mgordon18

Hi all,

Would you stretch your budget by $3K if it meant getting the X51 package? I may have the opportunity to get a 997S with the X51 upgrades, but it's over my top number by about $3K. I've already raised my top limit once in order to afford an S (over a base car), but is the X51 worth me busting it again by $3K?

This will be my first P-car and I KNOW I don't actually need the grunt of even the S, let alone an X51. But I'm thinking that the resale value of the proposed car will far outweigh the price increase.

That being said, I don't really plan on selling this car any time soon. I'm hoping to drive it till it plotzes!

What think you, gurus?

Thanks in advance,
- Mike

PS - 100!!!

No HTwo O

Yes. That option was well north of $17K IIRC.

mgordon18

Right. In 2006, the X51 power kit was a $16,900 option. But will it help my resale value by more than $3K in 8 years when the car has 80,000 miles?

I could continue my search and wait for a "standard" S and save myself $3K. Or get this X51, which would be $3K worth of gravy.

Spokane5150

X51 Sounds good. I wish I had it. Cylinder Heads, Airbox, exhaust, headers....OMG music to my ears.

USMC_DS1

Even if you don't get all $3K at resale in 8 yrs... it would still be highly desired and likely move quicker than say a normal "S". Get the x51 if all ease is good on the car.

PasPar2

not sure what you are asking...

if financially - only you can answer that. What does 3k mean to you? will it make you eat cup-o-noodle for the near future or will it be an unnoticeable bleep on the radar?

if you mean is it worth 3k over a non c51 - again, its a personal choice. I personally would put the 3k toward a BT/ipod solution for the .1 and use the rest for DE expenses.

russo

Definitely get the x-51 for only 3K, otherwise you will always be second guessing your purchase of a non x-51. It is well worth the 3k.

No HTwo O

And IIRC, dealerships were doing the X51 package aftermarket through the Tequipment process and charging north of $23,000.

Aerokitted

heck yea

IslandS52

buy the right car, not the option list. however if you found a perfect car for you and it's an X51, negotiate hard and grab it. X51 is worth it.

pongobaz

Yes!

cibergypsy

Many owners spend more than that on aftermarket upgrades - I am not commenting on the merits of such upgrades - so an extra $3k for a factory upgrade (wether from the factory or retrofit it still is a genuine Porsche item) that guarantees 381 hp and 307 lbs.ft of torque and cost at least $16,900 new, seems like the way to go.

Neotorque

Look, it's silly to buy a mass produced car now with an eye towards how options will affect its resale value X years and Y miles from now. It's certainly silly to buy a 997 for that reason. If you're looking for a 911 that will protect its resale value, get a more collectible model, like a 993. If you don't want the X51 option, and you're reaching over your budget, don't do it. Put the 3K (or whatever the savings is on your final purchase) in a CD and it will hold its value a lot better than it will in a car.

Remember, you're not paying 3K for the X51. You're paying a set dollar amount for a car. If you're getting a $17K option for $3K above your budget, unless this particular seller is an idiot, you're getting $14K less car everywhere else than you could otherwise get on your budget. And those other things you're giving up are also likely to affect resale.

This is a long way of saying, buy the car you want, don't get caught up in thinking about this like an investment, it's a car you plan to drive (which is what you should do with it). Good luck!

ADias

The X51 is nice but there's a cost to it. The added performance is obtained by a far more complex intake with 6 vanes. More to go wrong. I tend to prefer more basic components over complexity - YMMV.

Edgy01

I suspect you will get lower mileage, but the performance additives will compensate you there! It's a no brainer. Everyone back in 2006-2008 would have traded their little sisters for X51 for $3k.