2008 C4S buying advice
#16
Im in the same market as you. Been looking at 997s from 2007-2009 years. The price seem to be priced right from what i have been seeing and shopping for. Only difference is I'm looking for a cabriolet. From my view and what i have been seeing is theres not much value in the 08's. You get better value with the 07 years. For me the 08s don't make sense to me cause if your already looking at cars for 48-50k , you might as well just goto the 09s and have the newer version for not that much more. Between the nav, upgraded sat radio and the biggest thing to me a car without the ims issue (I know the 07-08 have the larger bearing etc without much issue) but the little extra money you get the peace of mind. I think I'm going to just wait a little more and just settle for the 09. In the end the resale and all the other extras that come, you'll be ahead in the end Unless budget wise its too much then maybe just buy the version with the old ims removable type for a song and have it upgraded to the better one.
Good luck
Good luck
#17
Instructor
Indy for sure. Most dealers are out of the PPI business now. Even if you can find one they likely won't do as good a job. The indy's use PPI as a loss leader to get your future business. And that's a win win for you if you pick a good shop. Ask here on the forum for a good indy in your area or just do a search if you are in a major metropolitan area. I'm in Seattle and I found all the candidates just by searching. Then talk to the candidates and ask about their process and recommendations. You get a pretty good feel for them that way.
#18
Instructor
Im in the same market as you. Been looking at 997s from 2007-2009 years. The price seem to be priced right from what i have been seeing and shopping for. Only difference is I'm looking for a cabriolet. From my view and what i have been seeing is theres not much value in the 08's. You get better value with the 07 years. For me the 08s don't make sense to me cause if your already looking at cars for 48-50k , you might as well just goto the 09s and have the newer version for not that much more. Between the nav, upgraded sat radio and the biggest thing to me a car without the ims issue (I know the 07-08 have the larger bearing etc without much issue) but the little extra money you get the peace of mind. I think I'm going to just wait a little more and just settle for the 09. In the end the resale and all the other extras that come, you'll be ahead in the end Unless budget wise its too much then maybe just buy the version with the old ims removable type for a song and have it upgraded to the better one.
Good luck
Good luck
Wow, you sound just like me. That's good advice too. 08s are really not any better than 06-07 and are usually priced higher. 09+ also have more power, PDK (if wanted) and no RMS issues. 05s with the replaceable bearing are a good choice cost wise but are hard to find in my experience.
#19
I believe you should negotiate the best price first with the assumption that nothing turns up in the PPI. Then use what you find (if anything) from the PPI to negotiate the final price. If anything turns up you can also ask the dealer perform the work to solidify the deal at your pre-negotiated price.
#20
Having just bought on 08 c4s coupe from a Porsche dealer of very similar spec to what you are looking at but with 33k miles; here's what found in the market;
My car was about 50k even, and it's immaculate, one owner, all records and bought from the dealer who sold and serviced it since new. Other cars varied in price from 44-55k but condition is a big variable.
If the car your looking at is really nice id say it's worth
45-48k
Adam
My car was about 50k even, and it's immaculate, one owner, all records and bought from the dealer who sold and serviced it since new. Other cars varied in price from 44-55k but condition is a big variable.
If the car your looking at is really nice id say it's worth
45-48k
Adam
#21
Having just bought on 08 c4s coupe from a Porsche dealer of very similar spec to what you are looking at but with 33k miles; here's what found in the market;
My car was about 50k even, and it's immaculate, one owner, all records and bought from the dealer who sold and serviced it since new. Other cars varied in price from 44-55k but condition is a big variable.
If the car your looking at is really nice id say it's worth
45-48k
Adam
My car was about 50k even, and it's immaculate, one owner, all records and bought from the dealer who sold and serviced it since new. Other cars varied in price from 44-55k but condition is a big variable.
If the car your looking at is really nice id say it's worth
45-48k
Adam
The car is nice but certainly not 'perfect'. Lot's of rattles (which I feel is probably normal for age, suspension and car taking a beating on LA roads). Center consul plastic cover seems broken. Leather and seats in good shape. even cared for but probably not 'babied'. Overall it's a car that's great looking in general, mostly because of the color (black) and the black wheels. I really need another test-drive to get to know it better and get a better sense of the car...
#22
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Moorestown, NJ / Philly, PA
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Having just bought on 08 c4s coupe from a Porsche dealer of very similar spec to what you are looking at but with 33k miles; here's what found in the market;
My car was about 50k even, and it's immaculate, one owner, all records and bought from the dealer who sold and serviced it since new. Other cars varied in price from 44-55k but condition is a big variable.
If the car your looking at is really nice id say it's worth
45-48k
Adam
My car was about 50k even, and it's immaculate, one owner, all records and bought from the dealer who sold and serviced it since new. Other cars varied in price from 44-55k but condition is a big variable.
If the car your looking at is really nice id say it's worth
45-48k
Adam
#23
Instructor
FWIW I recently drove a 2006 4S cab with 46k. It was tight and very solid and smooth. I also drove a 08 with similar miles and it was not. The 06 was a very clean car with a solid history the 08 was more sketchy. Nothing to do with the model year but with the condition. Your description of the 08 you are looking at makes me concerned.
#24
I bought a 2008 black C4S with 49,000 miles in August 2014 for $47,000 from a local domestic dealer. I was able to track down the service history for the prior 3 years and had a thorough PPI done by the local P car dealer. I now have 60,000 miles on it. 6,000 of the 11,000 miles I've added have been track miles. The car has been heavily modified and is a potent track car. Dyno'd in January at 422hp and 377 lb ft, +67hp and +52 lb ft from stock. Car has been utterly reliable; oil, tires, brakes.
They are asking too much for your car, in my opinion.
They are asking too much for your car, in my opinion.
#25
I bought a 2008 black C4S with 49,000 miles in August 2014 for $47,000 from a local domestic dealer. I was able to track down the service history for the prior 3 years and had a thorough PPI done by the local P car dealer. I now have 60,000 miles on it. 6,000 of the 11,000 miles I've added have been track miles. The car has been heavily modified and is a potent track car. Dyno'd in January at 422hp and 377 lb ft, +67hp and +52 lb ft from stock. Car has been utterly reliable; oil, tires, brakes.
They are asking too much for your car, in my opinion.
They are asking too much for your car, in my opinion.
#26
Porsche of Beverly Hills, it's an interesting place to say the least. They cater to a certain client and their inventory generally reflects that. I think they have the largest active inventory of any north american dealer yet you'll never see a manual car(new inventory)and rarely find one without 20k of options. They don't really cater to enthusiasts so I'm not really surprised they don't have a DME report.
The people on this board are generally pretty prudent when buying vehicles. I don't buy anything without a full PPI by one of my mechanics and I don't even bother shipping a car there until I paint gauge the entire thing. This is not standard operating procedure for the vast majority of vehicles that are sold. As crazy as it sounds most people walk in and buy on dealers word. That's probably 95% of sales. I wouldn't expect much price movement from them either. Some new dentist will be along shortly to buy it at near full price and won't ask any questions.
The people on this board are generally pretty prudent when buying vehicles. I don't buy anything without a full PPI by one of my mechanics and I don't even bother shipping a car there until I paint gauge the entire thing. This is not standard operating procedure for the vast majority of vehicles that are sold. As crazy as it sounds most people walk in and buy on dealers word. That's probably 95% of sales. I wouldn't expect much price movement from them either. Some new dentist will be along shortly to buy it at near full price and won't ask any questions.
#27
Nordschleife Master
https://rennlist.com/forums/997-foru...-poor-car.html
It's 54 pages long and as I recall it, you have to read on for a while before the dealership is revealed but it's the one you're dealing with.
#28
While rare, a cpo 997 can still be found. 2007 was when the recession hit in the USA and some of the high end 2007-2008 cars did not sell right away and sat on Porsche dealership lots longer than normal due to the poor economy. My 2007 4s is an example, it sat in the showroom for a long time, loaded in upgraded GT silver etc, has 30k miles on it now, sill has a factory cpo still in place until late 2016.. I paid a premium for the car for the cpo peace of mind, and has been problem free. These are very dependable cars, and cost to maintain is like a typical BMW, Merceds, Lexus, Jaguar, which is not that bad.. Nothing like an Italian car as far as clutch engine out service etc, so if the car is well cared for with all the service history go for it. To get a good one for $45-$60k is a bargain for a sports car like this, which is within 1 year of being considered a classic (10 yrs=Classic).. To find a CPO 997, try to do a national search on the Porsche web site..
#29
Porsche of Beverly Hills, it's an interesting place to say the least. They cater to a certain client and their inventory generally reflects that. I think they have the largest active inventory of any north american dealer yet you'll never see a manual car(new inventory)and rarely find one without 20k of options. They don't really cater to enthusiasts so I'm not really surprised they don't have a DME report.
The people on this board are generally pretty prudent when buying vehicles. I don't buy anything without a full PPI by one of my mechanics and I don't even bother shipping a car there until I paint gauge the entire thing. This is not standard operating procedure for the vast majority of vehicles that are sold. As crazy as it sounds most people walk in and buy on dealers word. That's probably 95% of sales. I wouldn't expect much price movement from them either. Some new dentist will be along shortly to buy it at near full price and won't ask any questions.
The people on this board are generally pretty prudent when buying vehicles. I don't buy anything without a full PPI by one of my mechanics and I don't even bother shipping a car there until I paint gauge the entire thing. This is not standard operating procedure for the vast majority of vehicles that are sold. As crazy as it sounds most people walk in and buy on dealers word. That's probably 95% of sales. I wouldn't expect much price movement from them either. Some new dentist will be along shortly to buy it at near full price and won't ask any questions.
#30
Simple way to buy your next car:
Find car, run a Carfax/autocheck, get DME report, put a fully refundable deposit on it, get PPI, then negotiate price based on PPI findings.
My deal killers are major paintwork or minor paint work that is not fully documented, accidents showing up in Carfax, Salvage titles and mystery mechanical issues. Everything else is fixable.
EDIT: Wow, I just read the BHP thread, what a mess. CPO means CPO. IMHO, mid/high $40's for an 08 C4S in excellent condition with no stories is correct. I spent months looking and jumped on my car. Thankfully everything checked out.
Last edited by captainbaker; 03-26-2016 at 03:39 AM.