Actually you are oftentimes NOT off the hook if you lease. A friend of mine had an accident in his Benz which was leased through MB leasing. The local MB shop handled all the repairs. When it came time to turn in the car, they wanted something like $5K for diminished value. Sure enough, a clause permitting that was buried in all that fine print. Apparently, not that rare in leases, from what I'm told.

 

Dam that sucks, sorry to hear the news. I daily have to deal with all the teenagers in my area and their dam Rice Burners cutting everyone off with their POS exhaust, I almost get in an accident every freaking day, Dam lucky the Targa handles the way it does. Hope she comes home like new, I too take obsessive care of my Black Beauty..
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For what it's worth, I doubt that the cost of repair is going to be anywhere near $8-$10,000. A few years ago a car wash ran my '99 cab into the back of an SUV and wrecked the driver's door and rear quarter panel. Cost $2,500 to repair. The body shop told me the 996 is a lot less expensive to repair than the 993. For instance, in my situation, the entire door did not have to be replaced unlike a 993 with similar damage. The door module was only $700 vs. $1,800 for a complete door for a 993.