$50-60K

Thanks,
Jim

 

Great advice and couldn't agree more.

I bought my car from a private party. Great guy, easy to work with, we both agreed on a great price, and he was a true car lover. Car was in absolutely perfect condition and you could tell he took really good care of it. The price he started at was already lower than any dealer that I looked at and than he was even willing to come down a bit more.

 

I also agree . One of the cars I posted (the C2) had stated in the ad that the owner was 74 and his reason for selling was that he was having trouble shifting . I like the idea of buying a used car from a senior who might nick a curb but drove the car maturely .

I understand that there are 70+ year olds on the track but most of the retired older Porsche street drivers pamper the car .

In fact one forum member bought a 3 year old car with only 2K miles as the owner was a Florida snow bird .

 

I was a about two hours from home today, and stopped at a dealership that sells high end, well maintained sports cars. They had a 2006 Carrera 2 in stock that was a very nice car. It has 23k miles on it.

It was in near showroom condition, inside and out, and a completely clean carfax that even showed that its 20k service was completed at a Porsche dealership.

Options include power seats, leather seats, Xenons, Bose stereo, sunroof and Sport Chrono.

Thats essentially everything I would want except PASM. I've been told by quite a few members of the Porsche club here that they feel it's an important option to have. I would appreciate your thoughts. I can get this car for $45k, and it still is under warranty until December, which would be the time I shut it down and locked it in the garage anyway due to winter. That would allow me to put off the purchase of an extended warranty until next spring, which would be a big financial benefit.

While I really, really would love to own a 2s, those all seem to start at $48K, which would really be pushing it financially, for me. I've driven one, and think I could live without the extra power, but wonder how big the dropoff in brakes is between that and the Carrera 2. I thought the brakes on the 2s were great!

Thanks for any thoughts you can offer on this.


John

 

If you know you WANT C2S and you want to buy from a dealer - buy C2S only. 45K vs 48K is nothing. But I think most 06 C2S will be $53K+. 07 C2S - $58K+.

Regular C2 with some options but no PASM - it is essentially what I decided to get and have no remorse whatsoever. It is a great car and you can mod it in same way as you would do C2S but be aware that it is much more difficult to sell C2 than C2S. So it works for you too - do not buy C2 car from a dealer, search for one on private party and get it for something very close to KBB price which is for 2006 C2 car somewhere around $38K.
I do not believe it makes sense to pay dealer price for C2. It should be a bargain buy if you can find one (as I found one). If it is not a bargain (and buying used car from dealer is never a bargain) - I think it would make sense to pay more but for more marketable car. You`ll dump a lot of money later on into it anyway, I would not be overly concerned about less than $5K diff.
In my case then only 'good' option for C2S was $14K pricier than my C2, so, it was a no-brainer for me.

 

FYI...a guy on RL is selling a mint 07 C2S with 3000 miles(yes!). Nice car!!!

 

Slashdot -

Not sure of all the options on this one but it looks like a very good deal.

http://www.cars4philly.com/detail.as...=911%20Carrera

 

Thanks very much for looking, and sending the link. I greatly appreciate the help. I had been looking at that one too. However, ongoing discussions and my experiences looking at non-S cars yesterday have convinced me that I really won't ever be as happy with a non-S. With the possible exception of finding a Carrera 2 with both PASM, Chrono and the upgraded S brakes, which, as an option, is as rare as a needle in a haystack. I have found cars with PASM and Chrono, but having driven the S, its the brakes that I would regret not having far more than the added power, since this will be a daily driver, and rarely be tracked (maybe once or twice a year for drivers skill improvement days).


John

 

Ok, a bit off topic
I don't know about the dealerships, but was just lurking on Craigslist after reading this post -
The Good (For those of us already having a Porsche)
Prices on used P-cars (and cars in general) have seem to rebounded from 6+ months ago. Seeing '06 997 C2S in the $60k range.
The Bad (for you and others looking to buy)
Prices on used P-cars (and cars in general) have seem to rebounded from 6+ months ago (had seen the same cars for $10k less beginning of the year)

My point - You are buying a commodity item in a Porsche, unlike most other high-line cars out there. Try selling an M6 (I have one an '07.. luckily lease) that dropped about 60% in less than 2 years, MSRP $114k. Seem to be fetching about ~$55k (lease buyout in April 2010 is $79k )
It's like buying a Civic or a Corolla that you can always turn around and sell for about 30% less 2 years later. Believe me, I've done it many times on Autotrader or Craigslist. IMO the Porsches seem to be on track with those in terms of value / commodity, which is great for ~$100k+ MSRP cars. You will get a reasonable value back for it when you sell.
I know we are all on various budgets, but we all end up paying what the market value is, give or take 5-10%. I would run like a bat out of heck if I found a Porsche for too much less than that at this point.

 

1) You are spot on with used pricing and my guess is it's going to up even more . The Cash for Clunkers program created a price bubble on all the lesser cars (Honda , Ford , acura , etc) making them cost more and sending shoppers into the used high end .

2) Resale on the 997S is particularly strong. The Turbo is a bit weaker but even that will climb . In fact new 997S Vs used 997TT is a tough choice . That;'s why I have both.

3) The new 997S cars are the current bargain but it can not sustain itself . It's end of the month (August) and less 09's have the desirable options . The deals are still out there but its getting harder and this is the time to buy .

4) The 997S is holding that 45K closing price range on an 05 S with no warranty like a magnet . The 06 cars with low miles will NOT break 50K unless the car has issues and CPO cars are even higher . The botttom is VERY strong .

The person on a 45K budget at this time IMO ought to consider the Cayman s . Even those cars are holding strong and 8 months ago they were much less .

 

It is still escapes me why you suggest no one can find 06 CPO C2 for around of $40K. There are some on private party side and those cars are always negotiable.

As most folks go exclusively into C2S and inflate that market due to love to nice red calipers - getting CPO C2 for around of $40K gives plenty of budget left to put Brembo`s on, new exhaust, sport springs, ECU flash and you essentially get better car than C2S stock one for less amount of money.

 

Prices of used Porsches will always be all over the place. It is always what a seller is willing to sell for and what a buyer is willing to buy for. There are some very good deals that come and go and you have to be ready to jump in when you see it.

On the bigger picture there is a very good chance for inflation which will drive prices of everything higher including used Porsches.

 

My original quote -4) The 997S is holding that 45K closing price

I had not said a C2 but I do not think you will get an 06 for 40 grand unless it either has issues . high miles 30K + , or both .

The cars I am discussing are the newer mileage CPO well maintained cars with no stories . Formerly crashed cars , high mile cars with replaced engines , "needs work" descriptions -- all can be had for much less .

 

+1. I think that the $40K C2 is an outstanding opportunity. Having now owned a PASM car, I don't think there's any advantage to the option. Perhaps I'd have a different perspective if I tracked the car often. But the big drawback with PASM is that it limits the compatible upgrade of suspension components to one product (Damptronics). Since the stock suspension, for fun street use or any reasonable track use is not that capable, coilover and roll bar upgrades are usually at the top of everyone's list. And if you're going to upgrade, why not have a greater variety from which to choose? Unless the remaining virtue (throttle remap) is viewed as vital. Which I question.
Similarly the brakes. On spec and in very aggressive driving, the S brakes are superior. But with a set of SS brake lines and good pads on the C2, I question whether anyone driving blindfolded could tell the difference (please don't try this at home gang).
Finally, there's no denying the 30 or so HP. Important if it's important to you. I know it was one of the primary reasons for my choice.
The C2 is an absolutely great car. The S is a bit better still. And you pay for that difference. So again, this would seem to come down to the psychic issues. If one buys a C2 and immediately and constantly wishes for the S, then it was a mistake. If one can buy and keep a big grin on ones face, it's money saved. Or saved for some great mods.

 

Guys -

First - No one is going to find the $40K "s" model 2006+

Second - A search of the entire country came back with FOUR cars http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search...=1251262446944

40,000 miles or more , indy dealership cars are even scarce . I even placed a price limit of $43K factoring in a discount.