GC996

Absolutely agree with you.

pulpo

It is indisputable. But you are also being more specific, so of course they are harder to find.

You want an Ocean jade C4 tiptronic cabriolet with an aerokit? Go and find one...

Oops, nobody ordered one. Does that make it more valuable? To some people yes, to other people no.

(https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...-carrera-4-33/ just missing the XAA damn...)

GC996

You bring up a good point. Unique "unicorn" colors are important to some. But not all. Are they worth more money, not to me. I would much prefer a car that is mechanically sound. But it's not up to me, it's up to the market.

FirstFlatSix

"Value" is subjective to an individual. Everyone values things differently. Some value color, some value spec, some value mileage, some value production numbers, some value investment potential. Every one of those has an impact on "price". Some only value the price and will compromise on every other aspect of the vehicle. The example given above, Tip Ocean Jade Cab. I would argue that the buyer who values Ocean Jade and the AeroKit would provide ZERO value to the tiptronic tranny. More specifically, would provide a negative value to the tip. And the buyer who values a Tiptronic cab, would apply ZERO value to the ocean jade color. So you see, thats why this example IS NOT in demand (and the price would reflect that).

People take things too personal. No one is saying that an Arctic Silver doesn't drive like a Vesuvio. I'm only stating that the people that follow this stuff know that a Vesuvio is NOT as common as a Silver car. It's simple supply and demand. You want an 80K mile Arctic/Black 996, that's half of the autotraders listings. You want a glacier white 99 aerokit in boxster red leather, there is one. That has a significant impact on the price. Too many people try to "lump" everything together. Porsche has always been about "spec".

plpete84

Yes and no. While often overlooked, some special edition cars have been popping up somewhat regularly. 40AE more than the Millenium Edition, probably mainly as there was more of them made, perhaps. I'm not sure how many Millenium Editions made it to the US but 40AE had an allocation of 800 cars for the US. It's a pretty well known fact that the more specific you get with the build the longer you'll be looking. You're basically banking on the person that ordered the car new had the same taste as you now, 20 some years later. At the end of the day, a speed yellow 1999 with ambers and aero kit is not going to drive any different than another .1 C2 in black with clear headlights. It's all an aesthetics preference at that point.

911Syncro

The one aspect that is typically missing from these views on the marketplace is an understanding of the difference types of drivers. We all have different desires for our 996s, for example:

1. The "car-guy" expert who wants the most unicorn car, or the most rare car.
2. The racer who couldn't care less about color.
3. The average-Joe wanna be car guy (maybe me) who just loves Porsches. Doesn't matter which one, but 996s are a good cost / benefit ratio right now.
4. The middle aged professional or mom who might have been looking at Mercedes and simply said "why not a Porsche instead?". Remember that Porsche defined the 911 to be competitive with Mercedes and BMW (high quality, high performance, loaded with luxury).
5. The cool guy who wants to look impressive in his car.
6. The collector.
7. The family guy who suddenly, coincidentally discovered he can have an old 911 instead of a Toyota Corolla.
8. How many other user profiles are there?

I have a close friend who owned a 996 for many years. His target car was a Cab, with Tiptronic, super-duper stereo, color doesn't matter. [And remember that many owners couldn't care less about cable throttle, the somewhat unsightly aero kit, if it was built by hand, or if it has a crossover exhaust or larger intake.] He drove it to work every day and loved cruising the beach with the top down. This person is quite distant from many people on this forum who think the Cab / Tip is the worst, but for this driver it is the best. Too much analysis and prediction seems to be based on the assumptions that all 996 owners are only one type of owner / user profile.

GC996

Hope people start valuing the mechanical side.

One too many 996s bought for reasons other than being a well serviced mechanically solid car. Even if it's a unicorn color, engine failure is a high price to pay. A new paint job is cheaper than a rebuild.

pulpo

I would prefer a car that is mechanically sound as well. Rarity (especially when were talking about within one generation of one model of car) isn't important to me but I can see how it would be more important to a 911 collector. I see more 991s, Macans, Cayman, and Cayenne. The 996 is already a rare car where I live.

The white/red 99 aero car is awesome but not because it is rare, a MY99 or the spec. It's awesome because it is a 996 that was meticulously maintained and cared for. The rest is just a little icing on the cake to me.

joetaf27

Wasn't this car on BAT a couple of weeks ago and didnt sell for low 40?

EVOMMM

Don’t forget the financial guy who’s hedging his bet on the hype now that the 996.1 will turn into a gt3

GC996

Does he have Bitcoin and Meme stocks in the trunk?

EVOMMM

No the car flipper who thinks he is Gordon gekko

GC996

Today's Gordon Gecko likes unicorn colors. His speech today would be "color is good".

bdronsick

Don’t forget the monomaniacally obsessed one-generation 911 lunatic who focuses in only on obscure colors and archaic Motorsports options at the expense and derision of all else

Me

GC996

That's part of your charm! I do agree that life is better with a set of 408s and LeMans winning headlights.