Nugget

Clearly the only rational solution is to pick up a GT3 RS as the best hedge against 997 depreciation.

gota911

Good one!

utkinpol

Compared to June-July used market prices went up 20-30% at least. Plus stock of good used cars looks to be almost depleted. hopefully it will keep prices at proper level. Pricing of MY '09 was a one time fluke. It will not repeat. Looking at used MY '07 offerings in $70K area it seems you may not loose sleep over your car loosing its value.

Well, unless any major glitch will be discovered in those new DFI engines. First year models are always tricky - may be fine, may be another thing like '05 IMS issue. Who knows.

red89

I'm hoping you are wrong.
The way I see it, VW will allow Porsche to refocus on Sports Cars.
VW brought Bentley out of the gutter, put Audi on top, builds some of the most technologically advanced cars available in the Veyron and Phaeton.

Let's just pray to God that VW of America doesn't get involved.
RMS and IMS would be termed "within specification".

Fahrer

Unless there is something truly special about a car, it will depreciate. The 993's depreciated but were seen as the lastof the air cooled and stabilized at relativeley high prices if the cars were in great shape. The look of the 996's accelerated their the decline in market value.

Going forward, it doesn't matter how many Porsches ( rmember many/most are SUV's and Boxter/Caymans) are produced. What really matters is how many 911's are produced if we are considering the value of 997's. Although there are a lot of 997's available with low miles ( I benefited from this greatly this year), I think VW will begin to move the 911 up market with more expensive technology, materials, etc. (which means lower production and higher margins). The volume will come from the Boxster/Cayman and any new entry level model cming out. If that happens, the 997's may hold their value like the 993's did. Also, as the dollar begins it's inevitable long term decline, imported models will become more expensive. Remember, auto companies can get much more money for cars sold outside the US. Europe and Asia are much more attractive markets.

yemenmocha

Yes good points, but I don't think anyone is arguing there won't be deprecation... it's just that it won't be as dismal as it was for the 996.

Your points about Europe and Asia are what I had in mind about Porsche raising its prices. The U.S. is the "cheapest" place to buy a Porsche right now, and with those other economies growing there will be substantially more buyers there. Porsche has little reason to not become more Ferrari-like with exclusivity & pricing of the 911's. If they do that, which I'm confident they will, then it only helps the used market like it did with many Ferraris before they suddenly became a $200k car.

quickxotica

Yes, the 997's depreciation curve, as some have pointed out, already resembles the 996's depreciation curve. The 996s are just 5 years farther down the curve. Any differences between the two curves are unlikely to be significant. Mechanically and functionally, the cars are very similar. Neither will ever be a collectible car in the vein of an 964 RS America or a Speedster or something like that.

Bottom line is driving a 996 or a 997 is going to cost you between 80 to 100 cents per mile. Anyone not currently getting 100 cents worth of joy per mile out of their Carrera should maybe change the way they drive?

Edgy01

The real question is, did you buy one to appreciate it or to drive it? If you want to simply appreciate it, buy a photo of one. There's a real sickness within the Porsche world with 'depreciation.' If you're worried about depreciation buy a Kia and run it into the ground. In reality, in this economy, you're better off spending the money because tomorrow those dollars will be worth substantially less.

Graygoose997

I have to think that the economic events of the last 18 months will continue to bear unfavorably on both new and used Porsche sales.
In a climate where 401 K 's have been turned into 201K's and where home prices are down almost everywhere, a prudent person has to pause and question why they would knowingly acquire yet another rapidly depreciating asset.
Granted, it's a whole lot more fun to lose money on a Porsche than it is to lose money on a stock.

alexb76

I guess the main question is, when's the best time to trade-in/sell the 997? Like where's the sweet spot of depreciation?

Right before 998 comes out? Right before warranty (or CPO) expire? Before a certain miles on the car? At certain age (4 yrs/ 5 yrs)?

Nugget

I think the best approach is to buy the car, drive it until the doors fall off, then buy the next one.

tooloud10

+1

People are kidding themselves if they think it "won't happen to them" or that having round headlights and a little nicer interior will prevent depreciation similar to that of the 996. It's a simple supply and demand issue and they're making a lot more of these things than they used to.

Put it this way--I can already buy an '05 997 for barely more than I paid for my '99 996 just three years ago.

Ucube

Absofrigginlutely! Don't know why some people make it so hard.

Wills

I bought my gen 2 with a list price of £76k, got 6k off it so net £70k after 3 months and 6000 miles it was worth £57k Porsche have just increased prices in the UK so the same car today is £79k. ($126k!)

Mine's looking like it would be a bit of a bargain for someone if I sold it. (There is always a huge cost involved in being the first person on the log book)

Just feel lucky that most you don't have to pay european prices!

jsmirand

Asking on the 997 forum if the 997 will depreciate more slowly then the 996 is interesting. I wonder how the responses would have turned out if the same question were posed, but on any non 997 board instead.

As a 997 owner, the answer I would prefer to hear is NO it can't be since the 997 is SO much better then a 996, but then, as a 996 owner, the answer I would prefer to hear is YES, my upgrade on a 2-3 year used model at an attractive price point is well on its way!