# Save the Planet, Drive a Porsche: How a classic car can be greener than your Prius **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** 911, porsche\ **Created:** [October 29, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765 "2009-10-29T14:05:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/1 "2009-10-29T14:05:54Z")
This is a story about a couple that sold their car, switched to public transportation, and then bought at 1966 Porche 911 for weekend fun. [http://www.slate.com/id/2233834](http://www.slate.com/id/2233834) I wish I could sell my car, and just keep a motorcycle or two for fun, but my town is still living in the transportation dark ages. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/2 "2009-10-29T14:08:00Z")
Okay, I didn’t read all the way to the end of the story. They didn’t buy the Porsche yet. ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 2:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/3 "2009-10-29T14:26:17Z")
Any car that’s not driven will save the planet. I had a 1972 Mercedes 280 SEL 4.5 that got about 12 MPG. However, I only drove it on weekends and about 4,000 miles per year. The planet loved me. Twotone ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/4 "2009-10-29T15:43:19Z")
1966 is the absolute earliest I can remember for a 911 (actually 1967 is the earliest I have actually seen).They must have paid dearly and boned-up on thier carburetor skills (I have seen these early ones with mechanical F.I.)I wonder how it turned out to be fun? ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://community.cartalk.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/5 "2009-10-29T18:04:53Z")
Just think how much gas we could save if everyone drove classic European cars that spent more time in the shop than on the road! ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/6 "2009-10-29T20:56:51Z")
We run into that same “backwards” transportation thinking too. We would love to see “Rails to Trails” take over abandon rail bed in our area but the locals are so afraid some one might walk by their shore frontage when in reality, more local control would result. The gain in access to our frontages, ease of bike and pedestrian transportation, decrease in car usage and increased health benefits would be significant. Some people just can’t see any change as helpful. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![Need\_A\_Horse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Need\_A\_Horse](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Need_A_Horse)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/7 "2009-11-13T22:17:00Z")
The current direction for “save the planet cars” is nuts. A fortune paid for bad performance (as defined by what you need a car for). These fad cars will be lucky to get 5% of the market. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/save-the-planet-drive-a-porsche-how-a-classic-car-can-be-greener-than-your-prius/38765/8 "2009-11-14T02:47:28Z")
Even at 3.55%, that’s about 35,000 cars per month in today’s American market.\* That’s a lot of hybrids; more than I would call a fad. - [http://www.hybridcars.com/news/july-hybrid-sales-reach-record-high-market-share-25955.html](http://www.hybridcars.com/news/july-hybrid-sales-reach-record-high-market-share-25955.html)