alex_c

It is funny how often we see the title of this post given as an answer to someone who posts his build, for whichever model they want, after adding a few options.

And I really think that is a short-sighted answer. I read the last of this kind of answer when someone just posted a Carrera T build with an MSRP around $120. "You are getting into GTS territory for that money".

Unfortunately that it is a half-truth. The reality is that -in most cases- if someone builds a lower trim with enough options that they WANT, it may indeed reach the ENTRY level of the next trim. I have done that exercise over and over with a Base Carrera, a T, an S and GTS. Yes, if you add enough options, you will reach the next trim, but what we forget sometimes is that if the buyer is adding options, is because they want it that way!

Looking at my own Carrera T build ($125K), I know that I am definitely beyond S and GTS entry levels. But I can't help asking myself: Do I want a T with Sport Chrono, Full leather Carrera T interior, Sport Exhaust, heated seats, Rear Axle Steering, Front Axle Lift, Sport Mirrors, Glass Sunroof, etc... or a bare bones GTS? So, it is not really apples to apples. Yes I could have an S or GTS for that money, but with what? Basic interior (which I don't particularly like on a $100K+ car), no SC, no Sport Exhaust, no Glass Sunroof, no RAS and FAL, no Sport PASM? In my case the answer is NO. And switch my particular case for any of the hundreds of configurations shared here on RL and the answer may end up being the same. Yes, you can have the upper trim lever, but would you be happy with that? I would think not. If you were, then you could strip the same things from your lower trim and still save a bunch of money. Why don't we do it? Because what we are after is not saving money (or you wouldn't be buying a Porsche most likely), it is buying what we like.

Then why, oh why do we keep seeing these type of answers over and over? I think that bottom line, such an answer is based only on resale value. Would the upper trim with less options retain more value than the lower trim with more options? In most cases, yes, definitely. But then my question is: Are you buying your 911 for YOUR enjoyment, or for the next buyer's enjoyment? Do you value "resale" more than enjoyment? If you do, then buy up the next bare-bones trim, or simply ditch all the options and save even more money. If not, be happy with your spec and enjoy it!!!.

Perhaps there are some very few exceptions, specially between an S and a GTS. if you add all the included stuff in the GTS to a base S, you will end up paying more for the S with the SAME features, which in that case, does not make any sense at all. But I think that is the only exception in the Porsche world. Perhaps the same thing happens between a Base Carrera and a T. Once you "mimic" a T as much as possible from a Base, you en up with a more expensive Base than a T, with even less features.

I think that as long as we, as buyers are aware of what I mentioned in the previous paragraphs, and buy what we really want, and not what has better resale value, the answer to "why wouldn't you instead buy up to an xxx?" the answer should be: Because I'll be happier with what I want.

If you are happy with your build, whatever it is, don't bother thinking about having breached the next trim level's entry price. Most likely, you will not be as happy with a bare bones upper trim than your fully decked out "lower" trim.

Thoughts?

Cheers!

R_Rated

This is true and so many variables. My car was 137K MSRP. I bought with 1.2K miles @ 80K and am over 20K in mods... Buying new vs used is the first variable.... Buying a new 911 could net you any number of higher trim CPO options and even more for a previous gen. Then there are things like some of us that like Cabs and there isn't a GT3 for that. Others like a base with full leather, burmester, etc. since they prefer driving a slow car fast It's so personal. I have a hypothesis that if someone could afford a >100K for a car then they COULD pony up for a GT3 is they truly wanted. Also - some of us just can't help but mod and can't stay away from that crack so we need to spend less on a car to do so

alex_c

Agree, with also supports my theory. You will be happier buying what you WANT, not what necessarily "makes more sense" from the mere economic point of view.

erko1905

I think there's definitely something to be said about getting exactly what you want, although it does come at a price. What I found in my car searches is that neither the bare bones builds, nor the extremely loaded builds do as well as the middle of the pack sensible/tasteful builds, for different reasons. Bare bones builds are hard to sell (especially at this price point), whereas extremely optioned builds don't seem to command a high enough premium. All said and done, I'm not a big believer in constantly trying to optimize resale value; I feel like it takes away from your enjoyment, which must also be worth something since you're incurring this expense to enjoy a nice car in the first place.

R_Rated

Absolutely - its so personal. It also depends on how you intend to use it. i'd like an additional car that was a coupe [my wife would divorce me] and if I was daily driving a 911 it would be #2 car. If I had unlimited funds I'd have a Gt3 and a Spyder or a GT4 and my car. It's all about cramming the most emotional return into your personal use case, budget and space.

BlueNorther

Depends. If you are looking for a performance oriented build, there is a lot of value to the GTS. When I ordered my GTS Coupe (a month before the T was announced), it made a lot of sense, because I wanted PSE, SPASM, SC, and was happy to get the wide body and extra HP on top of that. Plus I liked the styling bits that came with the GTS package.

You also have to factor in availability and discount (both favorable for the GTS when I ordered).

And the included options in GTS package are baked into the MRSP, so will depreciate less than stand alone options -- FWIW, theoretically.

You just have to be rational about it and configure the car you want in base/T/S/GTS and see how it plays out at each level. Then factor in availability and discount/ADM.

sampelligrino

I think many P-car owners and enthusiasts just have certain 911 variants that they prefer, we can be a picky bunch, and at the end of the day what matters is you are happy

Some want more HP/torque than the base engine so that rules out C2, C4, T; some want wide body ruling out C2, C2S, T; etc... Some hate CLs so can make GTS tough, some need better ground clearance so no SPASM, etc...

Personally for me I wanted a C4 (non-S) specifically, and I wanted a GT3 specifically. I could have bought a number of different 911 models at the price points of each both new and used, and went for those 2 because those were the 2 specific cars I wanted. Plain and simple

Just go with what makes you happy and what *you* (and not anyone else) will enjoy!!

alex_c

Completely agree. As you pointed out, it depends on what the buyer is looking for, and not just the price point. If you mainly want performance, for example, it may make more sense to go the highest level, as that would be the #1 option in that case, even if that means sacrificing other "lesser" options. In other cases, the lower trim with more important options for the buyer may bring more satisfaction. At the end of the day, it is what each buyer really wants that matter, therefore the generic "you could've had a ___" type of answer makes no sense in general.

Right. Man, what an awesome experience awaits you in April with the Euro delivery of your new GT3!!!!

96redLT4

I am on my second 911, both of which I ordered new from the factory. I think this is different than every other car I have bought new off a lot or used. Porsches, and especially the options on a P car are so expensive that it really is best to order new if you can and pay for exactly what you really want. This being said, if you intend to sell the car at some point, its probably smart to order options that will make it desirable for the next guy.

Jim

Need4S

Porsche has cleverly arranged its models, options and pricing so that a well-optioned lower model will bump up against the next higher level model (or further, if you go really wild with options), with the next level model having standard most, but not all, of what is optional in the lower model. This encourages people to buy upwards. Clever, huh!? As others noted, the key is to buy what you want, but also to exercise some restraint, or else all of us could end up paying the prices for GT3s or Turbo S's (and be in various degrees of debt!).

urbanscribe

You could have had a 125 word post for that.

alex_c

That is SOOOO true!

I have seen some oddball builds and color combinations that would make me do a double take and think "what were they tinking????"

Just saw a 2017 Targa with less than 3,000 miles selling for around $115K (MSRP was over $130K when new. Way less than any other Targa I've seen anywhere else with that year and miles. If it had a more... er... "normal" color combination I would have bought it on the spot, as all other options were very desirable. But I just couldn't overlook the color combination on that vehicle. Granted, I could have wrapped the whole car for less than what others are selling for, but still, makes me wonder how much that owner lost in the trade. I would imagine that if you are going to get something that "unique" is because you would expect to keep it a lot longer than that. On the other hand, I saw a similar build with a great color combination (actually bought by a fellow forum member) with similar miles and even little higher MSRP that sold for nearly sticker and lasted less than a week at the dealer.

I actually saw another 911 that look beautiful with what seemed to be a matte finish that had been sitting for quite some time at the dealer. i couldn't imagine why, until I saw below the edge of the frunk that it was a completely different color! I was told they had to wrap it because apparently that was not a very popular color. After the wrap the car sold very quickly!

Food for thought.

drcollie

My take on this is different. I remember when the 991 first came out in 2012 / 2013 - I believe it was Road & Track that said words to the effect of "This Porsche is so good you don't need a single option to enjoy it". And I think they are right, it excels as a base model - and is affordable to people like me who have to stretch to buy a $ 100K car. My Porsche requirements were simple, I wanted a convertible and it had to be a manual transmission. Then I waited, and waited, and waited for a deal. Now, there are not many 991 Cabs made as 3-pedal cars, something like 93 % are made as PDK's and heavily optioned with big price tags. A 991S Cab 7=speed arrived with almost no options at one of the dealers in town. It had metallic paint, sport chrono and sport steering wheel. That was it. I watched it sit on the lot a long time, even test drove it. They wanted too close to MSRP. But - it wasn't selling. Finally after 10 months of being on the lot, they "punched" the car and wanted to blow it out. I made an offer even below their blow out price and they accepted it.

Four years later I don't miss a single thing option-wise. Road & Track was right - you don't need the options to make the car great. And with the $ 20,000 + I saved - instead of full-cow interior, 18 way seats and Bose stereo - I bought a new BMW R1200GS to keep it company in the garage. I'd buy the same car, the same way again. I like the hot deals.

xstnte

I could have bought a GTS for what I paid for my GTS...

RRDnA

The simple answer is, buy the car that you like and configure it to your tastes - thats the beauty of Porsche, it allows you to do this. I'm always bemused by a lot of the reviews that comment on the "extensive options list" - the whole point of the options list is build a car to ones own personal taste - that makes it special/unique to that person.

I can fully understand why some one would buy a Carrera and add full leather everything and Burmeister likewise I can appreciate the fact that some one would like a Carrera T/C stripper.

In my case, I prefer the curves of the narrow body but wanted a combination of performance (powerkit, PDK, SC, RAS) and utility (moonroof, ventilated seats etc). For me its the perfect GT car.

When it comes to the GT3 - I have my own personal preferences e.g. 997 Series II followed by the 996 Series II - these are intimate cars, perhaps more in line with the Cayman than the current GT3 - also they are fantastic driving machines and really keep you on your toes. Hence my next GT car will be a GT4 as long as it comes with PDK. 996GT3II - 202W/kg, 997GT3II 236W/kg, 718GT4 250W/kg

As always, different strokes for different folks