Daily Slideshow: Classic or Current Porsche for the Same Money?

1. Speed

Porsche sells an SUV that can take the mythic 930 Turbo in a 0-60 mph sprint. It may only be by a nose, and the Cayenne's nearly 200hp advantage wouldn't be enough to stay ahead of the sub-3000 lb 930 come to the first corner. However, that gives you a pretty clear picture of how far we've come power-wise between those two models. Auction results are bit all-over-the-map with regard to 1970s and 80s 911 Turbo models, but it appears as though you can score one for significantly less than the sticker price of a 2018 911 Turbo—though if you want an unrestored '79 with only 11,000 miles you'll have to pony up something closer to $231,000. The point is that for the price of a new Porsche, whether it be a base 911 or a special-edition Turbo, you can get the classic version of that car for around the same money. In no case will the older car be faster in a straight line or around a corner than its newer cousin. And both generations can be tuned to squeeze out, even more, power, so it's not like the situation with modern American muscle cars where a few bucks spent on an LS swap is going to be the great equalizer. If you are only interested in speed then we know which era is for you.

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2. Reliability and Maintenance

Old Porsches are great cars that were well-engineered, and manufactured to a very high standard. The same is true of the current cars, and of course that's part of what makes a Porsche a Porsche. Air-cooled engines had to be designed to cope with higher fluctuations in temperature, and heat, as always, takes a toll on components. The flipside is that older engines were simpler and, in general, fewer parts mean fewer parts to break and fewer parts to maintain. And that's not only of true of engines, a recent post by forum sponsor Suncoast puts the door mirror parts count at 30. If one assumes the quality and reliability of individual pieces has stayed consistent, have advances in modern manufacturing and engineering gone far enough to offset the complexity of today's cars?

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3. Practical Considerations

Comfort, fuel economy, emissions, safety—in nearly every practical category new Porsches outpace their older versions. In fact, reports of fuel mileage for 914s run in the mid-to-high 20s, so, on the highway, Cayennes aren't doing much worse. It's not even close when it comes to environmental friendliness or passenger (or pedestrian) safety, and since many owners put many miles on their beloved modern Porsches, those areas become very real considerations. Comfort again tips in favor of newer cars, though a 928 with plump tires on 15-inch wheels might be friendlier to your back than a Carrera RS3 on 18-inchers.

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4. Long Term Value

No one really knows what the future will bring, but air-cooled Porsche values show no sign of slumping in the near future. In recent years, however, Porsche has been topping itself with dependable regularity, and they've likewise been careful about not over-producing their most desirable models. What this means for the future is anyone's guess but the pattern seems to be that if you own something outstanding, and hold onto it long enough, the world will beat a path to your door with cash in hand. Two things are certain: new cars will almost always depreciate initially, and people almost always never live forever. If you buy a classic you won't have to live as long to see a return on your investment, but remember—Porsches were made to be driven, not hoarded.

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5. Emotional Value

Of greater importance than any number to the true enthusiast is a more subjective kind of value. The way our cars make us feel has to do with something besides miles per hour or dollar signs, and even the experiences we have in them don't complete the equation. For some of us, it has to do with which cars we first fell in love with, others of us love the mythic cars we saw in magazines and movies during our formative years. For many of us, it all boils down to what car we find the most beautiful. You can't see fast when you look at a car but you can see beautiful. Whether falling in love all over again every time you look at your Porsche requires giving up the niceties of modern technology is a question only you can answer. The best answer in the performance car world is often more, and the best answer to Current or Classic Porsche is yes.

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