My biggest issue with the C2 is that I feel it should not even exist . Back in the old Porsche 911 days only one normally aspirated engine was offered and Porsche offered the best car they could build . Then sales and marketing saw how well the Boxter and Boxter S were doing and with the 997 launch two cars were offered (base and S ) .

In my opinion the S should have been the ONLY car and the price should have not been increased . In fact when one looks at the massive inventory languishing on dealership lots those price increases , those options additions all reveal themselves the most in a down economy.

A 997S today can cost more than a 993 Turbo , as much as a 996 Turbo, and almost as much as a 997 Turbo did two years ago (with minimal options).

Had the new 997S cost 85 -85 K and no base coupe existed .. those cars would be sold . Just my $.02.

 

Well back in the really old days there was a 911T, 911E, and 911S. Different states of trim/tune/HP across the board and in either coupe or Targa. When I hear cheap and reliable I think of Toyota or Honda, not Porsche. Porsches are expensive to maintain out of warranty, and while they can serve as a daily driver, the cost per mile do to so is far in excess of other cars. Modern Porsches are far more reliable than they were 30-40 years ago, but modern buyers seem to have a far lower tolerance for problems than their forebears if internet forums are any barometer.

 

Dude the 997.2 is completely different from 997.1... You have 20 HP more than the 997.1 Carrera which almost puts you up with the 997.1 Carrera S. Plus you have DFI

 

Here's a dime...give me 5

 

I guess I don't count as a non-"S" happy camper 'cause I have an '09 (still happy though) ...

That's a tough comparison. Between those cars, what jumps out is that one is 3 times as used as the other. It is not really "is a "S" worth $14K, but is an "S"+26000 miles worth $14K? Or can you spare an extra $14K in the 1st place.

 

It may be that the 42K miles are mostly highway driving versus city driving. This would indicate less wear and tear on the clutch , breaks , etc. The engine internals should therefore be clean. Since you indicated that your Porsche will not be used as a daily driver, your accumulated miles per year will be low so I personally would not worry about the mileage of 42K.. Also a CPO warranty for two years will go by very fast considering the low mileage to be driven.. At 42K miles , I would think that any problems would already have been taken care of.. Gee, I would hope that Porsche engines can last to 100K + . $14,000 can be used for so many other things.

 

I would buy the best equipped lowest milage (CPO'd if possible) car that you can afford. These cars can be expensive to fix, but so far I have found that this car is cheap to maintain.

The cost to maintain my Touareg is higher then that of my 997. So far Service and Brakes are cheaper OEM to OEM for my 997 over my Touareg.

 

first and foremost, get a solid deal on a well maintainted car. the "base" carrera is a very nice, very exciting car.

if you track the car, you notice the difference between the base and the S but you can still have a absolute blast in the base car.

there IS an upgrade in performance in the S but if you don't think you need it don't get it. simple. you'll love the Carerra, i guarantee it. do'nt be fooled though by those who say there is no difference. there is.

in my opinion, the S is the sweet spot for the carerra, but that's my opinion and that's why i bought one.

as for the mileage, etc. there are a lot of cars available and time is on your side...

 

[quote=brendo;2460360]

in my opinion, the S is the sweet spot for the carerra, quote]


I think the 997 model line has many sweet spots . In fact I think to experience it fully it really takes more than one Porsche 911 . I've tried to sort out the top 3 and then I find myself adding three more .

To have 1) all all mighty powerhouse , 2) the track star . 3) The power hit track star 4) The basic street , 5) a sunny delight . The snow sled -these are my picks --

1) 997 Turbo
2) Gt3
3) Gt2
4) 997S
5) 997S Cab
6) C4S

Imagine a garage filled with thse six cars . One for each 911 Porsche mood . I sometimes wonder how the guys in a dealership face driving all thse great cars and still call it "work".

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a non-S. Great car. However (and I speak from personal experience) after a short while every time you see an S go by you'll wonder what if.

Then you'll wish you'd bought one. It's entirely subjective. Facts do not support it and you cannot rationalise it. Just the way it is.

 

Why do you need a C4S to drive through the snow in Miami?

 

I see.
Well, if all major diffs between C2 and C2S come to 'what if' - I can deal with that just fine. if I would have $100K cash to spend on my toy i would get a brand new one but it happens so I have only $45K at the moment so getting good C2 for $40 instead of not getting C2S for $54K seems like a good compromise for my current situation I guess.

 

Sounds like your mind is made up, I like your logic of getting one versus not getting one.

when you get the car, I am sure that you will enjoy it, there is something magical about a Porsche 911!

 

pretty much so...
the one and only alternative I see on market is this car.

http://burlington.porschedealer.com/...48490/info.php

i drove it and it is beautiful. but dealer does not want to reduce the price.
what would you assess it for? $50K? $48k?

 

"My" value on the car is $46k - $48k (and yes, I see that the car is a CPO vehicle).