1. 997 for sure, the 996 interior/exterior looks very outdated. IMS is an issue but less common than you think. If you are scared get a 09+ and not worry about it.

2. 997 are very reliable, there are a lot of high mileage 997's and a lot of people drive it daily.

3. I would pick a 997S for a daily driver, it's more comfortable, not as low, extra seats in the back if you need them. GT3 in my opinion is fun for the track junkies, if you don't plan to track, there is no need for a GT3.

 

Good points all across. I'm excited about finding the right car. I noticed that private party sales are obviously better deals price-wise. Should I trust these or stay away from private parties and look for a dealer car, mainly CPO?

Also, what's the market value for an 09-10 Carrera S these days? I found a '10 CarreraS for ~66k, and an 08 CarreraS that I really liked the options on for ~58k which also has about 1.5 years on a CPO warranty left.

 

it's great! an all glass top like you mentioned, with a light sun visor too......I can drive with it open when it's 40 or 70!

good luck!

 

If you are looking for a dealer or CPO car, PM me and I ll give you someone who can help you search in Fla where I got mine. He does internet sales to.

 

One thing that can help you in your search is your budget. This will make it easier to narrow the choices. For the 2009+ MY the DFI engine will have better mileage and no IMS issues. Better PCM, etc. Lots of options abound with these cars so make a wish list. Be sure to get a pre purchase inspection regardless if CPO or not. Worth it IMO.

 

There are good aftermarket warranties, just search the forums if you buy from a private seller. I would not worry about private or dealer. Just find the right car that suits your needs.

'10 C2S for 66K sounds reasonable, it depends on your budget. Buy the newest one you can afford is my motto. I haven't heard of any problems with the 997.2 yet.

 

Hello all,

It's been a while since I've posted! I'm in a bit of a dilemma: test drove an 07 gt3 today as well as an 06 c2s. Loved both, but obviously the gt3 caught my heart right away, it just sits too low for daily duty, but I'm still considering it. Here is how they compare:

Gt3 is a year newer with 26k miles, 2 owners, well maintained but records indicate the engine seal having been replaced 3 times. Spoke to the service guys and they showed me that during the first 15-20k miles, the car was driven often without a hiccup. The second owner put less than 1000 miles a year, and had the seal problems. Apparently the car needs to be driven to prevent this kind of failure? Should this be a concern and is the car priced properly at around 80k CPOed?

The c2s is simpler in nature but has less miles and seems to be in great shape; 18k miles to be exact, also CPOed. The price is around 52-53k so obviously substantially less than the gt3.

Advice???

Thanks!!

 

I'm a big C2S fan. I haven't driven a GT3, but anyone I know that has says they are addictive and a totally different car. From what I've heard about the GT3, I think I would prefer a C2S for a car I planned to use as a daily driver, but would opt for GT3 if I planned to track the car frequently or just use it for a fun weekend car. Glad to see you're taking your time and carefully considering your options and deciding what will work best for you.

 

My apologies, I just saw this post and tried PMing you but apparently I don't have enough privileges to PM yet I'd definitely appreciate all the help I can get in this process.

 

I literally just went through the process you are going through here although my budget was not quite as wide as yours. I wrote up what I learned from excellent forums such as this on what to look out for.

http://chrisstewart.hubpages.com/hub...-a-997-Porsche

I hope this helps you a little. With a willingness to stretch to 80k I would have thought a 2009/2010 c2s was actually the better car for you. Like the GT3 these cars don't suffer from ims issue. However compared to GT3 you get much better fuel efficiency in the 2009 onward car, you get the updated Porsche communication system, so better nav, ability to connect Bluetooth phone, smart phone etc. GT3's are great and I understand the allure but they are slightly compromised by there 100% focus on being a race car for the road. If you wanted the car just as a weekend driver then GT3 would be hard to turn down unless you needed extra seats but as a daily driver I think the creature comforts that the 2009 would offer you would be greatly appreciated.

Its a nice dilemma to be facing.

 

Hey there, great writeup! Thank you! I enjoyed reading every word of it, and I feel like I have yet equipped myself with even more purchase knowledge; and as we know, knowledge is power.

I know there's quite a discrepancy in price range for the two cars, and though I could swing going for the gt3, I still have a hard time justifying a car that (despite being so heavenly wonderful) depreciates so much. The better choice for me, as you stated, is the C2S.

I've actually been trying to locate one for a while. I have a local Porsche dealer here, with good reputation, and I have decided to buy from them given competitive pricing and the fact that everything they sell has been CPOed. Though I am certainly open to an 09+, like you mentioned, this may spill the bill over to GT3 arena, and at that point in time I feel like I should get a GT3 instead.

Thanks again, and can't wait to own one of these!

 

I bought a 2007 C2S which although had an improved IMS to 2005 cars is still known occasionally to suffer from this issue (at least that's what I read). This is why I went the warranty route.

Hard to say what depreciation will be on these cars over the next 3 years. My guess on my car is for between 10 and 20 k. In other words I am expecting the car to be worth somewhere between 35 and 45. On top of this loss is 3500 warranty costs. My plan in my mind at the moment is to enjoy the car for this period of time and then in 3 years time trade it in against a GTS. If you want a car which is probably going to depreciate less then a 996 GT3 would probably be a better bet. Some of the English car magazines are also starting to suggest better 996 cars in particular well looked after ones may have reached the bottom of the curve and may over the next few years actually start to swing the other way.

Having said this 997 in my eyes is the more attractive car and if you get a warranty that covers everything is it really that big a problem if the engine blows up? At least you will get a brand new/reconditioned one which is covered by a Porsche warranty for two years.

If you do go C2S route you decided on whether it will be a coupe or cab or targa yet?

 

Agreed on all points, as well as thinking that a 997 definitely looks better than a 996. I thought about the 996 GT3 but it looks so dated :/ ... the more I read the more I convince myself that it will be a C2S for me. Both cars are actually CPOed for the next 2 years and up to 100k miles, so I'm not too worried. I guess my concern is that I plan to have it for longer than 2 years, at which point I may have to invest in a warranty. Like you though, I'm a believer of enjoying the car and forgetting about future value, given that rarely ever is a car an investment.

Personally I prefer coupes over verts, and though the targa sounds like a good compromise, the heavier glass top adds weight exactly where one shouldn't add weight to a car: the topmost section. I'm strongly believe in keeping the center of gravity as low as possible.

They are prepping up the car over the weekend and I have an appointment to go check out the finalized product on Monday...but I know when I go back I will see the GT3 again, which is why I've turned to the forums for help and advice.

 

I would keep looking, just for comparison purposes I got a just about brand new CPO 2010 C2S with only 3000 miles from a dealer, with CPO it had 3 years and 10 months left on warranty, I got it for right around $80K out the door which included clear bra as well. It was a 2 year lease that the guy just did not drive, perfect DME report as well. If your budget is that high stick with 997.2, that is my 2 cents.

It also happened to be the exact color I wanted and included all my must have options as well.

Do not settle, there are plenty of great cars for sale. I found the search helped tremendously in finding the options I wanted. Like Sport seats, once I sat in them I knew I had to have them. Just to add I was set on a Cabrio, but when I drove a Coupe and Cab I preferred the Coupe.

Last do not hesitate to do some long distance, use the Porsche CPO Dealer search, there are plenty of people on the forums that will check cars out for you.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thank you! What's the Porsche CPO dealer search? I've been looking locally and autotrader...is there a better option out there?

Thanks!