I was in same boat looking to keep it at about $30k and honest I dug a little deeper once i saw what the 40th AE had to offer and I am glad I did. It is more than the sum of it's parts and much nicer and FASTER than my freinds 996 which really was not all that much cheaper. The engine pulls harder, the exhaust sounds nicer, the suspension is firmier, LSD is there, the paint and interior finish are all WAY nicer than a plain old 996. So, since a GT3 was just out of budget this is a great compromise and on the street probably all most of us need.

The ONLY negatives I have seen are the rims. Come on what was wrong with matte black or gunmetal gray PCNA? It really should have has a FULL Aero package (i.e. fixed wing with a more agressive nose and splitter).

Oh, and yea some dousche kept my luggage too
I have a feeling in 20 years the luggage will bring in more than the car, LMAO.

 

I've seen a 40th with a taco wing and one with a mkII gt3 wing. Both looked cool but a car with a huge wing needs to be black or white or red or something. A full aero 40th would be sweet, but it needs to be a bright color.

You can always buy new wheels for it, you know...I'll buy your old set for my autocross tires!

 

I like GT3s a lot, but they have no sound deadening and have a much noisier/tighter diff. They transmit quite a bit more road/drivetrain and brake noise into the cabin. Truth be told I'd put up w/it but there's no denying how much nicer a Carrera is to live with on a day to day basis.

I like the non aero look of the 40th just fine, personally. I knew it had the turbo front bumper, did not realize it had the turbo radiators as well, that's just dandy! Maybe I'll add this to my list when I feel like buying another 911.

 

if the ebay car did not require new tires or valve cover gaskets, the 37k buy it now price would have been reasonable for a 1 owner low mileage car.

i think the price is by far the lowest price i have ever seen for a 40AE. although it probably is the highest mileage 40ae, that price still makes me say wow.

engine failure is probably the least likely to occur on the 40ae of the entire 996 range (apart from 996 turbo or gt3). if it bothers you (like it did me), just get a warranty. fyi, my warranty has been absolutely useless so far. i think thats a good thing.

also, the following website has a few errors that i fell for.
http://www.etusivu.info/Porsche-911-...nniversary.htm
1) the OEM PSE exhaust is not included with the 40ae.
2) the US 40AE comes with US M030 shocks and springs which do NOT have a 10mm drop

 

It does NOT have the 3rd middle radiator. So I am not sure why they say it has the turbo radiators unless the two side radiators are larger.

 

"engine failure is probably the least likely to occur on the 40ae of the entire 996 range. -balefire"

Why would you think this engine is less likely to have a problem. The X51 package doesn't have the engine upgrades that the GT3's & turbos have. It's a standard 996 block with some goodies add to it, albeit some nice upgrades.

 

oops. i meant to say least likely compared to other 996 models that are non gt3 or turbo.

 

Yea, no 3rd radiator on mine and I am not sure but I think the 2 side radiators are the same as other 996 just more airflow due to the larger turbo grill openings.

 

the polished version of these wheels are much nicer than the standard version and def unique i love mine!

 

More partial to you're avatar

 

Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing

 

The wheels have grown on me - I think it is perfect with the stock wheels. No 3rd radiator like someone mentioned.

Total engine replacement? Figure 10K for the engine, and 13K for the X51 kit. Better off getting a used 996 :-)