Best Porsche for £35k + good investment
Best Porsche for £35k + good investment
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Discussion

rotaryjam

Original Poster:

686 posts

122 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Hello

I'm looking to buy a Porsche for a max of about £35k.

I briefly had a Cayman 987 S and enjoyed it and I feel it's time for another Porsche.

I'd like something fun and interesting but crucially it must be something that will hold its value or appreciate (I know nothing is guaranteed of course!)

My main target is a 996 Turbo which can be had for about £30k-£35k.

Is there other models I should consider?

guyvert1

2,144 posts

263 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Maybe a manual 997.2 if you can find one in that price range these days!..

996 Turbo is your best bet for bang/bucks ...

Good luck in your quest smile

Andyoz

2,920 posts

75 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Are you going to use it?

A 996 turbo might be an expensive one to maintain so if total cost of ownership is part of the equation...hmmm

barryrs

4,903 posts

244 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Another option might be to save a few quid a get a really tidy 996 C4S.

rotaryjam

Original Poster:

686 posts

122 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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C4S is definitely something I would consider.

How would a Cayman 981 or 997 S compare as options? These are ones I've also considered.

I'm personally not bothered about owning a '911', just the best car and lowest depreciation.

MDL111

8,368 posts

198 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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I think the 996 C4S (manual and coupe) is undervalued and will eventually appreciate.
Another option might be a manual Cayman R (not sure if those are in budget)
The cheapest Boxster Spyder in the UK seem to list at 40k, so with a bit of negotiation and maybe a slightly increased budget, those might be an option too

mr pg

2,031 posts

226 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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rotaryjam said:
C4S is definitely something I would consider.

How would a Cayman 981 or 997 S compare as options? These are ones I've also considered.

I'm personally not bothered about owning a '911', just the best car and lowest depreciation.
I've just sold my 2013 981CS after almost 6 years, having previously owned a 996T for 4 1/2 years.
Really enjoyed both cars, but we did 5 euro tours in the 981 and it was great for that, and in our opinion more suited to that than our Turbo would have been. The Turbo did have a Tubi exhaust though which my other half didn't enjoy so much.
The Turbo will cost more to run IME. The 981 was very practical for such trips, and I'd recommend trying one.
I'm actually planning to go for a 996C2 next, but only because we now have a dog, and that's one thing 981's aren't suited to!

F6C

455 posts

59 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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If you actually use the car a bit, fairly-going-on-very unlikely it's going to make an actual return, so the 'investment' angle probably best ignored.

The odds that the value of a 996 Turbo or 981 CS is going to leap dramatically like certain low volume air cooled cars did in the last decade are likely slim to none. it's that kind of jump that's required to actually make a return. If values merely appreciate a bit, in investment terms those gains will be wiped out by running costs.

Let's say you buy a 981 CS now for £30k and somehow it's worth £50k in 10 years (doubtful, would think, but anyway), well, accounting for inflation, gross gains are minimal. Then subtract running costs and, poof, you're in the red. Insurance, road tax, servicing, wear items, storage alone would be pretty hefty annually x10 for the period. And the odd bill for a thousand or three here or there for something that broke would hardly be a shock.

If if you never drove it and just stored it, doubt cars discussed would actually make much of a real, net return.

These cars are not the next Carrera 2.7RS. Doubtful they're even going to step up like, say, a 993 or 964 C2 have. particularly the 981.

Andyoz

2,920 posts

75 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Porsche used market is really frothy ATM too.


MDL111

8,368 posts

198 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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F6C said:
If you actually use the car a bit, fairly-going-on-very unlikely it's going to make an actual return, so the 'investment' angle probably best ignored.

The odds that the value of a 996 Turbo or 981 CS is going to leap dramatically like certain low volume air cooled cars did in the last decade are likely slim to none. it's that kind of jump that's required to actually make a return. If values merely appreciate a bit, in investment terms those gains will be wiped out by running costs.

Let's say you buy a 981 CS now for £30k and somehow it's worth £50k in 10 years (doubtful, would think, but anyway), well, accounting for inflation, gross gains are minimal. Then subtract running costs and, poof, you're in the red. Insurance, road tax, servicing, wear items, storage alone would be pretty hefty annually x10 for the period. And the odd bill for a thousand or three here or there for something that broke would hardly be a shock.

If if you never drove it and just stored it, doubt cars discussed would actually make much of a real, net return.

These cars are not the next Carrera 2.7RS. Doubtful they're even going to step up like, say, a 993 or 964 C2 have. particularly the 981.
all valid points and I agree / don't buy my cars with those considerations in mind - but if the car he buys stays roughly static or even appreciates a little, then he still better off than with a car that depreciates in addition to all the other stuff. Luck will probably play a large part too as an engine or gearbox rebuild or having an accident and the car no longer being accident free would have a major effect on the overall equation.

chrisABP

1,117 posts

169 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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987.2 Cayman R or 987 Spyder - £35k might be a slight push but both great cars, small production numbers and desirable. Manual gearbox and buckets in either fairly essential spec wise.

rotaryjam

Original Poster:

686 posts

122 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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Just to clarify, I'm not really thinking of this as an investment that is going to make loads of money but rather one that will not loose a bucket load like new cars do. Essentially I just want a car that was already reached the bottom of its depreciation curve ideally.

It feels like 996 C4S or Turbo might be a way to go but is there a compelling argument for a 997 C2S or C4S? I have to say I find the styling really bland but is it better in the flesh?


Andyoz

2,920 posts

75 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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chrisABP said:
987.2 Cayman R or 987 Spyder - £35k might be a slight push but both great cars, small production numbers and desirable. Manual gearbox and buckets in either fairly essential spec wise.
You need £40k+ for both those ATM with buckets and manual.

roca1976

635 posts

136 months

shantybeater

1,199 posts

190 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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I’d really struggle to suggest anything beyond a 996T. A 987.2 Spyder/Cayman R as above would be the only thought but a bit above budget.

I also struggle to see any reasoning (behind lack of £££) to suggest a C4S over a Turbo. The price gap between the two is nonsensical. Ignoring the huge gap in performance between the two, they are otherwise practically the same. Apart from one small thing....

One has a bulletproof mezger which is known to run hundreds of thousands of miles, carries a cult following (due to its reliability) and is tuneable beyond anything which should be road worthy. The other has an m96 which has known reliability issues which have catastrophic consequences.

And before someone chimes in and says ‘yeah but the turbo will cost more to run’. - they both have more or less the same ancillaries minus the turbos which I’d much rather spend money replacing (upgrading) if they go pop over an entire engine rebuild.

The costs are also easier to justify running what is essentially a supercar

Andyoz

2,920 posts

75 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
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roca1976 said:
In their R advert, they tell a wee porker.
"Lightweight Carbon Fibre Sports Seats A 9k Extra"

They were Free LOL

Grantstown

1,282 posts

108 months

rotaryjam

Original Poster:

686 posts

122 months

Thursday 22nd April 2021
quotequote all
shantybeater said:
I’d really struggle to suggest anything beyond a 996T. A 987.2 Spyder/Cayman R as above would be the only thought but a bit above budget.

I also struggle to see any reasoning (behind lack of £££) to suggest a C4S over a Turbo. The price gap between the two is nonsensical. Ignoring the huge gap in performance between the two, they are otherwise practically the same. Apart from one small thing....

One has a bulletproof mezger which is known to run hundreds of thousands of miles, carries a cult following (due to its reliability) and is tuneable beyond anything which should be road worthy. The other has an m96 which has known reliability issues which have catastrophic consequences.

And before someone chimes in and says ‘yeah but the turbo will cost more to run’. - they both have more or less the same ancillaries minus the turbos which I’d much rather spend money replacing (upgrading) if they go pop over an entire engine rebuild.

The costs are also easier to justify running what is essentially a supercar
I originally thought that but the price gap is actually quite big now, you can get a half decent manual C4S for about £26k vs £36k for a manual turbo.

Is the turbo worthy of that £10k difference? The C4S has that iconic light bar and better sound but the turbo has the power!

shantybeater

1,199 posts

190 months

Friday 23rd April 2021
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rotaryjam said:
I originally thought that but the price gap is actually quite big now, you can get a half decent manual C4S for about £26k vs £36k for a manual turbo.

Is the turbo worthy of that £10k difference? The C4S has that iconic light bar and better sound but the turbo has the power!
I guess it depends on the use case. I agree the C4S has probably the prettiest bum of any Porsche, but the Turbo isn’t exactly miles behind on that front.

I imagine for more ‘pottering about’ the C4S would be nicer to live with, more usable performance and a nicer sounding exhaust note.

The Turbo is more than capable of doing the above but it eggs you on to play with the extra level of performance

For me the 10k difference is worth it for the more robust engine.

Edited by shantybeater on Friday 23 April 09:26

50something

48 posts

242 months

Sunday 25th April 2021
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Hi, had a 996 C2, C4S and just bought a 996tt X50 tip, my dream turbo, car for the last as long as I can remember. Does not disappoint, knocks spots off the previous ones, bought from an Indy but had £14k spent on it last year with engine out, new turbo’s, and everything else maintenance wise while engine out.

Just get a good one with plenty of supporting invoices for maintenance works and not just a stamped service book.

Good luck.

Edited by 50something on Sunday 25th April 14:11