What do you guys think about a 997.2 base Carrera that has zero options. Is there something extra appealing with a Porsche without all the electronic gadgetry? Less components to fail? Less weight? Easier to modify? The car I am considering looks like it may have been a dealer loaner. Carfax said dealer owned for 1.5 years prior do being sold. Low miles, right colors. Just looking for opinions. Thanks, Wolfgang

 

It wouldn't appeal to me. You would have manual seats f.i. and I think for the price of the car that is unacceptable. If you are purely looking for a track car or if you want to mod it yourself that's a different story.

 

I would not do it. Passed on one like that selling with cpo @ dealer for way under market... Its an odd duck and will be impossible to sell. Also, creature comforts are important to me...

 

I would guess the interior/exterior colors have to be worth the car's selling price; I.e., if its something other than black or silver or if its PTS vs. black/black or black/beige, then what's the selling point, unless the dealer is willing to let it go for $7-10-15k less than a similar car with desirable options. Are you looking to add OEM upgrades? (Sport seats, suspension, exhaust, leather bits)?
CPO?

 

I like the idea of fewer complications. But it would really depend on what it has. Manual seats don't bother me. A real simple radio is easier to swap out for a decent one with actual aux inputs. As long as the seats were leather, it is fine by me. Leather everywhere else (Dash, vents, etc.) is not of my taste.

Like others have said, "Most" folks like lots of options. This gives you some leverage in your purchase. Push the price low, get it inspected well, and drive the wheels off it. Add what you want over time.

 

As a track car... yes. Especially if you plan on modifying it with your own suspension system and engine performance mods. As a DD... no so much. Many have come to appreciate/expect the creature comforts of a highly optioned car in this class. For resale down the road a well optioned car will move much quicker... so a no optioned car needs to be price at the bottom of it's class as that is the only way it will sell later. BTW, Hertz upgraded me to a 60th Anniversary Corvette cab two wks ago on one of my business trips. If you really want a plastic clad interior then consider a GM car instead for much less. As a rental it was a nice cruiser but very disappointing otherwise. Even my neighbor's Camary has full leather.

Where I draw the line though is with NAV which is dated the moment they install it and a lux item likely to break and is costly to repair... my android phone is far superior and comes with me. With Bose audio you're wasting $$ on an inferior system and it's a PITA to modify/add onto it. Plus you already have a great audio system with the symphony produced by the engine... just roll the window up or down to control the volume. GL and let us know what you end up with.

 

USMC, funny thing, the car I passed on had no options BUT nav... I agree Nav is uselss.. but a car w.o bluetooth, aux audio, even heated seats is a problem.

 

From a pure driving standpoint there is nothing wrong with a base 997.2. That said, I ordered my 2011 c2 with PSE, full leather nav etc because I keep my cars a long time and I got carried away, and I'm glad I did so. But I have also been completely happy with my virtually base (except for 16 inch wheels) 1985 Carrera which I have owned since new, and it tugs at me just as much as the optioned 997.2. I agree that resale will be a challenge but if you can get into it for the right price, go for it. You can always add PSE, which, looking back, is the only option I could not do without after becoming accustomed to it.

 

PasPar, I live in TX where I thought initially that heated seats would be useless... but I find that I turn them on all the time. In fact, the sport adaptive seats with heat set at the lowest level is perfect for my aging back. I would not consider a car w/o those options as a minimum. Ironically, my wife and I find our p-car seats much more comfortable then her Lexus GX-470.

 

A stripper is a stripper. These cars benefit from having options tacked on them. That's just being cheap. No wonder the dealer ate it for 18 months.

 

They are amazing cars and the options are just the cherry on the top. However factor the lack of popular options on the purchase price and down the road on the resale.

 

Lots of options or few, there is a buyer for every car.

I wonder if the dealer ate it for 18 months either b/c it was a loaner or demo or dealership car or because it wasn't priced properly. My first 911 had about 2 options and was SY. I priced it realistically and turned away a number of people with cash in hand.

 

I would go for it... if the price is right. It's not like the car has roll up windows and an AM radio.

 

IMHO the only appeal would be the lower price, which matters. A stripper Pcar is better than no Pcar.

If I didn't have NAV and PASM for example, I wouldn't be consoled by the notion that the car is now much more reliable. Key reliability issues involve main components common to all cars.

When going to the 991 configurator, I always start with a base C2 in a no charge color like white or red. Then I'm forced to upgrade from those lousy partial leather seats and the wimpy standard wheels. Of course the usual capitulation of adding PASM occurs. Now I'm over $100K and, to be practical, why not get a stripper C2S. Okay this is better. But then, one certainly needs upgrade to SPASM and its crazy not add PDK to really take advantage of the monster S engine. All kinds of confusion ensues as option conflict messages are popping up all over the place. As the new and massive price tallies, I'm still bothered by not having a better chromed/paddled steering wheel, not having adaptive seats with the nice deviated stitching I remembered in that one photo, and thinking will I ever get a 911 with PCCBs in this lifetime!!! A pause. I could add the PCCBs because after all I'm really sacrificing by not selecting full leather which is a killer option.

Now this is frustrating.

For relief, hop into the 997 and go for a drive in the cold and dark. During the drive, I've forgotten to turn on the seat heaters, pasm sport, bose and NAV. Just want to hear the lovely engine noise and I'm completely happy again.

As I write this, I now think a 991 with PDK and PCCB might be the perfect near stripper Pcar. But again about those seats and base wheels . . . . .

 

I thought BT and UAI were standard in 2010 on? If you like a stripper why not. Get a good deal and keep it. I'm not one for all the fru fru stuff anyways. Can get a sedan for that. I would draw the line at BT, connecting an ipod and I personally like NAV.