Mike in CA

Interesting post Dan, as usual, but "(Silver cars) are quite boring and reflect a boring culture........"? What a totally subjective, and inflammatory thing to say. It may be your honest opinion, but not all opinions need to be shared. For example, it might be someone's opinion that buying a car colored like an unappetizing jelly bean is way over the top, and reflective of today's "hey, look at me culture", but that would be a rude and biased comment. The guy who bought the "boring" silver car as well as the one who bought the "jelly bean" doesn't have to answer to any of us.

I don't get why people feel the need to make derogatory comments in a public forum when they know they will reflect directly on others. There's very little difference between, "Mike, I think your car looks like crap(which I assume you wouldn't say) and "all cars (like yours) look like crap". I guess it's easier to say stuff like that when one doesn't have to look someone else in the eye when it's said. And please, spare the follow-up posts about "political correctness". I don't give a d*mn about PC. Showing a little respect and good manners, OTOH, does matter.

csorrows

Yeah, I saw the Atlas Grey locally, but like with the other silvers and greys, it didn't do anything for me.

A previous poster said something very interesting about a "Skittle-colored car"...that's kind of what I'm looking for I guess.

When I'm driving along and see cars of certain models and colors go zipping by, I find myself thinking "Wow!" Those things tend to be:

- 911's in the color combos I mentioned I like
- Millenium Yellow Corvettes. NOTE: I am NOT a Corvette person, but when that Yellow goes zipping by, I certainly notice it, and it's a cool color. That's why I like 911's in Yellow (although I still like Guards Red better).
- The wild-colored Lotus Elise and Exige's, especially the orange ones.

EDIT: I got to thinking...if I were to order a 911, what color would I pick? Honestly, I think I'd have to get a custom color, something nobody (or at least very few people) have, and my first pick would probably be orange. Not bright orange, but more of a burnt orange. I've seen that color on a few cars in my life and wow, it was stunning. And definitely not something you see often.

I've always been partial to cars that you didn't see on the road much (including colors). That's one reason why, living in the Bay Area, I would never own a Mercedes or BMW. They're nice cars, but every other car on the road out here is a Mercedes or BMW. I wouldn't want one just because they're so ubiquitous. I want something different. Strangely, you don't see many 911's out here. But as much as I love 911's, if they were just as common as Mercedes or BMW, I wouldn't want one either. Odd, however, that I like the 911 in white. White is the most common car color out there, but I do think the 911 looks great in white. Not my first choice, however, but still a nice color.

Ecky993

Mike in CA

+1
Totally agree with these sentiments...

From a GT Silver S owner.

VGM911

Edgy's commentary didn't bother me a bit (Arctic silver, here, by the way) even though I didn't necessarily agree with every aspect of it.

His main point is that shopping in the used car market can be frustrating, and usually requires compromises when it comes to colors, options, warrantys, service (w/service records), and availability in your geographic area. Even the search for a car that was owned by a non-smoker can be a challenge.

If the original poster is having a problem in this regard, he'll figure it out. I'm kind of surprised that he even posed the question.

Edgy01

I shouldn't have said "boring" for silver. Of course these things are beautiful in silver--I came close to GT silver or meteor silver a couple of times--but unfortunately, they are very commonplace. Too common. I think that's my biggest issue with the silvers--they are just too common. For many years in America, the choices by far have been silver (some variant), black, white, and finally, red. Even the reds are dropping from popularity. Silver is very easy to keep clean so it's popular. The back lot at Porsche AG really demonstrated to me the shift to ultraconservative buying.

I, too, would have preferred buying a used car to avoid the depreciation hit, but where on earth will I ever find a Porsche 997 with everything I want on it? We have to settle for compromises.

henrysko

To the OP, not sure how long you're willing to wait but, It took me almost a year but I finally got exactly what I wanted in both specs and price.

Patience is hard but things generaly work out.

Good hunting!

2K7TTMIA

On that note, the colors I wouldn't buy are any Black and Guards Red. Just about all other Pcar colors are very nice, esp. if it has the right options.... except Nephrite Green interior....yuck...

coming from an Arctic Silver....which BTW, adding stripes does wonders for changing the look of these cars if you get the urge to mod....

csorrows

I posted the question because back when I got my 1989, there was a decent selection of reds, yellows, whites, etc.

I was shocked at how many of the more modern cars were made in silver and gray. When I restricted my color choices to Red (which I thought would be a very popular color for 911's) the choices dropped, and not by just a little, but dramatically.

I suppose it would be the same if today's owners who love silver and gray went looking for a 911 ten years from now and the popularity had changed and it was silver and gray that were almost never produced and everything was red and yellow. I'd be having a field day, but they'd be posting "Where are all the silvers and grays???"

I understand color choices, and the public's prevailing mood for colors, changes over time. But I wasn't prepared for just how dramatically what I feel one of "THE" colors for 911's (Guards Red) dropped in popularity.

Graygoose997

A lot of us choose Porsche over Ferrari and silvers, grays and blacks over "look at me......" because we are quite happy flying under the radar.

Mike in CA

No question that silver, gray, black, white are more "common" or another , perhaps less pejorative term, popular. I'm often struck while looking down at the street from a hotel room, for example, at how the vast majority of cars are these colors. A yellow or red car really stands out when it drives by and I can certainly understand why some people want something different.

I buy what I like, not what's "acceptable", both from an esthetic and practical perspective and I give people the benefit of the doubt that, for the most part, they do too. I didn't buy silver because red is too risky or because I've become "ultraconservative" in my buying habits. My personal opinion is just that silver looks better all things considered, although I also appreciate and have owned red vehicles, and would never second guess someone who prefers them. Tastes, styles, and preferences change; I'm pretty sure I'd go broke making a living trying to figure out why. Porsche probably feels the same way, which is why they have a back lot full of cars that goes with the flow.

Which doesn't make life easier for the OP and his search for a red car, optioned just right. Good luck!

Kuhan

I just bought a 997 and my advice to you is to look at all the Porsche dealer websites around the country and you'll find that some tend to have quite good stocks and others tend to only have one or two pre-owned cars. Bookmark the used car listings on these sites and check them evary week. Don't worry if the car isn't advertised as CPO, they can add this for you (at a cost of course).

Here is one to start:
http://www.momentumporsche.com/certi...50abf0a099.htm

VGM911

+1

At Law

Very true.

I happened to only want a Guards Red with black interior combination.

I was originally looking for the "S" model, however, since I was buying used
and found a loaded "non-S" in GR, I bought it.

I found a one-owner in brand new condition with fewer than 5k miles
on the clock. It had one year of factory warranty left.

Take your time to look and don't settle. The perfect model will pop up.

And, as you can see, no one can agree on the perfect color. Everyone's
tastes are different. Buy what you like and enjoy it.

Spiffyjiff

true and true.

LlBr

Yeah. When I lived in SoCal it all made sense, red, yellow, pink: no problem. Nobody even notices Porsches.

Now in middle america where P-cars are comparatively unusual I gotta go with silver and grey as sensible choices. It's enough to be occasionally singled-out as a "rich" guy in a Porsche. Somehow being a "rich" guy in a [insert bright loud color here] Porsche is asking for more than your share of bad vibes.