Huh? Whether you sell it or not has no impact on the VALUE of the car...you've already taken the depreciation hit regardless if it's realized or not. Also, you take a hit on the C4S and buy someone's TT that they are taking a hit on. It's the price delta between the two that you need to focus on.

 

470hp? Good luck with that. If you get a number that high, don't expect it to take long to grenade the motor. And don't cry to PCNA, your warranty will be history.

I'd do the TT swap over what you're planning to do.

 

Of course the depreciation affects the value of the car. These cars experience accelerated depreciation and begin to level off after about 4 years. Dumping the car in the first two years of sale would be much more expensive than were he to hold it and extract more value out of the car.

 

So, swapping into a more expensive car that's 2 years older (from your example above) is not a good idea? How does that jive with saying that "depreciation begins to level off after about 4 years", since the TT is closer to the period where depreciation slows?

Your argument only makes sense if you weren't putting the money into another depreciating asset.

 

well, the consensus seems to be in favor of the tt.

my experience: i got a test drive from a x51 c4s. the dealer was a nut and floored it. needless to say i was a littlle scared. i asked him a critical question after the test drive: whats the turbo compared to the c4s? His answer, "Day and Night!" So cringing at my pocketbook, i took the test drive. I was SCARED, but i really loved it.

over a year and 1/2 later i do not regret anything. no power mods done at all and i love the car more and more. I know my personality, I want performance and security. I bought a 2001 TT (early model) with a certified warranty for 4 years at the time. I have no worries with costly repairs. And i don't further depreciate my car or dramatically reduce the potential buyer pool by modding it. as always my .02c. good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

Gentlemen, I may have misled some of you, or you didn't read my signature......I only recently bought this '03 C4S, for 65k...with about 6500miles on it.....so, I'd think the hit wouldn't have been too drastic had I gone to a used TT.

 

Changes everything. You bought well. Good luck.

 

65k great price, makes me cringe when I think of how much my C2 is worth and how much I paid and put into it...

 

I found the 65k '03 C4S on EBay. The listing dealer was Hunting Ridge Motors (on the Greenwich, Conn--PortChester, NY border). I had a friend of mine, who owns a high end used car lot, call them and negotiate. They haggled for 3 days, and finally got the price right. I gave my friend $500 for his efforts. The selling dealer really knows their cars...very particular about what they'll buy...they build racecars, and just got the Lotus franchise in their area. The car was exactly as described.

An identically equipped, same MY car was for sale at the local P dealer here, for 72k, and they wouldn't budge....said they were in the car too deep (I hate that phrase--they all just manipulate the numbers to make it look like they bought high). By the time my wife & I made the trip to NYC, stayed at a hotel for a few days, saw a couple of B'way shows, ate great meals, and visited family, the savings had diminished, but we had a great vacation, an adventurous trip home, and still saved a few bucks.

If anyone's looking, I'd highly recommend my friend Sean Petty @ Music City Motorsports in Nashville....he knows his Porshes, as he was the top P salesperson here for years before he started his own business. There are a lot of deals out there, nationally, & for a very reasonable fee, he can find them, and save you a bundle.

It's quite amazing what some people on this and other forums think, and have been advised, that their cars are worth. The real numbers are shockingly lower....that's why I'd never buy new!!

 

A C4S is a sweet ride, you won't be unhappy, esp if you ever turn it loose at the track!