[stevenvillatoro]

How I ended up buying a car I didn't need, and having to sell the car I loved so much:

My interest in Porsche began with a childhood love of VWs; it was a natural progression. I put myself through college by working at a VW dealer, and collected vintage Porsches on the side. But 40 years ago, in 1979, I sold my remaining Porsches in order to bear down on the responsibilities of a career and other aspirations.

Life took its course. My ensuing car choices ran the gamut from quirky (Isetta, Thing, Insight, smart) to sensible (hybrids and EVs) to bargain sporty (Miata, Abarth). I struggled to find any car that could hold my interest.

Fast forward to today. My M240i was a return to the type of cars that I love to drive and own. I've reveled in every minute with it. But at the same time, my long-dormant craving for another Porsche was being rekindled. Wherever I went online... Miata.net, 2addicts, etc.,etc... it seemed that everybody kept talking about Porsche.

Last year, the Carrera T was launched, and it started messing with my Porsche-starved mind. The media loved the T. It seemed to tick all the boxes for me: a modernized "limited-frills" iteration of current Porsches for the enthusiasts (like me) who still prioritize driving finesse over point-and-shoot power.

I eventually got burnt out from obsessing over the T, and had to put Porsche fantasies out of my mind. Fortunately, I was still totally enthralled with my M240i, the most enjoyable car I'd ever owned.

I didn't give Porsche any more thought, until last week when I serendipitously came across a "for sale" ad for a '19 T with just 144 miles on it, at a nice discount. And the car happened to be spec'd **exactly** as I would've done it. Yikes!

February 28th was the day I discovered this T. Coincidentally, it was precisely the 7th anniversary of my mom's passing. She had been a huge Porsche fanatic (and loved driving manuals). I couldn't help but wonder if finding this T on such an auspicious day was a sign for me to treat myself in memory of her?? At least it was a way to reconcile checking out the car.

Within minutes of finding the ad, I called the dealer, ended up doing a fast negotiation, and gave a deposit. Slam, bam. Three days later, a friend drove me to LA to buy the car and drive it home.

The succession of events happened so fast that I hadn't even stopped to consider that I'd have to sell my trusty beloved brat of a BMW, a car that easily could've kept me very happy for many, many more years. I feel 100% sure, however, that I'll end up regretting parting with it.

It'd been 48 years since the last time I had driven a 911, and I had no experience with the extensive updates that Porsche had made in the past half-century during my absence. They're water-cooled now, haha. I just knew that I was salivating; lusting over this incredibly seductive car with no regard to logic or reasonability. I hadn't even bothered to test drive it before buying.

And now, for better or worse, it's mine.

To be continued: First impressions