Is your car an idiot magnet?

[Motorhead]

As an avid adherent to the “3-second rule”

Jeff

Jeff,

I thought it was “only a fool breaks the 2 second rule”, has it gone up to 3 due to inflation?

Whenever I’m feeling “holier than thou” and see someone driving faster than I think they should be I say “any idiot can speed and you’ve just proved it”

Better safe than sorry Andrew. []

And I think that it’s the IAM who recommended 3-seconds rather than 2 … and in the dry, of course!

Jeff

 

[adrianb]

I also agree with all your views. But is it becoming worst post lockdown ? Not used Boxster yet this year but been out recently in the daily driver and the roads in Hampshire appear full of wannabe racing drivers, desperate to get by only to get caught in the next queue ️I don’t think it’s just our Porsche cars attracting attention.

People have become accustomed to less traffic during lockdown and it could just be that everyone is getting so frustrated with the amount of traffic congestion now that we are all on the roads together.

During our 2019 3000mile tour through France, Switzerland and Germany we experienced a far better standard of driving, the population appear to have a better appreciation for nice fast cars, but it could just be a case of less cars per km.

Driving in the UK is fast loosing its appeal.

Adrian

 

[911hillclimber]

Same scearios here in the West Midlands.

I now drive at speed limits which people respect and follow, or get naffed off very quickly and overtake on double white etc.

This is a 250 BHP Boxster. Everyone must beat it, all ages and both sexes of driver, everyone is in their way, everyone esp the prat in the sports car, 250 BHP is today not enough, a good oil burner will match it.

I also have a 1973 911 with a 3.2 in it. Pale yellow and a nice small old car, really small, but every Range Rover Sport MUST tailgate and roar past, no matter what.

Dubioous lads in low Golfs smile and wave with thumbs up and iPhones filming.

Old ladies ask to sit in it at petrol stations and all that is good.

just try driving a Boxster on a sunny day, at the speed limit with the roof down.

I too ama 3 seconds gap driver, no matter what I'm driving.

 

[AB2012]

I used to find that the occasional battered Zafira-driver would try to prove a point when I had my 911s, but less so with the Panamera. I agree that there seems to be more aggressive driving on the roads at the moment, and as others have said it’s probably a reaction to lockdown, like increased littering, demonstrations and the odd riot. Humans at their worst. The best advice I was given for tailgaters, when I did my IAM test, was to respond by allowing more space to the vehicle in front of you, so if they stop suddenly you can bring your car and the one up your chuff to a controlled stop without getting rammed from behind. Can’t wait for my Cayman GTS to arrive later this year, and we’ll see if it attracts more idiocy...

 

[Brian_Innes]

I can empathise with all of the comments expressed. In my Cayman days it was Audi drivers that were the bane of my life, especially the RS varieties. As well as tailgating me, if I came up behind one at a dual carriageway roundabout they would floor the accelerator on the exit just to show how fast their RS is.

I also agree with the comments on white vans. On my many tours south of the border on motorways, I've lost count of the number of times a Sprinter van has passed me doing 90mph plus, often in the wet. No way would these vans be able to stop safely at that speed with their high C of G and skinny tyres.

Having also done several European tours I would agree with the comments about generally good driving standards on the Autobahns. They don't seem to be fazed by fast sports cars coming up behind them and the majority give way to faster traffic very promptly.

I am fearful of the forthcoming tourist season in the Highlands where I live. There will be many visitors who have never experienced single track roads with passing places, nor winding roads with adverse cambers and tightening bends. No doubt I shall have a few tales to tell by the end of the summer season.

Brian

 

[Scylla]

Been out for a very enjoyable drive in the Arctic sunshine. Was hassled three times in 65 miles.

I was acquired by a three-up chav gunship at the turnoff from a roundabout on the A69... an old BMW, lowered with blacked out everything and a stupid exhaust. I got out of its way as fast as I could but it loitered for a while, clearly hoping I’d pick up the challenge. When it sped off in a cloud of smoke I theatrically coughed and waved my hand about as if I was choking to death. I immediately felt like a stupid child. The other two were a Civic Type R and Audi TT. My car seems to have an incredible effect; you can tell when these cretins have clocked you because they suddenly start driving very very fast and pulling every manoeuvre with sudden sharpness. I managed to contain my inner chimp with these two, and kept my blinkers on. It was quite satisfying.

 

[Cudicini11]

I have only owned my Cayman for 6 months and it has really surprised me just how much attention you get and a lot of it from people coming right up close and aggressively behind you - I just move over, let them past.

 

[DWaldie]

Never really had much of a problem with tailgaters, but there seems to be an assumption that you're up for a bit of racing everywhere you go. I let 'em pass and have some solitary fun later. They are usually driving in town or on dual carriageways. I prefer the B roads, where the average hot-hatch is not at its best.

My weirdest encounter was following an empty 42 tonne artic on the snake pass. There were places I could only just keep up. He was using the whole road though (and some) []

My biggest gripe is that people have lost the ability to drive and use indicators. WTF?

 

[ERICA D]

The Snake pass and the Cat and fiddle are now both similar - whilst the Snake hasn't got 50 mph average speed cameras, there is so much traffic that you may as well just appreciate the view and not risk life and limb and use litres of petrol to move 50 yrds down the line...especially when you can see the loony articulated trucks coming at you! And yes - I agree - I think indicators are missing from most people's cars nowadays...or certainly from the drivers ability anyway.

Saying that, an Aston Martin wanted to "play" the other day....at least that is in the same class! But doesn't corner as well in the Derbyshire winding roads...

 

[DWaldie]

The Snake pass and the Cat and fiddle are now both similar - whilst the Snake hasn't got 50 mph average speed cameras, there is so much traffic that you may as well just appreciate the view and not risk life and limb and use litres of petrol to move 50 yrds down the line...especially when you can see the loony articulated trucks coming at you! And yes - I agree - I think indicators are missing from most people's cars nowadays...or certainly from the drivers ability anyway.

Saying that, an Aston Martin wanted to "play" the other day....at least that is in the same class! But doesn't corner as well in the Derbyshire winding roads...

Keep it quiet, but the snake is acceptably quiet during the week. Forget it at the weekend though

 

[RTPSupersports]

Tailgaters and wannabe racers are the biggest problem that I encounter.

So may people tailgate me, presumably to make me drive faster, but if I’m in a 30mph or 40mph zone, I will be adhering to the speed limit, or less depending on road conditions.

As for the wannabe racers, they egg you on to take up the challenge, so that they can video themselves overtaking a Porsche. They are willing to drive at ridiculous speeds, regardless of other people on the road, which I am not prepared to do. Sure, a Focus ST or the like will be faster than me on the motorway or dual carriageway, but when I’m on a twisty B road, it’s a different matter entirely!

Interestingly, I get a lot of admiring comments from ladies, contrary to what a well known YouTube poster says.

 

[CLIFFWILKINS]

Fully agree Richard with all the speed cameras now days I am circa the speed limit only to get tailgaters within feet of my bumper busting a gut to push you alone goading you to race them complete tw@ts I bet 9 times out of 10 it's an Audi BMW or Volvo yes we all know modern cars are as fast as most Porsches but some people love to prove it.

As responsible Porsche drivers we have nothing to prove. []

Some sad cases about with attitudes that's life afraid now days .

Enjoy. []

 

[Scylla]

I’m the OP.

The latest move I’ve encountered from the Dickhead’s Handbook is to have someone actually nose out from a stationary position onto the main road where you are travelling, in a bid to force you to swerve out of the way. There’s clearly no intention of actually t-boning you, it’s just a pitiful and uncontrollable fit of envy. The first time it happened I did indeed swerve, but then it kept happening - so I’m ready for it now. I hold a straight line, because to swerve in any circumstance is potentially dangerous to other road users. I’m simply not going to have my direction of travel or speed dictated by some inadequate mouth breather. While I’m on, I was loaned a Panamera as a courtesy car recently - I don’t know the exact spec but it had a large turbocharged V6 engine and about 12 enormous tailpipes, and it was shockingly fast. I was tailgated (yet again) by a bestubbled cretin in a taxi-spec Mercedes until we reached open motorway, at which point I left him behind. His expression crumbled from smirk to utter destruction as he tried to keep up, and he then slunk back into the slow lane. As I slowed down, his speed reduced still further as he struggled to maintain a healthy distance, and he left at the next junction. Mollusc.

 

[legin]

Not defending the knobbers but Im also aware that low rear window line and short arse cars make it feel more like your being tailgated. When Im in the smoker it still happens but a high window , second row of seats and a boot makes it seem less prevalent.

I also ignore them.

 

[malarcy]

Honestly - 3 years of Porsche driving has been more "polite" than the previous 13 years of Audi driving. If people have wanted to race me away from lights I simply haven't noticed. If someone wants to go faster than me on the motorway, if I can move over without seriously compromising my progress or being dangerous, I will - when I can't sometimes people sit too close, as they do when I am in my focus, where the same mode of operation applies.

The more times I let the van go first, or let the bus pull out, the more times it seems to happen to me.

If anything - I have noticed that people are inclined to move over and let me past on motorways etc. if i just sit behind them at an appropriate distance and then when they move- accelerate to use the space.

Won't say "Never happens" because it does, to me maybe half a dozen times in 3 years, but generally I find that actually, nobody cares about what I drive anymore than than they do when I am in the focus.

I am however a little tired of Tesla's showing everyone, not just me, that they are FAST - yeah, they are, and..... ?

 

[PHB1969]

Recently followed through 30 & 40 limit areas by 4 bikers, of which 3 sat back. 1 was particularly keen to let me know he was there. Road went to national limit and I picked up my speed to 60 mph. Oncoming traffic prevented him overtaking. Got a roundabout in national speed limit when this biker accelerated hard, swerved towards the centre of the road as if to overtake, then swerved to the gutter as if to undertake and then pulled a wheelie and couldn’t have been far off thumping into the back of the car, then overtook me! There is a massive pothole coming off the roundabout which I avoid whatever car I’m in, and I take a slightly wider line (and I do mean slightly) coming off the roundabout - I can only think he thought I was taking the piss trying to stop him overtake (but was only doing c 40mph as limit changes shortly after to 40mph) but I was gobsmacked at his riding and to be fair it was totally uncalled for. My wife was in the car with me and knew that I hadn’t driven any different than normal.