Edgy01

Be in a financial situation where you can afford to drive it. This means putting quality tires on it,--not some cheap stuff to save money. No one buys a P-car to save money. When you put cheap tires on these cars you will never know what it's capable of. It makes a tremendous difference.

LagunaDallas

I think 'Carrera GT' is right on the money. A '05 997 coupe is a great starting point. I traded an SL550 for the C2S and naturally began looking at cabrios, but decided I wanted my first 911 experience to be a 'true' 911 (which to me has always been a manual transmission coupe). I've made a few lousy car decisions over the years, and I know that this wasn't one of them because it feels SO right. I agree with CGT that starting out with a Turbo is overkill. Even after a week I'm pretty confident saying that I'll always have a 911 in the garage, so it's fun to have something to work up to. Maybe a coupe for a couple of years, then move on to a cabrio, then eventually a Turbo?

It also sounds like you ideally need a CPO-warrantied car from a private party. I don't know about Georgia, but I bought my car in Califonia but the tax was based on my state of residency (Texas) where the car was going to be titled and registered. My guess is that you can find a deal on a private party car that fits your needs in a market with an oversupply, then ship it back to Georgia and get your tax benefit. I found some really nice CPO cars in my search but went with a dealer because they had my ideal car and gave me a decent trade-in value. Low-mileage '05 997 coupes can be had now around $40K, and I almost bought an '05 cabrio with 17K for $46K.

LagunaDallas

The attached link will take you to an example --- 2005, reasonable mileage, warranty for 6 years/100K miles, new tires, sounds well cared-for, $42K, private party. I know it's a coupe with a black interior, but gives you an idea.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

Para82

I agree with this guy, for me finding a 05 Carrera S, current bodystyle, with low low miles for a decent price was the intention all along. You get the current 997 looks, even 997.2 and you pay so much less money then buying brand new off the showroom floor. If you go with a private seller make sure it's someone who took really good care of the car. My seller had several Porsches including vintage ones and had a lot of respect for the car. I like those sellers, because they are meticolous like me about the car. Good luck, I think if you are solid with your career, have some decent cash reserves and don't have a kid to put through college or other priorities then you should get the Porsche 911.

9elf S

I would go older - like a 1978-83' SC. Fun and relatively inexpensive to drive, assuming you get it checked out properly by a mechanic. They can be had in the $20ks. They don't come close to the power of the modern 911s, but their handling and tossability make up for it.

Dubya

Please no debate in what I am about to say, I KNOW a pcar is a HUGE upgrade, that's why I am here: I do drive an excellent handling and toss able car, this isn't like going from a chevette to a porsche, I've had the MRS for 5 years now, it has been absolutely babied and had the best tires possible on it. It is different in the fact that it's essentially a no maintenance, never broken, car (although, the second week I had it I yanked the exhaust manifold and took a screwdriver to the precats). Thankfully, I have a great dad, so some of this is very true to what I've been taught. Good tires have saved my life a few times, a 2000 pound car that doesn't hydroplane when you hit 4 inches of water in the dark, thank you Michelin. I could go his route, he had a very cool TR-3 powder blue that was sold to build a pool, and he's never really forgiven himself for that

I digress. You're right, there are plenty out there, and I am being steered towards coupe. I just need to be reminded that there are PLENTY of cars out there, and in a few months there will be, and even after that, there will be.

Case in point both the autotrader car above and things like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=110430241677

tincanman99

My advice to you is not to do it. I am a Porsche enthusiast since I was about 5 just like you but here is the reality, its a car - a depreciating asset. Yes it will be fun to drive and you only live once but $ is $. While you are young now is the time to sock it away.

No Porsche is a smart financial decision, yes its an emotional decision but its not smart financially. Its doubtful that the 996/997 generation of 911's will ever be considered in the same light as say the 993s. I have come close to buying a bunch of times but each time practicality kicks that keeps me from buying. Yes they are cool and I am not getting any younger but in the end its a car. You cant eat it, sleep in it (well if you are a contortionist ), it wont have sex with you (it may help you to get sex though though doubtful from my experiences ) and it definitely wont make you money.

1. Pay off all your credit card debt. When you have 0 credit card debt, than think about it.

2. Live BELOW your means. That does not mean having a 1K a month car payment. It means spending less than you take in. There are lots of fun cars that you can easily afford that will not cost what a Porsche will cost to maintain. GTI, Mazda 3's, Mini Coopers, A3s, etc... you get the idea.

3. Build up a HUGE savings. Do it now while you are young, the magic of compounding interest works wonders. Look at it this way, by the time you are in your 40s you will have a significant amount of $ puit away which will buffet you from the winds of the economy.

4. Dont underestimate the cost of these cars to maintain. A $100 oil change at the dealer is common. If not more. Tires, maintenance, insurance all can be significant. At your age the insurance companies are going to rape you and than some because you are still in their idiot drive age group even though you may not be like that.

5. Dont under estimate IMS incidences. A lot of people say they are not common. I dont buy it. I have seen estimates as high as 10%. Realize that many Porsches are leased and these cars are turned in long before they have problems. If its leased its not your problem. Lets put it this way, if they are not that common than why did Porsche design out the IMS shaft on the 09 models. Get it? Got 14-20K laying around for a new motor. No thanks.

I say sit on it for a while and cool off. After you are cool than think about it again.

Carrera GT

This is a mixed bag of advice!

I agree that "cool off" makes sense, but by all means, when you have a cool head, focus on buying your Porsche! Live life. Carpe diem. Still, live "within" you means (never below or beneath!) Invest as you consume, yes, but don't put your life on hold to amass savings.

Again, it sounds like you don't need financial advice, but for sure, have a solid plan, have it written down and talk with your dad or someone he recommends for financial planning advice. It's quite interesting and makes for an easy nights' sleep to really know your net worth and have near term and long term goals.

And once you have all that sorted out ... go get a nice '95 and have it inspected before purchase or get a nice '05 and get a factory CPO. : )

blake

+1. I am looking to add an 05 or 06 997 daily-driver at these low prices... I can get a used car loan at 3.99% (PenFed) and enjoy a CPOd Porsche...

Best of luck.

-B

medtech

Suze Orman for shure! Poor guy!

To the OP:

The IMS issue happens maybe 10% of the time, so you have a 90% chance of being fine.

996/997, they are both great cars.

Stay the hell away from the dealer. Why do I say that? Because NOTHING is free. You want CPO? You're gonna pay for it 100%. The cost for them to prep the car, advertise, keep the lights on, pay that smug salesman and manager, you're gonna pay for ALL that and then some. Plus only certain cars even qualify to be CPO'd in the first place (ie. lower mileage, etc).

My advice is to buy a used car from a private party. Do a PPI. Inspect it yourself. Trust your gut. Don't make an emotional decision, there are plenty of cars out there.
If you can afford a car that still has factory warranty, even better.
You can always buy an aftermarket warranty if you need one. Otherwise, take the money that you would have spent on it and put it away for emergencies.

If you're willing to work on the car yourself, you can fix most of the problems that may come up. This board and Renntech will show you how.

Good luck!