I want to hold on to my 997S permanently, and not have car payment. What kind of lifespan can we expect from these cars? Assume that the car is well cared for an serviced regularly, sees a few track days a year.

Thanks

 

jcm,

This might be a question 996 owners can contribute on, as well.

I'm assuming that so long as the car is properly maintained and regularly serviced it could last a long, long time. Does anyone know how many Pcar owners put over 100k miles on their cars?

I've had a few minor issues on my car, including a recent RMS, but every time I get in the car, it puts a smile on my face. I'll be picking my car up tomorrow morning, so I'll post a detailed update on the RMS issue tomorrow evening.

 

While it's nice to think you'll want to be buried in the car one day, the reality is you'll probaby get tired of it in about 5 years max. A maintained car will last indefinately.

 

From LA Times - "Earl Fred Brush, California's oldest man who bought his first car, a Maxwell Overlong, in 1913 and drove until he was 100, has died at the age of 111."
I don't expect this sort of life from my 997.

 

Well, if Porsche is still building cars as strong as they used to, it should just keep going! There are plenty of people on these boards with cars in the 300,000 mile + category that run strong. I guess we have yet to see that from a 996 version since they are still relatively new.

 

The Crystal Ball says "Properly cared for it should be running fine for many many miles"

 

porsche's pretty good with lasting over 100k miles easy. With proper care, it could go over 200k+, but I would check with 996's about the how well theirs are doing.

 

They don't make them like they used to. You could get 300,000 miles from a well maintained 911SC or pre-964 Carrera, but long-term quality has been declining at Porsche (and the other German manufacturers) since those cars were designed in the 1970s and early 1980s. Competition and stricter safety requirements have led to cost cutting and lower quality materials over the years.

 

Probably about 960,000 miles. But you probably would not be able to afford the tires.

 

Thanks, Skytop! A sense of humor always is a must.

 

I would definitely check the 996 board as some others have mentioned, as that car is closely related to the 997. It would be hard to draw an inference from the older 911 lifespans as the older cars were build differently and aircooled, so they are pretty different animals. Porsche also changed their building techniques to more of a mass manufacturing style when the Boxsters and 996s came out to handle the production load, so look for high mileage 996s and see what the problems are--some of these problems will invariably be similar to what the 997 will see most likely.

My $.02

 

I have a friend with a 993 who had the engine and trans rebuilt at a bit over 400,000 miles. They had never had major work done before. He changed the oil at 3,000 miles and drove the car on the track.

 

Cole, Alan, and Austin hit the nail on the head. A good reference point should be the 996/986 group since the engine/tranny is generally the same or similar in the case of the S varient. The older cars are a different breed as are turbos and GT cars.