happyclam

Having this 2001 996 has been a game changer for me.

I bought it for a fair amount and will be putting money into it I'm sure.

$2500 a year?

But if I bought new, the depreciation would be huge, and make this look like peanuts.

But most importantly, this car seems like the right combination of automation where you want it, that is largely invisible.

The new cars are so in-your-face with modes, and Big Brother looking over your shoulder...

Even if I could afford a new one, I don't think I'll ever get one. I like to be in charge of the driving experience.

I doubt I'll ever get a new car actually.

TheMystro

You are just on a different place on the depreciation curve. Its a great place to be because the upswing is happening.

Woodman71

The depreciation when you drive a new Porsche off the lot could buy a 996.

RickMiller

Good point - glad to be in the position I'm in. I'm not sure how much more value I could lose just by driving it, but at the same time I'm not sure I care

R

kmagnuss

I'll never buy a new one because I'll never be able to afford it... but you bet your *** if I could afford it I would. And by "afford it" I mean stroke a check and give two sh*ts about depreciation... not "afford" the payments.

Teekster

Getting hard to justify new when used 991 prices are already overlapping with 997.2s

Gonzo911

That's because the 997.2.is such a better car...

rattlsnak

$2,500 a year?? for what??

happyclam

I"ve spent $1200 already. The car is in great shape. But new tires and an alignment will be needed. Then perhaps engine mounts. There is no end to it. I don't do my own work. So I think $2500 per year is reasonable.

porsche951

$2,500 is the annual amount I'd planned on when I bought mine a little over 3 years ago. Thus far its upkeep has been much less.

gnat

Depreciation isn't the worst thing in the world if you buy the car to be only yours and expect it's value to be $0 when you are done with it.

We bought her's new when combined we were making less than $50k/year (Internet stock!). Since then we have seen its value plummet over $80k. Certainly a stupid financial move at the time, but it worked out fine.

I bought it for her at the time because the 911 was her dream car as a kid. We didn't buy it as an investment, just as something to enjoy for as long as she could. There was never any intention to sell the car and there still isn't (the quickest way to get her to give up talk of a 991 is to tell her she has to sell the 996 ).

So while $80k seems like a painfully large number, we have enjoyed every penny's worth of depreciation. We also did not have to compromise on it as it was build to order so it is as close to exactly as she wanted as Porsche would let us have it.

I honestly thought that would be our first and last Porsche (new or otherwise) and at the time I thought much like many of the younger 996 buyers do now, get it now so you can enjoy it young.

Happily life has gone well and 12 years later I was able to order my P!g. Still a dumb financial decision, but I've only got one life and I'm still happy with my choices (it's down about $40k thanks to VAG's diesel games). Hopefully I'll have it as long as she's had the 996 and if it is as trouble free maybe we'll get another in 9 more years

JimmyChooToo

The only new 911 I would even think about buying is the 991 Targa. The top mechanism may be stupid but the car looks fantastic to me. Otherwise, I would move on to the new Panamera Turbo with the transformer rear wing or possibly a Cayman if I wanted a new Porsche. To me a 911 is a 911 and my 996 does it enough for me. I don't need 20 like Seinfeld. I would rather spend the extra money on a used Ferrari FF or Aston Martin Rapide (I have to have a four seater) than a new 911.

I am the Walrus

That makes a lot of sense to me, everybody is different in how they get value out of the $ they spend on cars.

TheMystro

It's funny that many assume other owners didn't buy their 996 new??? Not every 996 is a beater with excessive miles on them purchased at the low end of NADA value. For that matter, you could just as easily purchase a late 80's 911 in great shape for the same money as a average shape base 996. Value and desirability is in the eye of the beholder. A 911 is a 911 is a 911. New or old they all are 911's regardless what their current monetary value is at the present time in history. What I am getting at is I watched 1979 930s be called old beaters and being devalued because they were not the latest 911 in the mid 1980's. Fast forward to today and those beautifully kept 79 930's value speak for themself.
The 996 has a monumental place in the history of the 911 and represents perhaps the purest form of the modern 911.

docmirror

If you buy for cash, keep it forever and don't finance, the depr factor is rather ephemeral. Not really, but it could be treated like that.

I'm in the same boat as the OP. The only new cars I ever bought were two for my kids, and since they saved me collectively over $200k in college debt by getting scholarships, and grants - I was more than happy to write those checks. They love their little cars, and keep them in near flawless shape. But for me - I would never buy a new car like a Porsche. Every time I looked at it, every time I sat in it, every time I watched the odo click over another mile, I would see those dollars in my mind flowing out the open window, and no way for me to back up and get them again.

I always wanted a 911 version and came real close when the 930s hit their low point(woulda shoulda coulda), but now with the 996 it's like manna from heaven. All the car I've been wanting, none of the financial loss unless I ball it up. The 996 Aero should, in a fair world, be a $28-38k car depending on features and options. Thankfully, they are trading at half that price, and opens a whole new ownership world to guys like me.