997 Buying suggestions please
 

The S is going to hold value longer by virtue of being an S. You can add the paddle shift wheel for a couple thousand dollars or so. Obviously four model years is nothing to shake a stick at either.

There is also the argument that an S is only really that important if you track the car.

Have you had either car PPIed yet?

PPI - pre purchased inspection

I am assuming that the 2008 Carrera S is actually a model year 2009 car that was built / sold in late 2008? We would refer to that as a 2009 Carrera 2S. A true 2008 would be a 997.1 and have a tip, not PDK.

Between the two, I would definitely (personally) go with the S. The years difference means very little today and will mean virtually nothing later. The mileage and maintenance records are more meaningful for how much wear and tear is on the car and its condition. Not sure about the colors. I would chalk that up to personal preference. Some people would prefer the silver, others the black car. If you like black better than silver, then maybe get that one or wait for an "S" in black.

I would definitely go with the S.

I'd go with the S. It is possible to add sport chrono (minus the dash wart) and paddles after the fact.

I would go with the S. First, its silver which is the only proper color for 911s :-) Second, I personally dont put much weight in which year model designation it is (except a 2005 997.1 has special considerations). I first look at condition, maintenance, miles, options, color, price, etc. I own a 997.1 and wether it was a 2008 or 2006 would have minimal influence on me...they're both 10yr old cars.

I say this owning a base model. I think they can be a hell of a bargain to get into the 911 game. But i dont see that here. You are looking at cars that are the same price and miles. In 5-7 years i dont think anybody will care if its a 2009 or 2012 so the S will definitely have higher resale. Further silver ages better than black. Black paint highlights all the rock chips.

The other thing you need to consider is the base models need Eibach lowering springs to get rid of the 4x4 wheel stance.

Good luck and welcome to the community. Whatever you choose you will love the car.

As others have said, you can add the paddle shifter steering wheel AND the sport / sport plus mode after the fact at a Porsche dealership if those are critical to your decision. That said, if all the options on the newer non S are more important to you than 30 more HP and flatter depreciation curve, then you might be better off with a base than an S.

I personally knew that I was going to daily drive my car, not track the car much and was getting enough performance out of a base 997.2 where I wasn't going to miss the HP. As a result, I was able to save probably around $10k getting a base vs. an S and could freely drive my car and not worry how many miles I put on it.

Thanks much all for your help. Greatly appreciate it.

I think some have reported the later PDK calibration is smoother, the earlier cars can be more notchy in certain PDK operation, I don't believe Porsche made any big moves until the next 991 generation.
Drive both, for me the base is plenty of car, very capable and either one is highly enjoyable.