Quadcammer

What seems to be missing is that you can typically find a decent used engine for approximately 10 to 12k, with another 2k for install. still not cheap but not 25k either.

I have zero interest in a 991, save a 991.2 gt3, but they are far too much car for the street so i'll pass

Doug H

Both the 997 and the 991 are great cars and fun to drive. The older 911s get, the more pesky and expensive to maintain they become. Stuff just wears out and breaks over time. With that in mind, a newer 991.1 may be more enjoyable to those not wanting to deal or having the $$$ to deal with potential maintenance and upkeep of 10+ year old sports cars.

Ben Z

I had to put in a new engine due to scoring. It was at the tail end of my extended warranty, and it kicked in for the value of a used engine and I paid the difference for an RND. All told, over the 6 year term, my extended warranty paid out almost 7 times what it cost me, with no hassle or denial of claims. That is the most any of the dozen or so extended warranties I've had have repaid...most have paid back double or triple, a couple broke even...but not once have I ever lost money on an extended warranty. Having replaced everything of major cost other than the transmission, I am going bare on mine now.

As for trading, as someone astutely pointed out, the inevitable depreciation on a newer car easily outweighs the cost of a new engine, which is not necessarily inevitable. If you think keeping the older car is Russian Roulette, buying a new car is Russian Roulette with all six chambers loaded.

What it comes down to is are you itching for a different car? Life is short, get what makes you happy. None of these cars is about basic transportation necessity. They are utilitarian toys.

In my case I opted to go with a new engine (and some paintwork currently, as FL sun finally did the clearcoat in) and keep the car. It's exactly what I want in a Porsche...rocky ride, noisy, no nanny devices other than ABS and traction control, but the safety and reliability of a modern car. I took the money it would have cost me to trade up to a newer 911, put part of it into fixing this one, and the rest into an '08 Corvette. Now I've got two very different sportscars and belong to two different car clubs.

JWYR

Upgrade or stay put sums up my Porsche history fairly well. I moved from my ‘75 914 to a ‘72 911. Form there I thought I needed a faster 911, so I purchased a 911SC. Then sold off the Porsches to focus on starting a family. I came back to the Porsche world with a ‘00 Boxster S. Sold it for the 997 and I too think about 991s. I see history repeating and I think back to my ‘72 911. If I could, I would own that car again and call it good. OP, I totally understand your question, but this is a question that no one can help you with. I feel like I have chased the next Porsche enough, so I will likely just keep mine and build it like I want. For me, even if I went with a great 991, there would just be the next model to think about. I am going to build my 997 to be what I want. The mods and upgrades of my current car will my move on.

Mike Murphy

I’m starting to think that your best option is an extended, transferable, warranty. You have time to decide, the warranty will put your mind at ease, you won’t lose much money on it, and if you decide to upgrade, if the warranty will be an attractor to anyone looking at your old car. If you keep your car, you are protected. Seems like the perfect hedge.

That said, like for like Porsches (base vs base, S vs. S, Turbo vs. Turbo) don’t have significant performance improvements over time. The base 991 I drove wasn’t that much faster on the street than my 996. On track, maybe different, but not as much on the street. You may find that you prefer a GTS if you are coming from an S.

mgordon18

Hell, I'd sell my car right now for a GTS. I love it, but not THAT much. Do you have a spare $50K I could use?

f911

Stay put with 997
Best 911 water-cooled

Steve 911

Aren't these warranties like $2-3k a pop? Why not take the money you'd put into the extended warranty and put it into a rainy day account instead? When you are done with the car, it'll likely still be there and you can use it as a further down payment against whatever you get next or just keep building the repair fund by continuing to ignore the scams...I mean warranties offered by the dealerships

snake eyes

sandwedge

Or maybe it won't be there and maybe it won't end with that. I had one of those $3K warranties on my -09 C4S when the PDK crapped out. A $14,000 replacement paid in full with zero deductible.

f911

So what. I'm not talking about the reliability of the engine. I'm talking about the total package. The excitement. The noise in the cabin drove. The steering wheel. 997 This is the perfect 911 since 1998. Today, 991 is a vehicle this year. But not compared to 997

JWYR

Steve 911

That is the risk you take. If you've bought 10 cars and paid for the warranty 10 times with one major repair like this, you're still behind. I do understand that it "feels good" to have one and helps with the "what if" scenarios, but these companies are for profit, so statistically speaking, you're going to lose if you buy one. Every one and a while, something like this does happen. Does that mean everyone should buy one? In my opinion, no, but YMMV.

TheBruce

@Ben Z - well said, especially for one of the unlucky few. Sorry to hear about the scored bores but glad it ended well.

vern1

Upgrade. If you are worried about reliability, and you should be, then just upgrade and be done with it. It sounds like that is what you want to do anyways