MY BELOVED PORSCHE 911
Back in 2012 I was able to purchase my dream car, a Porsche Carrera 911.
14 years later, I said goodbye to that car last week. Just shy of 50,000 km on the odometer. In Porsche years, it was barely an infant. But something in my head kept telling me it was time to downsize, time to move on. Back in 2012, this was supposed to be the first of many 911’s. The salesperson at Pfaff Porsche convinced me my first 911 should be modest. No sports exhaust, S version or fancy Bose stereo. So I kept it to a reasonable minimum, sure that in a few years I would have the opportunity to move up the food chain.
Except that never happened. It’s not that I didn’t try. Some years ago Alice and I took a 2023 or 2024 911 out for a test drive on the highway. The car was gorgeous, but the technology had changed. The normally aspirated 6 cylinder was replaced with a mild turbo engine. And the noise in the cabin made having a regular conversation impossible without yelling at each other.
Porsche had moved on from the simplicity that made their cars so attractive. The new cars were bigger, more powerful and a lot more expensive. In the meantime, EV’s were knocking on the door to my heart, making the purchase of a petrol car all the more difficult.
How long is too long to own a car? I figure 14 years is plenty long enough. My sons are only interested in EV’s, so there was nothing keeping me from selling the car. Something that I’ve thought I should do for at least since Covid days when the value of my 911 was at its peak. Still, in 2026 I did okay. In all honesty its been the cheapest car I’ve ever owned. It held its value very well.
In non monetary terms, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I won’t lie, the first few days not seeing it in the driveway left me sad. Did I make a mistake? This was my aspirational dream. How could I sell it? What dreams are left? Tough questions that I don’t have the answers to. Of course one might think this is the essence of shallowness. And that assessment might be right. A 911 was always the car of my dreams. Admittedly I worked my ass off for many years. The 911 was an affirmation of my hard work. And besides, I truly loved the way this car looked and drove. It really did put a smile on my face every time I drove it.
Still… I feel like I needed to push myself to be pragmatic. I’ve gotten many years of pleasure from my Porsche. If it’s not time for a new dream, it’s at least time to move beyond this phase of my life.
I week later, I still have moments of regret. The 911 is truly a special car. I don’t believe any car will mean as much to me in my life, not just for the way it drove, but the way it made me feel while driving it. It will always remain my beloved Porsche.