Blanko

Need help. Buying first Porsche.
I have settled on 997 Carrera S Cab
As I have found out on this site there are more than one version of 997.
I have narrowed down my choice to 3 cars:
997.1 05 manual with sports and PSE 13k miles 30 day warranty $51k
997.1 08 manual with sports 40k miles CPO 2yr $51k
997.2 09 PDK with sports plus 40k miles 30 day warranty $58k

The 997.2 dealer wants $2500 for a warranty package. I assume that's negotiable

All cars are in great condition and drive well. The 09 has nav and bluetooth others do not but that's not a big issue.

Is it down to personal choice or do any of them stick out as best choice ?

Thanks

Dennis C

Any of them would be nice. The 997.2 would be great IF you want an automatic transmission. Otherwise, I would probably lean towards the 2008 car. Later cars seem to be less likely to suffer from IMSB issues (although it's really rare for all 997s) and it has a better warranty. You can add an aftermarket exhaust if you want more sound. Do you have any preferences between them on color or interior?

sy308

Fundamentally, you should make larger decisions first. Cab vs Coupe and manual vs PDK. After that go for price, year, mileage, color, options etc. Personally, I would only look at manual coupes. Mostly because one can't track cabs. Anyway, the '05 car always has the IMSB cloud hanging over it. My '05 car needed a new engine at 17K. Rare, but it did happen. Good luck. If the cars are local have a shop check it out in advance. If you can check out old service records at the primary dealer, but my experience is they are under no obligation to share or disclose any of this information with any prospective buyer. Most will not give out much info but you can try anyway.

SpeedyD

See if you can get the 09 with CPO (at no additional cost). If they refuse, but will CPO for some $$$ then they are probably near their lowest price.

How about color/options combos? Any of them stand out to you as preferred?

I sought a manual car not PDK but I would go the .2 route (it is also a decent power upgrade...)

Blanko

Cab decision made. Could not get wife approval for coupe. Manual or PDK is not a big issue. Just the price and .1 v .2 and warranty are my concerns.

Blanko

All are black

If I can't get the CPO included on the 09 I think I will get the 08 as its then getting close to a 10k difference. That's a lot for 1 year difference.

SpeedyD

Yes, that is quite a bit. It is nice the 08 has CPO warranty on it...

There are 3 big differences I saw in the numerous 997.1 and 997.2 cars I looked at (I was largely agnostic on the styling changes):

1. Power / power delivery
2. The quality of the interior center console finish
3. The suspension characteristics

Obviously PDK would be a huge difference if vs. tip, but I wasn't after a PDK car. The quality of the interior center console is dramatic. My car (09) looks brand new. Pretty much every 08 car had significant console wear. This is not a $10k issue for most, but it does change how the car ages with the OEM equipment. Suspension differences were noticeable to me, but I am sure people adapt and likely not a biggie. The power difference is noticeable but only just.

One question... have you considered 997.2 non-S models?

Remember, this is not a "1 year difference"... it is a pretty serious model upgrade. The guts of the electronics and the engine, two of the biggest components of the car, are different. In fact, you can think of it as getting the 991 engine tech in the 997 package vs. getting the 996 engine tech in the 997 package. There is a much bigger difference (and price difference, given same mileage) between the 997.1 08 vs. 997.2 09, than the 997.2 09 and 997.2 12 model...

The rest of the changes (lights upgrade, style tweaks) are pretty superficial in my book, but we are talking about an entirely different engine / technology.

Dennis C

I think this depends on the car. My 2008 also looks brand new inside. I have no signs of console wear, button wear, etc. That being said, many people prefer the look of the 997.2 center stack in black vs. volcano gray found in the 997.1 cars.

I agree with you on the suspension, engine, etc. I think that the 997.2 is the way to go if it fits your budget and other requirements. My point is that you shouldn't write off the 997.1 if you find the right car.

Blanko

The 08 has a harder sportier feel than the 09. Don't know how that's possible. It felt more like a go cart. The 09 was quite placid unless it was really driven in sports +

SpeedyD

Some people take really great care of their cars :-) I saw one exception as well, but I think as a general rule the .1 interiors wear far worse than the revised.

I was looking at .1s very seriously, and they are fantastic cars, just giving the impressions I had.

SpeedyD

I tailor my settings based on the road I'm on. In traffic, I leave everything off. On a smooth road, both suspension and throttle mapping in sports mode. In a curvy road but less than ideal surface, throttle mapping sport and suspension soft.

I did not find the .1 cars to have a more appealing / sportier ride, in sport mode, than the .2 cars. I did feel the front end was a touch floatier in the .1s. I could personally go with a firmer suspension setup given I use the car mostly on weekends, but I definitely make use of the ability to toggle to "comfort" on less than ideal roads.

The .1 will give all the experience one can get in the .2. I preferred the visceral sound of the engine in the .1 (stock) vs. .2 (stock). I fitted my car w/Sharkwerks pipes and fister side mufflers, and now that isn't an issue :-) But that is the one area the .1 really outdoes the .2, and adds to the experience.

F308gt4

I spent a bit more than I originally wanted to and got a 997.2. After a few months of ownership, I have to say it's worth it. No IMS issue in the back of my mind, and since I needed an auto car (my wife needs to be able to drive it occasionally), the PDK is much better than the tiptronic.

Stuff like the stereo/nav and LED lights are also really nice to have (look at all the 997.1 owners on this site upgrading to LED's, and how often posts about the PCM and adding Bluetooth and ipod functionality come up).

I'd go for the 997.2 with PDK, but try to negotiate a bit on the pricing. Out here in Socal, it seems that cabs are going for less than coupes.

Good luck. Either way, you can't go wrong with any 997.

Ericson38

Discussion on tracking cabrios-

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...ck-worthy.html

golfnutintib

if u are ok with a pdk and can afford it easily get the newest one - easy call

Blu311

Of those three cars, I'd take the 08, mainly because I prefer a manual and the CPO and lower cost vs the 09 with no CPO.

But, I waited until I found a 997.2 manual. Its slightly higher mileage than I originally wanted , and doesn't have a warranty, but it checked out and had full maint records so I felt good about it.

I'm sure you could find a 997.2 manual cab for $58 or less if you kept looking, just depends how hard/long you want to hunt.

Good luck!