996 C4S Values

[stouffer]

Looking for some thoughts on purchasing a C4S this time of year. Looking for a well spec'd 2002/2003 sort of age vehicle with sub 20K on the clock as I plan to use as my daily driver. A few questions if any one can help please.
Was PSM standard? What are the 'must have' options? For me I would start with Bose and of course the sports exhaust. Are they all switchable? But what other options should I go for?
What sort of price should I be paying privately and how much will it cost me to bolt on a porsche approved warranty.
Sorry about all the questions but I'm getting excited and there seems to be quite a few out there. Incidentally the gap between a C4S and 996 Turbo seems a bit thin!!!

Thanks in advance

[fieldl]

I own a 2002 C4S which I bought six months ago. Yes the gap between the C4S and the Turbo is slim, no idea why. However the C4S is far less to insure at a guess.
PSM ? Do you mean PCM ? or satnav in real speak when I tested a car with it, PCM seemed rubbish compared to tomtom or anythind modern.
PSE is a must. Most cars have Bose too.
A friend of mine who has an identical car to mine but with sports seats has been offered 40k on his 02/52 29k C4S which I thought was a great offer against an 05/55 997 C2S.

[stouffer]

Is PSE the sports exhaust?

[poon]

PSM is traction control
PCM is telephone/satnav module
PSE is sports exhaust

[fieldl]

PSM is standard though. Isn't it?

[adam b]

PSM std on all 4wd 996 cars. By the way you will find lots of annoying ads that list std stuff as cost options. The C4S also came as std with turbo body / alloys / suspension / wheels / brakes (yes the calipers were red) plus full leather, electric seats with driver memory, porsche sound package (crap) or half-price Bose (good) and metallic paint.

Yes the C4S seems over-priced IMHO at the advertised prices I see but I wonder what they actually achieve.

Options are personal.

I would want to have:

PCM2
Bose
Xenons
PSE - though this is easy to retrofit for £1k

and personal to me:

Heated Seats
Ali dials
Small or large ali pack (I would only want black leather and I like the way the ali contrasts)
ali hand brake / gear lever

nice to have:

phone module
cruise
6CD changer
sunroof

Edited by adam b on Tuesday 23 January 22:45

[Henry-F]

adam b said:

PSM std on all 4wd 996 cars. By the way you will find lots of annoying ads that list std stuff as cost options......

It`s an interesting point you raise there and one which has been touched on in the past. When we write an advert for a car we will often include things that were standard fit in the spec list (for example PSM on a C4S). The reason for this is because a lot of buyers won`t know what the standard spec on a particular car is, and so it`s just an easy way of letting them know what`s fitted to the car. If they have been looking a C2 996`s where PSM wasn`t standard they may not know it was standard on a C4S.

On, for example a 1987 3.2 Carrera cabriolet would you mention if it was fitted with a power roof. I happen to know that the power roof was introduced in Sept/Oct of 1986 for the `87 model year but a potential buyer might not and what if a car is on the cusp of a model change.

Not everyone shares your intimate model knowledge. It was only with the 996, for example that air-con finally became a standard fit in UK cars so owners of 993 and older cars looking to move on may appreciate our mentioning it`s fitment in an ad. Where time & space permits we do try and point out what is standard but time & space constraints mean it isn`t always possible.

Hope that helps.

Henry

[diesel130]

Henry - having been looking at hundreds of ads over the last 9 months, I agree that it is useful for a Porsche virgin to be told about things useful things such as PSM and PSE and mileage :-) etc. However, I did get fed up with the Autotrader brigade who describe a 996 as having 'driver airbag', 'passenger airbag', 'CD/radio' etc. Seems they just couldn't be bothered to think about the advert at all.

[Dr S]

diesel130 said:

Henry - having been looking at hundreds of ads over the last 9 months, I agree that it is useful for a Porsche virgin to be told about things useful things such as PSM and PSE and mileage :-) etc. However, I did get fed up with the Autotrader brigade who describe a 996 as having 'driver airbag', 'passenger airbag', 'CD/radio' etc. Seems they just couldn't be bothered to think about the advert at all.

They surely also mentioned that the car had a four wheels touching the ground and one wheel for steering...

[guyvert1]

I've you've ever advertised on a/trader then you'd know that you are presented with a list of tick boxes to detail the spec of your car... I'd rather put everything it has.

[Henry-F]

It is a hard one. The a/t does indeed have a rather silly tick box system. Even the most un-educated buyer will know that a Porsche 911 is petrol powered !

Henry

[stouffer]

Thanks chaps but what about values. Henry has a sub 20K miler at £45K ish and privately buyers are listing 2002/03 vehicles at similar money. When 996 Turbos are coming down, surely these values are a little on the high side?
I accept they are advertised prices not sale prices but C2S are coming down to such an extent that at £45K a C4S looks too high in comparrison compared to the newer model.
What should I be looking to pay for a reasonable spec C4S?

ie 02, 20K miles, PSE, Bose and ali pack. FSH etc etc - needle in a haystack I know but values/thoughts would be appreciated.
Cheers

[Adam B]

Henry F - I do take your point however I think it is often used by dealers as a tactic to make a car sound better or a poverty spec car sound highly specced (this is not aimed directed at you in particular).

Maybe a good compromise would be "The usual C4S spec of PSM, elec seats, sound upgrade, full leather, climate plus the following cost extras.........."

Stouffer - re. values, see also the responses to the "OPC sales" thread of someone looking at an 2004 C4S on here. Personally I would not buy an 02/03 car for more than £40k and would only spend £45k on a very late, low mileage car. There again I would not buy a very late 996 as, for a little more, you can get a 997 which will hold value better and is a much improved model. Not only are 996 C4S looking over-priced (at least at the advertised prices) v 996TT but also against 997 (witness the £48k 997 C2S in the PH ads admittedly guards red). All IMO.

Edited by Adam B on Wednesday 24th January 15:23

[stouffer]

Thanks Adam, I completely agree. £40K for a solid modest mile C4S or I might aswell save up my pennies and get a 997 C2S.
I have money to spend but it depends how realistic the sellers are out there!!
Many thanks for all the responses/suggestions.
Regards,

lee

[garyjones1962]

Colour/combinations seem to have a large effect on the price though (probably moreso than the other options) - a black/black would certainly cost 1000s more than a green/savannah say

[CarlT]

fieldl said:

However the C4S is far less to insure at a guess.

This was not the case when I was looking for a car a couple of years ago.

The C4S was more expensive to insure, than both a GT3 and a TT

[frank987]

These Turbo bodied 996's seem to hold their value very well! It appears to be the same with the 993's.

Why is that?

Edited by frank987 on Wednesday 24th January 21:38

Edited by frank987 on Wednesday 24th January 21:46

[markomah]

garyjones1962 said:

a black/black would certainly cost 1000s more than a green/savannah say

BALLCOCK!!