997 TT

[C8LNJ]

I done one of those 'supercar experiences' (birthday prezzie from OH) at the weekend & got to take charge of the above car for a few hard laps.

Had the choice of Lambo gallardo lp560 spyder or the 911 and chose the 911 as it really is my fav car which I think can realistically become a possession rather than a dream.

Also drove a GTR - hmmmm wasnt as good as I remembered from when I blagged a test drive, think the track was too small to get the best from it & it wasnt as involving a drive as the pork. Also got a passenger lap in an Atom which was pretty fun, if a bit go-kart-ish for my liking.

So, the 997 has left an impression on me I cant shake off & i'm desperate for ownership now. I was looking for someone to be so kind to share some real life costs?

With prices dipping 40k now i'm determined to save up for one of these beasties, with a realistic target of buying one in a years time.

[gd]

Just bought one. Paid a little more for it than I probably should have as it's a manual (i.e. rare) 09 model year with very low mileage and FPSH including the recent 4 year service, and virtually all the options that I wanted were there. Like you, I'm smitten, both by the ride and the noise of the engine, it's exquisite and addictive.

In terms of running costs... £607 insurance for me and my wife (both about 40 with 5+ yrs NCB), VTS tracker is about £200 a year if you need it activated, servicing is about £600 at years 2 and 6 and £1500 at years 4 and 8 (hence assume about £600 a year), tax is £475 a year, tyres are £1200 for a full set, warranty is about £1200 a year with Porsche, or you can use a maintenance plan from one of the independents - about £130 a month, but this includes servicing and MOT too. Can't think what else... oh Petrol... well, that depends on how you drive and how far you go, I can get 30mpg+ on a sedate 60-70mps motorway/A road drive, or down near 20 with a more spirited run through the lanes.

At the moment a good 2006 car looks somewhere around 45k, 2007s are in the region of 50k, 08's are 55k and 09's 60k+. Next year they will all be 5k cheaper, or more if the economy continues to tank! You will always get cheaper examples, but watch out for the ones that have been abused, or cat D on vcar. Look at the history and servicing/mileage records, get a PPI done, and make sure that includes a Durametric or PIWIS test readout of the rev ranges (over-revs) and engine hours (check that this matches the mileage). Anything in rev ranges 4,5 or 6 and I'd look for something else, there are plenty around.

Glad you're on the way, I hope you find a good one. And when you buy it and drive it home, remember to stop grinning like an idiot when you get out.

Hope that helps.

Gary

[C8LNJ]

Thanks for that Gary, some very good useful information you've shared. So you think I should steer away from the cheaper examples? I thought if rough ones are 40k just now in 12 months time if I budget the same I should be able to pick up a good one?

As I work away from home I only cover around 4-5k miles a year.

Servicing/warranty/insurance/tyres dont seem too scary, certainly not any worse than for example a BMW M3 which ive owned previously.

I've read that some owners have opted towards annual servicing in lieu of bi-annual, is there any reason for this? I dont plan to with the little miles I will do.

[IMI A]

I service annually but you don't need to. I've had one from new since 2007. Running costs are in my profile. I'd always buy one of these from an OPC. The 2 year warranty is helpful especially as you're going to be hardly using yours. They don't like to sit around.

That pic awesome. Definitely worth getting one. Can't think of anything with rear seats this side of an FF that comes close.

[tjlees]

IMI A said:

I service annually but you don't need to. I've had one from new since 2007. Running costs are in my profile. I'd always buy one of these from an OPC. The 2 year warranty is helpful especially as you're going to be hardly using yours. They don't like to sit around.

That pic awesome. Definitely worth getting one. Can't think of anything with rear seats this side of an FF that comes close.

+1

Or get 111 check done and add 2 year warranty. If you buy one at £45ishk they will lose around £5k pa everything else being equal until they hit around £25k. Very good value! Seem reliable and very very fast.

[C8LNJ]

I didnt expect OPC's would stock 6yr (7yr old come time) old examples. Sure enough on their website OPC's nationwide only appear to have one car south of 50k.

I'd really given myself a budget limit of 40k, as i'm just an Avg Joe Bloggs at the end of the day, think I earn a decent crust, enough it seems to run a Porsche however dont think I can justify splashing any more on essentially whats an occasional toy.

I'd originally thought about a 996, but prefer the newer model. I thought if I got a water tight warranty then it shouldn't matter if I get from an OPC or not?

I plan to keep the car for 2 or 3yrs I'd expect. OPC will sell a warranty to 9yrs old cars I was informed??

[C8LNJ]

Also for maintenance i've got a Porsche Specialist (Kenny Dunn) on my doorstep I was planning to use instead of the Local Porsche dealer.

Is this wise, again due to the vehicles age I thought this would make no odds. I've found with other high end vehicles once there 5+ yrs your better taking them to a good independent to care for your pride and joy than the main dealer for the apprentice to make a mess of while they try their hand to tempt you into a newer model.

[IMI A]

I've had the cost of renewing my OPC warranty back many times over on this particular car. Wouldn't be without it but thats just me as i like the perks like a new loan car if you need warranty work etc and recovery from anywhere. OPC's arent too expensive on servicing if you haggle. I've never done this but if you take your own oil this saves quite a bit at servicing too.

If you want a cheap car thats been thoroughly inspected there was a mint looking one owner 90k mile 997 turbo for £35k at Paragon. Probably sold by now but it looked ever so clean and very good spec ie manual. Service guy at Porsche tells me these engines are easily good for 250,000 miles if driven/maintained properly. Paragon have a very good reputation too. If you're not doing to many miles this may be worth a look.

[gd]

C8LNJ said:

Thanks for that Gary, some very good useful information you've shared. So you think I should steer away from the cheaper examples? I thought if rough ones are 40k just now in 12 months time if I budget the same I should be able to pick up a good one?

As I work away from home I only cover around 4-5k miles a year.

Servicing/warranty/insurance/tyres dont seem too scary, certainly not any worse than for example a BMW M3 which ive owned previously.

I've read that some owners have opted towards annual servicing in lieu of bi-annual, is there any reason for this? I dont plan to with the little miles I will do.

Not necessary to steer away from cheaper ones, but be careful as you get what you pay for. The Paragon car is cheap because of the mileage, but if you can live with that and it sails through the PPI the you have a very nice, but cheap car. Just know that when you sell it you will not have many takers or have to really drop the price, factor that in too and you're fine.

The best mantra on here is 'buy on condition', not mileage. From what I've seen, the condition of the cheaper cars is not as good though.

I do think you will get a good one for 40k next year, maybe even sooner. Just keep looking.

I will have the oil and filter changed, and the condition/belts checked over each year, even tho the Porsche service interval is 2 years. I don't think it will harm the car to keep on top of this.

Like you I work away a lot and do about 4k miles a year. Best tip is to buy a Porsche or CTEK trickle charger and plug it in during the week (assuming it's in a garage). It'll fire up like a dream come the weekend, but make sure you do use it then or it'll get cranky! Also, try to make sure you dry out the brakes before parking up (i.e. take it out for a run and give them a bit of heat), if left cold and wet they will rust and warp.

As for warranty, I bought mine from an indy (who I've dealt with before) and had an 111 point check, full 4 year service and review of the DME readout at the OPC as part of the deal, and the OPC gave it the green light. At the moment I plan on getting the OPC warranty put on it after 3 months, as I do think this will be worthwhile peace of mind. I also have a great indy (Sports and Classic) local to me who I will get to do the intermediate servicing and any non-warranty work though, so I have a plan B with the maintenance plan if the OPC mess me about for any reason.

I used to work in Edinburgh and met the Kenny Dunn team a couple of times, they seem good and had some nice cars in.

BTW, nice photo!

Gary