I'm a senior citizen, have owned a 911 back in 1987. My "bucket list" checkbox needs a high quality sports car, manual transmission. I'm considering Porsche and Ferrari, but the budget limits me to $50-100K. I confess up front that I'm a "Ferrari guy", with three vowels in my name can you blame me? I also realize that upkeep on either marque will be significant, but I have budgeted for that as well.

The only requirements are manual transmission and a coupe. I would like a car that i could drive across country without problems and in comfort, but still providing a sporting ride. A daily driver would be ideal. At my age there isn't a lot of time to worry about resale. I was treated to a ride in a 2011 GT3 yesterday and I must admit that it was among the top cars I've ever experienced. But it's no longer made and I'm a bit concerned that over the coming five years (my intended ownership period) aging bones may find the ride a bit less fun than today. My wife has arthritis and getting into some cars is a challenge.

I've had lots of time in Cayman's and as much as I enjoy the car, it's a bit "busy" to me. Lots of vertical motion, relatively loud inside the car. Gets a bit old. And as much as I hate to admit it I had a similar feeling in the Ferrari F430.

The new 911 is coming soon, but I've always been reluctant to buy a first year model car.

All opinions welcome - thank you in advance.

 

there are about 100 different versions of the car. (slight exaggeration) I think Porsche has introduced two since I bought mine less than a year ago. I will vouch for the C4S, but others will chime in with comments about theirs.

I can't imagine that any of them are boring to drive!

 

Sounds like the new 911 might be just right for you. In your price range, you should be able to get a new base model, or you could stretch a little to get an S. Either should be plenty fast for you, and both should be more comfy and quiet than a Cayman.

 

I also agree that a 911 is a good condidate for you. They are very comfortable, and sporty with the push of a PASM button. Your budget takes you through the entire model year range of the 997's, as well as a base 991. Try a bunch out, with your wife in tow (nothing worse then taking home the new car and her not liking it).

Enjoy the test driving!

 

I don't see how you're considering Ferrari given your budget and constraints. $100k gets you an 8-10 year old 360 (with some miles) and $50k a 15-20 year old 348. Neither would be a daily driver (at least in NC). Maintenance costs are a wild card depending on the service history, driving style, luck, etc. Out of warranty, it could add up very quickly. Most importantly, neither is as exciting (IMHO) as a recent 911.

My advice is go test drive some 09-11 911's, including certified pre-owned's. For your budget you can get a beautiful low mileage example with up to 6 years warranty and a car that undoubtedly can be driven cross-country or daily in comfort and is as reliable as any on the road today.

 

With your criteria id probably just lease a new 991

 

There are some great deals on leftover 997 C2S and 4S cars. I'm in a similar situation as you. Retired and wanting a car that my wife would be comfortable in for trips. I drove a GT3 and it is a fantastic car but not a long term keeper nor wife friendly in my case. I ended up with a GTS equipped with PDK. It's a great car with a PDK or 6 speed.

 

I have wondered about a first year 991 as well. If you want a porsche now, consider a 09 or 10 997.2 GTS, manual. Get the options you want.

 

My advice is to focus on the 997.2 DFI P cars and test drive the 991 base. road noise (tires) appears to be more in the 997s so you must be ok with it. Reviews are that the 991 has less road noise.
PSE can help mitigate that (make sure your wife is ok) with it. A 4S will be great in all seasons with proper tires for the season. Remember that these cars have no spare tires so be prepared for this on your trips. A CPO helps but get a PPI before buying.

 

I agree with others here regarding either a 997.2 or the new 991 which will be an even more refined road car for long trips. But I would not rule out a PDK as your choice for either car. Manuals can be fun for a weekend car but can get old in a hurry as a DD. As for long trips, get caught in a major traffic backup and you'll wish you had the PDK.

 

Funny. Automatics of any kind get old for me in a hurry. My left foot gets jittery and I've got nuthin' to do with my right hand.

 

Agreed.

 

My "guess" is that the new body 991 that comes out in a few months will have a far superior ride (Comfort) than our current 911's. My girlfriend is not even 30yo and she does not like ridding in my C2S. The ride is even to rough for her. She prefers riding in the Cayenne. Good luck and definitely take care of your Bucket List!!!!

 

Thank you for the very helpful replies - fell free to continue your suggestions. I do have some follow-up questions. Clearly depreciation is an issue for any car, but for those of you with Porsche experience, has depreciation become steeper than normal over the last few years? I'm concerned that if I do buy a Porsche and find it isn't quite what I thought, I'd like to minimize the resale risk. I suspect that whatever I buy will depreciate by 40-50% over three years - regardless whether I buy new or used. Does that seem "in the ballpark"?

Second, my wife's daily driver is a BMW 335d and I must admit that it is a very impressive car. The torque on the diesel is 425 pounds from just over idle to almost redline. It is lots of fun, especially in typical moderate city/suburban traffic. The transmission is a ZF sourced 6 speed, but not a dual clutch. Not ideal, but very useful and cost effective. By the way, I realize that traffic tends to make many people less than pleased with a manual transmission, but I never notice the shifting as a problem. I far prefer to pick the gear I want and I find working the gears to be part of the enjoyment of driving. That's the main reason I don't have two BMW diesels in the garage right now. But, the diesel is less than half the price of a new base 911 (lots of discounts on BMW diesels), and I've owned a Mercedes 300D and VW New Beetle turbo diesel in the past and love the torque. As I mentioned, depreciation is a cost of ownership for any car, but I want to make the best possible choice now to avoid buyer's remorse shortly after my new purchase.

Despite my desire to get a manual transmission "sports car", I'm wondering if maybe I should drive her diesel for a few weeks to see if it meets my needs, but my heart is still biased toward a Porsche.

 

Your depreciation estimate sounds about right to me, and that's one reason to consider a CPO.

As far as torque, these Porsche's aren't large-displacement engines, so they prefer to be above 4k rpm. For more kick, you could look at a 911 turbo, but they have some turbo lag unless modded well.

The BMWs are fine cars, but I think if you compare them back to back with the 911 several times, you'll find that the 911 is much more of a driver's car.