Save the Planet: Drive a Porsche

How a classic car can be greener than your Prius.
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In spring 2007, my wife and I sold our Volvo and committed to public transportation. Since then, it's been no traffic jams, no mechanics, no gasoline, and no insurance bills. With the money we saved, I started a "hot rod" bank account dedicated to making driving fun. Public transportation is paying for my Porsche.

I log 20,000 miles a year commuting from my home in Baltimore to my job in Washington, D.C. I travel by train and subway. Fares (plus vacation rental cars, bus tickets, bicycle tires, and the occasional taxi) set me back around $3,100 a year—$6,000 less than Camry man. I stash the savings in my Porsche fund.

Like many Americans, I love to get out and drive. But in and around major cities, "driving" usually means idling in traffic while trapped in cars as utilitarian and uninspiring as washing machines. It's soul-sucking and dirty. It's also expensive. According to AAA, if I were to commute 20,000 miles in a Toyota Camry, I would burn through $9,100 a year in fuel and ownership costs that include insurance, maintenance, and depreciation. If a dash gauge measured money per mile, the needle would be pegged at 45.5 cents. And, according to Department of Transportation statistics, that much commuting would release more than 15,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A Prius cuts that almost in half—a green boost for sure, but nothing compared with pairing public transportation with weekend joy rides in a classic car.

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<a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2233834/">http://www.slate.com/id/2233834/</a>;