Hello friends. I am currently without a performance car and seriously looking at getting into a 997. I have now had a chance to drive a few and I have been smitten.

I would however like to get opinions on what cars 997.1 owners eventually move on to, if they ever do?

I ask becuase I'm coming from an M3 and the 997 is my halo car and I plan to keep it...but when I bought my M3 I thought it was my halo car and I planned to keep it as well.

So do they keep them? Move onto "S" versions? Get the new 911 when it comes along. Do they move to another brand?

I apologize for the dozen questions in one. Any insight is appreciated.

 

i loved my 997.1 so much a 997.2 was the only choice, no other car gave me such a personal feeling... like i was one with the car and had a great connection to it.. the only other car that has made me think was a gallardo ... but you dont have that 1 on 1 feeling with a gallardo.. m3 to 911 seems like a very common transition..

side note, the S version didnt seem like much more car to me for the money, if you love the added features.. get it, but to me i loved the volcano grey trim in the base and hated the chromey finish of the trim on the S.. the pasm/big red's and small amt of horsepower were "meh" as well... the 997.2 is a much better car than my 997.1 all of the "downsides" of the 997.1 were fixed to my liking.. my biggest fault with the 997.1 was the front feeling flighty at times.. the 997.2 doesnt feel flighty

 

CJF: I think you're on the right track; I came from a 2003 M3 to a 2006 C2S and now a proud owner of a 2007 997TT. No regrets; just pure joy whenever I get into the drivers seat. I loved my M3 as well as my C2S and will never forget them.

 

My impression has always been that if a 911 is your thing than nothing else will do. Many of the people on this forum have had these cars for many generations. I'm new to the game but have always admired them.

 

I moved on from my first 997.1 S launch car 05 --to buying multiple cars. One Porsche was simply not enough .. even two isn't really enough but I can't afford more .

I also have an M3 --it's my "halo" daily driver .

 

If you're half as warped as I, you may experience the following:

https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...3-997-2-a.html

Obviously this depends on one's personality & financial means.

As for your situation, I think you should consider a 997.2S Brand new ('09s) are going for $15K - $20K off MSRP. Used ('09s) can be found for low $70's.

Good luck and have fun!

 

You don't say what type of M3. E46, E92?

I ordered an E90 M3 back in 2008, cancelled the order and bought a 997.1 C2 in late-2008 then traded that for a 997.2 C2S in mid-2009. I traded it to get an S and the updates in a .2.

Now I see E9x M3's everywhere. Maybe BMW decided to start doing decent deals but every time I see one now I'm reminded of the good decision to buy a 997 instead.

Unless $'s are tight I'd go straight to a 997.2 in your position. Seriously, low $70's is so so cheap for what you're getting. You can keep it for years and you won't regret it.

 

I hope to move into a 7.1 or 7.2 gt3 when the time is right for me.

 

I went from a Gallardo to an 997 C2S after driving a friend's C2. I don't miss the Gallardo - although I also bought an LP640 a few months later for the sound and look mostly.

I'd move to a 997 Turbo PDK - drove one the other day and it blew my mind.

 

the M3 i sold was an e46, 2005.

the $$$ thing is a good point. for now, i am comfortable spending 997.1 C2 money. i could afford a more expensive p-car, but right now i feel like a 997.1 C2 is the best value and presents some sort of point of diminishing returns. i'd like to think i could be happy with that.

i guess what i am trying to assertain, i know only i can do this, is whether i'd be able to stay in this car for at least 5 years. many (most or all) of you sticking with a p-car or even adding to the p-car stable makes me think i could easily stay in it for that long.

 

I'd say look at your entire car buying history. I think it's more likely you'll follow your past habits until you commit to a change.

Some of my car buddies (actually just one of many) has kept his 996 for I think 20 years now (so it seems ) Most of my buddies keep their P-cars for months to up to 1-2 years. I think I need to hang around a different crowd...

I think some good advice is whatever you do, remember that it counts the most on what you buy the car for, not what you sell it for. What I mean by this is that the selling price of a car is generally fixed by the broad market -- it's fairly easy to sell at market rate (with some exceptions of course). You pay 1 price to buy, and have many prices to sell. Buy smart.

 

These cars are singularly unique and you either love 'em of you don't. In my opinion if you've never owned one there is no way to determine whether you'll stay with a 911 or not. It's not like any other car you have owned period and definitely has nothing in common with a BMW. They are different cars, one's not better or worse than the other, they are just different. Buying one and driving it in all types of conditions is the only way you'll ever be able determine whether you like them or not. As for the price, don't buy a Porsche and worry about the cost or you won't enjoy owning it. Nothing about them is cheap and nothing about owning one has anything to do with value for your money. They are a terrible investment but what a blast to drive and enjoy on a winding country road. Buy if that reason and you won't want to drive anything else.

 

As my current 997 is a Cab, I plan on keeping her as the "weekend fun car" when it's time to look for the next toy (four post lift solves the garage problem). As for the next toy, I'm looking at something a little more aggressive to compliment the Cab. My top three choices at this time are (lightly used; under 10,000 miles; one owner; CPO preferred):

997TT
997GT3
Gallardo

So I guess I won't be moving to another car from my current 997 but rather adding/complimenting the current 997.

 

+1 on the 997 GT3

I bought a 2008 C2S, and then started to mod it slowly. Then the project got out of hand and got huge! I really am happy with the results, but if I was to do it again I would go for a 997 GT3. It is a much more exclusive car with natural talent for the track.

 

I have a 997 and a Murci, and I would say that a Porsche is like a starter exotic: You get the looks and thumbs up, but it may as well be a Camry compared to the Lambo. Granted, that is ONLY from the perspective of attention.
Now as far as enjoyment, driving the 997 is more fulfilling than the Murci. It is a world class vehicle and does hold it's own. It is more responsive, and one will feel more in tune with the machine than the Lambo. It is positively more of a driver's car than the Lambo.
So, to answer the question, I feel that one need not move up from the Porsche. The Porsche is far superior to the M3 and you would likely only need to move up if you crave the attention of a higher line exotic.