mkamel

Looking for some advice from you experts! I'm looking to buy my first 911, mostly for weekend driving.
Was primarily looking for a 997.1 S (which I test drove), but came across a 997.2 Base model, no bells & whistles, 80k miles but CPO. So two questions:
- what are your opinions on 997.2 base vs. S (unfortunately I can't test drive it as it's out of state);
- with 80k miles, will the car depreciate quickly after my purchase, and too much work to be done when it gets to that mileage mark? My comfort is that it is a CPO, but what about after it expires?

Thanks for your thoughts

997ajk

997.2 base is almost just as quick 997.1 S ! 997.2 base is by far the best buy if the price is right, and it fixes alot of 997.1 issues and offers some upgrades along the way.

80k mile car is definitely not a collector unit but a well taken care of car can be a good entry point into the brand and a fun driver that you don't feel guilty using.
Ultimately once it hits 100k+ miles, many will shy away and price can drop drastically.
Based on this I would say that a Base 997.2 (3.6) pricing will follow this:

under 40k mile car will fetch $45-50k these days,
45-60k mile car will be around $40-47k,
60-90k mile car should be somewhere around $33-40k
100-120k mile car is $28-35k
120k+ mile is $20-28k car

Again area, options and year will determine the pricing and it could be +-10% difference between what I've mentioned.

Having said that if you find a low mileage car, it is not immune from issues, as it is as much as 12 years old. This means many items need to be replaced due to mileage and paying a premium might not be all that.
Again PPI is important no matter which one you choose, this includes CPO car.
If the car is in low $30s then I would say go 997.2...

Floyd540

Welcome to the club. If you really like driving and you like sport cars, you will never regret what you are doing. Having said that, you will get a zillion opinions and some actual facts. Here are mine. The .2 car is superior in major ways, the completely new engine forever did away with the problems you should have read about regarding the .1 car. The radio/ nav / comm system in the .2 car is not modern but far superior to the antique one in the .1 car. Almost all systems in the .2 car received upgrades over the .1, LED tail lights, bi-xenon headlights standard, complete new brakes for the base model , etc. The 80,000 miles means absolutely nothing for one of these cars. The second generation cars are more efficient and the PDK transmission was introduced although I could not care less as I am a 3 pedal family. The .2 cars are harder to find as fewer were made.
Open the floodgates..........

hexagone

I've owned both at the same time, and I can tell you that the 997.2 base is the sweet spot. Much more improved than a 997.1, but as fast as a 997.1S. You'd be hard pressed to find the difference day to day between a 997.2 C2S. The C2S tends to come with more options which are desirable, but if someone tells you the extra 40 or so horsepower on the S are a huge deal - they are dead wrong as someone who lived with both cars side by side.

mkamel

Great feedback, thanks for the break down!
Can I add that this is a convertible and manual, which have been difficult to find. This particular one is in the high $30s, so might not be a great deal then, even if CPO...

mkamel

Thanks Floyd540. Looking forward to joining the club. And appreciate the opinion on this! Sounds like the 997.2 base might be a good option, as long it is the right price!

mkamel

Thanks hexagone. Appreciate the feedback having with you having owned the two cars.

mkamel

Great feedback, thanks for the break down and the pricing!
Can I add that this is a convertible and manual, which have been difficult to find? This particular one is in the high $30s, so sounds like might not be a great deal then, even if CPO...

From a future resale value, I assume a 911 convertible base manual will have much less appeal than the "S" for the core Porsche consumer, right?

Tj40

I voted with my $$ for the 997.2 Base, the difference in HP is minimal, even the difference between the base and S in .2 is small - somewhere there is a youtube video of a drag race between the two and the difference is really small.

I have no regrets with the base, plenty of power, fantastic car....

Terp20854

Totally agree. I did the same. 997.1S vs 997.2 base and chose the base. The 997.1S was higher mileage and cheaper

OKB

the innovation was the 2009 S 3.8 w/ PDK
that went all the way to 18, when the 3.0 TT replaced it

Bruce In Philly

2009 C2S 159K miles

Buy a .2 car. The engine is vastly improved.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Doug H

My wife had a 2010 Base and it was an awesome car. I really could not tell much if any difference between it a .2 S. Besides performance, there are a lot of reasons to go with the 997.2 Base over a 997.1 S and I have seen some unbelievable deals on 997.2 base with manuals. That car should hold value and perhaps appreciate some if kept in decent condition.

Floyd540

How did we get more than one person agreeing on anything, let alone an opinion tainted subject. The .2 cars with manual gearboxes are hard to find for 3 reasons 1,) Porsche was pushing hard on the PDK trans 2) not that many were made compared to PDK ones and 3) people that have them are hanging on to them. Just look at the Want To Buy (WTB) ads. PDK cars are everywhere.
My discussions are focused on someone looking to buy a car to use and drive , enjoy and have fun owning it. As to those that are more concerned about investment and being able to sell later I recommend they just go see their stock broker and put their money there.
Manual .2 cars are in demand for a reason and not that many were made. 'nough said.

RABjr

My careful review made me realize a base 997.2 is better choice over a S 997.1. The 997.2 a little pricier but worth the extra IMHO.