Porsche Spice

KNOWING ITWhile there might be the odd person who buys a Boxster or a 911 because 8216;8216;I really loved the colour8217;8217;, most Po...

KNOWING IT
While there might be the odd person who buys a Boxster or a 911 because 8216;8216;I really loved the colour8217;8217;, most Porsche buyers know their cars. Even a total loss of memory or even deep coma could not wipe out the knowledge that is a by-product of passion. For instance, the 356 was the company8217;s first ever car; 19518212;the year when Porsche first tasted international success at the Le Mans; the legendary 911 has the longest production run among sports cars in the world. And if you ever take more than two seconds to answer a Porsche-related question, it ought to be because you want to first donate a piece of trivia most people aren8217;t familiar with8212;for example, did you know that the 924 was the first transaxle Porsche? Oh come on, you didn8217;t?

DRIVING IT
Pointless commutes from point A to point B are for lesser cars. The Porsche in the garage8212;whether it be the 240 bhp Boxster, or the 325 bhp 911 Carerra, or the best-selling in India Cayenne8212;is taken out when the tarmac is empty. It8217;s for rousing Marine Drive in the dead of the night or slicing through fog around Rajpath, even though modern Porsches are a very practical lot. Last heard, you were on a mission to exterminate all Porsche owners who employed chauffeurs.

LOOKING IT
Celebs like James Dean who unfortunately died in an accident involving his 356 and Steve McQueen were confirmed Porsche enthusiasts. Contemporary faces include Jerry Seinfeld and David Beckham. Anil Ambani owned a 911 not too long ago. But the car is always the star, at least on the road. So there8217;s no point in dressing up like a rainbow and driving your Porsche around. The smart thing to do is to let your sober, casual side prevail. Let those fitted tees complement the sinuous shape. Allow the non-OTT shades to be dominated by the gooseflesh-inducing exhaust note, and let a refined wristwatch glint in the sun as you slide through a corner.

OWNING IT
When Premal Kapadia drives out of Mumbai, he takes a chauffeur along. And once the excruciating crawl out of the city is through, the 55-year-old, who has always tinkered around with cars and owns a Mercedes, gets behind the wheel of the Cayenne, and has an almighty blast. 8220;I8217;ve been wanting it for quite sometime. Very few cars can match the driving pleasure Porsches provide. Plus, since the Cayenne is an SUV, it takes care of bad road conditions as well,8217;8217; says Kapadia, a businessman, engineer and family man. 8220;A sports car can just seat two, which is why I bought the Cayenne.8221; But he8217;s also waiting for the GQ and better highways to come up. 8220;A 911 would be great fun then.8221;