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09-12-2009, 07:23 AM

I'm 62, just bought my first Porsche, a new to me 1999 Boxster, and immediately took it out on the most winding mountainous road I could find and pushed it to my limits. The car is so deceptively fast that I've found myself at over 100 mph on several occasions thinking I was only going 65. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to break the rear end loose by going 65 through a notoriously hairy 20mph turn at Point Reyes and the car never even squeeled the tires. Sobering reality came to me a couple of weeks ago when I was coming home from a docent party at PR, had the top down on a warm starry night, with the moon rising, and was cruising at 65 on a long, open stretch of road by Nicasio Dam. I was just ready to put my foot into it and open it up when two full grown deer jumped in front of me. I can't begin to tell you all the things that went through my mind at light speed including the memory of a high school friend who hit a donkey at night in Mexico in his 914 and it decapitated his girlfriend in the passenger seat. I braced for impact and put the binders on and was just ready to duck down so the deer would hopefully slide over the top of me when the car stopped so fast and so straight my teeth almost came out. The deer hadn't moved and were so close to the front that I could see their eyes. They strolled off into the brush and the story has a happy ending due to the incredible design of the Porsche breaking system. Point is no matter how familiar, deserted or safe you think you are we live in a populated world of humans and animals and any one of them can come out of nowhere and change the course of lives. Do I still want to take my car to the limit of my ability? Every time I get in it but I will do my radical driving at the track from now on and enjoy the performance of my car on the street within the limits that are required for safety of myself and others. My opinion and not posted to criticize or influence the opinion of others.

09-12-2009, 07:23 AM	#37
onshore Guest Posts: n/a	The Fast and The Reckless I'm 62, just bought my first Porsche, a new to me 1999 Boxster, and immediately took it out on the most winding mountainous road I could find and pushed it to my limits. The car is so deceptively fast that I've found myself at over 100 mph on several occasions thinking I was only going 65. I've tried, unsuccessfully, to break the rear end loose by going 65 through a notoriously hairy 20mph turn at Point Reyes and the car never even squeeled the tires. Sobering reality came to me a couple of weeks ago when I was coming home from a docent party at PR, had the top down on a warm starry night, with the moon rising, and was cruising at 65 on a long, open stretch of road by Nicasio Dam. I was just ready to put my foot into it and open it up when two full grown deer jumped in front of me. I can't begin to tell you all the things that went through my mind at light speed including the memory of a high school friend who hit a donkey at night in Mexico in his 914 and it decapitated his girlfriend in the passenger seat. I braced for impact and put the binders on and was just ready to duck down so the deer would hopefully slide over the top of me when the car stopped so fast and so straight my teeth almost came out. The deer hadn't moved and were so close to the front that I could see their eyes. They strolled off into the brush and the story has a happy ending due to the incredible design of the Porsche breaking system. Point is no matter how familiar, deserted or safe you think you are we live in a populated world of humans and animals and any one of them can come out of nowhere and change the course of lives. Do I still want to take my car to the limit of my ability? Every time I get in it but I will do my radical driving at the track from now on and enjoy the performance of my car on the street within the limits that are required for safety of myself and others. My opinion and not posted to criticize or influence the opinion of others.