jdcolombo

Hi everyone.

New to Rennlist, and perhaps soon to be new to Porsches. I'm looking at buying a 2013 Carrera S Cabrio, 21K miles, PDK, Porsche certified, from a "local" (OK, 250 miles away) dealer. I've driven BMW's for the past 20 years, none of them really high-performance cars. My current car is a 2011 BMW 128i convertible, with the last of BMW's naturally-aspirated in-line sixes. Wonderful little cruiser, but hardly a high-performance sports car.

I've done a ton of research on the 991-series 911's, including reading a lot of threads here on Rennlist. So I've become somewhat familiar with change-over valves, potential door panel warpage, etc. But since this will be my very first Porsche, I thought I'd ask the old hands if there is anything in particular I should look for or questions I should ask when I go test drive the car.

Looking forward to being part of the community.

John C.

Stealth 993

As with BMW's there are always some issues with every car that comes out. The 991 is a solid car with only a few little issues, that are not deal breaker. The door panels, one some the dealer has taken care of out of warranty, and there is also an aftermarket permeant fix. The PDK is solid, and not an issue. The coolant issue is way better then the coolant issue on the M50/M52 BMW engines!

Drive it, if it speaks to you, get it. If you are really worried about, get the extended Porsche warranty. Just know oil changes and parts will be more than BMW.

I'm the same as you, came from years with BMW's, then BMW's started to suck, and cost over $100,000, moved over to Porsche, and have been so happy to do so! I do miss the V10 in my E60 M5, that was one incredible car to own, and higher running cost than my 991.

spiderv6

The Porsche CPO is an excellent warranty. If you have that, you have essentially nothing to worry about for two years.

Many here will anyway tell you to get an independent PPI done to be fully sure all is ok.

visitador

No two Porsches are the same. I am sure you know the VIN search website to see what options a particular car has.

My only advice is a subjective one: I have read some many posts of potential buyers being so finicky that they'll never end up buying one. List your top three priorities and go from there. Otherwise you'll become a zombie buyer

jdcolombo

I have the original build sheet from the dealer so I know the options on the car. It just so happens that this car ticks all the correct boxes for me, including preferred exterior/interior color, PDK, Sport Chrono package, and it's a Carrera S cabrio with the naturally-aspirated flat-6. I'm not a turbo-hater, but one of the reasons I've kept my 128i convertible so long is that it has the last naturally-aspirated inline 6 BMW built, and I'm just used to how those engines perform. If I had my druthers, I'd probably look at a manual transmission, but my wife would prefer a PDK, and I've got left-ankle problems that would be better served in the long run by having the PDK.

I'll admit to being a little intimidated by the idea of owning a 911. These were cars I used to read about in Road & Track as a teenager and never imagined I might one day actually be able to buy one!

John C.

Rich_Jenkins

I only wanted to comment on your note about being intimidated. I get it. I only have a low-end base C2, and it was quite something to get into it the first time. But I'll tell you, these cars are pretty unfussy. The wipers work. The lights work. The visibility and driving position are excellent. As far as a "car" to get from A to B, they work really well, and do it in unremarkably efficient fashion. To me, that's a big part of what makes the 911 such an attractive car; it has enough room to pack for a long trip, get there safely, and be able to boot it along if you want along the way. Yeah they aren't cheap, but they aren't made of silk, either.

Good luck with the purchase. Sounds like you have a good plan, and I suspect you'll enjoy the NA motor in that cab.

NineElevenTime

I say buy it - life is short and the things you regret are more often the ones you don't do, rather than the ones you do.

Like you, I've owned a string of BMW and Alpina models (along with Mercedes/AMG) but nothing feels as special as my 911.

I'd suggest getting the warranty for the first two years and if it all seems ok after that then you can decide whether to continue paying for the warranty, or put the money on one side, just in case.

Enjoy

981KMAN

I'll just second getting it CPO'ed (Certified Pre-Owned) if possible. Great 2 year warranty - unlimited miles.

jdcolombo

The car is a CPO and comes with the 2-year CPO warranty. I might get some kind of 3d party warranty after that just to cover the drivetrain - mostly it's out of what is probably unnecessary worry about a problem with the PDK, but I've read enough to know that (1) it's almost certainly NOT ever going to be a problem but (2) if it breaks, it's a 16K replacement repair. I can self-insure pretty much everything else, but I'd probably sleep better knowing that the PDK was covered if a problem developed. I will say that both of our BMW's have been pretty bulletproof; mine's never needed any major service, and my wife's X5 just hit 152,000 and has needed only the engine management sensors replaced. So my general view is that high-end German cars are pretty reliable.

Thanks everyone. I'll let you know how it goes.

John C.

uphoto

They are tough to find right now, so I would drive it asap and if it works for you then buy it quickly. Having the CPO should help with the nerves for some time. If you don't have issues in those two years then you will feel much better with keeping the car, if you're unlucky and it's a bit of a problem car (very rare with Porsches compared to BMW) then you get rid of it before the warranty is up.

Levy

so true. due diligence is a good thing. but shouldn't take years for a modern day 911. years of not driving/enjoying one. vs a potential door panel problem?.....it was easy for me to avoid getting bogged down with the issue during my recent search/pickup.

to the OP....i did look close at all the panels but after that... the "door panel issue" was in the Porsche Gods hands. if it's the right car otherwise but has the panel issue down the road, i'm fine with it. the car has already put countless smiles on my face in the few months i've owned it (2013 S). priceless stuff imho. will have the panels repaired and keep enjoying the ride. think you'll agree very soon =)

fluguy

Get a full leather interior if you can - those door panels do not have the warping issues.
I was afraid of a glass top - but it's cool even with Texas sun.
Get a PPI! Try and get a sample PPI before you commit to the inspection. Mine was a minimal sheet at best.
CarFax is mostly true but if the dealer does not pay a mo/fee then their work is never recorded.
Look around the rear plate for signs of repainting. Rear bumpers are most common for repaints.
Will you get two working keys? I'm guessing Porsche charges $$$ for each.
Will you get all the books/manuals?

jdcolombo

I bought it.

2013 Carrera S Cabrio, 21,000 miles. Dark blue metallic/Luxor Beige full leather interior. Premium Package Plus "A" (whatever that means); Bose audio; sport chrono, PDK, full set of manuals, Porsche entry & drive, Nav, and probably some other stuff I've forgotten. Nearly new tires; nearly new brakes; nearly new battery (all replaced in late 2019). The original MSRP on the car was $128,000+ in 2013. Porsche certified, with 2-year CPO warranty. Looks practically new. In fact, a friend who is a Porsche enthusiast (he has a Cayman GT4) came by to see it, and thought it WAS new, until he noted the rear louvres, which were redesigned in 2017.

It was 75 degrees here in central IL yesterday, so wife and I took it for a spin with the top down.

It was a blast. She drove it with a grin from ear-to-ear.

John C.

shammerman

Congratulations !!!

The Premium Package Plus "A" should be this:

Premium Plus Package A

$4,650 MSRP
Includes:
Electrical 14-Ways Sports Seats
Automatically Dimming Interior Mirror
Multi-Stage Heating System
Front Seat Ventilation
Bi-Xenon Headlights w/Porsche Dynamic Light System
Porsche Entry & Drive (KESSY)
Light Design Package

jdcolombo

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