£17k to spend - Cayman vs 911
Discussion
Afternoon, As the title suggests. What would be your go to out of the two.
I have £17k ish burning a hole in my pocket and a 40th birthday fast approaching. I'm looking for a car I can drive daily on a short 9mile commute across country lanes but also have some fun road trip and the occasional track visit.
Both the Cayman S and the 996 can be had for this price and both seem close on basic stats.
However, this would be my first Porsche. The closest I have come is a 2 mile blast in an original Boxster.
What would the great font of PH knowledge do with their money??
I have £17k ish burning a hole in my pocket and a 40th birthday fast approaching. I'm looking for a car I can drive daily on a short 9mile commute across country lanes but also have some fun road trip and the occasional track visit.
Both the Cayman S and the 996 can be had for this price and both seem close on basic stats.
However, this would be my first Porsche. The closest I have come is a 2 mile blast in an original Boxster.
What would the great font of PH knowledge do with their money??
Edited by microgod on Monday 10th October 14:29
17k, I'd buy the best Boxster I could find ..... if not one of those a Cayman, 17k is bottom of the 911 market and likely a potential money pit. same could be said f the others but you'd be starting with a more modern car that may not have entered dubious ownership due to value drop.
microgod said:
Afternoon, As the title suggests. What would be your go to out of the two.
I have £17k ish burning a hole in my pocket and a 40th birthday fast approaching. I'm looking for a car I can drive daily on a short 9mile commute across country lanes but also have some fun road trip and the occasional track visit.
Both the Cayman S and the 996 can be had for this price and both seem close on basic stats.
However, this would be my first Porsche. The closest I have come is a 2 mile blast in an original Boxster.
What would the great font of PH knowledge do with their money??
Thing is, will you continue to have money burning a hole in your pocket for the upkeep of the car. At that budge both models are potentially going to be bags of spanner’s, in time. True, any car could, and not a sweeping statement, but at this budget and of this age of car, they have a significant head-start to being so.I have £17k ish burning a hole in my pocket and a 40th birthday fast approaching. I'm looking for a car I can drive daily on a short 9mile commute across country lanes but also have some fun road trip and the occasional track visit.
Both the Cayman S and the 996 can be had for this price and both seem close on basic stats.
However, this would be my first Porsche. The closest I have come is a 2 mile blast in an original Boxster.
What would the great font of PH knowledge do with their money??
Edited by microgod on Monday 10th October 14:29
Thanks everyone for your wise words. I think the general consensus is the Cayman, Didn't realise I could just get in to a gen 2 so may try pushing the budget. The Boxster is an option but we already have a 2series convertible so I'd rather go for the coupe.
As advised I'm trying to go in eyes open and repair costs are a concern but its just the danger of swimming in this pool and a risk I'm willing to take.
Think as mentioned above I'm going to hold off for another few months and see what winter does to values and give me enough time to add a little more to the budget.
I'll be back once the purchase has been made and you can all tell me how I got it wrong
As advised I'm trying to go in eyes open and repair costs are a concern but its just the danger of swimming in this pool and a risk I'm willing to take.
Think as mentioned above I'm going to hold off for another few months and see what winter does to values and give me enough time to add a little more to the budget.
I'll be back once the purchase has been made and you can all tell me how I got it wrong
Penguinracer said:
I think Slippy nailed it.
If you're intending longer term ownership or even looking at this as a stepping stone - I think your money will be safer in a carefully chosen 996 - they're at the bottom of their depreciation curve.
They have been at the bottom & on their way back up, I have a folder from previous owner that is at least 5 inch thick with every receipt ever spent on the car, every page laminated & there is a sales receipt in there for the car sale for something like £8,700 about 8-9 years ago.If you're intending longer term ownership or even looking at this as a stepping stone - I think your money will be safer in a carefully chosen 996 - they're at the bottom of their depreciation curve.
987.1 have bottomed out, as well, depreciation wise. That's where my money would go, or maybe a 987.2, though the stated budget is a bit tight. 996s are now getting quite old and significant rust is becoming an issue, along with all the other stuff.
I'm not anti a 996, they're fab, but for me it's a car you buy because you really want a 996 and are willing to buy one and then sort it. If you're not clearly set on a 996 and know what you are doing, I'd steer clear. It's harder to find a good one, easier to end up with a dud, especially for the relatively uninitiated. For the same money as a ratty 996, you can have a really fresh, stellar 987.1 that has relatively few immediate needs and can be enjoyed from the get go.
The issue with the 987.1 is that the 3.4 lump is a total liability. So, you either go with a 3.2 Boxster, or if you don't want a Box it's either the 2.7 Croc, which is a bit slow (none of these cars being discussed are rocket ships, obviously, but the 2.7 987 really is a little light on torque), or find a Harteched 3.4.
£17k is a bit tight for a 987.2 Croc at the moment, it will get you a slightly miley 2.9. But it's a reasonable budget for a Boxster and that would also be a good buy.
Anyway, for me the 996 is a better buy for an experienced hand or someone who really likes 996s. If the remit is a bit broader and less specific, I'd be looking at a newer and likely less complicated 987 purchase of some kind. I don't think the 996 is the safer bet, I think it's riskier due to greater chance of expensive issues, especially for a first time buyer.
I'm not anti a 996, they're fab, but for me it's a car you buy because you really want a 996 and are willing to buy one and then sort it. If you're not clearly set on a 996 and know what you are doing, I'd steer clear. It's harder to find a good one, easier to end up with a dud, especially for the relatively uninitiated. For the same money as a ratty 996, you can have a really fresh, stellar 987.1 that has relatively few immediate needs and can be enjoyed from the get go.
The issue with the 987.1 is that the 3.4 lump is a total liability. So, you either go with a 3.2 Boxster, or if you don't want a Box it's either the 2.7 Croc, which is a bit slow (none of these cars being discussed are rocket ships, obviously, but the 2.7 987 really is a little light on torque), or find a Harteched 3.4.
£17k is a bit tight for a 987.2 Croc at the moment, it will get you a slightly miley 2.9. But it's a reasonable budget for a Boxster and that would also be a good buy.
Anyway, for me the 996 is a better buy for an experienced hand or someone who really likes 996s. If the remit is a bit broader and less specific, I'd be looking at a newer and likely less complicated 987 purchase of some kind. I don't think the 996 is the safer bet, I think it's riskier due to greater chance of expensive issues, especially for a first time buyer.
Meant to add, there are still zillions of clean, low mile 987s out there to choose from. Much smaller pool of 996s you can say that of, which for the first time buyer I think is a major factor.
Any of these cars can throw up loads of expensive issues, of course. But I think it will be far easier to end up in a really clean, non problematic 987 at this budget and as a first time buyer. Will be relatively easy to find one, if desired, from one of the better traders who will back the car for at least six months, a year in some cases, and offer a low-stress turn-key experience. Of course, the OP may be very hands on and not worried about all that, in which case the calculations / trade offs will be different.
Any of these cars can throw up loads of expensive issues, of course. But I think it will be far easier to end up in a really clean, non problematic 987 at this budget and as a first time buyer. Will be relatively easy to find one, if desired, from one of the better traders who will back the car for at least six months, a year in some cases, and offer a low-stress turn-key experience. Of course, the OP may be very hands on and not worried about all that, in which case the calculations / trade offs will be different.
Over-production does result in market compression.
Just the Bentley Continental GT suppressed Arnage prices which in turn surpassed Turbo R prices, so the market position of the vanilla 997 will ultimately dictate the ceiling for vanilla 996's.
High production numbers will ultimately tell in market values.
Just the Bentley Continental GT suppressed Arnage prices which in turn surpassed Turbo R prices, so the market position of the vanilla 997 will ultimately dictate the ceiling for vanilla 996's.
High production numbers will ultimately tell in market values.
ChocolateFrog said:
Personally I'd go 996.
Technically inferior, almost certain to cost more to run and maintain and arguably the 'worst' 911.
But I'd never pass a 911 and think I could have bought one of those with wistful regret.
I think the Cayman is a better car than a 996, which to my mind is the low point for the 911. Technically inferior, almost certain to cost more to run and maintain and arguably the 'worst' 911.
But I'd never pass a 911 and think I could have bought one of those with wistful regret.
paulguitar said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Personally I'd go 996.
Technically inferior, almost certain to cost more to run and maintain and arguably the 'worst' 911.
But I'd never pass a 911 and think I could have bought one of those with wistful regret.
I think the Cayman is a better car than a 996, which to my mind is the low point for the 911. Technically inferior, almost certain to cost more to run and maintain and arguably the 'worst' 911.
But I'd never pass a 911 and think I could have bought one of those with wistful regret.
But I can remember the first time I saw a Caymen when they first came out and that was also the last time I gave one a second look that wasn't a GT4 derivative. Whereas I still note every 911 I see despite there being so many out there.
Ropey 996's used to be £5-6k, they're over double that already, that's definitely where my money would go.
ChocolateFrog said:
That's the point I've just made.
But I can remember the first time I saw a Caymen when they first came out and that was also the last time I gave one a second look that wasn't a GT4 derivative. Whereas I still note every 911 I see despite there being so many out there.
Ropey 996's used to be £5-6k, they're over double that already, that's definitely where my money would go.
I love the 911 but the 996 just looks wrong to me, unless it's the turbo. I'm starting to think the one that works best is the 964, but those have got a bit pricey...But I can remember the first time I saw a Caymen when they first came out and that was also the last time I gave one a second look that wasn't a GT4 derivative. Whereas I still note every 911 I see despite there being so many out there.
Ropey 996's used to be £5-6k, they're over double that already, that's definitely where my money would go.
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