I didn't read the article but "cost of ownership" includes not only depreciation but insurance, fuel, tires, maintanence etc.

 

still sounds way too high, huh?

 

True selling prices of 2001 996TT are currently probably around $65K.... that equates to a 6 year-old car holding 50% to 55% of its value. Not Ferrari territory, but I wouldn't call that disastrous.

The part I liked (besides the 12.08 sec quarter-mile) was stopping distance from 60 mph = 99 feet ! ...w/zero fade after repeated 100mph -0 braking. Best ever tested by Autoweek for a prod car. Nick, you be careful now not to rear-end your neighbor's 997TT in your slow-braking F430 locomotive.

 

Why does it sound too high? A TT costing say 132 K (a few options) is about 140 K with tax. In the first year you lose those taxes (8 K) and about 25 - 30 % depreciation (33 K to 40 K). So far 41 to 48 K "loss." Add about $2000 a year for insurance. Say you drive 1000 mi/mon at 20 mpg you will use 12*1000/20*2.50 = $1500 in gas. You will likely use up one set of tires at about $1000 minimum. So far 44.5 to 51.5 K for the year.

 

the way things are going now, these cars are not losing 33-40k during their first year. if you bought with the first people in the end of june, you could easily sell your car now for 5-10k under msrp. if porsche doesn't overproduce, which they always could, these cars will do a pretty good job of holding their value. i know for a fact that you will not be able to pick up a 130k 997tt next june for 93k.

 

Don't confuse retail with wholesale. Just because you can't pick up a one year old TT for 93 doesn't mean the trade in value won't be 93.

 

I'd guess that most will have purchase prices over $140,000. The cited "cost of driving" includes financing. It also includes depreciation on 15,000 miles of driving in the year. Nobody buys a car with 15,000 miles for anything close to the price new. If you chose to drive it ( a reasonable conclusion), I think the numbers will look like this:
Price $140,000:
Tax: $8,000
Interest: $11,000 ( If you take the money out of your own account, substitute $7,000 for your lost interest)
Insurance: $2,000
Gas/oil: $2,000
Rear tires: $600
Depreciation: $40,000 if you drive it, maybe $30-35,000 if you don't)
I come up with $63,000 realistically. If you trade at the end for $100,000, you recapture most of the sales tax, so say $6,000 (but lost if you just sell to a buyer). If you use your own cash, subtract $4,000, unless you think there is a bigger opportunity cost) and save $600 for the tires if you don't drive it. If you got really lucky and just took a $30,000 depreciation hit, save another $10,000. So the least it costs you is $43,000 for zero driving but the pride of ownership, and the most it costs is $63,000 but you really get to enjoy it as a car. So, for 15,000 miles, about $4/mile, but if it sits and you only put on 2000 miles, about $20/mile. That's why I drive my cars. AS