Talk me out of / into a 911
Discussion
i don't claim to be rolling in cash, but I am hoping next year to stabilise a few things financially and be able to potentially scratch an increasing itch of recent times. I am very aware that ICE cars have an uncertain future, and I have a long list of cars I would love to own.... so I am also slightly feeling like I need to act even if it costs me more money than I would like to spend, as if I don't go for it now, I may lose the opportunity in future. Budget is back of a fag packet £1000 a month or so... no I can't buy one outright.
I drove a 911 GT3 RS at an airfield in Spring and just can't quite get it out of my mind... now I definitely cannot stretch to one of those, but I might through some squeak and what appears to be softening market values a 'normal' GT3. However, I have two kids (4 and 6) and so the lack of back seats probably rules it out sadly (although I know it's possible to do a conversion, it may end up being £7k or something to do it (and unclear impact on resale value for the car).
So this sort of led me to something like a Carrera GTS... I would be able to afford a newer example than a GT3...
i do think one of the modern targas could be great. I don't really like the full convertible. Although, would that interfere with the ability to use a roof box for trips away?
i don't really know what I am asking... many just for opinions and views, things I haven't considered etc.
I drove a 911 GT3 RS at an airfield in Spring and just can't quite get it out of my mind... now I definitely cannot stretch to one of those, but I might through some squeak and what appears to be softening market values a 'normal' GT3. However, I have two kids (4 and 6) and so the lack of back seats probably rules it out sadly (although I know it's possible to do a conversion, it may end up being £7k or something to do it (and unclear impact on resale value for the car).
So this sort of led me to something like a Carrera GTS... I would be able to afford a newer example than a GT3...
i do think one of the modern targas could be great. I don't really like the full convertible. Although, would that interfere with the ability to use a roof box for trips away?
i don't really know what I am asking... many just for opinions and views, things I haven't considered etc.
Go for it. I wouldn't put rear seats in a GT3 personally.
I was in the same boat - wanted something "pure" and driver focused but didn't want to chuck more than £45k into something.
Ended up with a 996.2 with a 3.9 Hartech engine and full suspension refresh. It's not "hardcore" but is a cracking fun road car which I can take the kids along (they are 7 and 4).
And it feels like a 911 which the newer cars may not. Arguably still too fast for UK roads though.
Depends what you are after really
I was in the same boat - wanted something "pure" and driver focused but didn't want to chuck more than £45k into something.
Ended up with a 996.2 with a 3.9 Hartech engine and full suspension refresh. It's not "hardcore" but is a cracking fun road car which I can take the kids along (they are 7 and 4).
And it feels like a 911 which the newer cars may not. Arguably still too fast for UK roads though.
Depends what you are after really
So long as you can afford it and your circumstances aren't liable to change, go for it. Life is very short and to experience a car you've dreamed of owning is a lovely experience.
I'd suggest a good 991.1 GTS, either manual or PDK, you get the rear seats, you get the modernity of a Porsche built in the last decade century, they'll come with warranties and you can put it back into the OPC warranty for peace of mind.
It'll be super quick enough to scare you/lose a license, it'll be comfortable on those boring trips on motorways, it'll be weirdly practical and it'll be something you'll likely enjoy driving.
Have a look around, find a local Porsche specialist that sells; JZM, RPM, Paragon etc and take one for a test drive.
I'd suggest a good 991.1 GTS, either manual or PDK, you get the rear seats, you get the modernity of a Porsche built in the last decade century, they'll come with warranties and you can put it back into the OPC warranty for peace of mind.
It'll be super quick enough to scare you/lose a license, it'll be comfortable on those boring trips on motorways, it'll be weirdly practical and it'll be something you'll likely enjoy driving.
Have a look around, find a local Porsche specialist that sells; JZM, RPM, Paragon etc and take one for a test drive.
i tend to not always have an interesting car, but then when i find something that excites me my mind goes into full planning and research mode. It's amazing how much of a positive difference it can make having a car you love as it turns even mundane trips and commuting into an event.
I had
The lessened practicality worries me a wee bit as I have come out of a C63S estate which was an excellent all-rounder. We do love a road trip but i think some careful though will be needed for things like state of roads and likelihood of rocky car parks etc. Maybe I should just not worry about that as it would be solved at the time. Also I am not sure how big the seats are in the rear although I can see Porsche sell child seats designed for the mini back seats of the 911.
I saw a DMS remap on one of these to something fairly crazy as with all the 3.0T models...
possibly i need to drive one to see how doable it all is but wouldn't want to be branded a timewaster by a dealer as I am not ready to buy!
I had
The lessened practicality worries me a wee bit as I have come out of a C63S estate which was an excellent all-rounder. We do love a road trip but i think some careful though will be needed for things like state of roads and likelihood of rocky car parks etc. Maybe I should just not worry about that as it would be solved at the time. Also I am not sure how big the seats are in the rear although I can see Porsche sell child seats designed for the mini back seats of the 911.
I saw a DMS remap on one of these to something fairly crazy as with all the 3.0T models...
possibly i need to drive one to see how doable it all is but wouldn't want to be branded a timewaster by a dealer as I am not ready to buy!
991.1 GTS would be an excellent choice. I'd keep an eye out on CC or similar auction sites, there are bargains to be had these days, unlike AT where there are loads of ambitious sellers who haven't adjusted to this current market.
Don't get a targa, they're heavier than a convertible and you get lots of buffetting. Looks nice but the worst pick dynamically.
Don't get a targa, they're heavier than a convertible and you get lots of buffetting. Looks nice but the worst pick dynamically.
Blown2CV said:
i don't claim to be rolling in cash, but I am hoping next year to stabilise a few things financially and be able to potentially scratch an increasing itch of recent times. I am very aware that ICE cars have an uncertain future, and I have a long list of cars I would love to own.... so I am also slightly feeling like I need to act even if it costs me more money than I would like to spend, as if I don't go for it now, I may lose the opportunity in future. Budget is back of a fag packet £1000 a month or so... no I can't buy one outright.
I drove a 911 GT3 RS at an airfield in Spring and just can't quite get it out of my mind... now I definitely cannot stretch to one of those, but I might through some squeak and what appears to be softening market values a 'normal' GT3. However, I have two kids (4 and 6) and so the lack of back seats probably rules it out sadly (although I know it's possible to do a conversion, it may end up being £7k or something to do it (and unclear impact on resale value for the car).
So this sort of led me to something like a Carrera GTS... I would be able to afford a newer example than a GT3...
i do think one of the modern targas could be great. I don't really like the full convertible. Although, would that interfere with the ability to use a roof box for trips away?
i don't really know what I am asking... many just for opinions and views, things I haven't considered etc.
What a refreshing post!I drove a 911 GT3 RS at an airfield in Spring and just can't quite get it out of my mind... now I definitely cannot stretch to one of those, but I might through some squeak and what appears to be softening market values a 'normal' GT3. However, I have two kids (4 and 6) and so the lack of back seats probably rules it out sadly (although I know it's possible to do a conversion, it may end up being £7k or something to do it (and unclear impact on resale value for the car).
So this sort of led me to something like a Carrera GTS... I would be able to afford a newer example than a GT3...
i do think one of the modern targas could be great. I don't really like the full convertible. Although, would that interfere with the ability to use a roof box for trips away?
i don't really know what I am asking... many just for opinions and views, things I haven't considered etc.
I’d say go for it and the only advice I have is try a few before you buy, most Porsche centres and specialists will have a broad selection and I’d like to think that they’d offer you a few test drives to help you make your decision. You may find that you don’t need to spend as much each month or that your prefer the way a certain model drives - only you can decide!
I’ve had a 991 and now have a 992, loved the 991 but prefer the 992.
Good luck
What everyone has said above really.... had the latest greatest 992 C2S a few years back, loved it, scratched the itch, no, didn't have £100k up front, but put enough in to get the monthlies to £750ish.
Now have a 997 C2S, which I bought outright following the sale of the 992. Currently holed up in a garage on a trickle charger for winter.
Both are 911's, both are brilliant in their own way, depends what you want. 997 manual is much more of a raw car, I'd imagine that a 996 is probably even more so, especially with a 3.9! When bore score inevitably strikes my 997(!), I'm going 4.1, no ifs or buts.
If you earn it and can afford it, keep an eye on re-sale in case things change and just do it. Life is too short.
Don't regret my 992 (on finance!) one little bit. Love my 997 just as much though.
Now have a 997 C2S, which I bought outright following the sale of the 992. Currently holed up in a garage on a trickle charger for winter.
Both are 911's, both are brilliant in their own way, depends what you want. 997 manual is much more of a raw car, I'd imagine that a 996 is probably even more so, especially with a 3.9! When bore score inevitably strikes my 997(!), I'm going 4.1, no ifs or buts.
If you earn it and can afford it, keep an eye on re-sale in case things change and just do it. Life is too short.
Don't regret my 992 (on finance!) one little bit. Love my 997 just as much though.
Go drive some different options - definitely don't discount the older cars until you have tried them. Personally I think a good 996 is about the optimum 911, especially when value for money is taken into account, but am very much biased as a repeated 9x6 owner. Prices are dropping on some rather special cars such as 997.2 GTS, lots of options out there.
I agree with going earlier/older. Also they're narrower so easier to deal with parking and tight urban and country roads. Also, for normal roads (read: potholed, cracked and lumpy), a non-GT car might be a better prospect.
If you can ignore the headlights (easy when you're sitting inside the car), then the 996 is very affordable. And crazily so in Carrera format. It has the nicest interior, too, unless you prefer Audi interiors.
If you can ignore the headlights (easy when you're sitting inside the car), then the 996 is very affordable. And crazily so in Carrera format. It has the nicest interior, too, unless you prefer Audi interiors.
I admire the optimism and life's short sentiment here but the 4 and 6 year old will be growing quickly. Will they really want to sit in the back of a 911 and go touring? Having previously bought a car that I thought would make for great family days out I'd be testing that element first.
997s and 991s are fabulous cars. I'd be very happy with a C2 in either and 991s look to be getting cheaper by the week.
997s and 991s are fabulous cars. I'd be very happy with a C2 in either and 991s look to be getting cheaper by the week.
indeed, 4 and 6 year old, you've got maybe 4 years tops before they become too big for the rear seats of a 911. clock is ticking, get it bought. the time has already passed you by for strict 2 seaters, have to wait until both kids are grown up and flown the nest before you can realistically get one of them again.
on a similar vein, im seriously considering ditching my very sensible, but high miles BMW 330d and getting an audi S6, with a v10. even if i only run it for a year and put up with barely 20mpg, at least when i look back at my life, i can say i had a big petrol V10 at least once.
then after a couple of years, can sell it on and go back to normality with something even more sensible like a 120d.
fortunately for me, we're happily childfree, so my weekend car can remain a 2 seater, currently its a boxster, though a 370Z or even an R8 would be lovely in the future.
on a similar vein, im seriously considering ditching my very sensible, but high miles BMW 330d and getting an audi S6, with a v10. even if i only run it for a year and put up with barely 20mpg, at least when i look back at my life, i can say i had a big petrol V10 at least once.
then after a couple of years, can sell it on and go back to normality with something even more sensible like a 120d.
fortunately for me, we're happily childfree, so my weekend car can remain a 2 seater, currently its a boxster, though a 370Z or even an R8 would be lovely in the future.
Maxus said:
I admire the optimism and life's short sentiment here but the 4 and 6 year old will be growing quickly. Will they really want to sit in the back of a 911 and go touring?
I was squeezing into the back of my dad's 996 Turbo when I was 15 for cross-continental trips!I loved the car, which helped.
Shaoxter said:
991.1 GTS would be an excellent choice. I'd keep an eye out on CC or similar auction sites, there are bargains to be had these days, unlike AT where there are loads of ambitious sellers who haven't adjusted to this current market.
Don't get a targa, they're heavier than a convertible and you get lots of buffetting. Looks nice but the worst pick dynamically.
Good shout re the targaDon't get a targa, they're heavier than a convertible and you get lots of buffetting. Looks nice but the worst pick dynamically.
Trufit said:
What a refreshing post!
I’d say go for it and the only advice I have is try a few before you buy, most Porsche centres and specialists will have a broad selection and I’d like to think that they’d offer you a few test drives to help you make your decision. You may find that you don’t need to spend as much each month or that your prefer the way a certain model drives - only you can decide!
I’ve had a 991 and now have a 992, loved the 991 but prefer the 992.
Good luck
Ha refreshing in what way?I’d say go for it and the only advice I have is try a few before you buy, most Porsche centres and specialists will have a broad selection and I’d like to think that they’d offer you a few test drives to help you make your decision. You may find that you don’t need to spend as much each month or that your prefer the way a certain model drives - only you can decide!
I’ve had a 991 and now have a 992, loved the 991 but prefer the 992.
Good luck
I would be inclined to go for the 991 -little bit more space. plus the electronics are a lot more current. I have a few GT Porsches which are really not great DDs and as noted, no little rear seats. I would go for the 991GTS.
Unless you are going to track it there is not much practical advantage in a GT car, and pretty much any 911 is a quick and responsive car to drive.
Unless you are going to track it there is not much practical advantage in a GT car, and pretty much any 911 is a quick and responsive car to drive.
Blown2CV said:
Well when the kids get too big I can just buy something else.
Exactly. Do it. Once they get to about 8/9 they just need a low booster and none at all once they hit 135cm, which frees up room in the back for a while longer.I prefer the older cars to keep the steering feel and smaller size. A 997.2 Carrera would be the sweet spot for me.
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