Teen Driver and Boxster

[944boy]

My dad is crazy behind the wheel, he's worse than most 16 year old's. I think that's why I was more responsible, when we rode with him we all thought we were going to die.

it also helps to have a slower car, like the 944. With 130hp I got it up to 130 once... and that took miles and miles. After 100 drag took over and it didn't want to go any faster. Maybe we should have restored the 356 super-90.

Sleeved to 1790cc it might have been as fast as the 944 with crappier brakes and 4" tires.... second thought that might not have been so good.

[rob76turbo]

I am letting my son, now 16, learn to drive the Boxster. The pounding the clutch is taking is probably going to mean a new clutch a little sooner......but that is also part of the master plan....

I will than go to my wife and say...wow! our son toasted the clutch and now I need a new one. That means LWFW, Spec I or II Clutch, RMS and IMS updates.

Oh, and when he gets proficient enough, we are going to do a DE together.

[LoveBunny]

I had a 944 when I was 16. I treated that car like gold, but I also bought it myself with a loan from my grandmother and had to work to pay it back so I knew the value of it. I also had to pay all the repairs, etc. I think it depends on the kid. Some would tear it up like my friend who used to have a BMW and ruined the transmission because he was listening to classical music on the highway and at a certain point in the music he'd shift from high gear all the way into 1st or 2nd to make the car go "wheeeeee" with the music.

[rick3000]

I think some of you guys are being a bit stereotypical. While most teens would probably go nuts if they drove a Porsche, there are a few that would respect what it is, and treat it perfectly. Although I think a defensive driving class would be appropriate as well.

And the concern over a fast performance far for a teen is unwarranted in my opinion. Teens can make stupid decisions liking pulling out in front of someone at a bad moment, but if you have the HP, you can speed up and avoid an accident. Having an agile and fast car is a great thing if you happen to make a mistake.
Just my opinion!

[sd_boxster]

I don't think that most teenagers (including me when I was a kid) realize how a reckless driving conviction or (god forbid) a serious accident can affect the future. The Boxster is a serious machine to put in the hands of a teenager. It's also an attention magnet for other kids who will all want to race "that kid with the Porsche."

My first car was a Mazda B2000 pickup, which accelerated too slowly for me to successfully kill myself and was too underpowered to break the rear wheels loose. The Boxster, on the other hand, can be a dicey car for a skilled driver when thrown into a corner under throttle...

IMO, a 4-cylinder FWD econoimport is a much better choice than a RWD sports car for a newer driver. I've been licensed for 23 years and am fully aware that my Boxster is more capable than I am... when I was 16 I would have had no such understanding.

Consider it this way: Are there other temptations would you not present a young adult with? Even the most well-intentioned kid will make poor decisions from time to time - that's part of getting older. However, keeping the kid out of situations that may tempt him to make decisions that may have lasting consequences is your job as a parent.

You can always garage the Boxster for a few years. It would make a ********************in' graduation present from high school or college...

P.S. Rather than buying a new economy car, pick up a used Hyundai Elantra or Accent with a few years of warranty left. They're reliable, incredibly cheap, and safe.

[PlayersExpress]

Wow, Im sorry but I must jump in here... wow there seems to be soooo much negativity towards a teen and a porsche.

Let me get this out there: I OWN A 1997 BOXSTER.. I TURN 19 THIS WED. APRIL 8th.
IVE HAD THE CAR SINCE I TURNED 16!!!

So speaking from this experience, I know what its like to be a teen with a Porsche.
I believe it is the best decision I ever made.

When some of you say youre afraid of letting them get behind the wheel of a 200hp sports car.. where I have friends behind the wheel of a 6.0 05 Pontica GTO, or a BMW 550I, hell some even have Subaru STIs and Imprezas.

Talk about 350hp, 400hp, and some of the modded STIs over 600 and 700...


As we get older, we tend to become more conservative and stereotype more often. I have 40 year old family members that drive more reckless than I do. Just because your older doesnt mean anything. Albeit a teen driver is less experienced, but learning to drive the boxster and especially driving for my first winter driving here in Chicago on it.. whew.. talk about a fast driving education.

Its my personal opinion as a teen that it's 100% ok to have one and personally, it has a lot more perks than any other "teen" car. On that note, what is a "teen" car? Is that not a stereotype? Is a Minivan a "soccer moms car"? If you all know who Dwayne Johnson is. .... ( The Rock) .. He drives a red Mini Van. I see men driving VW Beatles.. a "chick car" ... So who is to say what car a teen should and should not have??? There are two ways of looking at the matter, the practicality and the enjoyment. Some people just want a car that will get them from Point A to Point B. Others believe a car should be chosen because they ENJOY IT .. To ENJOY the TIME BETWEEN Point A and Point B.

I feel somewhat ashamed and disappointed to see all the closed mindedness and negativity on this forum. "Porsche, there is no substitute."

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT?

Just my .02 , Sorry if I offended anyone. It isnt intention to do so. I just speak my mind and the truth as I see it.

Adam

[coreseller]

Mostly how I feel has been covered with prior posts. Teen responsibility runs all over the place, but I think that in most cases (especially with males) a sports car at 16 is a bad idea. Not just because of the temptation to drive fast / aggressively, but mainly because of plain old inexperience. When you up the ante by introducing a sports car with higher power and handling limits, you also up the ramifications for mistakes. Also remember that you as a parent could be held responsible for your kid's driving mishaps, especially if the car is in your name. I drive a newer GTO as a daily driver, it is my second one. About a year and a half back a 16 year old pulled directly out in front of me while on his cell phone, I had nowhere to go but directly into the side of his parents newer Explorer. Luckily noone got hurt, after talking to him I got the impression he was a pretty good kid, just wasn't thinking for a split second and the end result was 2 totalled cars. He had his license for all of 4 days.

[Bladecutter]

Originally Posted by PlayersExpress

Wow, Im sorry but I must jump in here... wow there seems to be soooo much negativity towards a teen and a porsche.

Let me get this out there: I OWN A 1997 BOXSTER.. I TURN 19 THIS WED. APRIL 8th.
IVE HAD THE CAR SINCE I TURNED 16!!!

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT?

Just my .02 , Sorry if I offended anyone. It isnt intention to do so. I just speak my mind and the truth as I see it.

Adam

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your feedback as being someone directly in the age group we're discussing.

Quick question for you:

Can you think of some people your age who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a car like the Boxster? You said you know kids with even more powerful cars, do you think all of them are responsible enough to be driving those cars either?

Do you know if the parents of some of these kids with those cars are just completely clueless as to the way their kids actually behave when behind the wheel?

This is the issues that we as adults run into.
We want the kids to make it home safe and sound every single time they leave the house. We don't ever want to have police officers show up on our doorstep, and as us to go with them to the nearest hospital or morgue.

Hopefully you and your friends can appreciate that.

While we know some kids out there, like yourself, are perfectly mature enough to handle a Boxster with care and skill, there are many more that are a danger behind the wheel, and can hurt themselves, or others.

BC.

[angman]

I also hate to setreotype people but fact of the matter is that it happens and the stereotypes are sometimes accurate. Yes, there will always be very responsible kids who will not take advantage of the situation. However, there are just many possibilities out there that are negatives:

-The curiosity will always be out there to at least test the cars limits once.
-Its difficult to be responsible 100% of the time and the Boxster's limits are much more dangerous than the regular family sedan
-As Bladecutter said "its your kids friends that you need to worry about and also have no control over". Perhaps your kid is responsible enough to say no their friends request but I bet it will be very difficult for the teen to say no 100's of times. How many people in high school get a chance to drive a Porsche?
-Jealousy can be a problem as well. The Porsche may get vandalized or the teen may even be looked poorly upon when a teacher drives buy in their 3K commuter. I used to live in an affluent part of town and M5's, M3's, RX7's, Range Rovers and even exotics were not uncommon. Many of our teachers were green with envy.

I was a fairly responsible teen with much wealthier friends that had many nicer cars and sports cars. Most of them got into stupid accidents due to speed and inexperience. I admit that I have driven recklessly as well but my automatic 4 door sedan just wasn't cool enough to get me into too much trouble. I still got plenty of speeding tickets but I was never able to go excessive enough to really hurt myself or anyone else. Now that I think back I appreciate my parents in not allowing me to have a premium sports car back then. Peer pressure is a horrible thing.

Originally Posted by PlayersExpress

Wow, Im sorry but I must jump in here... wow there seems to be soooo much negativity towards a teen and a porsche.

Let me get this out there: I OWN A 1997 BOXSTER.. I TURN 19 THIS WED. APRIL 8th.
IVE HAD THE CAR SINCE I TURNED 16!!!

So speaking from this experience, I know what its like to be a teen with a Porsche.
I believe it is the best decision I ever made.

When some of you say youre afraid of letting them get behind the wheel of a 200hp sports car.. where I have friends behind the wheel of a 6.0 05 Pontica GTO, or a BMW 550I, hell some even have Subaru STIs and Imprezas.

Talk about 350hp, 400hp, and some of the modded STIs over 600 and 700...


As we get older, we tend to become more conservative and stereotype more often. I have 40 year old family members that drive more reckless than I do. Just because your older doesnt mean anything. Albeit a teen driver is less experienced, but learning to drive the boxster and especially driving for my first winter driving here in Chicago on it.. whew.. talk about a fast driving education.

Its my personal opinion as a teen that it's 100% ok to have one and personally, it has a lot more perks than any other "teen" car. On that note, what is a "teen" car? Is that not a stereotype? Is a Minivan a "soccer moms car"? If you all know who Dwayne Johnson is. .... ( The Rock) .. He drives a red Mini Van. I see men driving VW Beatles.. a "chick car" ... So who is to say what car a teen should and should not have??? There are two ways of looking at the matter, the practicality and the enjoyment. Some people just want a car that will get them from Point A to Point B. Others believe a car should be chosen because they ENJOY IT .. To ENJOY the TIME BETWEEN Point A and Point B.

I feel somewhat ashamed and disappointed to see all the closed mindedness and negativity on this forum. "Porsche, there is no substitute."

WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE SOMEONE ELSE? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT?

Just my .02 , Sorry if I offended anyone. It isnt intention to do so. I just speak my mind and the truth as I see it.

Adam

[FTD]

Originally Posted by LoveBunny

I had a 944 when I was 16. I treated that car like gold, but I also bought it myself with a loan from my grandmother and had to work to pay it back so I knew the value of it. I also had to pay all the repairs, etc. I think it depends on the kid. Some would tear it up like my friend who used to have a BMW and ruined the transmission because he was listening to classical music on the highway and at a certain point in the music he'd shift from high gear all the way into 1st or 2nd to make the car go "wheeeeee" with the music.

Bwa ha! THAT is hilarious! What a nut [case].

[blue2000s]

Sad story on topic:

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Columns/articleId=124526

[PlayersExpress]

THat happened to the kid in an M5... this happed to an older driver in a Ferrari
Charles "Mask" Lewis

Your point?

[blue2000s]

Originally Posted by PlayersExpress

THat happened to the kid in an M5... this happed to an older driver in a Ferrari
Charles "Mask" Lewis

Your point?

You can be as defensive as you like, but if you're young, you're dangerous, and responsible parents will know it and take steps to reduce the risk to their children and innocent drivers. I was you, I know how you feel and I know how you will feel. Your attitude will change.

http://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Teen_Drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html

http://www.rmiia.org/Auto/Teens/Teen_Driving_Statistics.htm

http://dmv.ca.gov/teenweb/more_btn6/traffic/traffic.htm

http://www.driverzed.org/zedalert/FactSheet_Teen_Driving_Stats.pdf