911seeker

Hello again, sorry for the long post, stop reading here if you are in a hurry...

I don't intend to reopen the debates "base vs S" or ".1 vs.2", just to put my ideas in order, as I seem to be changing my mind with any car that I think represents a good opportunity.

First, who I am/what I need/like. Spanish but temporarily deployed in Miami. I am in the "mid-life crisis" age, don't track cars (or at least don't intend to track mine), have never owned a sports car but would like to, like to drive spiritedly (which in Miami is almost impossible due to lack of twisty roads and mountains and too many speed controls) but not"crazily".

I like the 911 as it was(is) the icon of my generation and think this may be the right moment to buy one.

I would drive the car daily, currently that would mean a 10 mile commute on a nice road (no jams but no too many twist either, very limited speed). In the future, the plan would be to take the car to Spain when I move back there, in 18 or 24 months. That is when I expect I will really enjoy the 911 abilities, we have plenty of secondary roads and hills where I live. However, if my company finally sends me somewhere else, or if my life plan changes, I might have to sell the car in one or two years, I would hope that the resale value is still significant at that moment.

I don't want to spend more than $100k (all in, minus my trade in, valued at around 28k plus tax) in a new car, I don't really need one, it is just a reward for myself. And I am somewhat concerned about maintenance costs going forward (in Spain, general maintenance and gas will probably be even higher than here). If it is less, best.

SO, I envision 3 potential options:

• New 911.1 base (MY 2015 with heavy discount or MY 2016 with discount). Pros: new, price range in the 80’s, resale as “1 owner car”, the discount will soften some of the depreciation impact. Better mileage and less running costs than S. Cons: not too much torque, “S envy”, no red calipers, less demand for resale?
• Used 991.1 S (or 4S) MY 2014. Pros: more power and torque (do I need it, will I notice it?), price range in the 80’s, someone else got most of the depreciation impact. Cons: USED, older, higher running costs, some options add to the cost and I don’t need, has been adequately taken care of?
• New 991.2 base MY 2017 (with none or low discount). Pros: new model and new car, ability to customize, resale as “1 owner car”, super torque (I really like this). Better mileage and less running costs than S. Cons: more initial depreciation, price range in the 100k, waiting period, rear “grill”, less “pleasure”driving it vs NA?

As of today I am leaning to a new(er) .1 base, despite all the love for the S/GTS here… I would appreciate help to avoid mistakes…

Best

Al.Fresco

There are no mistakes in any of your options....in the end, you will be driving a 911.

I say pursue all 3 angles and if you find a something in bullet 1 or bullet 2 that makes you tingle....jump on it. If not, and you are tired of waiting, go with bullet 3. That said, reading between the lines, you really want a NA car deep down!!

Arcoril

Based on what you're looking for I'd say a base 991.2 would be a good choice. Since you're buying it new you'll be able to pick the color and options that suit you rather than being limited to what's already on the lot. The 991.2's increased torque should make it a really great daily driver as well. It's also got improved daily creature comforts (CarPlay, capacitive infotainment screen, USB connector relocated to the center armrest, etc.) as well as an improved steering wheel.

Based on Harry Metcalfe's real world review of the 991.2, he notes that he's not seeing an improvement on fuel economy but I'm not sure how often he was staying under boost. Turbo engines realize their fuel economy with low-boost, low-rpm cruising in a high gear so that may or may not correspond to how you're going to be driving your car. As for NA vs turbo driving enjoyment you're going to have to make that call yourself. It's been debated to no end here but you're the ultimate judge. Try to drive the cars in person before pulling the trigger.

I personally love high-revving naturally aspirated engines which is why I've decided to hold on to my screaming S2000 even though I have a 991.1. That said, I'm not opposed to buying a turbo car in the future as technology continues to improve. After all, in a few years it's likely that our only choices will be either forced induction or electric.

gota911

As I see it there is really not a bad choice here so it really boils down to "know thyself." Almost 5 years ago I was looking to get back into a Porsche after being without one for 3.5 years. The 2011 997.2 model was just coming out so there were some used 2009 and 2010 997.2 cars available and there were plenty of 997.1 cars available.

I wanted a used car to avoid the early heavy depreciation, but at the same time, I wanted the latest tech Porsche offered, so I passed on a lot of nice 997.1 cars and set my sights on a 997.2 S model, which has the 9A1 engine in it. I know myself well enough to know that if I bought a base model, I would always wonder why I didn't get the S model. I found a 2010 S with 2,957 miles and CPO. It has been my daily driver and now has 76,xxx (s)miles on it.

I know I didn't answer your question specifically, but the "know thyself" thought works well for me in many situations. Hope this helps a little. Good luck with your decision.

LCW

As others have said before, your first concern should be about doing detailed research on exporting a car from the US to Europe.... you will find it is not an easy task and you should go into this with full information and a plan of action.
Second, if you are in Miami you should be aware The Collection is having a test drive event of the 991.2 this Saturday... you should make a reservation via their website... (no affiliation here). Mind you it will be city driving, so it is not a true test drive... bust still....
Lastly, as others have said, you can't go wrong with ANY 911.. in my opinion...


good luck

911seeker

Thanks all for the advice.


LCW, thanks for the tip about the Collection event, I have something going on on Saturday but I'll try to make it.


Re the export to Spain, I know it might not be a breeze, but people I know here have done it with Cayennes, it shouldn't be impossible either. I have read something already about the process.


With the dollar as strong as it is now it is not that great as it used to be, but there is still a significant price difference and it pays for the costs and nuisances of the process.


Best

oalvarez

sell your car, use some of the proceeds to pay for drive-off fees on 24mo. lease on a 991 3.4l Carrera....why? because they're currently running attractive specials on them. Carrera S cars as well if you can afford a bit more. then hope to receive a "pull-forward" phone call from Porsche Financial as you near the 18th month of the lease term offering you the option of turning your car in early (no costs to do so) for some other car in the Porsche line-up. hopefully by then you will have a better idea as to what your (living/work) situation will be.

or

buy a used 991 Carrera S (or even a used 991 base Carrera 3.4) if the probability of having to sell the car sooner than later (prior to a 24mo lease expiration) is higher than it is lower (i'd still take the less expensive option here especially given your driving habits). mind you that BUYING/financing will require you to pay sales tax on the entire amount financed which will definitely carry great weight in the decision at hand. more importantly, and as LCW points out, there will be costs in shipping the car back to Europe along with registration criteria needing to be met regarding the importation of the vehicle.

best success,

phil996cab99

Which of the 3 have you driven so far?

Dewinator

Not another one. All there is to be gained from the 754,538 other .1 vs .2, S vs base, PDK vs manual, sunroof vs non sunroof, black vs white, 18 way vs 14 way seats, etc threads is that whatever you end up with you will think it is the absolutely perfect car and anything even slightly different would be completely idiotic and not worth a cent above it's scrap value (which admittedly is higher now that they're mostly aluminum).

It's all subjective and the only thing you can do is drive the different options and buy the one you like better.

911seeker

I have only driven the S, they usually don't have bases for test drives around here. I'll try to test the base and the .2 this Saturday... some times it is easier said than done, I don't have as much time for this as I would like...


For what it's worth (nothing, I suppose) I drove several 911 of the previous model (997 I guess) at an Porsche event in a small track back in the day (around 2009), including the base, S and turbo (this was too wild with the ESP off and the wet track), as well as several caymans.


And, and this of course is just to brag a bit about it, after what i paid for it, have driven R8, Lambo, Ferraris, etc at Homestead...

Dingoman

I own a GTS cab, bought new here in Madrid, Spain. I don't doubt you have all the paper work, shipping and registration hassles well studied, but is it really worth it? The additional depreciation hit from an "ex-US" car is another factor to consider. As to which car? I am obviously bias and having driven the 991.2, I would never trade on the sheer musical pleasure of my car howling through our endlessly twisty, deep valleyed gifted country. The extra torque is not that much more a deal factor to compensate the hard core macho machine feeling and sound you get from the NA engine. Your choice will always be the "right choice"......but now that you've asked!

911seeker

BTW, one of the two S that I test drove, for around 30' and on my own, was the one Chris Murray reviewed in the famous youtube video...

911seeker

Good point, the fact is that I am here now, and I can do it. When I go back to Spain, I can always choose whether to take it with me or to sell it here and buy another one there. I guess at that point, depending on the FX, I will be able to make an informed decision.


And there is another thing to consider... if I do it now I can tell my acquaintances that I bought one because they are cheaper in the USA and in Miami is no big deal to own one... if I buy it when I am back there I will have some more explaining to do ;.)


Saludos

phil996cab99

Excellent that you are driving them. I'm in the same boat, and driving them is answering all my questions very quickly. I don't have your export issue though.

teambell

I would plan to sell before you return to Spain. That scenario not only brings more administrative things to get wrapped up about but also may present warranty issues IF you choose a CPO. All the details on CPO I have seen relate to NA only.