Is Porsche Just a Rich Person’s Hobby?

The other day, my husband told me about a Porsche-owning doctor he once met who said this:

“Once, when I drove my Mercedes-Benz to my clinic, a patient said to me, ‘You must be making good money,’ and a staff member said, ‘Oh, your car is a Benz, isn’t it?’ which made the atmosphere awkward… Since then, I stopped driving it to the clinic. Even though the model I own isn’t a high-end Mercedes, just having a Benz makes people see me that way. And there’s no way I could ever drive a Porsche there.”

That was his story.

Indeed, owning a luxury car like a Porsche often doesn’t leave the best impression on society. Even if the owner acts normally,

people may think things like:
“It’s just a rich person’s toy.”
“We’re working hard here, and they’re just driving a luxury car.”
“They post happy photos on social media—it’s just rubbing it in.”

Such feelings are often directed at Porsche owners.

Also, since many Porsche owners are businesspeople, doctors, or professionals with respected positions, if their clients, patients, or employees harbor such feelings even a little, they might feel “It’s better to keep owning a Porsche a secret.” That’s probably how they feel.

Thriving Car Communities

While they absolutely can’t tell people close to them that they drive a Porsche, many want to share “how amazing Porsche cars are” and “what makes Porsche great!” That desire is reflected in communities like “Minkara,” car enthusiast SNS and apps, and real-life Porsche communities.

In these places, they can safely express their “love for cars” and “the appeal of their vehicles” that no one else understands, and others respond with “Yes, exactly! I get it!” They can share their overflowing passion to their heart’s content. That’s why these car communities are so lively.

My Husband’s Porsche Passion and Hiroki Ando

On the other hand, my husband frequently posts about cars and photos of his beloved Porsche on his private SNS.

Drove over 1,000 km around Shikoku in three days.

Went to Suzuka. After all, cars are Porsche!

Sold the SL500, and now the air-cooled Porsche 911 has arrived.

Hill climbing on Mt. Rokko early in the morning!

On the way back from a Tokyo business trip, the night view looked beautiful, so I came straight to Royu without going home.

Going on a grand tour after a long time. Touring wide agricultural roads in Yamaguchi, Shimane, Tottori, Hiroshima, and Okayama.

He posts so much that I once asked him, “Don’t you worry about what clients or employees might think if you post this much?”

I don’t care. Actually, people who post shyly or have luxury cars barely visible in the corner of their photos seem to get more criticism. But if you go all out as a car geek, people think, “Ah… this person really loves cars and driving,” and then they stop saying anything. Half measures are the worst. Going all in is important. I’m not driving a Porsche for fashion or show—I truly love Porsche and driving. So I want people to know that side of me, and I don’t hide it. Well, compared to Ando-san, I’m still a beginner though, haha.

I see… Honestly, seeing him so crazy about Porsche and cars, even I, his wife, can’t say a word, haha.

By the way, the Ando-san he mentioned is Hiroki Ando, a well-known freelance announcer and car enthusiast. He’s been famous for his love of cars since his days at TBS. His passion is described online like this:

Ando has been an avid car lover since his announcer days, even serving as a judge for the Japan Car of the Year awards. He’s owned 42 cars ranging from luxury convertibles to 4WDs.

“Basically, I’m fine with spending my whole life from birth to death just driving cars. I love the mechanics, but I always want to be driving. The reason I work is to buy cars. I work to create an environment where I can drive.”

“I use cars for all my travel. When I was a salaryman, I couldn’t commute by car, but after work, I’d go on 100 km round trips at midnight.”

Introducing his current car, a Jaguar F-PACE, with 47,800 km driven in just a year and a half.

“When I have time, I ask my office to let me go by car. Recently, I drove nonstop to Nara Prefecture—500 km in one day. It took about six hours. For 500 km, I don’t need breaks. The longest was to Miyazaki—14 hours nonstop except for meals and bathroom breaks. When I got there, I thought, ‘That’s it? I thought it would take longer. Japan’s pretty small.’”

“Even traffic jams don’t bother me much; it’s a constant pleasure. Manual cars in traffic jams are fun.”

*Source: Hiroki Ando: ‘Life is Cars’ – Nonstop 500 km Drives

He’s gone so far that it’s honestly “impressive!”, haha.

Porsche Owners File

That said, I also run this blog anonymously… (Though my area is obvious.) Compared to Minkara, this blog is still small, but as I’ve received more comments, reading them has made me think:

“I hope this blog becomes a place where everyone can freely share and express their love for Porsche.”

Actually, some comments this year said:

I’ll keep reading this blog this year too. I hope the readership grows and this becomes a web sanctuary for PORSCHE FREAKS everywhere…

That really made me happy.

Besides comments, this blog also has a feature called the Porsche Owners File, where Porsche owners can showcase their cars. Many who have been featured are delighted to share their love and receive comments. If you want to have your Porsche featured too!, regardless of model, year, or Porsche experience, please contact us here.