I’m on the hunt for a 997 Porsche and going through ads I’ve found some fascinating data on these cars.
91% have never seen rain. I guess any contact with precipitation causes them to self combust or something. Gotta be hard for drivers in Seattle to own these things. Thoughts and prayers to you all.
73% were owned by elderly enthusiasts. They’re such enthusiasts mind you, they can’t remember the last time the brakes were done. But trust him bro, the brakes feel great.
52% were only driven to Porsche club events, date nights or church and then immediately stored back in the temperature and humidity controlled dedicated garage.
47% have “complete records” but unfortunately not available for me to see as they were lost in a fire, flood or other natural disaster. The records that miraculously survived show 3 oil changes in 4 years. But trust him bro, the car is mint, doesn’t need a thing. His cousin is a mechanic and swears it’s the cleanest one he’s ever seen.
100% are appreciating assets reluctantly offered below their inevitable future value and I should be grateful they’re even giving me the opportunity to have a look at their pristine collector’s item.
My 2022 lease goes back soon. Was a 165k msrp and current value with only 14k miles is around 115k. My residual on the lease is around 135k
This did exactly what I wanted. Scratched my midlife crisis itch without costing me too much money for the year I had it.
So had I bought it instead of leasing I would have lost around 30k when factoring in 7% tax vs my lease cost of $13k. Doesn’t seem like they’re holding value as good as they were. Obviously turbos are still doing well tho
997s are 2005-2011 model years, different market. They hit the depreciation plateau long ago and have been increasing in price recently. A well sorted 997.1 6-spd coupe with 50-70K miles is $60Kish. A 997.2 is $80K. In a year or two you can sell it for what you paid for guaranteed, and probably more. The cost to own is maintenance and either interest on a loan or opportunity cost if buying with cash. I owned the previous generation, a 996.2, and an air cooled one (which I kick myself for having sold right before the market went insane), a 928 and a Panamera. A 997 is the next one.
I don’t like any 911s past that generation. Way too big.
As the resident LH Porsche expert these percentages are coming from what data set? I also was/in your boat. I saw a lot of cars that didn’t get driven much and had tires that had some very old date stamps but were defined as well maintained. I think if you check mecum as well, there may be good opportunities with no reserve cars. I biggest take away however is the bore scare which ultimately made me think towards a 997.2 or a 991.1.
I think 997 values are still overly inflated… but I clearly do not know anything.
There’s no “data set” man, lol. I’m being facetious and poking fun at some of the ridiculous ads out there.
997.2 has plenty of bore score stories as well. But no IMS worries so marginally “safer” than vs the .1s.
Auctions don’t interest me. I want to know the seller, the history, see maintenance records, the works. I’m picky, and it takes time, but the right one shows up eventually.
That’s what I thought about air cooled ones, when I sold my '80 SC with a rebuilt 915 transmission for $40K. I thought I was the smartest guy in the room because surely prices were bound to crash, right? That same car is $70K easy today. Oh well. Nobody knows how these things go, they take a life of their own. The problem is people treating cars like investments. Buy them to enjoy them. I don’t really care about appreciation or depreciation. I just want a well sorted and documented one, without stories. But it seems a lot easier said than done.
While I understand you are buying the seller, sometimes you can get additional information by the people who actually do the work; unless you have a rare case of a PCA member that has a lift and has a leather maintenance log.
How are you getting data if a car has ever been in the rain? Do we really trust what the seller says or care? I mean these are cars ( and 15+ year old ones at that) who cares.
What is your overall review? Would you get another?
Idk, I liked my S but I really expected to love it more. It got boring quickly and sounded like an exotic vacuum lol. Yours being a cab I’m sure added a bit of fun though.
Not Jim, but I will throw in my 2 cents regarding the 992 C4S Cab 7MT that I recently returned. Basically, I am glad to have experienced it, but I don’t really miss it.
It was nice, but not all that. Can’t quite put my finger on it. It did feel kind of big and heavy too, even though it is really neither in the grand scheme of cars.
My favorite sports car that I have owned so far remains my 987 Spyder. If only it were a bit more practical, I probably would have kept it forever.
Coupe, PDK & RWD but our reviews are identical. Excellent car overall, love the body lines. I don’t want to trash talk it but… “I don’t really miss it”. That is a great way of putting it ha.
For comparable cars of its era, true. For previous generations of 911, it’s yuuge.
Reality is most buyers don’t care. They want the badge, and they want to be comfortable driving it. Which is what Porsche is providing. Give the customers what they want right?
I try not to be an insufferable fanboi who scoffs at the uneducated plebeians who simply don’t understand the very essence of what Ferdinand Porsche envisioned and all that other bullshit. I just prefer the smaller, older eras, even if they come with a host of issues newer ones don’t have.
I’ve had a lot of 911s starting in 1998.
996 coupes and cabs (1 Turbo)
997.1 coupes and cabs (some S)
997.2 coupes
991.1 coupe
Skipped 991.2 and 992.1
992.2 coupe
I understand why some people prefer the 997 models but I think the newer, larger ones have their merits as well. Better tech, better transmission, more power. No doubt 911s are the best all around sports cars. But there are so many of them around.
Same i wanted to really love it, and i did, but i don’t think i need a fancy car anymore. If I had a commute for work I would def get something fun again, but I’m just more comfortable driving an suv the few times a week I actually drive. We rarely used the 911 as a family bc we can’t fit anything in it. I put 3500 miles of the 15k I was allowed. I pictured myself taking some more solo cruises but one did Key West once.
I’m glad I got it out of my system and only cost me like 14k to do it for the year. I’ve always wanted a 911 but I no longer feel the need to own a car. I don’t have a driveway, I park in a garage so that’s another factor for my car ownership.
