Thursday 25th June 2015

Porsche 997 Carrera: Catch it while you can

Take a brave pill and you could land a big 997 bargain just now...

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'State of flux' is the best way to describe the febrile world of Porsche 911 values at the moment. With 993 prices now firmly following the classic 911 into the outer stratosphere, the old classified eyeglass inevitably falls on newer models.

You'd have to be some sort of uber-ostrich to not know that the water-cooled 996 and 997 Porsches have had their 'issues'. Scored pistons and disintegrating intermediate shaft (IMS) bearings have left owners with huge bills, and the reputation of water-cooled Porsches with a huge pall of burnt oil hanging over them.

As a result, values of 996s are on the floor. We're talking Boxster-level. As in £8K. 997s have rapidly followed the descent of the 996, and early ones are now as cheap as late 996s.

Dodging a bullet
Avoiding huge engine rebuild costs is what we all want. One way to dodge the blown-engine bullet is to buy a post-August 2008 'Gen 2' 997, with its DFI engine that doesn't have an intermediate shaft. But we're talking a minimum of £32K for a 2009 Gen 2 Carrera.

For £10K less, you can have a 2006-model 997 - but don't you run the risk of it costing you at least that much in repairs? Indeed, the price of a new engine could be as much as £15K from a Porsche dealer, maybe £10K from a specialist.

But there's some good news. Word is that those water-cooled woes have been much exaggerated, and engine failures in 'Gen 1' engines are in fact increasingly rare. And if you choose your 997 model wisely, it's perfectly possible to have a reliable 997 for very little outlay.

So which 997 is the best buy, then? I reckon it's the bog-standard Carrera 2 (as opposed to Carrera 2 S or 4/4 S models). So often, simple is best and that's definitely the case with the non-S Carrera. At 3.6 litres, its capacity is more modest than the 3.8 S engine, but it only sacrifices 30hp (325hp versus 355hp). It also revs more freely, and the base Carrera 2 lacks the S model's standard PASM adaptive damping, which many owners don't seem to like very much. The Carrera 2 is, in my view, a purer driving experience - and if the 911 is about anything, it's about driving purity.

Crucially, the 3.6 engine is also seemingly more reliable. It suffers fewer IMS failures than the S, say the people who fix them. Of course, that may be a simple corollary of the fact that the 3.8 S outsold the regular Carrera by three to one...

What about scored bores, which also afflict 'Gen 1' water-cooled 911s? Again, a lot of specialists say this problem is less common with the 3.6 engine than the 3.8 engine - perhaps because it's got thicker cylinder walls and is generally less stressed.

What price for the 997 dream?
I've now seen 997s going as cheaply as £18K. It's hard to argue that's not a huge bargain. A few specialists I've spoken to reckon prices are now starting to firm up for 997s, so I reckon now is definitely the time to buy.

Find a low-mileage early 997 Carrera 2 with manual transmission and a full history for £22K, and you've surely got one of the best current 911 deals of all. There's a 59K-mile 2006 example, for instance, up for £22,995. OK, it's silver (ho hum), but it's got extended leather, PSM sat nav, PASM dampers and S wheels, as well as a full OPC Porsche service history.

Go up to £24,950 and the classifieds yield a black example, with 51K miles, PSM and full black leather. It's also got a 12-month warranty, which if you're of a nervous disposition, will let you sleep easy. Loving the look of this £24,995 Midnight Blue one too.

[NigelCayless]

I bought a December 2004 registered 997 Carrera 2 with 50k on the clock in December 2014 I paid £18,500 privately. I spent c£200 on a Porsche check before I bought it which identified £1400 of work on the air-conditioning and an air bag which needed doing which the seller paid for. Touch wood, I've had no problems so far and am very happy with it. Can't say how it compares to the other faster 911 models but it is plenty quick enough and feels quicker than the 370z I had before.

[NigelCayless]

lol. After reading all this I cycled to the station this morning instead of driving. I hope my 997 hasn't spontaneously combusted by the time I get home!