Current Porsche Cars:
2022 718 Rubystar GT4
2023 911 Cabriolet GTS America
2023 911 Jade GT3
2023 Cayenne Turbo
Previous Porsche Cars:
2017 Cayman S
2018 911 GT3
2018 911 Targa 4 GTS
2017 Cayenne GTS
Hi Grace, it's great to interview the owner of another Jade Green 992 GT3! You have a great taste in cars, if I may say so myself
To start, tell me about yourself:
NY/NJ born and raised, I love traveling the world, driving well engineered cars, playing and watching sports (with a full on addiction pickleball as of late), eating good food, trying new things and learning new cultures. I have always loved the sensation of being behind the wheel, from the moment I got my driver's permit at 16 and that feeling has not stopped till this day. Whenever I feel the need to decompress or clear my mind, getting behind the wheel of a car and going for a nice drive always helps! I am a very curious individual and pride myself on constantly learning day in and day out, when the learning slows down, that's when the boredom sets in.
How did you get introduced to the Porsche brand of cars?
There are two answers to this story. If you ask me, it was because my lease on my BMW was up and I had decided to try out the Audi brand for the first time. But when I got to an Audi dealership, I stood around for 15 minutes and no one came to help me. So I walked a few blocks down south on 11th Ave and ended up at Manhattan Motorcars and walked out with my first Porsche (a 718 Cayman S), and the rest was history. But if you ask my husband, he will say he is the sole reason (laughing). He absolutely loved his first Porsche Cayenne and had it for 10 years. The Cayenne is still his favorite Porsche in the entire line up today.
Why did you purchase your current Porsche?
I have gone down a PTS rabbit-hole, and one PTS has led to another. But one of the reasons why I love the Porsche brand is the ability to customize anything and everything, and the last few Porsche's I've acquired, were all custom spec'd and built to my liking, so that has been a privelege. As to why I have different Porsche's, they all serve different purposes. I prefer the GT4 platform on the track, the mid-engine 50/50 weight distribution, weight and size of the car. The 911 Cab is a nice daily cruiser. The SUV is the workhorse. For the GT cars, the NA is more engaging of a drive than the TT I will say, I really miss my Targa 4 GTS, I think of all the 911 trims, in terms of a daily, that is my favorite. I hope to acquire a PTS Targa in the near future!
Why do you think there are so few women driving Porsche cars, especially the 911 and 718 sports car models?
As with most relationships, it takes two to tango - I think part of it is the lack of awareness of what these sports cars can do on a daily basis. The other part is how and what the brand is doing to target this demographic. We are most likely to see women behind the wheel of a Porsche SUV than a sports car model, that may be partially due to the functionality of having to cart families around...however if women were shown the true functionality of a 911 or 718, that may change. I think the brand needs to push out more programming/marketing to engage with women so they can experience first hand how much fun and functionally prepared these cars are.
Have you ever faced any challenges or stereotypes as a woman driving a high-performance car like a Porsche? How did you handle those situations?
All the time. Whenever strangers or people I meet for the first time compliment or come to ask me a question about my cars, they first make eye contact or direct the conversation at my husband (if we are together) ... and what's funny is most of the time the people who do this, I quickly learn they know less about Porsche's than I do! I am used to being in male dominated environments -- personally, professional and in my other interests/hobbies. I find it is most important to be yourself in these circumstances and focus on what makes you happy. That in it of itself translates into others seeing how much passion you have in that realm and naturally comes with respect.
What do you think Porsche or the community can do to invite women to join in on the Porsche fun?
It's great to see the brand knows this is a target demographic they have to focus on, I think they need to continue programming and outreach to cater towards women.
Are there any design elements that you think Porsche should consider for their sports cars to better appeal to women?
More colors!
Anything else you’d like to mention about your Porsche story?
Really grateful how unique and special the bond in the Porsche community has been, I have not seen or experienced this with other automotive brands. It has truly allowed me to make friends all around the world. That proves how incredible of a product Porsche has built, that it can bring a community of people together like this.
