Is the 911 for me?

[ensignia]

Afternoon, chaps.

I've recently been hankering after a 911, and the urge to buy one is now all-consuming; once I'm in this mindset it's very difficult to shake it off.

What I want to know from the resident Porsche experts, is the 911 a car that I can live with every day? It's renowned for being easy to live with and a superb all rounder, but which one do I go for? I don't think I'm responsible enough for a turbo, and it's the 3.8 which is most appealing.

I currently have an Audi S5 and Nissan 350Z which are both very competent cars but the Nissan is hard work and driving the Audi is a completely disconnected experience, so I'd like to get rid of them both and get one car which can do everything.

Am I barking up the wrong tree with the 911? Any views or opinions from current/previous owners or enthusiasts alike are appreciated.

[ensignia]

Might help if I mentioned budget...

I'm looking to spend no more than £40k. I'm assuming they hold their value fairly well?

[jkh112]

I have a 3.6 996 and until recently it was my daily driver, and it will be again soon.
Why do you think the 350z is hard work?

[Benbay001]

jkh112 said:

Why do you think the 350z is hard work?

I see no reason why a 911 would be more civilised than a 350z

[jkh112]

Benbay001 said:

jkh112 said:

Why do you think the 350z is hard work?

I see no reason why a 911 would be more civilised than a 350z

Hence my question.

[ensignia]

Maybe hard work is too unkind, but the Nissan can be jarring to drive, especially on motorways due to lots of road noise, poor visibility and an unforgiving ride. This is especially apparent after stepping out of the silky smooth S5.

These traits could probably be forgiven, and indeed, expected in a Porsche.

[Impasse]

Try an Evora before parting with money for the Porsche.

[golfdsg]

This is the worst "I have £40k to spend on a Porsche" thread ever.

[sealtt]

I bought a 996 Turbo for £40k a few years ago, lost £13k on it in the 7 months I kept it... so don't be so sure they hold their value! Though buying and selling well helps of course...

The car itself was lovely, great connected driving experience and masses of power. I was very young when I bought it so it was easy to forgive the hard ride and road noise, though I did love the 35mpg on motorways! I wouldn't be happy using one today as any more than a second car, too uncomfortable for me. I'd rather buy 2 cars, one comfy for daily use and one more focussed sports car. I'd have thought you could still get a decent pair of cars for £40k.

[ensignia]

golfdsg said:

This is the worst "I have £40k to spend on a Porsche" thread ever.

I was waiting for someone to say that. Well done.

[andy-xr]

I would definitely have a GT-R instead, this un'd do

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2010-NISSAN-GT-R-3-8-BLA...

[ensignia]

The Evora and GTR just don't have the same appeal as a 911 to me. The 911 is iconic, and I happen to think it looks bloody good without being too ostentatious or exotic.

sealtt said:

I bought a 996 Turbo for £40k a few years ago, lost £13k on it in the 7 months I kept it... so don't be so sure they hold their value! Though buying and selling well helps of course...

The car itself was lovely, great connected driving experience and masses of power. I was very young when I bought it so it was easy to forgive the hard ride and road noise, though I did love the 35mpg on motorways! I wouldn't be happy using one today as any more than a second car, too uncomfortable for me. I'd rather buy 2 cars, one comfy for daily use and one more focussed sports car. I'd have thought you could still get a decent pair of cars for £40k.

I think I'd need to have a proper drive in one to see whether I could live with it every day, although the 35mpg on the motorway sounds good as the Audi can only manage 25 and the Nissan 30 at a push.

I really don't want two cars any more, it's so unnecessary as a single 27 year old male.

[mobile chicane22]

I have had my 2003 996 c4 ( 4wd for those who dont know ) for just under 3 years.

20 mpg hooning 30 mpg on long motorway runs

£1000 gets you a full set of the correct tyres on 18's

tax on my one is sub £300 pa and the insurance is lower than that.

I have driven it in snow ice pi$$ing rain, its fast easy to park even with basic rear sensors.

servicing is once every 12k or once a year depending on where you live you will probably have a local independant pork specalist who is well known and can do all that.

My one has just past 101k miles and its the car I've owned the longest and I see no time in the near future where I would change it .

http://911uk.com/forum.php

decent forum

http://www.northwayporscheltd.co.uk/

decent local independant near me who have treated me very well

[Risotto]

I'd say the 911 might be a good candidate. More refined and practical than a 350Z and more involving than the Audi. As you say, it's a bit of an icon (even though all the newer ones share with their predecessors is the name and basic configuration). If you're into cars, you've got to try one, if only to see what the fuss is about.

They have a few well documented issues but it's a bit of a lottery as to which cars fall victim to them - the vast majority are absolutely fine though.

As for value, the days of glacial depreciation ended with the 993. Increased production rates and decreased reliability stats took their toll so unless you go for one of the more niche models, depreciation is just a reality. There was a time not that long ago when people viewed the idea of a £10k 911 as absurd...

Edited by Risotto on Sunday 7th December 18:53

[Shaoxter]

At £40k unless you get a Turbo or air cooled 911 it's gonna depreciate like a brick.

£20k will get you a 997.1 C2, which is great value as long as you turn a blind eye to the internet horror stories of its chocolate engine

[jayemm89]

If I had £40,000 I would want to be damn sure I NEEDED the car I was buying to part with that amount of money.

I've had two 911s, a 996 and a 993. Loved them both. Go find one you love, drive it. If you don't like it, try another or find something else.

Easy.

[RDMcG]

If you can get a 997C4 or C4S (wide body) its a pretty easy car to live with, good in winter, predictable.

[bqf]

If you're not happy with the 350z because it's hard work, I'd give the 911 a swerve. I had a 996 C4 Cab and it was too uncomfortable on long journeys for my liking, and didn't feel "special" enough to justify itself. I ended up driving my E55 AMG everywhere, because it was so relaxing and very mental.

Why not keep the Audi and spend your £40k on something very special - Ferrari 348, or stretch the budget and get a 355?

[gregf40]

Test a GTR before ruling it out.

I've owned various 911's (including Turbo's and GT2/3's) and I still cannot praise the GTR highly enough.

For 40k you should get a mint 2009 one - and they are holding their values incredibly well.

They are cheap to run (despite what some people who don't own them say) and will leave anything other than a Veyron for dead.

Oh...and other road users love the GTR! The same can't be said about the 911...

[ensignia]

Would £45k stretch to a 991?

I quite like the idea of getting a £20k 997 C2 just to get a feel for things, and then progressing to a 991 a couple of years later without losing £15k in depreciation.