How much to spend on a 981?
Discussion
With the exception of the GT4 the price of a 981 roughly varies between £30-60k, which is pretty incredible given that this is mostly influenced by engine size and the options (these cars are so new mileage and age don’t come into it so much).
I’ve saved so far £48k to buy a second hand example with hopefully the same options as if I were buying new.
Having considered the whole market though I am starting to wonder if it’s worth spending all of my budget if an almost identical car which is much cheaper will deliver 98% of the end result, or is it the 2% that makes the difference?
I appreciate that if a car costs more to buy than an equivalent model then it will also sell for more when you come to get rid, so the increase in cost is somewhat artificial.
Did anyone set out with a specific car in mind but bought something lesser, are you happy or not?
I’ve saved so far £48k to buy a second hand example with hopefully the same options as if I were buying new.
Having considered the whole market though I am starting to wonder if it’s worth spending all of my budget if an almost identical car which is much cheaper will deliver 98% of the end result, or is it the 2% that makes the difference?
I appreciate that if a car costs more to buy than an equivalent model then it will also sell for more when you come to get rid, so the increase in cost is somewhat artificial.
Did anyone set out with a specific car in mind but bought something lesser, are you happy or not?
it all depends on how you want to use the car, how long you intend to keep the car, and whether you care about depreciation... for example, if you know you won't be putting lots of miles on it, then you can potentially get a car that has more miles than average, hence cheaper to buy, knowing that when you come to sell, due to your lack of milage the car will be back to average miles for its age... or am I the only one that goes into so much detail?!:P
i agree with the above. i bought a, what i think, higher miles 981 earlier this year. as i will only do 5 to 6k miles/yr. therefore when i come to sell it should bring it in line with other cars.
fingers crossed but who cares it great car ! made to be driven
fingers crossed but who cares it great car ! made to be driven
Edited by rObArtes on Friday 25th November 17:22
I started looking in December last year and most dealers had no build slots for 2.7 Boxsters, only GTS or black editions. So I had to search the 2nd hand stock and it took a while before something flew onto my radar with the right spec - I didn't 'need' PASM/PSE and feel I have 95% of the experience without but having heard/tried the PSE that is the one option I wish I had held out for.
Btw, price wise, 981s seem to start much earlier than £30k depending on year/mileage and whether you are happy to buy privately. But yes, if you want S/GTS then you are looking easily at a much more and yes they are holding their value somewhat..!
Btw, price wise, 981s seem to start much earlier than £30k depending on year/mileage and whether you are happy to buy privately. But yes, if you want S/GTS then you are looking easily at a much more and yes they are holding their value somewhat..!
OP - I took your question to be more 'is a high spec car worth the extra?' Not 'should I worry about mileage?'. Of course you can't raise a question on here without it descending into a mileage debate.
So anyway, I had two Boxsters in a row, both about 6 months old similar mileage (dammit, there I go) one was £10k more, partly due to engine moving to DFi between models but mostly due to being higher spec - extra stuff being PASM, PSE, Chrono, turbo wheels, GT silver, various other bits. Worth the extra? That's subjective but I'd be happy to go with the lower spec if buying for 3rd time (but taking the PSE if possible)
So anyway, I had two Boxsters in a row, both about 6 months old similar mileage (dammit, there I go) one was £10k more, partly due to engine moving to DFi between models but mostly due to being higher spec - extra stuff being PASM, PSE, Chrono, turbo wheels, GT silver, various other bits. Worth the extra? That's subjective but I'd be happy to go with the lower spec if buying for 3rd time (but taking the PSE if possible)
I recently bought a base 981 Boxster in White. It has minimal options, in manual. I bought it for £26.5 k with 17 k on the clock. Now, an outdated navigation unit is not much use when I use my up-to-date Android device for that. Other frivolities such as heated seats, artificial pops from the exhaust for no power gain and 14-way adjustable seats are all very nice, but when hammering down a B-road, I don't think I would have gained much pleasure in spending an extra £5+ k for the options. I still have the same beautiful looking machine and the glorious flat six wailing behind my head. Instead, that money will be spent on Italian road trips and sunny Sunday lunch jaunts. I'm sure I won't miss the heated seats and extra weight of the seat motors then 
. But, in the end, it all comes down to priorities.
. But, in the end, it all comes down to priorities.Mileage not of interest to me because I'll be pounding the motorways and it'll soon rack up.
I guess the other argument is 2.7 vs 3.4, given most of my driving is in traffic/commuting you'd think the 2.7 would suffice but its the 2% of the time I open the car up I'll be wishing I had the 3.4.
I've seen a gorgeous fully kitted 2.7, but I know when I get on the autobahn I'll wish I had held out for a 3.4!
I guess the other argument is 2.7 vs 3.4, given most of my driving is in traffic/commuting you'd think the 2.7 would suffice but its the 2% of the time I open the car up I'll be wishing I had the 3.4.
I've seen a gorgeous fully kitted 2.7, but I know when I get on the autobahn I'll wish I had held out for a 3.4!
I've just been through the exact same dilemma.
I wanted to swap my 987S for a 981 as I am really a bit too tall for the 987, I wanted a more modern car with a decent bluetooth phone and sound system, an engine that won't melt when it gets warm, and I quite fancied the PDK/paddles for a bit of a change ("my other car is a manual..."). I kept telling myself a 981 GTS was the way to go, but at 60k for a used car I was starting to think I was going mad - I paid that for my (then 3 year old) 997 turbo 4 years ago, and that is a monster of a car.
So I drove a few, and worked out what was important for me - which won't be the same as for everyone else.
To cut a long story short, I decided to spend as little as I could, but I wanted a few options to make the car look and feel special. I ended up with a mint condition, fully loaded late 2012 PDK 981S (and when I say fully loaded I mean it, I can't think what wasn't ticked on the options list) with 27k miles on the clock, FPSH and warranty for £24K plus my Boxster, so about £36k in real terms.
I've justified this to myself on the basis that I get probably 99% of the fun of the GTS for just over half the price. It is a truly wonderful (and beautiful) car, and a massive upgrade on the 987, so it was well worth the cost to change for me. And to be honest I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I'd have paid another 25-30k for pretty much the same thing.
And... I should mention VanRooyen in Warrington for supplying the car, they took it to the OPC for a 111 point check, had some minor issues this identified resolved, put a new MOT and new tyres on it, repainted the wheel rims (I didn't like the silver band on the black alloys), polished and prepped it to within an inch of its life and even put fuel in it (which is more than Wilmslow OPC did when I bought my wife's Cayenne GTS). Really nice guys to deal with and a surprisingly pleasant experience.
I wanted to swap my 987S for a 981 as I am really a bit too tall for the 987, I wanted a more modern car with a decent bluetooth phone and sound system, an engine that won't melt when it gets warm, and I quite fancied the PDK/paddles for a bit of a change ("my other car is a manual..."). I kept telling myself a 981 GTS was the way to go, but at 60k for a used car I was starting to think I was going mad - I paid that for my (then 3 year old) 997 turbo 4 years ago, and that is a monster of a car.
So I drove a few, and worked out what was important for me - which won't be the same as for everyone else.
To cut a long story short, I decided to spend as little as I could, but I wanted a few options to make the car look and feel special. I ended up with a mint condition, fully loaded late 2012 PDK 981S (and when I say fully loaded I mean it, I can't think what wasn't ticked on the options list) with 27k miles on the clock, FPSH and warranty for £24K plus my Boxster, so about £36k in real terms.
I've justified this to myself on the basis that I get probably 99% of the fun of the GTS for just over half the price. It is a truly wonderful (and beautiful) car, and a massive upgrade on the 987, so it was well worth the cost to change for me. And to be honest I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I'd have paid another 25-30k for pretty much the same thing.
And... I should mention VanRooyen in Warrington for supplying the car, they took it to the OPC for a 111 point check, had some minor issues this identified resolved, put a new MOT and new tyres on it, repainted the wheel rims (I didn't like the silver band on the black alloys), polished and prepped it to within an inch of its life and even put fuel in it (which is more than Wilmslow OPC did when I bought my wife's Cayenne GTS). Really nice guys to deal with and a surprisingly pleasant experience.
I went for a 981S, fully kitted for less than £42k. Very happy with the car and the price I paid.
Again very surprised, normally dealers do the bare minimum.
gd said:
I've just been through the exact same dilemma.
I wanted to swap my 987S for a 981 as I am really a bit too tall for the 987, I wanted a more modern car with a decent bluetooth phone and sound system, an engine that won't melt when it gets warm, and I quite fancied the PDK/paddles for a bit of a change ("my other car is a manual..."). I kept telling myself a 981 GTS was the way to go, but at 60k for a used car I was starting to think I was going mad - I paid that for my (then 3 year old) 997 turbo 4 years ago, and that is a monster of a car.
So I drove a few, and worked out what was important for me - which won't be the same as for everyone else.
To cut a long story short, I decided to spend as little as I could, but I wanted a few options to make the car look and feel special. I ended up with a mint condition, fully loaded late 2012 PDK 981S (and when I say fully loaded I mean it, I can't think what wasn't ticked on the options list) with 27k miles on the clock, FPSH and warranty for £24K plus my Boxster, so about £36k in real terms.
I've justified this to myself on the basis that I get probably 99% of the fun of the GTS for just over half the price. It is a truly wonderful (and beautiful) car, and a massive upgrade on the 987, so it was well worth the cost to change for me. And to be honest I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I'd have paid another 25-30k for pretty much the same thing.
And... I should mention VanRooyen in Warrington for supplying the car, they took it to the OPC for a 111 point check, had some minor issues this identified resolved, put a new MOT and new tyres on it, repainted the wheel rims (I didn't like the silver band on the black alloys), polished and prepped it to within an inch of its life and even put fuel in it (which is more than Wilmslow OPC did when I bought my wife's Cayenne GTS). Really nice guys to deal with and a surprisingly pleasant experience.
Ha I bought my car from them the other day, like you I found VanRooyen brilliant. Amazing car preparation, half a tank of fuel (which I didn't ask for), MOT even though it had 9 months to go and just really nice friendly guys to deal with. I wanted to swap my 987S for a 981 as I am really a bit too tall for the 987, I wanted a more modern car with a decent bluetooth phone and sound system, an engine that won't melt when it gets warm, and I quite fancied the PDK/paddles for a bit of a change ("my other car is a manual..."). I kept telling myself a 981 GTS was the way to go, but at 60k for a used car I was starting to think I was going mad - I paid that for my (then 3 year old) 997 turbo 4 years ago, and that is a monster of a car.
So I drove a few, and worked out what was important for me - which won't be the same as for everyone else.
To cut a long story short, I decided to spend as little as I could, but I wanted a few options to make the car look and feel special. I ended up with a mint condition, fully loaded late 2012 PDK 981S (and when I say fully loaded I mean it, I can't think what wasn't ticked on the options list) with 27k miles on the clock, FPSH and warranty for £24K plus my Boxster, so about £36k in real terms.
I've justified this to myself on the basis that I get probably 99% of the fun of the GTS for just over half the price. It is a truly wonderful (and beautiful) car, and a massive upgrade on the 987, so it was well worth the cost to change for me. And to be honest I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I'd have paid another 25-30k for pretty much the same thing.
And... I should mention VanRooyen in Warrington for supplying the car, they took it to the OPC for a 111 point check, had some minor issues this identified resolved, put a new MOT and new tyres on it, repainted the wheel rims (I didn't like the silver band on the black alloys), polished and prepped it to within an inch of its life and even put fuel in it (which is more than Wilmslow OPC did when I bought my wife's Cayenne GTS). Really nice guys to deal with and a surprisingly pleasant experience.
Again very surprised, normally dealers do the bare minimum.
Gerber1 said:
Ha I bought my car from them the other day, like you I found VanRooyen brilliant. Amazing car preparation, half a tank of fuel (which I didn't ask for), MOT even though it had 9 months to go and just really nice friendly guys to deal with.
Again very surprised, normally dealers do the bare minimum.
Was that the Guards Red one? That is a beautiful car, if I'd been looking for a Cayman I'd have had their arm off for that one, its lovely. I wanted a Boxster though. But yes, I totally agree, my experience of VR so far is surprisingly good, I've no hesitation in recommending them and I will probably buy from them againAgain very surprised, normally dealers do the bare minimum.
gd said:
Gerber1 said:
Ha I bought my car from them the other day, like you I found VanRooyen brilliant. Amazing car preparation, half a tank of fuel (which I didn't ask for), MOT even though it had 9 months to go and just really nice friendly guys to deal with.
Again very surprised, normally dealers do the bare minimum.
Was that the Guards Red one? That is a beautiful car, if I'd been looking for a Cayman I'd have had their arm off for that one, its lovely. I wanted a Boxster though. But yes, I totally agree, my experience of VR so far is surprisingly good, I've no hesitation in recommending them and I will probably buy from them againAgain very surprised, normally dealers do the bare minimum.
gd said:
Was that the Guards Red one? That is a beautiful car, if I'd been looking for a Cayman I'd have had their arm off for that one, its lovely. I wanted a Boxster though. But yes, I totally agree, my experience of VR so far is surprisingly good, I've no hesitation in recommending them and I will probably buy from them again
That Guards Red one has a great spec. Very similar to my GTS's. Colour really suits the car too IMO - I used to have an S in that.Kananga said:
Out of curiosity, what is a 997.2 C2S worth today ? Assuming nice but not mega spec, and 30-40k miles.
OPCs seem to have them upwards of £45k but interested to hear what people think.
I was looking at this whilst looking around a couple of months ago. I would say about 38-40k for a decent 2010/11 car. OPC asking and selling prices are sometimes quite far apart, and with a bit of persuasion you can bag a deal, especially if it's the right time of year/end of quarter. And obviously will depend on spec, I've just paid about 3-4k more than the average for my 981S Boxster but it was because it had every extra going, which I was happy to pay for.OPCs seem to have them upwards of £45k but interested to hear what people think.
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