997.1 X51 vs 991: helping a brother out!
 

I am spending too much time on this board, as I am now getting regular requests from local enthusiasts on "which car they should pursue".

I know this is biased, as this is the 991 forum, but the 997 is very good in its own right, and a friend has asked me which car he should look at (both are private party cars), and unadvertised. He wants to use it for weekend spirited driving, the occasional Porsche Friday, and the occasional DE

Car one); super clean 35,000 mile 2012 C2S for $62,000. It has Sports Pasm, 18-way seats, PSE, sport chrono. Aside from missing a 3rd pedal and the X51 kit, it was perfectly ordered! It has a bit of CPO remaining

Car two), clean, but driven 997.1 C2S for $49,000. Slate Grey, 55,000 miles, X51, PCCB, Adaptive Sport seats, with upgraded B16 coilovers and PASM functionality. It hasn't seen track time, but the suspension was getting old and the B16 is nicer than the stock PASM. New clutch, one owner, solid car. Something similar but with fewer miles sold on BAT for $50k last year.

Now, the 991 only makes 15hp more than the 997 X51. I understand the 991 is lighter as well. Which is more fun to drive? $13,000 isn't a huge amount of money in the grand scheme of things, but there is a mileage difference (20k) and an age difference (6 years). There is also the 3-pedal vs Dual Clutch argument, which can't be resolved here. The older manuals are quite nice, speaking from experience.

My opinion: at first, I was all over the "get the 997!" argument. Fun car, good lines, rare build, and they aren't making them anymore. Then, thinking about it, the 991 might make more sense. 6 years newer and 20,000 fewer miles for $13,000 seems like a deal. It is a faster, more comfortable car. My 997.2 with stock suspension and 60,000 miles wasn't that great on road trips, whereas the 991 models I have been in, even the Sport Pasm ones, are much improved.

Then again, if people are paying high 40's-low 50's for 997.1 X51 cars and only $13,000 less for a lower mile 991, there must be a reason! A $40k 997 with a great spec is a ton of car for the money, just like a $65k Turbo 997.1 is. A 997.1 at $50k or a 997.1 Turbo at $85k; I am not so sure about that.

That 35k mile 2012 S is what I would go for. Excellent price.

key to happiness in life is understanding yourself and knowing what you really value

key to happiness in choosing a porsche is intensively test driving and not asking others for opinions from afar

I could never imagine asking someone which of those 2 cars to buy since they are so different; however, since you are asking I will play along: the newer one of course.

I said the same!

The 991 C2S will be the better car in every way.

No MT would be a deal-breaker for me. You have to ask yourself if that is an important factor for you or not. If the transmission isn't a factor for you, then the 991 is the better value for money.

It isn't my decision (I wouldn't mind a 991 PDK, but 997 has to be manual). I agree with the 991 being a LOT more car for the money. With that said, 997 models are popular, although they have started to trend downward in price recently.

Motortrend gave the 991.1 Best Drivers car 2 years in a row... no other car has gotten that.

Just FYI

I think it's more of a question of do you want a more raw direct driving experience versus performance modern vehicle. Both vehicles are pretty low on their depreciation curve, but the 997 is def closer to the bottom, so that could be a factor. If this were a weekend toy I would get the 997 Manual car. If this is DD, the 991.1 is more refined and better for commuting and stop and go.

This ^^^^. No brainer.

Now go post this in the 997 forum and get REALLY confused :)

i couldn't be happier with a 2015 991.1. i think it's the perfect car. the money savings are substantial and they all kind of do the same thing for you, but consider the interior for a moment. it's really night and day difference between the two. you would be getting the back end of an old platform or the front end of a new one. the steering may be better on the 997 but think that's about it.

tough decision but in the end you will be happy with either.