I am moving back to the US next year and I am going to trade in my existing (still in the US) 996 Turbo for a 997 C2 S. I was going to go Turbo again but they seem to be holding their value pretty well so I think the S will have to be an in between car.

The only thing is that 3 years out of the country has left me out of the loop as to the model changes per year. Are there any major benefits between 2007, 2008, and 2009?

Thanks in advance!

 

2009 is a 997.2 with the DFI engine, with a bunch of options like PDK, LSD, and GT2 Seats

 

Thanks. So as long as I don't end up 2009 there is no major difference? An extra 25hp isn't going to blow my socks off compared to my current car so I may just opt for a more reasonable price and upgrade to a 997 Turbo in two years. Also, I only buy manual cars so PDK is out.

 

I'd keep your car for those couple of years and then get the newer Turbo. If this is the ultimate goal, it's the most sensible solution, imho.

 

No warranty is the issue there. Car is ten years old and I also need new rubber/brakes all around.

 

Many of the 997.1's are off warranty, however you can find them with CPO.

They have been pretty reliable to date though

 

Your car is most likely paid off, isn't it? I guess one would have to factor the price of new tires, brakes and unexpected repairs (I'm not up-to-date with what can go wrong with a 996 turbo) versus probably making payments on a newer car plus a steeper depreciation curve - perhaps? Are you paying the difference in cash or financing? I wouldn't be afraid of running a 10 year old 996 turbo out of warranty if I have owned the car for a long time so as to know how has it been maintained. At least that's me but everyone needs to assess their own situation, from as many angles as possible, in order to make a decision.

 

Exactly.

 

Well, I understand where you are coming from but here are my issues. The car needs about 2k in maintenance work. It is on the original clutch at 40k miles. It has only been driven about 500 miles in the last 3 years. The diverter valves will probably need to be replaced soon. The stereo is making a whining noise from the engine that nobody has been able to fix which is REALLY annoying. It will still depreciate like new car will but potentially not as much.

The new car would have to be certified or have an extended warranty or else it's a no go.

The leather on the seats is starting to go. I know it's minor but it bugs me.

I can pay cash but it depends on what the interest rates look like for the used car. If I can get it below 4% I would consider a loan just to not have to transfer my money from the GBP at the current rate.

When I had the second gear pop out issue three years ago and the car was still under CPO the bill had a number in the thousands to repair it. The high cost of repairs is what scares me the most.

I like the updated interior of the 997. After spending 3 years with brand new cars in Europe it feels old and dated when I get back in my 996.

I have never been a huge fan of the looks of the 996 (the Turbo is OK but not great) whereas I am a HUGE fan of the 993/997 body style.

So I am more curious as to the differences between the 2006/07/08 997.1 cars as there are major price differences involved so if there are no major changes I would look at an 06 with low miles and a warranty.

 

The differences in 06-08 997.1's is minimal, some options became standard (TPMS is standard in 07 and newer), and some colours were discontinued/added. Other then that they are the same cars.

I know what you mean about the warranty, I bought an extended warranty just before my factory one expired, the piece of mind is important to me.

 

They dont sell Porsches in Switzerland?

 

I realize you're set on a 997, but I'm curious as to the answers to my questions below if you wouldn't mind...

And why does that matter? If driven properly, you can get over 100k miles out of a clutch.

Now that would make me nervous. The less they're driven, the worse the reliability. Sounds like a recipe for a seal going somewhere.

Why do diverter valves need replacement at that age/mileage?

Whining noises tied to engine RPM are due to a bad ground. I'm surprised nobody has been able to identify/fix that.

Good luck with your 997 search!

 

+1 -- Except for one thing .. he doesn't want PDK and with the Turbo it's a must have option. PDK mated to the Turbos maintain boost in upshifts with such precision and hp efficiency .

 

Yes.

I know others differ on this, but last year at this time we went out to buy a 2007 and the examples we drove fell below the temptation level. Ditto the 2008 I tried. I was ready to go look at Mercedes and Astons until they offered me a 2009 to drive.

Some of the difference is just matters of taste. I like the interior much better than earlier years and the exterior certainly. It is my impression that some changes took place even among the 997 years. Even the little changes like the LED lights are noticeable improvements though they alone wouldn't sell me the 2009 over the earlier years. But the driveline... that is a major step upward.

I don't remember the horsepower change, maybe 40 hp, but the difference in effective driveability is enormous. Far beyond the numbers. The mid-range response of the DFI engine made me feel like I'd just stepped from a Lotus to a Corvette when I went from a 2008 to a 2009. The entire personality changes.

Again, opinions may vary, especially among people who have stuck with their earlier 997's, but this was our first-time Porsche and we found the differences worth sticking with our original plan to buy a Porsche versus going down the street to Mercedes (or one of the others). As a measure of the difference, we paid $27,000 more than we had planned. The difference is that great. Not that we couldn't afford it either way, but we are not impulse buyers in the least.

This may or may not affect your thinking, but we also found the standard PASM on the 2009 to be a significant factor. The suspension of the non-PASM models was too stiff on city streets and not all you could ask for in handling situations. The PASM gave us a comfortable ride on those same streets and then tightened up automatically for short spurts of my demanding brisk cornering. When I shifted to sport mode, the PASM gave more responsive handling than the stock handling of the non-PASM models.

I would have to check on-line sources to be sure, but you may also find that the performance of the 997.2 C2S matches the 996 TT. I seem to remember noticing that myself when we were doing all this analysis a year ago. And if the outright performance in tests is about equal, I suspect the normally aspirated dot two will deliver more sense of performance than does the TT.

For what it's worth, as far as financing goes, we got 4.1% from USAA on a six-month-old 2009. Obviously, this bit of information is the most variable among buyers and lenders, but as I say, for what it's worth.

Gary

 

Thanks for the info! A lot of good stuff in there and you may have convinced me to stay out of the 997's for a couple years and wait for the 997.2 models to fall into a range where I am happy. I didn't realize the chassis was different and I will now have to test both to see if I can sense a difference.

The 996TT is in no way comparable specs wise to the 997 C2 S. 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and 198mph top end make it a monster when you hit the pedal from a standstill but especially on the highway. It's just scary.

It is also 4WD.