Jamolah

I know, I know. If you have to ask you can't afford it.

Let me give you a bit of a background. I've always loved sports cars. I've had sporty cars/bikes since I could afford it. I had a Porsche Boxster 12 years ago and I have to admit it put me off of Porsche because of maintenance costs (transmission, convertible top). Now you might be asking if this guy couldn't afford a Porsche back then why is he even considering a 997? Obviously my income has increased from 12 years ago.
To be honest I actually want a Lotus Elise / Exige, but they are still pretty expensive (in Canada) and with a Lotus you need a second car as a daily driver. So I figured the best compromise is a 997, sporty performance that can be used daily without needing a second car. The main reason I want to get a sports car because I want to do track day / HPDE event once a month (so I'll manage about 5 maybe 6, are winters are long up here). So I don't want a convertible like a Boxster again and I really don't like the look of the Cayman.

Questions:
1. I make decent money, after all expense are paid I have around $1,600 of DISPOSABLE income. So with that said, could I afford a 2006/2007 Hardtop 997?

2. Can these cars (997) be used in winter? I don't want the AWD model and we do get a lot of snow (Ottawa, Canada). I mean roads are plowed quickly but there are times that my current car (Mercedes-Benz C300 RWD) has struggled.

Schpee007

My two bits...wait until you can get the car you want. And it sounds like you know what you want. For the kind of money these cars cost it's worth it, in my opinion of course, not to compromise and then regret your purchase.

Good luck with your quest!

CamsPorsche

Why don't you want the AWD model of the Carrera 4 (see mine below), the C4S or a Turbo? In Canada and especially if you drive all year round I wouldn't have anything but! I'm running Michelin Alpin tires and its the bomb in snow.

I was just a Blue Mountain yesterday and people were staring at me like I was nuts. LOVE IT!

WindyCityC2S

My C2S is fantastic in the snow. Plenty if here in Chicago this year. Got me to work everyday. Dunlop Wintersport 3D.

997_Toronto

Nice wheels Cam!

myw

cam that looks so hawt!!!!!

myw

1600 a month disposable, 911 cost breakdown to me is as follows (all canadian figures, going to assume a 10-15% variation in usa)

monthly gas - 400
monthly insurance - 100-150$

you have roughly grand left over to make car payments.

assuming an avg 06/07 911 coupe is still worth roughly 45-55k (may cost more if buying from the dealer). a monthly lease payment is roughly to be about ~800+hst/month ~920 after taxes.... (I quoted on the higher side, for cpo dealer Canadian pricing)

that doesnt seem to leave alot of breathing room for a 911 purchase imo.... even basic things like an oil change will cost 130-250$ (indy vs dealer).

one very important thing, while the reliability of the M series engines have been beaten to death, if my situation made due for a single daily driver it would NOT be a 997.1 911 (based upon what i have seen in person from my 911 owning peers and from what i read on the forums). but if you still have your c300 then thats a non-issue.

all imho. good luck.

hf1

No.

php

I mostly agree with myw and hf1. Unless you mean you have $1600 of disposable income just for the Porsche, I would say it could be a tight.

Now, it also depends how much you can put down for the car right now. For me because I put a big chunk down up front, so my monthly payment for my 997.2 is only $400. I could have paid the full amount but just didn't feel like doing so. Given it's also CPO (no worries on repairs for 2 yrs) and I drive it about 150 miles per week (not spending a lot on gas), so if you can manage to do something similar I think $1600 is ok. But I would say most 997 monthly payments will probably be $800 a month, and if you don't buy CPO you would want to save up for potential repairs, etc.

Basically, I would come to this recommendation. Based on the $1600 disposable income, if you can limit the monthly payment to under $350 for the 997 that you want, I think it's doable. Otherwise, wait or save up some more. Well, that's also because I personally would prefer to be safe than sorry. Anything goes wrong with the car, and you will see a big bill.

dasams

Are you including savings of, say, 10% of your take home pay in your expenses?

Sure, you could squeeze by but you'll perpetuating a pattern of living paycheck to paycheck that might last your whole life. Do you want that?

GSIRM3

No.

gcurnew

1) If you can devote most if not all of that $1600 to your car, yes....you can probably afford a 997.1 Keep in mind that if you are planning 5+ track days a year you're going to need to budget for tires and brakes (pads for sure and maybe a set of rotors sooner rather than later depending on how much life is in them when you buy the car). Also, you're going to need a set of full-on winter tires if you plan on using it as a year-round daily driver. Realistically, you're going to want a set of dedicated winter wheels, too.

2) I suggest you DO NOT want a 4s...with an out-of-warranty car, the AWD system is another potentially expensive system to repair. More to the point, a 2-wheel-drive 911 is more than capable of handling anything a Canadian winter can throw at you. My wife drove our 2012 Cayman S every day all last winter, and also this winter where snowfalls have been much higher than anytime in the past couple of decades. I drive my GTS every day as well, and this year have GREATLY enjoyed motoring past AWD/4WD pickup trucks and SUVs in the ditch.

robbonds

997 makes a great daily driver

Hella-Buggin'

If you are looking at an 8 year old car then paying cash is a must. You mention $1600 a month but how can you justify financing a car, great as it is, with that many years on it. Plus, HPDE'ing a car is risky and especially if owned by the bank.

just my two cents. But I would never consider it.

vern1

"you DO NOT want a 4S". Huh?? My C4S has been awesome and I went searching for a C4S when I was shopping for a DD just for the fact that I was going to use it all the time. How many problems have you seen with the AWD system? Not many

I think the 4 is a great way to go in Canada. Affordability is another issue and sounds tight but what the hell. Life is for taking risks. May get hit by a bus tomorrow so go for it!!