993 targa any good

[beritz]

i may buy a 993,the wife and i like the targa we have seen but are they any good or would i be better saving 5 grand and buying a coupe version

[Tony_996hasgone]

The 993 targa was based on the cabriolet version of the 993, as such from memory it was heavier than the coupe and therefore marginally slower acceleration. I had mine for about a year and really liked it. The purist would probably tear it apart on the handling side of things, however I remember it being pretty lively and a lot easier to throw around than the subsequent 996.

[domster]

They came out late (post 1995) IIRC, which means they are 285bhp Varioram and don't suffer from the 993 wiring loom fault. Small point to note, but may make a small difference.

You may find the targa suffers from a tiny disadvantage over the coupe in terms of handling, acceleration, rear vis with the roof open and depreciation, but the wind in the hair factor and beautiful engineering of the stylish roof are ample consolation IMHO.

Was tempted myself at one point. LHD one came up for 24k a year back.

[dazren]

I had a drive of a mates LHD targa a few years ago, I really enjoyed it. For a while a lot of them had problems with a "creaking" roof, although I am informed the OPC network are aware how to fix this problem. If the one you're looking at has this problem, check with the garage before you buy as it can be tiresome if it can't be cured.

DAZ

[loudpedal]

Well there's a silver one parked just down the road from me. it is a beauty!

[beritz]

do you think the targa will lose more money than the coupe or vice versa

[domster]

as a percentage of its new price it will lose more money - they are not the enthusiasts' choice, and enthusiasts are the ones who tend to purchase second hand sports cars

for rock solid residuals as a percentage of new price, I'd go for a C2 coupe 6 speed, unmodified and with full porsche history, under 60-70k miles and in a sensible colour like midnight blue, silver or black

for appreciation you could even go for a 993RS

that said, I doubt a 993 Targa will lose a horrendous amount over the next few years as most depreciation has taken place and they are quite a rare car anyway

interestingly, 993 cabrios used to command a premium (in the LHD s/h market at least), and now the coupes fetch as much - see www.rsjsportscars.co.uk for this price comparison

[clubsport]

On the depreciation front consider these new prices from late 1997.

993 C2 £61,395

993 targa £66,095

993 C2 cab £67,590

at the time you would pay a premium of £4,700 for the targa over a regular C2.
Now that the cars are 6-7 years old and will probably had a few owners mileage,service history & condition are now the more relevant factors to consider.

I really do not think targas sell for any more money than coupes.
I prefer the lines the coupe myself,but would certainly take a good sound Targa targa over a higher mileage slightly ropey Coupe any day.

The price of a Cabriolet will be affected more seasonally than the other two,but a good cab is worth at least £3k more than the equivalent Coupe.If you view it on the one day of British summer maybe more

Just to show how consistent Porsche are the price differential on new 996 C2 to targa is £5,100,,,the targa partly due to rarity and the new "hatchback" facility retains most of that premium in the second hand market..at the moment.


Sorry to be so Anal,years of relative value trading seems to have screwed my head up!
Just to show Porsche are pretty consistent