Curious on your comments and choice.... if were going to purchase a sports car in the 50-55K range used this week what would you choose.
(if you have a choice but its a 100K buy in now, still like to hear it...thanks)

Criteria in order or importance...

1. Will be worth near or possibly what you paid for the car in 10+years assuming ones puts on light miles and maintains the car....this is the biggest question regards to this poll....value retention while putting on light miles eash year.

2. Looks great, very fast......you will like to drive!

3. Not a nightmare to own.....

My choice in a 96ish 993TT but curious to hear from others.....there pick and why the 993TT is NOT the right call?

Thanks

-please no comments on "buy a car cause you like it and who cares about resale" or "all cars depreciate"... I get it. Try not to over analyze the question... thanks on advance for your comments....

 

I love my 993......for 50k i'd buy a 993 & a 70's 911 because i have a car problem (plus i really miss my '71) .......but the 993tt is sweet

not sure on retaining value after 10 years unless you buy a 993tt S, but then we're in the 100k range before we start

 

993 is a very nice car. I was thinking about same thing when I was shopping but still used 997.1 has much more practical value to offer than older 993 car.

It is a serious investment and quite serious money to support it I think. It hardly will be a daily beater or a racing horse.

 

I would love to have a 993TT, last of the aircooled Turbo cars. They are fast, and can be tuned to get more HP, however they will cost more to maintain then a 997. I almost bought one 2 1/2 years ago and the price was between $50-60k, so it seems as if they haven't depreciated that much.

Go for it, it is destined to be a sought after classic.

 

The 993 Turbo is an amazing car. I had one in 1998 , bought it used (car was a 96) and had to pay over MSRP for the car . It was the last air cooled 911 and in its time it blew away almost every other car in its price range.

It is fast but the Hp ratings are actually close to todays 997S and with its weight and Turbo lag it's more of a collectors car. The air cooled sound , quirky offset pedals, thev 1960's style interior -- all this and more have so many trademarks of Porsche.

In current times it is dated though and with its price being somewhat close to a used 997tt it's a no brainer to get the 997 Turbo. Plus with the modding potential of the current 997tt I feel it's above all the best Porsche I have ever owned.

But if I had to go back in time and choose which of my former cars left a great impression .. the 993 Turbo would be the one.

 

I've used my 993 as a DD for a while and could easily live with it in the climate I live in. For $60K, a 993TT would be a top choice for me if this were a weekend car. It's going to hold it value well down the road, I believe, if maintained well. I would have gotten one instead of my 997.1, but I could not justify keeping two 993's. Note I said $60K, as I have driven quite a few of them but nothing in the $50K range indicates to me that maintenence will be within "reasonable budget".

The 993TT has addictive power, is tunable from mild to RUF (for around $30K, plus body kit). Stretch a little, take your time to find the right one, and it'd keep you smiling. The 993's are less adept at long trips than the 997's though, if that matters to you. I could live without the technology in the 997, but I can't live (or my wife says so) without the comfort of the 997.

Happy hunting!

 

to fit into your criterias, 993TT, followed by 996GT3, then 997S.

 

Thanks for the replies.... please keep them comming. I am a bit surprised though based on the criteria that people would recomend a 997 or 997TT as the better value holding car? 07 TT now can be had for 80-85K..... easily will be bought for 50+K in 5-7+ years.... thats a serious drop. 993tt bought for 55K I don't think will be selling for 35K, at least I dont think in 5-7 yrs... again trying to find that car that I won't take a bath on, be able to enjoy and may actually end up with a higher valued car in XX years... assuming well kept and light mileage used...

OK I am looking for another fun car for myself, I know I don't need it but want it....not selling my 997 but simply to have as a second fun car....... someething I could possibly keep for a long time....

 

55K will not buy a low mile 993tt . To find one may run abut 75K . 85K will buy a 997tt.

The 997tt will have -
1) more power
2) more comfort and technology
3) better handling
4) warranty coverage /even CPO
5) Improved safety features

When you go to sell either .. the miles, warranty. and condition will be a factor. I am not sure if you will retain most of the 75K on a 993tt even if you keep it low mile. As these Turbo cars evolve and now with PDK being the perfect mate for the Turbo as it retains boost on shifts -- the 993tt will become even more of a collectors car.

It really boils down to where your heart lies with these cars. I have had both . I love both --for different reasons . In fact .. I think most guys who buy the 997tt could have saved the money and bought a 993tt . Many have even owned a 993 tt as i did. It's not an easy choice -- both cars are that good.

 

993TT with 50K miles (OK not low low but low for a 97 car....) can be bought for 50-55K with documentation and fine condition. One on the block just went on rennlist recently...Yes under 15-20K miles these cars are in the 75K as you mentioned.

Regards to your comments below on a 997TT your a 1000% correct on all points about the 997TT overall being the superior car on all those levels. Just not sure on the long term value point...

thanks again for the comments all...

 

I am qualified to answer this question. I started with a 993TT, Owned it for 1.5 years.
Got a 996 GT3, then a 997 GT3 now the 997 C2S PDK.
I would go fer a 993TT if
A. you want to do months of research
B. You are very mechanically inclined
C. Its not going to be your DD.
You COULD use it for a Daily but I would love the thing so much I wouldnt do it.
I tracked mine and was doing so many mods that the GT3 was really the car for me.
The C2S PDK is the best car in the group I owned. But the TT was fun and it looks nice.
The interior is a bit dated looking now but if you add CF pieces you can really freshen the look. There are a couple things you are going to need to take care of above and beyond the PPI. First if its on the original suspension only the springs are going to good. Look for a TT that has the PSS9s or PSS10 package and MAKE SURE the drop links were changed. The PSS9s will put pressure on the drop links and they will fail, probably on the first day at the track. So look for a PSS9/10 car. Its better with GT3 sway bars.

Second if the turbos are original they are going to fail. 700 and up for rebuild from Kevin the Turbo expert. You can find him on RL.

Look for door failure on the drivers side hinge or extension. I fixed that on mine because I can weld.

The seats fail on up and back. But if the one you find is busted sit in the seat and rock
like a cowboy on a bucking bronco and it will reattach.

The steering racks fail, and is probably leaking, 2nd gear on 96's pop out
every once in awhile

I had my heart set on the 993TT from 1995 when I saw one at the LA Auto show.

Right now I think the search would be hard for me given I know what to look for. I would have to get a perfect one. The new PDK C2S is SO good I would have a hard time giving that up (even for a GT3).

THis is what I would do. The search for a Cherry 996 TT would be much easier because Porsche made alot more 996s and they are in the 50 and below range.
Thats the bargain of the century. I think around 2,000 993s came into the NA market
with 1300 96s and ~700 97's. There are 182 993 TT S's sold as 98 models. But they are 20-60K more than a non S.
They made more 2001 TTs than the whole entire 993TT run.
Not much difference in the 996 TTs but the water cooled heads. Even now a 911 carries 9 qts of oil. I saw a race at Lime Rock where a 997 GT3 had one front radiator pierced in a "racing " incident. 15 laps later the car finished the race with no coolant. They are still "air" cooled, somewhat.
993 TT is a great car to search for and have fun what ever you do.

 

993 was top of the hill until 997 comes.

Collector/vintage ? 993.

Overall value/fun ? 997.

Investment ? Don't buy a car.

 

Jon said:
The 996 is the bargain of the century and they can be modded to a bazillion HP!!!

 

i admit: i'm biaised against the 996 (like i am against the 964..)

i believe one can buy a '05-07 997s and be pretty confident about having a lot of fun AND keeping a decent value over the years. I just bought a high mileage but well-kept and CPO '05 for 37k and i'm pretty sure it won't cost me much regarding devaluation over the years...

Actually, the only thing that might affect the value of 997 is the fact that is the most produced 911 ever. So the market may be flooded. But is the model is good enough to attract even more Porsche enthousiats over the years so the market won't collapse? I believe so.

 

Funny you brought this up Jon because for some reason I just looked at the Dupont prices for 09 C2S with PDK and some guys are asking way over MSRP. Dont know why but they
seem to have held their worth pretty well.