advice on which 996 to buy

Dominic Trillo · 13 Apr 2005

Hi guys, first post!

I want to buy a 996 after owning a 944S2 and now a Boxster. The thing is that I am not sure which one. I have driven a few C2 cabs and C4 cabs as I like open air motoring but they have both sweaked a bit over bumps as have the Boxsters that I have driven. I am therefore also thinking about a coupe with sun roof and a targa.

Is there a pecking order of desirability from a resale point of view? Should a 2001 car with 24000 miles selling at £44k be a better bet than a 1999 car with 50000 miles at £34k from a reliability point of view? On driving both there was no difference.

Will they depreciate by the same amount over two years or the cheaper car depreciate less? Not sure that I would want a car older than a 1998 model.

Is the C4 noticable better in the wet over a C2?

Where would you buy from? Is buying private with a PPI as good as buying from a dealer. Warranties from dealers range from one month to one year. Which dealers are good in and around London? I have been speaking with Paragon and Charles Ivey, 911 virgin - all professional, RSJ a bit salesy, and of Course Porsche at Chiswick. Porsche at Chiswick say that they prep their cars better than non-Porsche owned dealers - is this true? How much of a safer bet is buying from an official Porsche dealer.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

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Martyn1 · 13 Apr 2005

Which 996? Well Id recommend the air cooled one, its called the 993! and at those prices probably a turbo!! :twisted:

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Porsche · 13 Apr 2005

for cost & age, that's your choice... a 6 weeks old 911 could be more troublesome than a 6 year old car, you just never know, but these cars are super cars that are built to last (rms et al !)

C4 is better in the Wet and allows you to push harder.. but a Targa is prob the best bet as 996 Targa prices are quite good and as the body is Coupe based the handling is very good ! but Targa's only come as a C2 and the extra cost of a C4 isnt really worth while IMHO unless it is a C4S....

as for all car sales men, they all can tell a few tales on the phone, even OPC's can be awful..... although an OPC will only sell newer cars which are therefore easier to prep although nothing wrong with independents but then would you pay £3-5k extra JUST for the prep ?

996 Targa as with the 993 Targa when it was on sale was a bit of a unknown car, after all an extra £6k for a big sunroof ? but now the Targa's are very much sought after....... and I'm lovin mine !

Cab's are mostly Auto's which are fine for the open air... but these manual Targa's are worth hunting out....real gems

find the right type of car for you, start with colours then consider types = more options = choices....

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Robertb · 13 Apr 2005

Welcome...

I'd certainly dispute whether a main agent preps a car better than an independent and offers more security. I reckon, for the extra a main agent charges, you could afford to buy a car from an independent, have it serviced, inspected, and fully prepared by a Zymol valeter and still come out ahead! Another option for you is to buy a car privately after an good inspection, then pay for a further OPC inspection and OPC warranty and still save £££.

Targas may well squeak a bit too, but I dare say better than a cabrio. Best bet structurally is of course a coupe with a sunroof, but then you don't get the open effect. Drive them all and see what you think.

There were a few detail changes made e.g. alcantara headlining on the 2000 m.y cars which might make a 2000 m.y car worth finding, but it is marginal. The less expensive a car is, the less it will depreciate, both absolutely in £ terms and relatively in % terms.

Reliability-wise I'd say there is probably nothing in it. So much depends on maintenance and how it has been driven.

Re C2 vs C4, the C4 is certainly more stable in the wet, but the C2 has an appealing simplicity to me. C2 with PSM worth considering too.

Cridfords in surrey poss. worth a call.

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mark pearce · 13 Apr 2005

Don't forget there is one independant that has all his cars main dealer serviced, 111 Point check, 12 months Porsche warranty and Zymol's his cars

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Fuchs · 14 Apr 2005

Mark - which inde does ALL that ? :wink:

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mark pearce · 14 Apr 2005

www.stirlings.co.uk

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Fuchs · 14 Apr 2005

ah -ha ! - do you reccommend them Mark ?

Dominic- it looks like Stirlings is your first point of call -

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ferrari's rule · 14 Apr 2005

Previous poster said:
Quote: Originally posted by mark pearce on 14 April 2005
www.stirlings.co.uk

well thats good reccommending your self

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Fuchs · 14 Apr 2005

Lighten up FR. Nothing wrong with promoting your own business.

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mark pearce · 14 Apr 2005

Sorry about the self praise,

But does anyone else do what i do?

Apart from a main dealer?

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Dominic Trillo · 14 Apr 2005

Thanks for the advice guys. I have now driven a few more 996 cabs and also spoken at length with Peter Morgan (and ordered his buying guides on 996 and 993).

I found that compared to my Boxster the 996 cab let in more outside noise, probably because of the larger roof, and this was not great. The 2001 996 cab also drove more firmly on 18" wheels than my 1999 Boxster, probably to an unacceptable level. I also drove a Boxster S on 18" wheels on the same roads and the road surface was not so intrusive as on the 996 which was a surprise. I do not know if the coupe will be any better or how much difference a change in tyres could make but on bad London roads the 996 was not great. On the good roads it was fine though. My overall observation is that the 996s that I drove were more remote than the Boxster S and had a harsher ride, the 996 was more civilised, faster but less fun; the Boxster S got the heart going a little more, wanted to be driven faster, but could be more tiring to drive fast for long periods - something that happens now with my Boxster.

Peter Morgan expressed concern about pre-facelift 996s for their reliability and Boxsters as well for that matter. I have had no problem with my 1999 Boxster but am now a little cautious as apparently problems can occur without notice and can be expensive - a new engine. Any thoughts?

At this stage I am thinking late 993 (more reliable than early 996?) or a facelift 996 coupe or targa. Fall back position is a facelift Boxster S.

Am off to drive this afternoon in a few 993s and a 996 coupe and targa.

Dominic

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PolarExpress · 14 Apr 2005

If you find that the "996 was not great" wrt to NVH over London roads and on 18"s "probably to an unacceptable level", you can forget about a 993...

Imho, the 996 is a comfy GT compared to the 993 which has a fairly raw feeling for a modern car. As someone once said, a "velvet covered chainsaw"...

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Robertb · 14 Apr 2005

I think you are looking for a Porsche that does not exist- one which is rides well, is not tiring on a long run, yet is not remote and gets the heart beating faster. You will find the 993 feels fairly agricultural compared to a 996 or a Boxster s, yet to dismiss it would be to miss out on a truly superlative drivers car.

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Dominic Trillo · 14 Apr 2005

Previous poster said:
Quote: Originally posted by Robert Bill on 14 April 2005
I think you are looking for a Porsche that does not exist- one which is rides well, is not tiring on a long run, yet is not remote and gets the heart beating faster. You will find the 993 feels fairly agricultural compared to a 996 or a Boxster s, yet to dismiss it would be to miss out on a truly superlative drivers car.

Hi Robert the Boxster S can deliver this but I am hoping that a 911 can do too!

I have also just heard from a dealer that 993s are so dissimilar to each other than there is no point in test driving just one and making a decision for or against you really need to drive several to see if the 993 was the right car for you. I would have thought that with Porsche engineering that they would be quite similar to each other if are well maintained - uncared for old dogs excepted! Comments?

Dominic

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