mikesh

tx targa, I think your right on. 05/06 S's I think are around 6-7k more than a non-S, everything else being the same. I think at least right now, the extra cost of the S has depreciated about the same percentage as the rest of the car.

mickfluff

Of course it will always be worth more, you paid more for the car to begin with. (meaning on average S costs more) If you pay more for the same car yr and mileage speaking but lower model thats a bad purchase. But the % you pay more for the S does not = what you get more of. 10-15-18% higher price for an S does not get you % wise more car I guess is the main point. Sounds like by your post $ was a big factor in your decision making process etc... the difference in perf between a 997 and 997s is not the same as lets say a mustang v6 and a GT or even your example of the Boxter.... I can not claim this personally but I have read where some people prefer the none S car.... search the forum S vs none S has been debated for years.... both sides have great points. Test drive both.....is my advice.

mickfluff

agreed...

tx targa

Good stuff mikesh, thanks and congrats. Dang, 10% off that 06 Arctic S would be 48.5k. Not bad. I'm more comfortable below or at 45k, unless it already has clear bra and the right wheels. And I'm afraid of what drive out would actually be.

How much tax, tag, title, dealer prep, magic paint coating, BS charges get added on typically? I've not had the pleasure of buying from a Porsche dealer yet.

tx targa

I've never done the base Carrera and then S back to back test drive. Based on everyone's feedback I'm going to. Thanks. Although I really liked turing on and off that sport suspension on rough roads. Is the base suspension adjustable?

rickmdz

I don't want to hijack this thread but I think the question is relevant, do you notice the difference between a non-s and one 'S' when driving at the track? Meaning, not with the chronometer in hand, just by driving behind one of another, an S will easily outbreak a non-s? Will pull away easily on straights?

jcnesq

I will be putting my 05 997S up for sale soon (replaced with 09 Turbo). The trade offer was absurd and told me the dealer didn't want more inventory (they could have offered much more and still resold at a nice profit.

I did learn that they can't CPO a car with aftermarket wheels (at least that's what they told me); mine has Champion RG5 monolite wheels. Although I may look into getting some factory wheels for it so it could be passed through my dealer with a CPO.

I had no issues with my 05 - it was a launch car, bought it on the first day. Based on what I have seen here, I just don't see RMS as being more than a rare issue with the 997s.

For a CPO 997S, I think the dealers are still trying to get 50K or a little more. From a private seller you should be able to do better. Mine has higher miles (43K), also well optioned; I am thinking about asking around 45K for it. I'm not trying to sell it to you, just giving you my take as a soon to be seller.

tx targa

jcnesq thanks for the input. Good to hear you had a trouble free time with your car. I have no issues with higher mileage cars as I don't put many on mine since the office is so close. But the black would make me crazy. Wife already has a black car and part of the idea of going from 3 - 2 cars is less time detailing. I'm such a freak about car cleanliness. Enjoy the new turbo!

tx targa

rickmdz, I'd love to hear about S vs base on the track too if anyone has input...

yemenmocha

Good luck on your 997 quest.

Jetpilot

Jetpilot, did the RMS result in massive oil leaks or did the engine die? How do you like your car on the track?


Track days are great with my C2 - I had a small oil leak warning on my driveway - did not have engine failure.

I bought my C2 from Park Place in November CPO'd 26K miles for 48K. They have dropped about 3-4K since then. I plan on driving the heck out of mine for a long time. It's not my daily driver and it's not a dedicated track beast either - just another one of my toys!

johnstoy

Definitely do this. Last spring I was lucky enough to find a used car dealer with an S and non-S on their lot and they let me drive them back-to-back twice (twice in each car - one right after the other). That experience made it clear to me that the non-S was the better deal for the money. (I didn't buy either of their cars - both were black - I've owned too many black cars and wanted a change). Yes you can feel the increased torque in the S, but it is not a big difference by any means.
And (as we know) factory options tend to be worth close to zero at resale: so things like bi-xenon headlights, 19" rims and PASM which are standard on the S were options on the non-S - people/dealers did order them with these expensive options which translates to a bargain for you shopping used: a "loaded" non-S sells for similar to one with no options.

With enough patience you can find a non-S with xenons, PASM, 19" wheels, all the same interior goodies as an S, but 9% less HP, 8% less torque and 18% less $$$ to buy it.

The 997 non-S comes with X-51 style headers stock, and the rest of the exhaust is well matched to the 3.6. (Completely replacing the exhaust and programming on a 3.6 only gets you about 10HP versus ~30HP on an S). Excellence mag thought the 3.6 was a "sweeter" motor than the 3.8: it revs more smoothly. (They changed their mind with the new 2009 DFI motors - liking the 3.8 better).

Probably the worst aspect of owning a non-S is people who don't actually know the difference, but think they do... When I brought it home last year one of my neighbors came to see and said:" oh, you didn't get an 'S', well I guess you didn't want to deal with those unreliable turbos anyway".

Whatever. This is my experience anyway. Good luck in you search - it is a lot of fun shopping for one of these. Buy what you like. I did.

Cheers!

tx targa

Thanks johnstoy, good info. I didn't know you could get the S suspension on a base car. Aren't the brakes different too? I know the calipers are red vs black but am not sure if there is a size difference too.

I heard about that Excellence article and sort of remember reading it but I have purged my car magazine pile to just a few months back. Anyone have that article in a PDF? Also would love the PDF brochure from 05 or 06. I just downloaded the new 09 one.

Sub

There is another link here posted today to a ebay auction for a nice black non-s. check it out.

tx targa

Just saw it. Incredible options list and price. I just can't do black again. Too much work.