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How to say "a lot"

13K views 71 replies 38 participants last post by  Chris NZ 
#1 ·
My car is on order and I haven't shared that detail with my extended family or most of my friends. I know this question will depend greatly on which circle of friends you run with and your family's means, but most of my friends and family could never afford the car I ordered. My plan is to "introduce" it as I drive it to family/friends houses, etc (I don't plan to say come see what I have!). I'm sure the question will come up, or be gently prodded as to how much it cost. I'm looking for creative ways to be tactful in response without being too evasive. I've heard some say to tell folks that it costs what a nice pickup truck would. Never had to do this type of introduction before so would be interested in suggestions.
 
#2 ·
I feel what you feel. My car will not be overly noticed in my neighborhood, but my wife constantly brings up what my CGTS will cost when I try to save money in some area (I like quality, and don't like needless spending).

In Texas, you can easily say "it costs as much as a nice pickup". These "nice" pickups do have massive discounts (as a percent of MSRP) so they are truly useful as a benchmark for downplaying how much you actually spent.

Tell them you got a great deal. Tell them sports car sales seem to be down and they offered a fantastic deal. I would not give a dollar range.
 
#3 · (Edited)
If you can afford it buy it!
Enjoy life to the full while you can, time goes by too quickly.
Try not to have any regrets.
You can’t take the money with you when you’ve gone!
Unless your very wealthy buying a Porsche is a difficult decision, spending so much money on a car can be hard to justify. I second guessed myself a few times.
When I drive the car I’m no longer just going from A to B, the journey can be the best experience.
Sometimes you have to follow your dreams, I’m happy I made the right choice. I’m sure you will too.
 
#6 ·
Sometimes you have to follow your dreams, I’m happy I made the right choice. I’m sure you will too.
Exactly, if you don't have good dreams you have nightmares......I'd rather have good dreams.

Though, you shouldn't be asked how much it costs but, if you do get asked, just say a bit to your nice relatives and friends. If they are not good relatives or friends then the response should be that shouldn't concern you.
 
#4 ·
I just tell them the truth.


A mate of mine said "I could never afford a car like that" I told him that he should have tried harder at school.

I don't down play these things to spare someone else's blushes.


There are people out there richer than me and people poorer. I spent a shed load of money on my 718. To some one with a 918 Spyder it is loose change.



If you can't tell a "friend" the truth then they are not a "friend" in my book.
 
#5 ·
MLJJ, kind of was in your shoes last month when my car came in. I'd not told anyone except my money man who had creative ideas on how to pay for it and my company-owning brother-in-law who has had a Boxster for a toy since 2012 or so. So Christmas was the unveiling for my wife's side and it was too cold to take it over to my side a few days earlier, but I did spill the beans there. I'm newly retired and my wife and I never had kids so we've always had more fun money than the siblings on both sides. They weren't overly surprised I'd do something like this. And one of my old bosses, now a friend, said he spent more than $80K on his new Chevy Suburban (he's the go big or go home kind of guy), so I wish I'd known that before. I think that's the best tactic, that there is way more expensive vehicles out there. Not many that could be this fun, whatever they cost. So I think it has a very high fun/cost ratio.
 
#7 ·
Wow!!!! You sound just like me MLJJ I had 2017 Shelby gt350 that got wrecked. My family seemed jealous that I bought it. I told no one except my best friend that I ordered it. I sold the Shelby ordered it in August , when it came in in December I said nothing till the financing and every thing was done. Started telling them in January a week or two ago. I told them I didn't want to say anything till it was a done deal and I owned it. I have never been married , Have no kids , and I'm disabled. I told them... They say when you are about to die , you regret the things you didn't do more then the things you did do, Good or bad .I also don't want them to think I'm rubbing it in there face. They all drive beater cars , and have no money ever!!. They always borrow from me and never pay me back because they say I can afford it . You are not responsible for there lives. You deserve to have your beautiful car , and enjoy it. Their first question was how much did it cost. I said 105K. With pride. If they truly love you they will get over it. If they don't then they don't deserve to have you in their lives. Don't let go to long . Enjoy you car
 
#8 ·
My answer:

"Cheaper than a Shrink or an exotic mistress." :)
 
#10 ·
"How much do you weigh?"
"How much do you make?"
"How old are you?"

...Seems some people still don't know better than to lob such inquiries during polite conversations.


When the uncouth or Mrs. Kravitz pry I simply share "it's the least expensive Porsche sports car." :p
 
#12 ·
I didn't tell a soul before or after. I used "miles" to fly to Chicago to pick up and drive home. I delayed telling anyone for a month. Since then, not one friend or colleague has disparaged or looked down on the purchase - in fact, they were elated (for me). Even my financial advisor was drooling, as he had once owned a 2010 S. But I can't wait for it to warm up (really, -24F this week?) so I can drive it about.
 
#13 ·
I try to assess the situation and consider who is doing the asking.

If it's a friend, who plans on buying one or go shopping,, I'll tell them the details, options...

If it's a stranger ( and I don't think I am about to be mugged ;) I may just round off to the nearest 10K. I'll say 90 thousand.

Since one could go online and figure out the price, if one really cares, I think many people are just making small talk when they ask "How much did it costs?" I think you can be a little evasive.... "too much", "a lot", "more than I wanted to pay but that's life".

I don't feel what one pays for a car is particularly personal. It's not like asking what one earns or even paid for their house. It's a commodity. I'd probably be more sensitive if somebody asked me what I paid shirt. ( but since I am an Amazon Fashionista, not likely that is going to happen.)

I admit that it can be a tough balance sometimes with trying to be honest and not sounding like a dick. You can always change to the topic to religion or politics :)
 
#17 ·
It is actually weird that Porsche owners feel the need to keep things like this a secret, instead we should be proud of where we are in life and what we can afford, for most of us it is hard earned money.


My last sports car was a Mazda MX-5 and everybody knew that I had ordered it and how much it cost long before it was delivered, but for the 718 Boxster I have on order it is only a select few who knows I have even ordered it, and for a while I have tried to keep it a secret.
My cousin and his girlfriend however figured it out when I asked them to help me drive my Mazda to the dealer who had bought it, they did however know I had test driven a Porsche and talked about it, but I had always said it was too expensive.
 
#25 ·
Thanks all for your imaginative suggestions. Family will be the hardest. My adult daughter wants to tell the world via social media...I asked her not to! My first road trip will be to see her so we can drive together - she is a fine car enthusiast without means to get one! Porsche2018, tell them you bought an aftermarket kit for the poor man's Porsche to make it look expensive.
 
#29 ·
My friends would never ask....the wife on the other hand is another matter. Whenever I buy anything, the first thing out of her mouth is "How Much Did It Cost". When I bought mine, I intended to lie to her and tell her it was half what I paid. I bought the car, had my son in law take me to the dealer to pick it up and brought it home and put it out in my second garage. Wife was none the wiser. Unfortunately two days later a buddy stopped by and asked me to take him for a ride. When we got back to the house, the wife was looking out the front window and saw us drive up to the other garage. She made a beeline to my desk and looked in my check book. When I went back in the house she wasn't talking to me. She didn't talk for three weeks. I told a couple of buddies that if I knew that all it would take to shut her up was to buy a Porsche, I would've done it years earlier. >:D
 
#30 ·
I too never told my wife until it was in the drive. She just doesn't understand cars. I had to agree that in return for me upgrading the porsche, we could get a new puppy to replace old dog put down six months earlier. Bad deal. My porsche causes her no grief whatsoever. The bloody puppy however..........
 
#31 ·
Dam*, you guys have some big kahunas! My original plan was to purchase without spousal consent/knowledge, but my daughter intervened and coaxed me, and her, into a mutual agreement re the purchase. I told my wife after we had all eventually come to terms that I had planned to do it when I met a certain financial goal. After all of that, she didn't seem surprised that I would have pulled the trigger without her knowledge. Guess I don't know her all that well even after 37 years of marriage - I expected to be celibate the remainder of my life and I was OK with that for a Porsche.
 
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