Used 997S Questions
Thread Starter
Track Day
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 15
Likes: 1
Used 997S Questions
hello,
I am a current M3 SMG owner thinking of buying my first porsche -
looking at 997S, Tip - original MSRP was 88.3k - and has 6k miles on it. I can buy it for 79k - so does it sound like a reasonable purchase? - what kind of annual depreciation can I expect on this veh?
I will be about 300 miles away from the nearest service center - will this be a problem?
any other comments, concerns or questions that I should ask the current owner would be greatly appreciated!
thanks,
Paul in Texas
I am a current M3 SMG owner thinking of buying my first porsche -
looking at 997S, Tip - original MSRP was 88.3k - and has 6k miles on it. I can buy it for 79k - so does it sound like a reasonable purchase? - what kind of annual depreciation can I expect on this veh?
I will be about 300 miles away from the nearest service center - will this be a problem?
any other comments, concerns or questions that I should ask the current owner would be greatly appreciated!
thanks,
Paul in Texas
Race Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,607
Likes: 5
I'd ask him if he has seen ANY oil droplets on the ground under the car. Doesn't have to be RMS, it could be a Vario cam cap seal on the heads, or an over fill, but you MUST ask.
I would check the wear on the rubber, not because I give a darn about the tires, but because wear on the tires are like a human's hands, you can tell how hard they've lived by the shape they're in. And I'd compare all the fluid levels and air in the tires to spec. because that might hint at how well it's been cared for.
I would ask how many times it has been to service, and where it's been serviced, and why it's been serviced. Then, I'd ask for permission to call the service center and verify that info. using the VIN, or, the BEST case I'd have it put on a lift and given a look at by a Porsche service center.
There are people that thrash cars for poops and giggles and I wouldn't want one of their victims... poor little cars.
Finally, with an eye to your future happiness with the car and having put 5600 mountain twistie miles on an '04 E46 M3 in just 5 weeks immediately before my Carrera S, you should know the Carrera S is a MUCH more difficult car to drive FAST, not in daily driving but in "pushing the limit" driving... more rewarding, faster, but it requires a level of focus and effort that the M3 does not. You give up a lot of "point and shoot" ease with the M3 in exchange for more raw performance with the Carrera S.
That said, and all the answers being good, I'd try to make a thousand or two in 60 seconds by talking him down a few but regardless I'd JUMP on it.
I would check the wear on the rubber, not because I give a darn about the tires, but because wear on the tires are like a human's hands, you can tell how hard they've lived by the shape they're in. And I'd compare all the fluid levels and air in the tires to spec. because that might hint at how well it's been cared for.
I would ask how many times it has been to service, and where it's been serviced, and why it's been serviced. Then, I'd ask for permission to call the service center and verify that info. using the VIN, or, the BEST case I'd have it put on a lift and given a look at by a Porsche service center.
There are people that thrash cars for poops and giggles and I wouldn't want one of their victims... poor little cars.
Finally, with an eye to your future happiness with the car and having put 5600 mountain twistie miles on an '04 E46 M3 in just 5 weeks immediately before my Carrera S, you should know the Carrera S is a MUCH more difficult car to drive FAST, not in daily driving but in "pushing the limit" driving... more rewarding, faster, but it requires a level of focus and effort that the M3 does not. You give up a lot of "point and shoot" ease with the M3 in exchange for more raw performance with the Carrera S.
That said, and all the answers being good, I'd try to make a thousand or two in 60 seconds by talking him down a few but regardless I'd JUMP on it.
Last edited by JohnnyNarcosis; Mar 20, 2005 at 01:25 AM. Reason: spelling... again.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
I saw that Black/Black 997S too @ Advantage Porsche in Houston. Call Brian Herlin and he will give you the scoop. I think that it belonged to some guys wife and it was built in July 04. Nice condition too! Good Luck
Pro
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 577
Likes: 1
From: Lakewood Ranch, FL
Is the car for sale at a dealer or individual? In either case I would expect that you could get more than 4K off the car if it has 3,000 miles. When I bought my car I got a 7% discount. I am beginning to hear that the dealers inventories are low so I don't think you would get this today, but for a used car I would expect a bigger discount.
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Pro
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 502
Likes: 0
From: Dana Point, CA
psorensen - I drove the 997 and 997S tip at PDE last week and own a 986 Boxster S tip, so I can comment on the new tip, which is spectacular. No longer does it shift you to the next gear even when you are in manual mode - it really lets you get to the rev limiter before it does that, and the shifts themselves are faster and with much less lag. You can hear the rev matching when you downshift, and if you keep it in 'auto mode', it has a more agressive shifting map than the previous tiptronic had.
I started the experience in a 6-speed, but when I tried the tiptronic the afternoon of the first day, I never went back. I know it's a torque converter, and it's not as good as a sequential gearbox, but since less than 1% of drivers with 6-speed are good enough to shift as well as a computer, and I'm certainly among the lower 10% of those 99%, I'm sticking with tiptronic, particularly considering all the improvements that have been made.
I started the experience in a 6-speed, but when I tried the tiptronic the afternoon of the first day, I never went back. I know it's a torque converter, and it's not as good as a sequential gearbox, but since less than 1% of drivers with 6-speed are good enough to shift as well as a computer, and I'm certainly among the lower 10% of those 99%, I'm sticking with tiptronic, particularly considering all the improvements that have been made.
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Race Car
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,607
Likes: 5
Originally Posted by psorensen
the car is for sale by an individual -
hey JohnnyN - why did you go the the 997 from the M? - are you happy you did? - is the TIP tranny quick/smooth?
hey JohnnyN - why did you go the the 997 from the M? - are you happy you did? - is the TIP tranny quick/smooth?