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I'm just speaking for myself, but I think the transition to turbos / automatic transmissions / electrification across all cars has been accelerating. To me, that made the 991.1 w/ manual my target purchase and I suspect it's similar for many others.
Absolutely agreed.... same situation here. Took me quite awhile to find a .1 manual that I liked. Not alot of them for sale in any spec. Inflation aside, depreciation is over on these cars if miles are kept reasonable.
I too had been looking for nearly a year but I will admit that my search was VERY specific. Had to be a "S" Cab, white, PDK, no black interior or top and wait for it.......a very low mile Garage Queen. Searching all day every time I could, my car appeared on Monday @ 1:30pm in my "backyard" 30 miles away. I was there at 3pm, looked in, at and under the car and got the history. At the time (last August) things were just starting to get crazy price wise. I DID NOT even think about not buying this car. Dealer amused my request for a lower price by taking off $1. Never have I looked back and am SO PLEASED with my purchase......................advise? Be totally prepared to buy without hesitation when the right car appears...if you are prepared, you will recognize that car immediately.
I started my search late 2019 and finally bit the bullet on a ‘17 991.2 S with all the specs I wanted in March 2020, right before the pandemic hit. They wouldn’t budge on the price so paid full ask, it was very fair anyway. Never thought prices would go up, thought they would go down like the stock mkt did then. SO GLAD I did with pricing as crazy as it is now…. Agree with jimmiejam, be prepared to act quickly
That's right. Buy the seller but as a buyer, be ready to do a transaction if you are actually interested in a car.
I get deals on large transactions like cars, watches and even my house last year because I gave assurance that I would be a swift and reliable transaction with no surprises. My house closed in 10 days of making an offer - not sure that I would be getting that deal today like I did 6 months ago but when a seller has confidence in an easy smooth transaction with measured risk then it's easier and better for everyone.
Garfunkle, this is Simon. Your words are soothing like a bridge over troubled water.
On a slightly more serious note, my 6yr old .1 GTS ($145k MSRP, 16.8k miles) was appraised at $115k for insurance purposes (pre-agreed value). Not bad at all for Rumble Bee...
Some U.S. car shoppers are paying $5,000 over a vehicle’s retail price, research finds
I just bought my 4th new Toyota Tundra. I had to order it and wait 2 months. For the first time ever I paid full sticker price. If it wasn't for an owner loyalty credit it would have been over sticker. I traded in my 2017 that I bought almost 4 years ago for 93% of what I originally paid for it. Dealer has it on their used lot now for exactly what I paid for it in 2016.
I bought my .1 GTS from a fellow Rennlister through a WTB ad. I asked him what he wanted for the car, he named his price, and I asked him for wiring instructions for his bank. Sold at asking price.
I just bought my 4th new Toyota Tundra. I had to order it and wait 2 months. For the first time ever I paid full sticker price. If it wasn't for an owner loyalty credit it would have been over sticker. I traded in my 2017 that I bought almost 4 years ago for 93% of what I originally paid for it. Dealer has it on their used lot now for exactly what I paid for it in 2016.
I bought my .1 GTS from a fellow Rennlister through a WTB ad. I asked him what he wanted for the car, he named his price, and I asked him for wiring instructions for his bank. Sold at asking price.
I ordered a 2020 G550 last year and paid sticker and I have had brokers offering me $25k over sticker now, picked up at my door. And I recently sold my 2019 Targa GTS for sticker that had for over 2 years...expecting a 2021 Spyder order next month for $3500 under sticker so overall things are crazy indeed.
Unfortunately if you’re looking for a really good car, and it’s priced appropriately for the current market, as the poster above attested, it’s going to be gone in less than two hours.
I just managed to find my perfect spec dream car, and the only reason it’s in my garage is because it appeared overnight on one of the 15 websites I was checking at least hourly, the dealer was 10 minutes from my house, opened at 9am and I was there at 8:55am, and I didn’t negotiate on price. By the time I got home with it, something like 15 people had saved it as a favorite - and I’m sure many of them called the dealer that day, even while I was still there, ready and willing to pay full ask because it was priced reasonably.
It takes a tremendous amount of dedication, patience and luck to get the car you want. I easily spent at least an hour a day searching for eight months. There were many times that I almost threw in the towel - but in the end it was worth the effort!
Very beautiful Targa.
Yes, patience is key.
For those who are still looking for their perfectly specc’d 991, bear also in mind that the right car may be available when you are not especially looking for it.
When I was looking for 991 Targas for months, nothing came up. I paused my search for a couple of months and when I looked again with no real intention of buying, 2 very good cars were offered for sale with the specs I wanted. It seems like the cars I wanted came by waves - nothing for months and then for some reason and then, a batch of good cars arrive. So just be patient if you can wait.
That's right. Buy the seller but as a buyer, be ready to do a transaction if you are actually interested in a car.
Exactly, you need to be able to pull the trigger right away, especially if you are looking for a very specific spec and the price is fair, because chances are you are not alone and you will have to make a deposit very quickly without seeing the car so the only measure of how good the car is is to buy the seller.
It’s crazy. Every car is out of control with pricing right now. But, it’ll fall back down in the near future. Crazy how manufacturers can’t even get the parts they need to build their cars.
It’s crazy. Every car is out of control with pricing right now. But, it’ll fall back down in the near future. Crazy how manufacturers can’t even get the parts they need to build their cars.
I think for most cars you'd be right, but for 911's I'm not so sure. Limited production over the past year has really helped all makes keep pricing artificially high, even Kia Tellurides are selling for $10k over sticker (I know it's a good vehicle, but a Kia!). But I suspect that 911's and some Boxster/Caymans will continue to hold strong even after the shortage is over.
My thinking is that you could probably count on 2 hands the number of sports cars being offered with a manual transmission right now. Off the top of my head, not counting 911 or Boxster/Cayman:
- BMW M3/M2
- Chevy Camaro (soon to be dead)
- Ford Mustang EcoBoost and GT only (GT350 dead)
- Civic Type-R
- Hyundai Veloster N
- Subaru WRX/STi (archaic)
- Dodge Challenger
- Lotus Evora GT (dead)
- Nissan 370/400Z
- Toyota 86/BRZ
- Aston Martin Vantage
- Mazda Miata
If you take away the cars that are not going away in a couple months and are purpose built sports car platforms (sorry Dodge and Ford) you are left with slim picking:
- 911
- Boxster / Cayman
- Aston Martin Vantage (pricey and beautiful but not for everyone)
- Nissan 400Z (unknown, but should be a great car with a great engine)
- Toyota 86/BRZ (fun cars, I owned a BRZ, but left me wanting more)
- Mazda Miata - (great car but not for power junkies)
And if you look at the Porsche's that offer manual, there is quite the range within each platform as well (GT3, GT4, Spyder, S, GTS) so there's something for everyone but production is limited and the discerning buyers have the expendable income to pay the asking price for a rare spec / trim. Then factor in the rising inflation and I just don't see Porsche pricing falling back to earth, ever.
^I owned a 2013 BRZ and was a really fun car to drive. Was seriously thinking of getting the new one, but in the end, I would still have wanted a Porsche as it was my dream car. Lotus Evora GT - if it wasn't for questionable build quality and how hard it is to get serviced/parts, I would have seriously considered that over the 911 - the sound of that engine/exhaust!
^I owned a 2013 BRZ and was a really fun car to drive. Was seriously thinking of getting the new one, but in the end, I would still have wanted a Porsche as it was my dream car. Lotus Evora GT - if it wasn't for questionable build quality and how hard it is to get serviced/parts, I would have seriously considered that over the 911 - the sound of that engine/exhaust!
100% on both accounts, the Porsche just ticks all of the boxes that the BRZ cannot and I wish they didn't neuter it because they could have had a legendary car if they put a better, more tunable engine in it. And the Evora 400/GT was on my short-list too, I even have a dealership nearby, but after a test drive I just couldn't do the cheap interior, horrible visibility, cramped confines and the shouty exterior. Amazingly fun car to drive though!