997 Turbo, buying

[Funkstar De Luxe]

Hello everyone!

If I was in the market for a 997 Turbo, what key issues would I be looking for in a car? In both spec and condition.

Are there problem areas with the 997 Turbo that I should really be aware of before making a purchase? Known issues? I'd be looking at the earlier models, 2007-2008.

Prices seem to have been relatively stable for a few years now, do we think they have leveled off, or have slightly further to fall?

Any advice offered is genuinely appreciated. I've owned a Cayman for 6 years now, and genuinely love the thing, but for the last few month I've noticed that the 997 Turbo looks like the bargain of the century. It would be my daily driver, covering around 40 miles per day.

Thanks,

Tony

Titled should read, 997 Turbo buying guide. Sorry about the typo

[PompeyReece]

Found this which might prove useful - might be some other guides out there too?

http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/cartestreports/2...

[Digga]

I'm going to keep this very short;

• buy from a well-knonw and trusted dealer, or
• get a thorough PPI

996/7 turbos are very complex cars and there are a lot of things that can require maintenance.

[Funkstar De Luxe]

Thank you both very much.

Yes, I agree buying from somewhere reputable is key, and I'd also like a good warranty. Is it unreasonable to use this as a daily driver?

[rabbitstew]

I bought my 997 gen1 turbo back in 2016 and have been using it as a daily driver ever since. I have covered 34,000 miles in it over that time.

They are fantastic as a daily driver, so easy to drive and yet completely ballistic when you want them to be. I get 27mpg out of a tank of super - around 340 miles per tank. They are also subtle enough that you can park them in a car park and not worry about them.

I spent 9 months looking before I got mine and toyed with the idea of buying from OPC to get a warranty, or buying from a reputable dealer and then forking out £1200 a year for the OPC warranty, but in the end I didnt bother with a warranty. The engines are pretty reliable.

Over the first 2 years of motoring my only non "normal" expense was 2 engine temp sensors which came to £250. So £ per mile was better than most "normal" cars ive had. Servicing is every 20,000 miles and a major service at my indy is only £360 so it hardly breaks the bank. Brake fluid change every 2 years is something like £70, I think plugs are every 6 or something. Again not expensive. Brake pads/discs last me about 40,000 miles a go and im getting about 24,000 miles out of the set of Michelin MPS4S tyres on it, which again is really good going. Insurance for me was £460 which wasnt a huge amount more than the 1 series BMW diesel it replaced.

I had the suspension completely checked out earlier in the year at 96,000 miles and apart from a couple of coffin arms which needed replacing, the shocks and everything else were well within new tolerances. Speaking of which, the suspension on a stock turbo isnt great. I found standard mode was too soft and sports mode too hard. The solution is a DSC plug in box which costs about £1000 but totally transforms the car, well worth it.

Prices have seemed to remain steady this last 18 months and 996 turbo prices have remained strong also which is a good sign.

From resale perspective, the must have option is the sports chrono. This gives you the stopwatch on the dash which you will never use, but more importantly give you the sports button which is a must have. This gives you a sharper more aggressive throttle response and also enables the overboost function so you get 10 seconds of a higher boost pressure when you floor the throttle. Sports seats are also very popular, but in my case, I just couldnt justifying waiting about any longer for a car to turn up with them - so I got the standard "comfort" seats - which tbh are pretty good. Other than that I wouldnt worry about any other options.

The early gen 1 cars (which is up to 2009) do have the older PCM sat nav and it is shockingly crap compared to modern stuff. However, I dont use it, I just use my phone for everything instead. You can get bluetooth adapters which link your phone audio etc though to the stock PCM unit cheaply enough.

There are a number of highly regarded indy garages out there and so depending upon where you are I would reach out to them and see what they have in stock. You will pay more as they prepare the car to a high standard for sale and only buy what they regard as very good cars, but you will have peace of mind.

All in all, its a great car for a daily. Even now, I get that buzz when I walk out of work and climb in it to drive home, and whenever i speak to other enthusiasts or garages they just cant believe im using it as daily driver as a lot of owners just stick them in the garage and use them as a weekend car.

[Digga]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Is it unreasonable to use this as a daily driver?

IMHO no. In fact, in many ways, it's desirable, because lack of activity can be the cause of issues with things like the actuators and boost controls.

As for all weather capability, stick some PS4s on it and there's seldom few cars that offer the mix of sporting performance and all-weather practicality that a turbo offers. Very comfortable place to be on a long journey too.

[Chubbyross]

The 997 turbo is a spectacular car. As has been stated, buy from one of the top Indys or OPC. I’ve had my gen 2 turbo now for a couple of years, covered 10k miles and not a thing has gone wrong. Definitely get the car fully checked before buying but they’re well put together.

Regarding using it as a daily, I can’t see why not. The fuel economy isn’t bad if you’re driving sedately or doing motorway runs. It’s extremely comfortable and great for short or long journeys. It’s also blistering quick when you want to put your foot down and will out pace pretty much anything on the road. In fact my only gripe is that it feels too powerful at times. There’s rarely any stretch of road where you’ll ever be able to reach the car’s full potential. If you floor the accelerator you’ll be in triple figures in seconds. It does raise a smile but I find myself feeling frustrated at times. I used to have a Boxster and miss that car’s go-kart appeal.

If you’re after an automatic and can stretch yourself financially I would suggest getting the gen 2 with PDK and sports chrono. The changes are far better than the tiptronic and you also have the fun of paddle shift for hooning days.

All in all, the turbo is an astonishing piece of kit and I envy you driving to and from work in it every day.

Oh yes, I also recommend fitting a different exhaust. The sound is disappointing after a Boxster. I had a Sharkwerks X-pipe fitted (£1500) and it sounds like a sports car again.

[g7jhp]

The 'Comfort' or 'Sports' seats on 996/997's in general is a personal preference.

The Sports seats look better, but I found them too narrow in the shoulders and the Comfort seats are more comfortable. Worth trying both before you decide you need Sports seats, to save time.

[rabbitstew]

Digga said:

Very comfortable place to be on a long journey too.

Indeed, I have driven 400 miles in one day in mine on several occasions, no problems at all comfort wise. In actual fact on the longer drives, even though I dont hang about, I see 30mpg out of it.

[Chubbyross]

I did a 2000 mile trip to the Highlands earlier this year and it was unflappable the whole time. The seats (comfort) were amazing. I got back into my family workhorse (Skoda Octavia VRS) when I got home and the seats were crippling after fifteen minutes.

[Digga]

rabbitstew said:

Digga said:

Very comfortable place to be on a long journey too.

Indeed, I have driven 400 miles in one day in mine on several occasions, no problems at all comfort wise. In actual fact on the longer drives, even though I dont hang about, I see 30mpg out of it.

Did the Nurburgring twice in mine and the trip over and back was an utter pleasure. My GT3, less so, until you hit the unrestricted autobahn or the twisties.

[Funkstar De Luxe]

Gents,

thank you very much, this has been a goldmine of information for me. Needless to say I am now keeping my eyes peeled for a good example

Thanks again!

[LaSource]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Thank you both very much.

Yes, I agree buying from somewhere reputable is key, and I'd also like a good warranty. Is it unreasonable to use this as a daily driver?

For a turbo i think it is critical to engage a good Indy who knows these cars and works on them regularly. In my opinion the OPCs typically have less experience of the older special cars as people move their servicing to the Indy network. For the few cars the OPC will maintain will be done to standard Porsche parts and guidelines whereas there is a whole world of improvement and upgrades out there that the Indy’s will know much more about.

For example here is a car at 9e who are a leading turbo platform specialists in the UK (I do not have a connection with the car)

http://www.nineexcellence.com/porsche-sales/sales-...

[IMI A]

LaSource said:

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Thank you both very much.

Yes, I agree buying from somewhere reputable is key, and I'd also like a good warranty. Is it unreasonable to use this as a daily driver?

For a turbo i think it is critical to engage a good Indy who knows these cars and works on them regularly. In my opinion the OPCs typically have less experience of the older special cars as people move their servicing to the Indy network. For the few cars the OPC will maintain will be done to standard Porsche parts and guidelines whereas there is a whole world of improvement and upgrades out there that the Indy’s will know much more about.

For example here is a car at 9e who are a leading turbo platform specialists in the UK (I do not have a connection with the car)

http://www.nineexcellence.com/porsche-sales/sales-...

Looks like a top example. Mind boggling its still selling for 75% of its MRSP

[Porsche911R]

Funkstar De Luxe said:

Thank you both very much.

Yes, I agree buying from somewhere reputable is key, and I'd also like a good warranty. Is it unreasonable to use this as a daily driver?

these cars can kill you to look after , a warranty will not help you much as every thing which wears is not covered.

I could list >£20k worth of items which will be wear and tear on a 2007 car.

So a PPI is a must, even if you buy from a reputable outlet.

[Adam B]

g7jhp said:

The 'Comfort' or 'Sports' seats on 996/997's in general is a personal preference.

The Sports seats look better, but I found them too narrow in the shoulders and the Comfort seats are more comfortable. Worth trying both before you decide you need Sports seats, to save time.

you know the seats in 996 and 997 are very different? I found sports 996 seats to be very narrow as you describe, but the 997 was the model where Porsche actually made decent size sports seats and they are not a problem

had a 997.1 turbo for 4 years, there is some good advice above and some I don't agree with

- sports chrono the only must have option
- buy a manual (or at least try tip before you buy, i disliked them)
- ignore the "must buy from OPC or good indy", nothing wrong with buying private or elsewhere (mine was a p/ex at a Bentley main dealer) but 100% get a proper inspection - I used 9E who were excellent
- I serviced mine every year as I did minimal mileage, I don't trust the every 2 years/20k servicing unless you drive the car a lot
- parts are expensive, and the plugs service costs a fair bit (as bumper/intercoolers come off), I had had enough when Porsche wanted £800 for replacement glass for wing mirrors which were nicked
- I didn't bother with a warranty and was glad - items that went wrong wouldn't have justified cost (a sensor) or would not have been covered (battery £300, new TPMS as batteries dead £600)
- I used to joke that every visit to garage for a service was a 4 figure bill (but it was true and unfunny), the service itself was usually only £300-500.


fantastic cars though

Edited by Adam B on Wednesday 31st October 12:41

[rabbitstew]

LaSource said:

For example here is a car at 9e who are a leading turbo platform specialists in the UK (I do not have a connection with the car)

http://www.nineexcellence.com/porsche-sales/sales-...

I was at 9e yesterday and had a look around this very car whilst I was there. It certainly did look in excellent condition. The wheels looked brand new!

[Adam B]

rabbitstew said:

I was at 9e yesterday and had a look around this very car whilst I was there. It certainly did look in excellent condition. The wheels looked brand new!

not seeing the value there, massive premium due to low mileage, probably an SOR?

9E said they would list my similar 37k miler for £60k, so thats a lot extra for 17k miles, I am sure it is lovely though and my wheels were not brand new!

Edited by Adam B on Tuesday 30th October 16:54

[Chubbyross]

I think that’s slightly over priced at 75k. If it was a 1.5 generation then maybe fair enough but it’s just gen 1. I think 68-70k would be closer to the mark. Turbos have decreased slightly in the last six months. Will they budge on price?

[popeyewhite]

Digga said:

As for all weather capability, stick some PS4s on it and there's seldom few cars that offer the mix of sporting performance and all-weather practicality that a turbo offers.

Unfortunately the bonnet also makes an excellent snow scoop, if there's drifts around you can't see a thing and you get hit by a wave of water by every passing vehicle because you're so low ....and it's a deluge from a lorry! Other than that, they're reasonably practical during inclement weather...well,as practical as any tiny sportscar is anyway. Which isn't at all really.