ThaGza

Hey guys,

First post on this forum, long time browser. Was at my dealership today looking a '15 Cayman S and saw someone just traded in (yesterday) a 2006 carrera 4s. 60,000 miles, meticulous condition, incredibly lengthy service records. Guy who owned it was OCD about his car, and an engineer. Apparently it was his baby. Now here's the thing. The dealership offered to sell it to me at $47,900 which comes with a brand new clutch, 60k service and a 2 year 24,000 mile warranty. I've made mistakes in the past buying used cars. I would be selling my current daily driver and driving this year round. It also comes with a set of new winter tires and wheels. Is this a fair price point? Will I regret my purchase, or are these cars truly built to last? Will it appreciate value anytime soon? Sorry for all the questions, but thanks guys.

Options:
6 speed
Sports Chrono
Electric Seats
Heated Seats
Nav
Bose Sound System

Speedvagen

I was recently in the maket for a 997 c4s cab. $47.9 is probably right there in terms of the market but alot of what I saw was private sales. So having the CPO is worth extra value. Also being a single owner with all the service records is great to have for your piece of mind and when you re-sell.

ltcjmramos

I cetainly would not count on any appreciation except from your neighbors.

Speedvagen

Agreed - dont buy the car as an investment - unless you are investing in fun.
That being said, the C4S typically depreciates less than a C2 or C2S.

johnireland

Base it on driving them both...that is the most important decision maker.

ThaGza

I probably should have clarified. It's not CPO, just comes with a 2 year warranty. There were also two previous owners.

Also, any idea when it will stop depreciating? I really don't want to be stuck with it if it turns out that I buy the one porsche that just explodes 10,000 miles after I get it.

sclemmons

Mine is a 2006 4S w painted seatbacks, console, etc., Aero and X51. Trouble free since I have had it. Zero trouble. Great car. Mine has 34k miles but is not for sale. I don't think I would take $48 k for mine.

halo777

Is it an aftermarket warranty? Read the small print, and find out what it covers exactly. What is the deductible on claims? What is the maximum on claims?

I personally don't trust anything but the factory warranty. But I know some people feel better with them.

Nobody knows. If you want to figure out what it will be worth in four years, then check the average price of a 2002 911 C4s with the mileage that you think youll be at in four years. That should give you a good idea. of what yours will be at.

You wouldnt be stuck with it if the engine blew at 70k, and you wouldnt be the 'one' Porsche that had that problem. If that happened, you'd have to make a decision (if the warranty didnt cover the new engine)... sell as a roller or replace/repair the engine at a cost of anywhere from $15-25k.

I purchased my 997 C4s with 70k miles on it, and no warranty. I did my research, and decided that the higher mileage 997s were much better value for the dollar, compared to a CPO car. But everyone has their own goals for the car, so they may see things differently.

ThaGza

If this one had 30k miles on it I'd feel a little more comfortable

Could be. Dealer mentioned the name of the warranty, wasn't CPO. Probably not factory considering it's adding 3300 to the value of the car, which they're charging me full price for. Should I tell them to throw in the warranty for free? Value of the car is 38k, + the work that needs to be done, the clutch, and the warranty. I feel like if I'm buying a used vehicle from them they shouldn't be rolling the cost of the clutch and repairs into the sale price. They need to do that anyway to sell the vehicle, they're the ones who took it with a bad clutch.

Speedvagen

If you found the value of the car through KBB i wouldnt necessarily go with that. Look at autotrader and cars.com going prices as a better indicator of pricing. IMO, KBB undervalues 911s. Try finding good conditioned 997 C4S for $38k!

ugotgrossed

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StormRune

There is certainly substantial negotiation room left on whatever their first offer price was. I would expect you could find somewhere around the neighborhood of 10% less if you are willing to work at it. The clutch and warranty are a big plus, the warranty for reasons I'll mention later.

There is no way that our 997s are going to appreciate any time in the next decade or more and then only when there is a handful of them left around. You can count of continuing depreciation for a long time although at a declining rate if the car is well maintained and the miles stay reasonable. Trying to treat a car as an investment is very risky business and is generally only safe to consider when the upwards trend has already begun... typically 20 years or more after introduction except for true exotics.

I'm not trying to scare you here, but just want to make sure you are an informed buyer. Be aware that our cars are unusually expensive to maintain and repair. Replacement, upgrade, and maintenance parts are usually much more expensive than other cars so be sure to look at threads discussing these costs to make sure you are okay with it. If you do a lot of the work yourself this is somewhat reduced. Labor at my Porsche dealership is somewhere around $185/hr last I recall, and oil change is $285. Indy's are better but still higher than you'll find for most cars. A new headlight assembly when road debris cracked the one on my 997.1 was $1450 as another example.

All the warnings aside, these cars are outstanding and well worth the risks/costs in my opinion... as long as you are willing and prepared to absorb the unexpected cost surprises that may come your way.

ugotgrossed

i have very well maintain 2007 C4S for sale. 48k miles. Silver on black. Sport Chrono,Nav,heated seats, BOSE, Self Dimming mirrors, memory seat , 6 speed manual, Full power adaptive seats. Looking to get $48k. 2 year warranty left

ThaGza

They're actually the ones who gave me the $38k number, I later checked the value without the warranty and it was right around there. They came to 47,9 by taking 38k + warranty + clutch and maintenance + some extra for profit.

I appreciate the honesty, I really do. I think at this point in my life it's not worth taking the risk. I'm still young, and although I have a comfortably paying job, I need make sure I keep my financial future protected.

gelat0

Just my opinion here in regards to your thoughts on appreciation/depreciation. Clean, well cared for, low mileage, as close to OEM original condition cars are important factors (but not the only important factors) for any sports car to appreciate once it becomes a classic (Classic=10 years after its production date). In most cases cars fully depreciate around 10 years after they were built and 997's are just beginning to approach classic status since they started production in 2005. The 997 has a totally different feel compared to the new Porsche's, and many would argue that the 997 is the last car of its kind... Even though there were allot of 997's made (relatively speaking) once they become classic's, I think the rare/upgrade colors and upgraded models will become very coveted, especially since there is a feel present in the 997 that does not exist anymore with any other car on the present market. A naturally aspirated car with a manual transmission is slowly becoming a thing of the past with most young drivers not even knowing how to drive a MT. Most classic american muscle cars had much higher production numbers over any Porsche, but once they became around 10 years old they hit the bottom of their value and began to climb. Searching for a sweet 997 is already beginning to become a challenge (for a really nice one), since many sports car owners like the mechanical raw feel of the 997 which in many ways is not made anymore by any car company, including Porsche.