Check the prices on Tesla Roadsters.

I expect that very early VIN number Teslas will be collectible. First year Lucid Air maybe, Rivian maybe. These are ground breaking vehicles, whatever one may think about the practicalities of widespread adoption of the technology.

 

Here you go, a future classic. Pure EV. Rimac Nevera

https://youtu.be/aN64wMLyCuY

 

OK, I can't believe I am being dragged into this one..... So here is my take. When I first got my Taycan Turbo S, almost 2 years ago, I told the dealer initially, I don't need an EV...I have no where to go cause of COVID. He says...since its your spec its your car for weekend to drive and give it back monday....they will sell no problem. Well, I never gave it back and I handed over my 991 Turbo S (probably the best all round sports car I have ever owned) and never looked back. The car is the future for sure....it take driving and commuting to a whole new level. Where ever I will it to go it goes without any hesitation, downshift, throttle lag or anything. ITs amazing....5 months later the weather got better so I took the lambo out...OMG, what is that racket behind me....the sound caught me off gaurd and for awhile it really bothered me. Then I was so frustrated that the car had throttle response issues when I was doing a pass on the highway and seemed like forever to get in the gap. Couldn't wait to get back in the taycan for the instant crazy torque at any speed. For what it is worth though I am back to enjoying lambo but I now have different expectations and enjoy it for what it is. So what about the 996 (with of course the 400HP 3.8 and dundon Exhaust)? Well, honestly, when one is in the right mood and you want to do a curvy road with three pedals, its just plane fun. The sounds generated by the throttle and my shifts with instand feedback on whether i nails the shift is just what driving is all about. I just love that car....so much so that literally less than a mile from I house i got ticket after the car was stored in the garage for the winter.

So what is my conclusion:
Lets face it, I am lucky to be able to have cars that are so different with their own virtues. But I have concluded that once you go PDK or some other doubleclutch car, it will be easy to go electric....its an incremental step. However, if its just about driving enjoyment with all your senses stimulated in a viceral way. Its hard to beat a 996 (or even 997) with three pedals on curvy road. To really enjoy a car, you have to be involved in everything and arguably even turn off all of the computer traction crap. YOu wont be the fastest, but you will become the best driver...I get goosebumps just thinking about my drive right before I got pulled over....but make no mistake, electric is the future and will out perform anything that has combustion...we havent even scratched the surface....but they will still bury me in my 996. And lets not forget, my son who is 20, says the only car he wants to inherit is my 996...nice to see he is one of the few youths these days that appreciates drivng.

 

Glad you were pulled in...

 

Actually, I would argue that for a 20 year old sports car, still very few % of 996 cars actually need a full rebuild. Unlike the average EV, Porsche 996 cars are appreciating; therefore, worth the investment if you truly love the car.


For the price of a new Tesla, I would hope their warranties are solid and backed up without any excuses (e.g. sorry sir, that's not included!) or BS when they foul up.

I wish that were truly the case Charlie, but with inflation and the cost of manufacturing and more regulations, I don't see it. Charlie, I've used advance batteries technology for my business for more than 25 years. All chemistries. Over time, the cost for the battery technology has continued to climb.

Ok, let's put the Tesla variants and Porsche Taycan on hold. Let's face it, those are very expensive EV cars that the average driver can not afford. Now, if you look at more practically priced EV cars like the Chevy Bolt or Nissan leaf, you'll get a clear picture what happens with value. I've talked to the dealers, after the warranty expires, owners dump these electric cars for a substantial loss and it's near about impossible to resell them on the used market because of battery life anxiety. (see picture) What used to be a mid-30s car brand new, now is not worth much more than a golf cart.

I'm all for innovation, but the reality is we're still early in the game with just 10% population using some form of EV. I'm not sure if it's fair to compare performance of a Tesla or Taycan to an ICE 911. The explosive acceleration of a Tesla or Tacan is hard to beat with an ICE. Different class of performance. I wouldn't want to put a 911 against a sport motorcycle like the Ninja or Hayabusa either.

Cheers people!

 

Seems like an opportunity for some people to grab an EV at a very low cost. And I think there are some DIY or lower-cost battery options out there. For example, the Tesla powerwall is nearly double the cost of LG battery, which is double the cost of other cheaper 3rd party batteries. I know a guy who built his own battery packs for $200/kwh.

 

Sell as is. If I was buying I'd rather know the shop that is doing the work is one I have confidence in.

 

Something to think about. Go to BAT and check out what checked boxes are collecting the best prices. I reference BAT because they get the best prices for sellers and the data is easily collected.

The 996 market has become bifurcated as the economy has slowed. Seems low mileage and imsb refresh are constants with higher prices. If the car has higher mileage but has a replaced imsb, it seems to get a higher price than those that haven't been.

Folks are starting to figure out that they can get a fully sorted 996 for a cheaper price all in than buying one for even a cheaper price and then having to do the work yourself. As an example, buy a 996 with everything done and sorted for 35-40k (IMSB, AOS, Clutch, brakes, suspension, exhaust,etc) or buying one for 25K and then having to do all of the above which will run you another 25-30k. All in you are looking at 50-55k. Folks are getting smarter.

So the question is with your 55k in miles cab, assuming its in incredible shape and you can prove the bores are smooth and scoring free, what do you think you can get for it with and without spending the 5k for the imsb and clutch.

Bottom line is the euphoria is gone and the buyer is now more discerning. Anything sells if the price is low enough.

 

@danix Sell the porsche, you have already decided. You need not spend money before you sell it. There's 2 kinds of buyers.
the first wants a flirtatious dalliance with a 911, they'll drive it for a year, thrash it, and sell it and let someone else deal with the cars potential future, if it has one. They won't pay extra for the money you have spent on the car.
the other buyer, is one who's has a desire to drive an older car, a 911, that are passionate about ownership, who are emotionally invested, perhaps foolishly so. That buyer likely realizes that just because the ims is done, the expense of caring for a 20 yr old German sports car is an ongoing thing. And the cost will far exceed the value of the car. I'm sadly in the latter camp and I will say, honestly, I've almost spent as much on restoration and the previous owner's deferred maintenance as I paid for the car. And I've only owned it since late Jan. There's no end in sight of additional expenses either. There's also no flaming rush thank goodness, she's a great driver.
So it's just my opinion, but if you have no passion for the car at the moment, get rid of it and let someone else worry about it. If you really do like the idea of old Porsche ownership, and don't need the money right now, garage it and see how you feel about it in a year or so.
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The batteries will drop in price until the 3rd world countries that provide the lithium realize they have us all by the ***** and replace OPEC..
We are probably 30+ years and several hundred trillion dollars from getting our infrastructure capable of a even 80% EV replacement of ICE..

My model 3SR+ is a great driving car, in its own way its fun, I greatly appreciate the quite on my commute.
but its not a apples ot apples comparison to a 911, more like a standard 4 door msport BMW..

 

Bottom Line is I would sell your Tesla and 996 as is and buy a nice hybrid Porsche sedan or suv so you don't get stranded somewhere in the middle of nowhere with your family. Nobody should be driving fast anyway with their family in the car.

 

Comparing a Tesla to a Nissan Leaf would be like me posting prices of used Honda Civics from the early 2000s as evidence that buying a 996 isn't wise. Totally different animal, and these are notorious for battery failure due to poor thermal management. As far as battery prices, I was referring to the cost per kW/h which has been dramatically falling over the last 10 years. To be clear, I'm not arguing the Tesla is better than a 911 - or that they're cheap to own, or that batteries are inexpensive to replace. My own personal experience has been that it is a much better daily driver/commuter car.

 

The Nissan was a microcosm for depreciation and resale for more practically priced EVs that are priced closer to the current value of the Porsche 996, not a direct comparison for range or performance of high end EVs like the Teslas, Taycan, etc.

IMHO, the average person can not relate to the cost per kW/h, but they can relate to the pains associated with batteries. How many people do you know that actively read their power meters for the house? Very few care about the technical specifics about how power is metered for resale. All they care about is the monthly bill. My sister owned two Toyota Prius cars. She didn't really care about the technical specifics, all she wanted was something reliable and that would cost less for her daily long commutes. While you have a point about the costs of the battery technology becoming more affordable to the manufacturer, the overall costs for the vehicles will continue to climb like everything else. Something radical would have to happen in the market to drive prices down on the dealer lots.

That being said, Teslas (and the Taycan) can be great commuters. Who wouldn't want to be driving around in a $100,000+ electric performance car like the Taycan if the prices weren't an issue? But IMHO, those cars are not affordable for the average consumer and probably not the best comparison to a 996 that can be purchased for less than $30,000. The Porsche 911 has a well-established niche owner group that has a lot to do with the company's heritage for the platform. I have demographics on current 911 owners since I started a FB forum over 4 years ago. We have over 4,000 members as of today. Guess what? The average owner is in their 50s. That's something that Porsche has been concerned about for a long time (i.e. dying following for the brand) and probably one reason why they are branching out to other car platforms, not just 2-door sports ICE cars.

 

I'll chime in here as a prospective 996 owner (coming back as an ex-996 owner.)

Personally, and likely I am in the minority, you will have weirdos like me who would rather buy a car that has NOT had its IMS replaced. My reasons are:
1. I don't care about it anymore. I had a beautiful Cobalt blue 04 996 C2 with 60,000km on the clock when I sold it. I rarely drove it because I lived in fear the IMS would go and engine grenade, despite knowing the IMS was replaced by previous owner

2. When I sold the car, PPI report came back by the shop that the IMS was not replaced (despite them not having taken the transmission apart) and that screwed my sale over and I was very mad at the shop who did the PPI. Despite having paper work and speaking to the shop that replaced the IMS, buyer took the word of the shop over mine. I was pissed.

3. I now own a 986 Boxster S with 146,000km on the clock. I replaced it as a preventative measure when my RMS was leaking like crazy, but it had already 132,000km on it when I bought the car. It lasted this long so I convinced myself IMS is the least of my worries. Car had a solid maintenance regimen with every detail and receipt since 2004 and was owned by local PCA members. It is now my dedicated HPDE car and I let the engine sing to 7000rpm during HPDE weekends.

I am sure people like me exist out there, but as I said, I am likely in the minority. I always make it a point to educate prospective buyers to look for a car that's well maintained over ones that only had the IMS done. In my search, seeing a car that has had its IMS done adds no value to me and doesn't make it any more desirable. I want the option to decide if I want to replace the IMS or not on my own terms.

 

Cost per kW/h in terms of battery packs, not actual energy - sorry I wasn't clear with that one. I want to say I read its dropped from like $1,500 per kW/h for a pack, to below $100. Much faster than anyone anticipated - and with Tesla ramping up global production of batteries (more than doubling worldwide capacity) with their new facility, it should continue to drop. My point about Civics and 996 wasn't about performance but that Teslas, like 996s, are more desirable than the average vehicle and aren't necessarily going to depreciate along the same curve.

However, I think we've talked ourself into a circle and for the most part totally agree. The OP wasn't asking which was better or whether or not to sell the 996 - just asking if he should perform an IMS update prior to selling. But, as someone who did sell a 996 and replaced it with a Tesla, I would certainly advocate it in certain life situations - and advise against it in others. I'm definitely going to be buying another ICE vehicle in the future - either another 911 (I'd probably get a 997, 991, or jump back and get a 993), or some mid-2000s Ferrari. But when it comes to selecting a vehicle as a daily driver I'm not sure I'd ever consider anything but electric moving forward.