Miruna, hailing from Toronto, Ontario, is an enthusiastic Porsche owner and driver with a manual 2023 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS and a 2022 Porsche Cayenne E-hybrid Platinum Edition in her garage.
Her Porsche passions originate from a shared love for all things cars experienced with her father growing up. Some of her most memorable experiences shared with her father included going to car shows, working and maintaining their family cars and watching Formula 1. She even learnt how to drive a manual transmission at a very young age.
2. What Porsche model(s) do you own? 2023 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS and 2022 Porsche Cayenne E-hybrid Platinum Edition,
3. Can you tell us a bit about yourself, your background? I was born in Romania and immigrated to Canada with my family after the communist revolution. I went to U of T for teaching but ended up in a completely unrelated field as an insurance broker. My family and I are very close, but I have the most in common with my father and our love for cars. We would go to auto shows, work on cars, and watch Formula 1 together. My father taught me how to drive standard when I was (very) young. I even worked at the Ford Oakville Assembly Plant during University, but German cars have always been my favourite.
4. Can you give us some details about your Porsche(s)? I was always drawn to black cars but decided to be a little bit more “adventurous” with the Cayenne by electing Moonlight as the color. Loved the quirky acid green accents on the hybrids and kept those. I originally ordered the Targa in Lava Orange to match the 991.2 I rented in Stuttgart in 2017, but unfortunately the colour was discontinued when I received the allocation. The Arctic Grey is sleek and was an obvious second choice. Whoever said a 911
is not a family car was wrong. The Targa fits select car seats perfectly and you can even fit a stroller and travel crib in the frunk!
5. Speak a bit about how your relationship with Porsche started. My relationship with Porsche started with my father. He would always talk about his favourite car, the iconic 911, and his dream of owning one one day.
6. What was your earliest memory with the brand? Growing up, my father always wanted a Porsche 911 which established my earliest memory of the brand.
7. What speaks to you the most about Porsche? Reliability, performance and ride quality.
8. As a child, did you dream of owning a Porsche, and if so how? I dreamt of buying a 911 for my father. I remember telling him, “I will get you a Porsche for your 40th birthday! That would have put me at 13 years old. No idea how I was going to achieve that!
9. What inspired you to pursue your dreams? My husband inspired me to pursue my dreams. His father is a Porsche enthusiast with a few classics of his own (might I add a Christophorus Calendar and Coin Collector). We visited the Porsche museum in Stuttgart and rented a 911 Targa 4GTS in Lava Orange. It felt so natural being behind the wheel, it was love at first drive!
10. What’s one piece of advice you would share with other dreamers out there? Be ambitious. Start a Porsche fund! My husband’s favourite line is, “You can live in your car, but you can’t drive a house”.
11. How have you overcome obstacles along the way to achieving your dreams? I think about how much harder it must have been for my parents to leave everything behind and move to a country where they knew no one, knew just enough English to get by, and had to re-do their schooling in order to build a life for us. They made sacrifices and constantly pushed me to do more and be motivated when there were obstacles.
12. How do you stay motivated and focused on your dreams and goals? Work hard and always put in 100%. Take risks and step out of your comfort zone. There will always be set backs but you need to move forward and focus on your goals.
13. What do you enjoy the most about your car(s)? Acceleration aside, I love the handling of these cars. The manual transmission really allows me to have full control of the vehicle and drive it. I recently had the opportunity to participate in the first Women’s Porsche Track Experience thanks to PCNT. I learned so many more things about the ability of my 911.
14. Why is your Porsche(s) special to you? The 911 was the first Porsche I ever got to drive and I was able to get the exact model with my own specifications.
15. Is there anything that is unique about your Porsche(s)? The folding roof on the Targa! I love the
Targa, it is such a unique version of the 911 and I feel that it really stands out. It is not a coupe and not
quite a cabrio. It is quiet like the coupe, but airy like the cabrio – with added safety if you have a little one
in the back.
16. Out of all of the Porsche models you’ve owned, what is the one that stands out the most? The 911. It is not just a sports car.
17. In a few words what emotion(s) does your car evoke in you? Gratitude, excitement, disbelief. Every now and then I let out a little squeal when I am driving the car. It is pure joy being behind the wheel and I can truly let go of anything that is bothering me at that moment.
18. Is there a Porsche model in history that is on your bucket-list to drive or own? To own: GT3 Touring in Viola Metallic, to drive: 993/959/356