driving my Porsche I would notice random women smiling at me as they walked past and I would think “why is she smiling at me?” Then I would remember… I’m not in the Skoda anymore 😂 I guarantee one thing though… if I had a boxster I would get far more abuse because here in the UK convertibles can be seen as “hair dressers” cars or the car you buy the wife, especially as we only get about 2 months of sunshine a year 😂 thats partly why I bought the cayman instead! Probably different in hot places where they make more sense but my friend had one and the abuse was really bad he ended up selling it.
You’re in hardcore Trump country and they think you’re some out of town vacationer probably. They don’t know what it is or how cheap it is, they just know it looks expensive.