997 GTS - Hexagon

[av185]

The GTS is more usable than the GT4 as a daily and there is little in it for driving involvement and outright pace on your typical fast UK road imo. GT4 receives more attention.....not good. Sense of occasion about the same but GT4 harder edge with GT3 suspension and brakes and all the better for them too. £20k more for a 'newish' low mileage untouched GT4 a no brainer imo.

Interesting seeing how the prices have crept up on these.....I actually forecast this on several threads around 2 years ago and the usual naysayers appeared with predictable comments like 'parts bin meh 911' with 'hush puppy interior' etc...

More fool them!

But, anyone paying top money approaching list (without options) for even a top spec car (particularly PDK...which I rate on the GTS btw), is crazy imo being a very high price for a very good but not outstanding car. Be interesting to see how long the rose tinted views last at these levels.

[13m]

Porsche911R said:

13m said:

One is not a substitute for the other.

same engine, same size, not a lot in it really !

You know the "4" in GT4? It doesn't refer to the number of seats.;)

[Cheib]

T25UFO said:

crystalmethod said:

I don't think so. I bought an one of the last ones, and chose from two un-registered ones in different OPCs. One had plastic, and the other had leather, so am guessing it remained an option until the end.

I had exactly the same options when buying mine - a choice of new unregistered cars, with full leather or without. Made my choice based on colour (boring meteor grey, but it still looks nice) and gearbox (manual short shift). Would have bought the car with or without full leather (it came with). I'm surprised at the upward movement in prices and question whether this is just another round of Porsche speculation, which won't last. Having said that, the 997 GTS is still a bargain when compared to a similarly specced 991, particularly if you want to stay with manual.

Interesting. I wonder why dealers never quote it in the spec then.

[C2'S'man]

J

Jibaro said:

Does the plastic dash really make much difference, I don't think that it is enough of a reason to reject a used car, after all they're about 5 years old now so a buyer has to accept a bit of compromise? It's not like the type of gearbox or colour, or choice between cab or coupe. For me, if I found two similar cars of the basic type that I want, and one was GT silver with plastic dash, the other was white with leather dash, it would be the plastic dash car that I'd be more interested in because personally I would prefer a GT silver car, and I don't think the plastic dash looks too bad.

(PS I want cheibs car at the price cheib paid )

I too had to compromise a bit when I bought mine, but the main things I had to have was sports susp/lsd, aerocup & the leather dash/ cards.

For me personally, when spending £60k+ on a premium sports car I wanted the leather as it oozes class & lifts the interior,. No it does nothing for the performance, handling etc, it just makes it a really nice place to be in. All in my opinion of course...

[Porsche911R]

13m said:

You know the "4" in GT4? It doesn't refer to the number of seats.;)

Have you sat in e back of. 997 lol.

[crystalmethod]

Porsche911R said:

13m said:

You know the "4" in GT4? It doesn't refer to the number of seats.;)

Have you sat in e back of. 997 lol.

My 13 year old goes in the back all the time. She complains on 100m+ trips, but tells me (without duress) that she doesn't want to change to anything bigger / different.

Those token rear seats can make all the difference I promise.

[13m]

crystalmethod said:

Porsche911R said:

13m said:

You know the "4" in GT4? It doesn't refer to the number of seats.;)

Have you sat in e back of. 997 lol.

My 13 year old goes in the back all the time. She complains on 100m+ trips, but tells me (without duress) that she doesn't want to change to anything bigger / different.

Those token rear seats can make all the difference I promise.

My children tell me they feel safer in the back of the 911 than in other cars. Notwithstanding the way I drive.

[Cheib]

The rear seats are one of the reasons why I have mine...with 5 and 7 year old kids we can actually travel as a family so I get to use it more.

[c4sman]

Plastic dash discussion becomes irrelevant once you own a GTS. I was slightly reluctant when buying mine but have totally forgotten there was another option unless I start reading 997 GTS PH discussion threads!

Looked at a 991 GT3 at an OPC recently at an astonishing asking price and it had just sold, with the same plastic dash....

[Cheib]

These people know what they're talking about!

http://www.ferdinandmagazine.com/forget-buying-por...

Last paragraph

"I would love to try a 911R with this six-speed transmission: no doubt the six-speed manual gearbox is huge fun in a 997 Carrera GTS and the seven-speeder is not great in a 991. By ignoring 991s and looking at Gen II 997 Carrera GTS instead, you really do not have to spend a fortune to buy the most enjoyable and guilt-free driver’s 911 of the VW-Porsche era."

[av185]

c4sman said:

Looked at a 991 GT3 at an OPC recently at an astonishing asking price and it had just sold, with the same plastic dash....

Although a 991 GT3 without the full leather is worth around twice the £1700 option cost new i.e c.£3k less on a £135k car.

[c4sman]

av185 said:

Although a 991 GT3 without the full leather is worth around twice the £1700 option cost new i.e c.£3k less on a £135k car.

If I was in the market for a 1gt3 that would seem a great way to save myself £3k

[FredBasset]

c4sman said:

Plastic dash discussion becomes irrelevant once you own a GTS. I was slightly reluctant when buying mine but have totally forgotten there was another option unless I start reading 997 GTS PH discussion threads!

Looked at a 991 GT3 at an OPC recently at an astonishing asking price and it had just sold, with the same plastic dash....

Phew, thank heavens for that. I was getting thoroughly depressed with my plastic dash in my four wheel drive Coupe GTS and wondering if I should start hanging my head in shame when out in public.

Of course then you drive the thing and its so much fun. Not saying a rear drive wouldn't be better but its hardly a rubbish car is it despite what some on here seem to think.

[Jibaro]

FredBasset said:

Phew, thank heavens for that. I was getting thoroughly depressed with my plastic dash in my four wheel drive Coupe GTS and wondering if I should start hanging my head in shame when out in public.

Of course then you drive the thing and its so much fun. Not saying a rear drive wouldn't be better but its hardly a rubbish car is it despite what some on here seem to think.

I couldn't help noticing the 991.2 GT3 test car spy shots show that it has a plastic dash, looks alright.

[Cheib]

Jibaro said:

FredBasset said:

Phew, thank heavens for that. I was getting thoroughly depressed with my plastic dash in my four wheel drive Coupe GTS and wondering if I should start hanging my head in shame when out in public.

Of course then you drive the thing and its so much fun. Not saying a rear drive wouldn't be better but its hardly a rubbish car is it despite what some on here seem to think.

I couldn't help noticing the 991.2 GT3 test car spy shots show that it has a plastic dash, looks alright.

Most GT3's do I think, certainly 997's. People spend the money elsewhere which is totally understandable.

[chrisABP]

Plastic dash or leather dash the GTS is still an epic car! With very limited numbers of 997 GTS now for sale (none through OPC last time I looked) I think its inevitable that the likes of Hexagon and 911 Virgin (who I bought mine from) will to a degree start to price them accordingly. Simple supply and demand thing. Mine is possibly worth a little more today than when I bought it 2 years ago but if it had lost 10k I would still be in love wit it.

The rare car is the 997 GTS4 Manual with less than 20 ever showing as being taxed in the UK!
997 GTS4 PDK comes in at 239 cars
997 GTS 2WD Manual just 95 taxed in the UK
And the most popular (but still rare compared with some modern GT cars...) is the GTS 2WD PDK cars with 355 taxed in 2011 (dropping to 336 by 2013)

Couple the numbers with the cars seemingly universal praise and the Porsche independents will price accordingly, leather or plastic dash!

Edited by chrisABP on Thursday 21st July 09:24

Edited by chrisABP on Thursday 21st July 09:25

[chrisABP]

And with the silly prices for the 997.2 GT3 (my ideal car) and the 991 GT3 where do the 997.2 GTS owners go next without spending another £40-£50k???

[Porsche911R]

They will go upto what the market can stand, but imo that's about now, it's a great car the 997 GTS but for me it has to be about £65k
There are too many other good cars to own at cheaper prices or a bit More and it's def not worth £20k over a Cayman R, or more than some paid for a GT4.

The manual 2WD car is the car to have also, any gen 1 PDK feels very outdated across the whole range.

Leather dash don't mean a lot if you want the GTS drive and only 85 cars to choose from.
I always said leather Dash 100% for me but my 2nd R does not have it and I enjoy the car just as much, and other options came in front of the leather dash option.

[chrisABP]

Porsche911R said:

They will go upto what the market can stand, but imo that's about now, it's a great car the 997 GTS but for me it has to be about £65k
There are too many other good cars to own at cheaper prices or a bit More and it's def not worth £20k over a Cayman R, or more than some paid for a GT4.

The manual 2WD car is the car to have also, any gen 1 PDK feels very outdated across the whole range.

Leather dash don't mean a lot if you want the GTS drive and only 85 cars to choose from.
I always said leather Dash 100% for me but my 2nd R does not have it and I enjoy the car just as much, and other options came in front of the leather dash option.

Whilst I agree (to a degree) on the natural price ceiling surely when 997.2 GT3 are selling for £115k+ then there is still quite some movement available on the 997 GTS and Hexagon (and others) are selling cars for more than £65k already. I love the Cayman R but the 997 GTS has the 4 seats that a lot of owners require. Once my boys start to complain of rear leg room the GTS will go and be replaced quite selfishly with a 2-seater.

I drove both manual and PDK cars and really enjoyed both but the PDK car came up with the right spec and I really enjoy using it. Mine had the leather dash which does look a lot better but its no deal breaker for most.

Time will tell on the values but it makes no difference if you're keeping the car and driving it!

[Cheib]

chrisABP said:

And with the silly prices for the 997.2 GT3 (my ideal car) and the 991 GT3 where do the 997.2 GTS owners go next without spending another £40-£50k???

I think the obvious (ish) place to go would be the Boxster Spyder... manual box, n/a flat six, much superior soundtrack and also the open air motoring if that is what you like. I'd imagine the drive in terms of chassis is relatively similar. Two seater is an issue for many (including me) though.

The other place you can go is the 997.1 GT3 I suppose.