tritonic

I'm surprised the 05 C2S had a single row bearing. Thought they all shipped with double rows. Do some research on bore scoring. That would be my main concern. For me the 2008 would justify a $8k premium all things being equal.

I've read people say the engine sounds better on the 05 and prefer the styling but that's personal preference.

Nate Tempest

Funny, I just did the same, and it only gave me a $4500 price difference with both in VG condition. Must depend on location. Also, I expect their VG condition range would be better for a newer car, so with both cars in the same condition, the difference should be smaller. Also the IMS upgrade. But I do agree that at resale a new buyer might not take any of that into account. So probably 4k to 5k is a reasonable price difference.

KNS

Something else to consider - the registration and insurance will be cheaper on the '05. The insurance part I never understood: In an accident the windshield, front fenders and various other bits would be nearly the same cost to replace. Go figure.

leon yagudayev

When I was buying my 2010 c2s 3 months ago I also had a choice between immaculate low miles 2006 and 2010 with higher miles but was cpo. The price difference was almost 15 grand. I took 2010 and don't regret it a single bit. Besides the fact that cars from 08 and up had all kinds of kinks worked out already, it's just a newer car. No matter how you slice it 3 years is a looooong time in auto world. Like one poster said " buy the newest car you can afford"

Nate Tempest

But... The 2010 is a 997.2. It actually is better. The 2008 is a .1. It is very nearly identical to the 05. Put another way, the one year difference from 08 to 09 is muuuch bigger than the difference from 05 to 08.

tomc_mets

If you can afford both, I would go with newer, but that is my bias. The older car would need to be a screaming deal. My assumption is that all else being equal, the newer car has less wear and tear on it. But, certainly things like maintenance history and mileage would come into play...T

leon yagudayev

True. I forgot that 997.2 started at 09. My bad

sandwedge

The assurance that the "beefed up" IMS is a non-issue is still thrown around here regularly and I really don't understand why. It's a small issue but I don't think it serves prospective buyers of these cars well to insist that it's a non-issue.

Here....again:

mickfluff

8k on a 100k car less a factor but 8k on a 40k car is a 20% price difference. That's substantial. For 20% savings and all things equal and the 05 has the correct ims solution fix would buy that car over the 08 and put that 8k into wheels and an aero kit or others mods!

jaetee

Are you buying to keep, or buying to sell?

With all things being otherwise equal, I think in this case a factor to consider should be how long the car is going to be kept. If you plan on seiling it within the next few years, the '08 is probably the better value-holder. if you plan on keeping the car a decade or two or three, the value difference for cars so similar in build will eventually be arbitrary.

I say that if the '05 with the upgraded IMS puts a smile on your face when you turn the key and drive it... consider how much $6-$8000 will buy you in terms of future repairs, or tires.

It's really a win-win scenario either way. but I'd probably "settle" for the '05.

Ben Z

Which one has more of the options and color combo that appeals to you? Have you seen detailed service histories on both cars? Which one has had more things replaced? Was the clutch done with the IMS on the '05? Which one has newer brakes and tires, i.e. will not need replacement as soon?

Those to me would be the deciding factors. You're talking about an 8 yr old car vs a 12 yr old, so age-related failures aren't going to be all that different. Either one could have bore scoring, it affects all those years. I see the replaceable IMS as a plus, but ONLY if it was done to a pristine OEM bearing. If the OEM bearing had started to shed, then all bets are off.

The $8K price difference is going to dwindle, as the '08 is depreciating faster than the '05. Personally if TRULY all else was equal, I would rather save the $8K and have it for repairs, which will likely be the same on either car.

Nate Tempest

Ya, I think I'm echoing your thinking Ben. The cars really are remarkably similar. Same options, same silver on black. Even similar black wheels. The 05 did have the clutch done along with the IMS. Both were done by the same Porsche specialty shop that I'll have do the ppi, so I can ask them about the condition of the outgoing bearing. They will also do a compression test and a borescope, and check for overrev codes. (Will do that on whichever car I go for.)

The 05 will need new front brakes and rear tires soon. I'm taking that into account, but didn't mention it here to avoid confusing the main question. I've priced them though, and will use that when negotiating. Otherwise they've both had some minor work done following the dealer inspections. Most significant was a water pump on the 08 iirc. Neither has a complete maintenance history unfortunately.

vbb

If this is likely the forever car that you keep for a long long time, get the less expensive one of the two, assuming all things are equal in mileage and condition. If this is a car you plan on selling or trading in within the next 3 or 4 years, or want to have the flexibility to do so, then buy the newer car because it will be easier to sell and recoup more of the money you have put into it.

the_buch

As far as "everything else being equal", I'm reminded of our training to be little league umpires with reference to the old adage - 'tie goes to the runner'. The guidance: there are no ties!

Philster

I think it serves people well to know that it's a non-issue, because eliminating a 2006-2008, and or devaluing them based on misinformation, affects decisions and the paranoia affects values, so it all affects me from a value and supply-and-demand perspective, so for all intents and purposes, and in the most practical and realistic language possible: Larger IMSB from Porsche effectively removes from the list the IMSB failure as real concern.

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