996 Turbo S convertible
Discussion
I am very close to pulling the trigger on one of there currently for sale at Porsche Solihul as my next toy. I searched the forums and dont find too much information on this particular model so wondered what others knew. I know they built 963 of them globally and i think only 40 or so cars came to the UK but i dont think that is confirmed. The car in question looks in very good shape with 2 owners and 15k on the clock. I would only be using on sunny weekends as its a third car. I know the purists dont like the cabs, but ive had most of the coupes and fancy a change this time.
Any advice from fellow PH'ers? Anything specific to look for when viewing the vehicle today?
Do people think its a reasonably safe machine to have 70k tied up in?
Many thanks
Any advice from fellow PH'ers? Anything specific to look for when viewing the vehicle today?
Do people think its a reasonably safe machine to have 70k tied up in?
Many thanks
Just in case this is of interest as a comparison (no affiliation, but I’ve been following the thread on 911uk):
http://911uk.com/ads_item.php?id=7960
http://911uk.com/ads_item.php?id=7960
I've had a 2005 Turbo S coupe for the last 5 years. Like you suggest, I mainly use mine at weekends with or without kids in the back, although it's practical and anonymous enough for the occasional trip to client offices during the week. I hadn't intended to keep it for so long, but I just can't find a suitable 2+2 to replace it which would be fun at weekends, usable now and again for work, and reasonably cost effective to run.
Getting the downsides out of the way:
1. The Turbo S (indeed any 996 Turbo) is extremely capable as a GT, yet also still fun if you wring its neck. The snag is that it's almost too capable, so you need to be really carrying the mail for there to be any sense of drama. The cab is probably better than the coupe in this respect, as you can enjoy the open air and the hefty torque shove at lower speeds. They're also devilishly easy to remap, and if you spend a few grand on an exhaust, intercoolers, clutch and a decent map, you can run in the 550-600bhp range with ease - but then no buyers want modified cars...
2. If you buy one with only 15k miles, you're going to pay a big premium for low mileage, perhaps to the extent that you will want to restrict your driving to keep the miles low. I paid just over £30k for one with 55k miles 5 years ago, and in that time I've added 20k miles yet the car has almost enough doubled in value. Now I find myself worrying about putting even more miles on it, which is completely illogical given it will never be a museum piece and what I paid for it, but such is the psychological effect of the cost/value of mileage!
Otherwise all the usual 996 Turbo guidance applies. They sound very subdued, hence mine has a nice Speedtech exhaust and 100 cell cats from the US (but I'll put the original back on it to sell - see value comments above!), but have been sitting on the fence about asking Ken at Nine Excellence to remap it for the past 4 years. Routine running costs are very cheap, but occasional common repairs and refreshes can be surprisingly expensive. I've spent more than I care to count on new dampers, suspension arms, top mounts, fuel lines, air con radiators / pipes / condensers and other niggly things. Not to mention the £400 front brake pads that needed replacing despite having almost zero wear (the early PCCB pads have a tendency for the friction material to fall off the backing plates). With only 15k on the clock your PCCB discs should be fine, but they're an obvious thing to check given they cost more than most used cars.
Despite all of the above, I wholeheartedly recommend the Turbo S as a useable and increasingly collectable supercar. My only word of caution would be that if you want one to drive rather than to keep as some sort of investment, you could save a fortune and buy a normal 996 Turbo cab with a few more miles. Otherwise I love mine, and it appeals to the nerd in me to know it is so rare; that it was practically hand-built after they shut down 996 production; and that I've never found a 996 with a higher chassis number than mine :-)
Getting the downsides out of the way:
1. The Turbo S (indeed any 996 Turbo) is extremely capable as a GT, yet also still fun if you wring its neck. The snag is that it's almost too capable, so you need to be really carrying the mail for there to be any sense of drama. The cab is probably better than the coupe in this respect, as you can enjoy the open air and the hefty torque shove at lower speeds. They're also devilishly easy to remap, and if you spend a few grand on an exhaust, intercoolers, clutch and a decent map, you can run in the 550-600bhp range with ease - but then no buyers want modified cars...
2. If you buy one with only 15k miles, you're going to pay a big premium for low mileage, perhaps to the extent that you will want to restrict your driving to keep the miles low. I paid just over £30k for one with 55k miles 5 years ago, and in that time I've added 20k miles yet the car has almost enough doubled in value. Now I find myself worrying about putting even more miles on it, which is completely illogical given it will never be a museum piece and what I paid for it, but such is the psychological effect of the cost/value of mileage!
Otherwise all the usual 996 Turbo guidance applies. They sound very subdued, hence mine has a nice Speedtech exhaust and 100 cell cats from the US (but I'll put the original back on it to sell - see value comments above!), but have been sitting on the fence about asking Ken at Nine Excellence to remap it for the past 4 years. Routine running costs are very cheap, but occasional common repairs and refreshes can be surprisingly expensive. I've spent more than I care to count on new dampers, suspension arms, top mounts, fuel lines, air con radiators / pipes / condensers and other niggly things. Not to mention the £400 front brake pads that needed replacing despite having almost zero wear (the early PCCB pads have a tendency for the friction material to fall off the backing plates). With only 15k on the clock your PCCB discs should be fine, but they're an obvious thing to check given they cost more than most used cars.
Despite all of the above, I wholeheartedly recommend the Turbo S as a useable and increasingly collectable supercar. My only word of caution would be that if you want one to drive rather than to keep as some sort of investment, you could save a fortune and buy a normal 996 Turbo cab with a few more miles. Otherwise I love mine, and it appeals to the nerd in me to know it is so rare; that it was practically hand-built after they shut down 996 production; and that I've never found a 996 with a higher chassis number than mine :-)
I've had my eye on that car for a while, looks lovely, and rare to find an S cab in manual too.
My only thought is why are they not advertising it as approved used? It could be something as simple as age, but it should still be in scope for the warranty (revised scheme is under 14 years for one year and 13 years for two year warranty).
At that price from an OPC and given the low mileage - irrespective of the age - I'd want/ expect the prep to be absolutely top drawer.
Great car, good luck with it
My only thought is why are they not advertising it as approved used? It could be something as simple as age, but it should still be in scope for the warranty (revised scheme is under 14 years for one year and 13 years for two year warranty).
At that price from an OPC and given the low mileage - irrespective of the age - I'd want/ expect the prep to be absolutely top drawer.
Great car, good luck with it
Thanks for all the replies. I work abroad so left the duties of viewing to my capable old man and the report back was superb, car is apparently top drawer no marks anywhere. He thought the car had been resprayed its so clean, safe to say the OPC advised its not had any paint.
Anyway, after a bit of haggling the car is under deposit, with the warranty as well.
Now to get flights back for collection!.
I saw the private one for £60k, looked like a contender but i preferred black and was drawn by the low mileage, i am sure somebody will snap up that example.
Anyway, after a bit of haggling the car is under deposit, with the warranty as well.
Now to get flights back for collection!.
I saw the private one for £60k, looked like a contender but i preferred black and was drawn by the low mileage, i am sure somebody will snap up that example.
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