Teen Driver and Boxster

[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.

[vath2001]

If I were to allow a teenager to drive my car:

First, I would pull out the radio,
Second, I would turn off their cell phone.

That would remove two of the biggest distractions for modern teens.

[renzop]

If I wanted to kill my teenage son, I would give him any fast car. If I wanted to spend tens of thousands of dollars in the body shop I would give my teenage daughter an expensive car.

Teenage drivers should be given safe but cheap used cars. Period. They will wreck or beat up anything you give them so give them something that's safe and cheap.

Giving a teenager a Porsche is like giving psychotic a bottle of Quaaludes, a bag of pot and an Uzi.

[KevinH1990]

Thanks for sharing your views. I have a year and and a half to think this over.

My brother buys Mercury Grand Marquis's for his boys. They hate driving them, but they are all still alive.

[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.

[PlayersExpress]

Originally Posted by Bladecutter

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?

BC.

Sure BC, I would gladly answer those questions. Yes I can think of some people my age that shouldnt be allowed anywhere near a boxster, and even a car for that matter. The good thing is, those are the ones that are easy to spot because they have a track record of irresponsiblility that is easy to find as an adult if the parent doesnt take an active role in the teens life. Does he get in trouble at school? How are the grades? How does he treat you, the family, and others? What kind of people does he hang out with / what are some of the storys about the people he hangs out with? Does he do drugs / party often? Police record? Hows the prior driving history? Those are all telltale signs of a track record of people that shouldnt be allowed near a boxster.

In regards to my friends who drive more powerful cars than I do, I believe most of them are responsible enough to have them. Everyones situation is different, but most of my friends worked for their cars and had a good record with their parents where they would ok the car. Albeit there are the hand few that just got spoiled by their parents like a girl I know whos parents bought her a Black 06 BMW 650I.

It is my belief to let the teen choose the car he wants. My parents did it with me. I had the option of an older corvette, a pontiac gto, a new Nissan 350z, etc. but Ive always wanted a Porsche since I rode in one at age 8. Not that everyone is going to have a story like that but the point is is that if the teen chooses the car "THAT MEANS HE WILL HAVE MORE RESPECT FOR THE CAR BECAUSE IT IS A CAR THEY WANT." If they have a good record, make them work for the car. IE- they need to put in at least $1500 for the car. They pay their own gas and insurance. They pay the maintenance for the car. A teen is more apt to take care of what they consider their own. Most teens are scrupulous with their money. They may not spend it wisely for the most part, but when they spend a lot of it on something they like.. say an ipod or a new computer, etc. they take care of it. Same thing with as car. If a teen has to put a lot of money into HIS CAR, he will realize this and be more responsible with it.

Lastly, I do believe some parents are somewhat clueless what their kids are like behind the wheel. It is the hardest thing to tell because under interrogation and being observed driving, anyone can put on a show of a good.. defensive driver who obeys the speed limits. But most parents should know how their teen drives, well they all should know because there is no excuse for not knowing. Here in Illinois you have to drive the car with a parent in the passenger seat with your permit for I believe it is now 100 HOURS before you can get your license. Some parents make up a lot of that time on the sheet, but still if a parent is taking the kid to their soccer game or baseball game, they should let them drive. Most have their teens drive here and their. Being an experienced driver, you should be able to tell the teens driving style from just being inside the car if you dont say a word about the driving and just let it happen.

Taking the teen for ax and driving lessons with the boxster would be a good thing.. my mom did it differently when we got my car. We drove from Chicago, IL to Cincinnati, OH to pick up the car from an Alderman of Cincinnati who sold us the car. My mom was driving her 2000 Pontiac GTP (Supercharged) and I in the Boxster. Before we got onto the expressway, she told me to follow her at all times. We hopped onto the expressway and my mom took off weaving in and out of traffic at 100mph when the flow was about 65-70mph... I had to pursue or loose her. Driving those first 15 miles like that taught me a lot about the car we bought 30 min previous.. the best 243 miles I ever drove.

If anyone has any questions, I would happily oblige and answer them to the best of my abilities as I am a teen.

Adam

[coreseller]

Taking the teen for ax and driving lessons with the boxster would be a good thing.. my mom did it differently when we got my car. We drove from Chicago, IL to Cincinnati, OH to pick up the car from an Alderman of Cincinnati who sold us the car. My mom was driving her 2000 Pontiac GTP (Supercharged) and I in the Boxster. Before we got onto the expressway, she told me to follow her at all times. We hopped onto the expressway and my mom took off weaving in and out of traffic at 100mph when the flow was about 65-70mph... I had to pursue or loose her. Driving those first 15 miles like that taught me a lot about the car we bought 30 min previous.. the best 243 miles I ever drove.

If anyone has any questions, I would happily oblige and answer them to the best of my abilities as I am a teen.

Adam[/QUOTE]


If the above is true and you and your mother were indeed weaving in and out of 65 to 70 mph traffic at 100 mph, I truly doubt anyone here trying to talk sense will have much of an impact on you. Insurance rates are based on actuarial tables, teenage drivers are simply much more prone to have accidents, if you don't believe that and still maintain the rates are simply there "to screw teenagers" you truly have your head in the sand. Oh, and BTW....I'm judgemental of others all the time and it is always based upon their behavior, if I would of seen a pair of cars driving wrecklessly as you described above I would of blown you in via cell phone. I could go on for awhile but I doubt it would result in anything other than a flame war. Just speaking my mind as to the truth as I see it......Mark.

[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

[fragdude]

I would do what my parents did with me. They got me a used original Ford Explorer as the car that got me to school and something I could use everyday, but they also trusted me with our sports cars. At some point they (kids in general) are going to have to learn to be responsible.

Letting them drive the car when you are in it as well or going to an A-X/DE are also good ideas. Let them have fun, but under supervision at first.

Every kid is different, but you can't control everything. I don't know your son, but who is to say that he isn't an amazingly safe driver or that one day when you are out of the house he is going to take your car out for a joyride and total it.

Ultimately it's your final decision and you know your son better than anyone here and thus you have the best means to come to a decision.