Are hugely expensive sports cars even relevant right now?
This isn’t about to be a diatribe about wastefully powerful cars with little utility being a drain on the environment; (I love them!) rather, I’m speaking of this exact moment in time, with the world falling apart at the seams, the visuals of an Asian guy driving around in a six-figure Porsche is probably not a good look. The coronavirus have killed over 100,000 people in America, and there’s currently over 40 million Americans unemployed. State and local budgets are utterly strained, and even those of us who are still gainfully employed have a horizon full of uncertainty. We just don’t know.
On top of the COVID-19 situation like salt on a wound, riots have broken out all over the country due to the brutal killing of a black man at the hands of police in Minnesota. The graphic video of yet another senseless death of an African American by a white policeman lit the fuse to the powder keg of pent up energy stemming from citizens having been stuck inside our homes for the better part of three months. The frustrations many people had with the horrible economic reality was given permission to boil over. The resulting violence and looting looks catastrophic, and the worst part is, we’re only at the beginning of this new mess.
Out of the fire, and into the frying pan.
Those that have or appears-to-have might become targets, so even with the gradual lifting of restrictions after May, I shall remain conservative about taking the GT3 out for a drive. Unlike the typical ownership profile of this class of cars, I do not live in areas immune from protests (read: rich), nor do I earn enough money to render any potential vandalizing of the 911 to be a trivial matter. I don’t even have a proper garage to park the car in! All this is to say, when I go out for a drive, the GT3 is a highly visible machine - I don’t live in an environment where it would blend in (say, Los Gatos).
It’s relative, obviously: compared to a Ferrari, the Porsche can be nearly discreet. But where I live, there’s no way to camouflage the 911 in GT3 trim; not in these heady times.
Because perception is absolutely everything, and when it comes to cars, the general public’s perspective on vehicle cost is largely anchored to the badge (excellent job on advertising, I have to say to manufacturers). A BMW will always be perceived as expensive, no matter the actuality of exactly how much a person paid for it. A brand new Toyota Camry can be had for around $30,000, but if I drive up in a used BMW 3 Series that I bought for $20,000, people are going to automatically assume I have more money than if I had actually paid more to buy the Toyota.
No need to explain the prestige and perceptions behind the Porsche badge, is there?
When so many Americans have lost their jobs, and pay-cuts looming for those of us lucky enough to still have one, I reckon it would be slightly dangerous to be driving around in the 911, especially as an Chinese person. After hearing of too many instances of anti-Asian racism that have popped up since the coronavirus began, last thing I want is to look like a rich Chinese kid running around in the expensive Porsche that no doubt daddy back in China bankrolled. The problem is: that is exactly how I look sitting in the GT3! If things get worse at work and personnel layoffs actually happens, I might have to stop parking the 911 at the work lot. It’s best to avoid potentially inciting the rage of a former employee walking towards the garage one last time.
Sure, I have insurance, but insurance companies have an awful track-record of raising your rates after you’ve made a claim. The GT3 is expensive enough as is to insure with a clean sheet, and I’d very much prefer to keep it that way.
On the flip side, you might argue: why the hell am I worrying about what other people think? I should drive the 911 as normal and let the proverbial dice roll as it may. I can’t control the actions of others, so why let it disturb my singular and most favorite hobby, which is cars and driving? In a way, this is not wrong: I’d never make it out of the house if I let the fear of something bad might happen take over. We can only do the best we can with what we are given, and looking towards the opinion of others as a guide on how to live my life is a recipe for disgrace and stress.
Ultimately, I’m going to enjoy my expensive sports car to the maximum, no matter what, for as long as I can. With the lockdown somewhat over, I look forward to putting significantly more miles on the GT3 in the coming months. But I think this has been a good thought exercise; none of us live in a vacuum, after all. The events happening outside have real consequences, and I certainly will have to be smart about how and where I drive the 911 in the near future. Anonymity is crucial, so writes the person with his own website and a page dedicated to his automotive toy.
The quarantine might be over, but the weirdness of 2020 is here to stay for a long time.
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Date acquired: January 2019
Total mileage: 29,845+
Mileage this month: <35
Costs this month: $242.97
MPG this month: 15.4 mpg