997.2 GT3 RS Dilemma - Page 5 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Opinions please PH Porschephiles. I have a dilemma. I have recently bought and taken delivery of a 997.2 GT3 RS (the car was bought via Colchester OPC) – it’s a fantastic car, with the perfect specification - for me - Air Con, SatNav, Telephone prep, PCCB, Sports Chrono Plus, and Sound Package Plus etc but no front lift. The car is three years old, has had one owner prior to me and was first registered in August 2010. As it was bought via an OPC it came with a new 2 year warranty on it etc... it is exactly the car I wanted and that I was hoping to find. I had been looking for a 997.2 GT3 RS for a while and had viewed a few, but foolishly took my time deciding whether to proceed and promptly missed the boat. This one came up for sale a few months ago and I leapt in – knowing that if I hung around it would be gone (like the others I had shown an interest in). So I rang the dealership as soon as it opened (the advert went ‘live’ on PH the night before) and placed a deposit on the car immediately. So all good so far, a story with a happy ending – BUT, the car has only covered 317 miles, and so, even I (with my somewhat limited understanding of the collector car market) can see the potential investment opportunity this particular car presents. And this is perhaps also pertinent at the moment, given the recent discussions on here and in the press with regard to future values of specific Porsche models etc… To be absolutely clear, I have never bought a car to put away and admire - I much prefer driving them and that’s why I started my search for one – because I wanted one to drive. And I have never bought a car as an investment, as the opportunity to do so, so rarely presents itself. But, GT3 prices have stabilised recently and some (but not all) are currently rising. Having spoken to a couple of fellow ‘car enthusiast’ friends (the kind who own numerous cars and who know the market fairly well) the consensus seems to be – put it away and don’t drive it. This makes me very sad; but in many respects I can see their point. So what to do - drive it and let it depreciate like every other car I have ever owned and loved, or put it away, care for it and make some money (potentially) in a few years time. Unfortunately, the value in this car (over that of others) is potentially all in the very low mileage and surety of history I am led to believe - the lower the mileage is and the proof of continuity of history and ownership and care, the more it will be worth in time. If the car had a few thousand miles on it there would of course be no debate and I would have no hesitation in just enjoying it as was intended… To be honest, I don’t really see too much debate about the future value. The 4.0 RS is already out of reach for most in that they are either in the hands of collectors or with those who are using them as intended and who would not (and have no need to) sell. The 997.2 RS is, as the last of the manual gearbox, hydraulic steering, Mezger engined cars (discounting the out of reach 4.0 RS), as close to a sure-thing as you can get I think, with the potential to rise significantly over time I believe – many/most are already £10k or so above where they were several months ago when I first started looking for one. So opinions please – drive it and enjoy, or put it away and spend the money I potentially make on another with a few more miles on it later and pocket the difference? Please don’t rush to the standard PH judgement call / automated response of ‘drive it you pussy’! If it were YOU in this position – what would YOU honestly do? Note: I did originally ask this question of my friends hoping they would just say ‘drive it and forget the investment potential’ – but unfortunately they seem to have misunderstood my question; thinking I wanted an honest answer and not just an endorsement of my desire to drive the thing! That’ll teach me…

You mentioned the car has the perfect spec for you. That answers the question. Drive it and have fun!

Putting myself in your shoes as I'd like to make the jump to an RS this year... Even if it had ZERO miles on it I'd drive the wheels off the thing! Have some fun (lifes too short) and if you keep it over the long term with miles on you'll still make money (Brucey bonus). Plus these cars need to be driven and suffer being sat on their backside gathering dust... It's almost criminal to sit on something like this an deny someone the chance of a great drive...

What will you do with cash/profit when you're six foot under?

Ok...so you want to optimise utility.... the question is which...economic/enjoyment/both? Depriving yourself of enjoying the RS is substituting potential $$$ gain for enjoyment loss....yup...loss. Only you know whether that potential benefit offsets the foregone pleasure.... You could create utility curves...miles vs smiles vs $$$..then work out where you want to sit....much assumptions..but ultimately that be what you are trying to do A key assumption is what is the price gain for a minimally used vehicle..vs one with sub 2k miles....and how might you optimise that 2k of...smiles (maybe a run to the Stelvio)...and are they worth the somewhat less appreciation.... For me..as I also have an RS ...driving has greater marginal utility than admiring it... Even a doubling in price...would not compensate for the loss of smiles/experience/fun. Granted Ferrari California 250 GT territory would change the equation..but i doubt that's where the RS will end up.

I don't know of any delivery miles 2.7 RS', they all got used and enjoyed - then retored when needed. If the car has investment potential then it will always have investment potential. At the end of the day, I wouldn't even think about it. Drive it if you want to drive it, that's what you bought it for right? Who knows what will happen to values. So get out there and enjoy it. Lastly, even if you do use it its likely to be on a pretty infrequent basis (nature of the car) so your can will still be low miles in 5y time.

pistolp said: Lastly, even if you do use it its likely to be on a pretty infrequent basis (nature of the car) so your can will still be low miles in 5y time. This ^, and it is not as special as the 4.0RS.

depends entirely on your financial situation imo

Mermaid said: pistolp said: Lastly, even if you do use it its likely to be on a pretty infrequent basis (nature of the car) so your can will still be low miles in 5y time. This ^, and it is not as special as the 4.0RS. Hmm...and if you have a low miles 6RS, same thing??

OP: I think you've answered the question yourself when you came on here asking for advice: you bought it 'cos you wanted to drive it, so do that If you'd come on here saying that you fancied one purely for investment value, then while I'd think it was a shame, I'd suggest that you garaged it and left it. My only caveat to driving it is make sure you only use it on special occasions i.e. only use it when it's going to be memorable, that way you should be able to keep the miles low and value high while still getting good enjoyment out of it

decide whether it's an investment or a toy. if the former, park it and don't use it much. Of course, the investment return is uncertain. Also remember the impact of insurance, servicing and road tax costs on your investment return. if the latter, use it whenever you want. It won't cost much in depreciation. And you will have enjoyed it and had lots of fun in it. Cars are not investments unless I have so much money that I have lots of cars, and no time to use/drive all of them much of the time; such that lack of use is due to lack of time and inclination; not fear of depreciation. If you really want to invest the money, buy property/shares/bonds etc.

Drive it and enjoy. Gen 2 997 GT3 RS will always be rare and hopefully prices will reflect that.

my 6RS has 25k miles, I am looking forward to adding to that!

pistolp said: my 6RS has 25k miles, I am looking forward to adding to that! (Hi, BTW, did you receive my PM from a few days ago?)

A friend of mine is dying of throat cancer at the age of 46, a friend of my wifes has serious breast cancer at 45. I am 45, and no longer feeling quite as young as I once did. I spent the last 25 years and (if I live that long) the next twenty two, working for a retirement that I might only live to see for a very short time. I own a 911, I own a house that is a building site, that when its finished will be worth more than its cost to renovate. I don't care there is only one working loo, I'm not selling my 911 to pay to finish the house, I'll finish it as I can afford it. Drive the car and enjoy, put zillions of miles on her. Just think how lucky you are to be able to do so.

The recent rumours about the GT2 being dropped from the 911 range has made me think along these lines about my 997 GT2. It's got a few miles on it but if I put it away in storage now it'll still be considered low mileage in 10 years time. The problem is that putting it into storage for 10 years and not driving it is a kick in the face to myself for all the hard work I put in to be able to buy it and to my memories of having Porsche posters on my walls when growing up. Even if after 10 years the car makes 50 grand (very optimistic) I'd have lost 10 years of driving my dream car, 50 grand isn't enough for that IMO.

LaSource said: (Hi, BTW, did you receive my PM from a few days ago?) Yes I sent you one back, not get it I assume? I will check again and resend. Apologies. Guys not driving these sorts of cars is madness and why does everyone assume that cars will only go up. Drive them FFS. We will all be in electric cars soon with autopilot and all that gubbins. This is the last of the glory years where you can still (sort of) enjoy a fast car on the road, just what I think of course.

I understand your predicament but honestly there is only one answer. I bought my 997.1 GT3 at 20k and it did not have a blemish or mark on it. I have since driven it into Europe a couple of times covering France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain and Italy and the front end is now in need of a respray. Do I regret it - NOT A CHANCE! Has it depreciated - MOST PROBABLY but every time I go out to the garage where it is stored to get some bog roll or washing up liquid etc I look at it and smile. I smile because I can look at it and I can instantly remember drives I have done in it and the memories of perfect (and not so perfect) gearshifts come back to me. I remember going down the Grimsel pass in Switzerland and the section where the camber of the road followed favourably with the turns in the road and the way the outside wheels were loaded up as I turned to face the next straight and I hit the right pedal and 'smeared' the rear tyres into the road and catapulted down the straight only to repeat the same on the next corner. The way I see it is this, if you dont drive it you will do yourself a disservice but ask yourself this, why did you buy it in the first place? You KNOW it was to drive it so get out there and drive it. As a side note, do you want to tell your friends and grandkids about the time you bought a 997 GT3 RS and didnt drive it but made £20k in ten years on it or do you want to tell them that you bought one and drove the b ks out of it Edited by V8KSN on Wednesday 29th January 13:10

What is your bet value appreciation of the car in what time frame? Is the upside financially attractive to you? If it is yes, then store the car and sell it later on. The have the cake and eat it option would be to buy in addition a high mileage GT3 to do your miles on and use the RS for a few special occasions and for your investment

For the sake of argument, let us speculate that if you were to mothball the car and in say 10 years time sell it, you could possibly realise £10k more than if you were to use it. What would you do with the premium and do you need it?

I"m thinking of jumping into the market for a 997.2 GT3 RS too, and like the OP, am seeing them come and go in the used market quite quickly. Whether this means they're reaching a low point in prices and will shortly go up, who knows, but I think the reception the 991 RS gets will have a massive impact on the market for these obviously as many owners will jump ship to the new car. However, in relation to the OP's question, Are you buying the car to profit on as a commodity to be locked away and not used in the hope of preserving value, or is this the perfect spec for you as a car to drive If the answer is yes, then I'd say it's a risky strategy at best, and if it's the latter, then buy the right car for you and deal with the depreciation as it comes when it's selling time. I feel your pain on availability of cars though as it's pretty slim pickings at the moment - I, for one, will just sit tight and await more vehicles coming onto the market in bigger numbers as 991 Gt3 deliveries start coming in decent numbers in the first part of this year and also the release of the 991GT3RS Good luck

Do what I do man. Buy it, rag it, laugh alot, rag it some more, buy some new tyres, rag it again, service it and sell it on. You can't take cash to your grave but you can take happy memories! Roll on 25th Feb at Donnington and 24th/25th March at Spa in the oh so noisy and fun 997 GT3 RS.....

This thread restores my faith in PH - excellent replies chaps

What colour is your car? My dad is after a gen 2 RS....

Thanks for the responses so far – some really valid points and as I suspected the groundswell of opinion from the PH fraternity is ‘drive it’ – as I had hoped to be honest. Part of me thinks I might consider ‘flipping’ the car for a quick profit and then buying another with a few more miles on it and pocketing the difference. But, having looked long and hard for a car I know how difficult it is to find one in the right spec’ without some kind of ‘history’. Most owners (it seems) at the moment are hanging on to them. And I think if I sold it, I would want to replace it with another fairly quickly and that the replacement would always be ‘second best’ in my mind. I don’t ‘need’ to sell it, but a profit in the long or short-term is always worthy of serious consideration; perhaps on balance, measured against the sometimes more difficult to quantify benefits of ownership the intangible pleasures of ownership and use as intended win through. I shall now return to my previous advisors on this matter and tell them they were wrong! The car is Black/Grey and Red by the way. But apparently it’s not for sale!

Lets see a pic?

pistolp said: Lets see a pic? Currently at work so I can't post one up at the moment - but I will this evening (or if I can figure out how to do so using my 'phone)...

Here you go - the car is shown with the previous owners numberplate - this has since been removed and transferred back.

Looks remarkably similar to the one currently for sale in GC motors ; http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

Looks remarkably similar to the one currently for sale in GC motors ; http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

I think there is more than one RS out there in this colour!

i am in the same situation with regards to values and using the car. Thing is. There will be no more 3rd pedal GT3 RS. other than the 4.0, this is the last of them. there will be faster RSs and perhaps more involving and emotional.... but there will never be another 3rd pedal RS. speed aside, mechanical shifting and driving rather than paddles provides a different dimension to the driving experience. whether paddles are the answer is immaterial, it just isn't the same anymore, for better or for worse. And , because of that, RS values will only appreciate and good , low mileage ones more than higher mileage examples. It is sensible to think that putting it away will be rewardinf financially. so? sell it and get a car that you can enjoy? buy another track car? are all valid options I am considering. No answer from me. Just more questions.

HokumPokum said: . It is sensible to think that putting it away will be rewarding financially. . If you value this car at say £100k & add £5k for insurance,warranty,fluid changes,financing costs, that's quite optimistic that it will rewarding financially - surely a 2 bed apartment that yields an income is a better bet - for this car cannot be used to get maximum upside. Anyone know of nearly new, even more limited, 996RS's that have paid off financially taking into account all costs since 2003? And markets do not always move from the bottom left to the top right.

Slickhillsy said: I think there is more than one RS out there in this colour! Sorry, that wasn't meant in the context of 'is this the one' it was meant as a means to compare market costs and desirability

TheDeadPrussian said: Here you go - the car is shown with the previous owners numberplate - this has since been removed and transferred back. My god that is awesome! Can't help with your decision but that car is gorgeous! Well done on the purchase

Mermaid said: HokumPokum said: . It is sensible to think that putting it away will be rewarding financially. . If you value this car at say £100k & add £5k for insurance,warranty,fluid changes,financing costs, that's quite optimistic that it will rewarding financially - surely a 2 bed apartment that yields an income is a better bet - for this car cannot be used to get maximum upside. Anyone know of nearly new, even more limited, 996RS's that have paid off financially taking into account all costs since 2003? And markets do not always move from the bottom left to the top right. I know it's been discussed at great length on this forum already, but any chance of using a 7.2RS as a speculative investment is super slim at best. Just consider the market value drivers; Rarity (in the context of 'for sale') - Currently, Yes - But only because it's safe to assume that many of the owners are holding on pending delivery of 991GT3's or 991 GT3RS' Classic Desirability - That depends entirely on how the 991 GT3 and RS' are received by the market. I believe the GT3 is already faster around the ring than the 7.2RS ? I'd say, with that in mind, that your 100k car is extremely unlikely to be worth >£100k in 3 years time even if you store it in a bubble and don't use it, which defeats the object of owning such a car As Mermaid has suggested, you're better off buying small flat and generating an income stream or putting your money into a long term commodity market / other investment

I think you need to use the car or you will definitely regret not doing so in the future. As other posters have touched on, a good way to keep the mileage down is only to use the car occasionally for proper 'driving' trips where it can be used in its element. I tend to use other cars for boring mileage slogs up and down the motorway, but for say weekends away within say a 100 mile radius on perfect driving roads use your pride and joy.....to a degree, you will also tend to appreciate the virtues of the special car if you use it more sparingly.......

graeme4130 said: Just consider the market value drivers; Rarity (in the context of 'for sale') - Currently, Yes - But only because it's safe to assume that many of the owners are holding on pending delivery of 991GT3's or 991 GT3RS' Classic Desirability - That depends entirely on how the 991 GT3 and RS' are received by the market. I believe the GT3 is already faster around the ring than the 7.2RS ? Agreed to a point - the 997.2 GT3 RS is not as rare as some other models - the 4.0 RS for instance, but, a very low mileage 997.2 GT3 RS is. Desirability isn't intrinsically linked to the reception of the 991 GT3 and RS - as the 991 appeals to a slightly different (and broader) audience. Many I think will not 'trade up' to the 991 GT3 RS but will stay where they are or add a 991 GT3 RS to their fleet in addition to a 997. Others will be new to the marque. graeme4130 said: Mermaid has suggested, you're better off buying small flat and generating an income stream or putting your money into a long term commodity market / other investment Agreed, but as I said a little earlier, I didn't initiallly buy the car as any sort of investment, I did buy it to use and enjoy; it was only once I had purchased it that I was alerted to the potential investment opportunity due to the low mileage. On balance, I think it will stay and I will just enjoy it. To replace it would be very difficult and the potential profit in the car does not yet outweigh the enjoyment to be gained...

how low is the mileage?

SFO said: how low is the mileage? 317 miles on an August 2010 car.

TheDeadPrussian said: SFO said: how low is the mileage? 317 miles on an August 2010 car. holy smokes !!!

SFO said: TheDeadPrussian said: SFO said: how low is the mileage? 317 miles on an August 2010 car. holy smokes !!! Ban the man from PH's & steer him towards Coys.

Mermaid said: Ban the man from PH's & steer him towards Coys. To be fair I did buy it with this mileage last September - I just haven't added to it yet!

I too have a 997.2 GT3 RS, I bought it 6 months old with 528 miles on it, it now has 7k. I have done 20+ trackdays with it and as is the general consensus it's awesome. Will it really be worth that much less in 10 years time with 5k on it? Mine is a keeper have watched the prices fall then rise over the last 2 years of ownership, for me they just have to be used! Drive it, go on you know you want to!

^^^^^ Agreed! Mine had 1500 miles on it 2 1/2 years ago when I bought it and now has done nearly 10k. It's done a few track days, a few euro trips, encompassing the ' ring and Spa and do you know what, I've enjoyed every bloody one of those miles, it's an awesome thing which really has to be driven Its got a few stone chips, gone thru a few sets of tyres, but I don't give a flying feck!!!! Life really is too short and to the OP, great call not selling your car, you don't 'need' to sell it, enjoy the moment.... g

TheDeadPrussian said: SFO said: how low is the mileage? 317 miles on an August 2010 car. Knowing how well sought after these cars are becoming and the potential to be the last 'proper' RS, oh and coupled with my OCD - wouldn't allow me to use and enjoy this car. WHY THE f k did you buy such a low-milage car??? Get it in storage now and go out and buy a 10k miler!!

TheDeadPrussian said: graeme4130 said: Just consider the market value drivers; Rarity (in the context of 'for sale') - Currently, Yes - But only because it's safe to assume that many of the owners are holding on pending delivery of 991GT3's or 991 GT3RS' Classic Desirability - That depends entirely on how the 991 GT3 and RS' are received by the market. I believe the GT3 is already faster around the ring than the 7.2RS ? Agreed to a point - the 997.2 GT3 RS is not as rare as some other models - the 4.0 RS for instance, but, a very low mileage 997.2 GT3 RS is. Desirability isn't intrinsically linked to the reception of the 991 GT3 and RS - as the 991 appeals to a slightly different (and broader) audience. Many I think will not 'trade up' to the 991 GT3 RS but will stay where they are or add a 991 GT3 RS to their fleet in addition to a 997. Others will be new to the marque. graeme4130 said: Mermaid has suggested, you're better off buying small flat and generating an income stream or putting your money into a long term commodity market / other investment Agreed, but as I said a little earlier, I didn't initiallly buy the car as any sort of investment, I did buy it to use and enjoy; it was only once I had purchased it that I was alerted to the potential investment opportunity due to the low mileage. On balance, I think it will stay and I will just enjoy it. To replace it would be very difficult and the potential profit in the car does not yet outweigh the enjoyment to be gained... I agree in part about the desirability value. However, if the 991RS is a real 'game changer' then suddenly the 997.2 will look a little less ordinary. Whether than happens or not is anybodies guess. Reading the responses above, your car appears to be super low mileage and on that basis will always be worth more. I'm just starting to look for one myself now. I've had a Gallardo saving fund for a while now, but that's now been expanded to a new 'wknd toy fund' instead of Gallardo specific as having driven a few now, they've just lost that attraction for some reason. I've always loved Porsches and never actually owned one, and the 7.2 GT3 RS is by far my favourite, so the search has started. As you and others have found though, there just isn't too many fantastic ones coming to market (and ones like yours are super rare), so finding the spec I really like is only going to end in compromise or a potentially very long wait I'm in no rush though as ultimately it'll not get used too much in the winter and the temptation to keep taking it out on greasy roads would overpower my will to preserve and I'd likely end up in the field somewhere having been more ambition than talent in the wet. Edited by graeme4130 on Wednesday 29th January 20:34

shavenhaven said: WHY THE f k did you buy such a low-milage car??? I bought the car as it was the right spec' and the best available via an OPC, all this after I'd spent several months looking - I'd been caught out pontificating a couple of times before and so I acted quickly to secure the car. The very low mileage wasn't really a consideration initially, it only became one after the purchase.

TheDeadPrussian said: I bought the car as it was the right spec' and the best available via an OPC, all this after I'd spent several months looking - I'd been caught out pontificating a couple of times before and so I acted quickly to secure the car. The very low mileage wasn't really a consideration initially, it only became one after the purchase. Am I right in thinking this car originated from Aberdeen ??

TheDeadPrussian said: I bought the car as it was the right spec' and the best available via an OPC, all this after I'd spent several months looking - I'd been caught out pontificating a couple of times before and so I acted quickly to secure the car. The very low mileage wasn't really a consideration initially, it only became one after the purchase. Am I right in thinking this car originated from Aberdeen ??

Sandy59 said: Am I right in thinking this car originated from Aberdeen ?? I believe so, but I bought it via Colchester OPC, who were I believe, also the original supplier.

Well if you did want to sell it, would be easy after this thread.

Mermaid said: Well if you did want to sell it, would be easy after this thread. I think it is a keeper now! The power of PH!

TheDeadPrussian said: Sandy59 said: Am I right in thinking this car originated from Aberdeen ?? I believe so, but I bought it via Colchester OPC, who were I believe, also the original supplier. it can't have been driven to or from Aberdeen!

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I agree on the investment point. it is not per se an investment. it is both a joy and a gamble and an appreciation of the fact that it is the last of the rs that has a 3rd pedal (excepting 4.0). I am betting that even if the new rs is rawer, faster and can tackle the ring in under 7 min, people like me will still appreciate the 3rd pedal that the 7.2 RS has and the rear engine layout. it's flaws and greatness are appreciated in equal measures making it a great. It will ask a lot of me and I will keep learning thru the years. last of the Ol skool rs will have a very nice ring to it in 10 years. say what you will, 2 pedals good, 3 pedals better................

SFO said: it can't have been driven to or from Aberdeen! Covered transport both ways! (And from the OPC to my home as well).

TheDeadPrussian said: I bought the car as it was the right spec' and the best available via an OPC, all this after I'd spent several months looking - I'd been caught out pontificating a couple of times before and so I acted quickly to secure the car. The very low mileage wasn't really a consideration initially, it only became one after the purchase. It's been said already - 'Life's too short!' I left the Army 2 years ago after nearly 15 years service, I found out last week, one of the guys I was on basic aircraft training with had had, (in his words) 'a wee 25ft fall' and has now lost the use of his right leg and in a wheelchair. Another guy I used to work with a few years ago had a stroke at 45 and is still recovering a few years on. One of my old bosses made it to WO1 (ASM), then last year while cycling to work from Ripon got knocked off his bike, and sadly died before the Air Ambulance arrived - this after losing his father a few weeks previous and one of his kids having a fight with some form of cancer a year or two before! Top guy, massive shame! ... Ok, the above cliche is used often, but in my opinion it is used for a reason! If you can afford a 6 figure car, does £10-20k profit over a few months/years really matter that much? Life is not a rehearsal, make of it what you can! If you're fortunate enough to be able to have a GT3 RS in the garage, bloody well enjoy it - while you can!

Very much enjoyed reading this thread over a coffee while mine is in the garage warming up, might even manage 317 miles today, Its a personal choice as to use or not, i prefer use it . also can't recommend highly enough the winter tyres on 19" RS spyder centre locks.

Very much enjoyed reading this thread over a coffee while mine is in the garage warming up, might even manage 317 miles today, Its a personal choice as to use or not, i prefer use it . also can't recommend highly enough the winter tyres on 19" RS spyder centre locks.

Grey with gold is the way forward. Might look odd if you have a red cage and belts though. Not that you couldn't change the cage colour of course.....

pistolp said: Grey with gold is the way forward. Might look odd if you have a red cage and belts though. Not that you couldn't change the cage colour of course..... Doh…hadn’t thought about the cage! But as you suggest a colour change is not beyond the wit of man. Wrapped in black vinyl would work I guess, but probably a re-paint; a gold cage might be a step too far.

The cage can be removed and painted so that's not a big deal - get it done in black though! Would be amazing to change it over actually. Looks the danglies......

I have red seat belts in mine...matches harnesses. And close-up of carbon mirror housings where the weave looks great up close... One more arty shot by Mr Horne...for good measure... PF Edited by PorkaFly on Friday 31st January 12:03

If you treated it as a pure investment, you'd realistically have to put it away for a decade or more to see any serious appreciation. You also have to consider what you are going to drive instead of it. If it means you have to buy another car, then whatever money you lose on that should really be offset against the gain on your 'investment' car. I doubt the 'investment' case would really stack up in practice and there are probably better ways of investing the same money. So you may as well drive it and be thankful that depreciation will be minimal. If you only add a couple of thousand miles per annum, it's still going to be a low mileage example anyway.

Is depreciation less in the RS than it is in a run of the mill GT3 (997.2)?

bryce86 said: Is depreciation less in the RS than it is in a run of the mill GT3 (997.2)? Good question. As a rule, yes. RS cars tend to have lesser mileage & more emotion. And you need to consider the higher entry price to make a fair assessment. From what I can see there is a gap of about £20k between the 7.2 GT & RS cars - not sure if the original price was £20k different, could have been more. I don't have that data.

Just thought I'd provide a short update. Having made the decision to keep and use the car, that's exactly what I have been doing. Most recently I've been to the Le Mans 24hrs in it and will head back to France for the Le Mans Classic in the car in a couple of weeks time. Immediately following the Classic, a group of friends and I are off down to the Alps for a week or so of driving some of the best mountain passes we can find. Then it's back to the UK via Spa to watch a friend racing in the British GT and then down to 'Ring for a touristfahren day. Here's a couple of pictures of the car: Le Mans (it was the only 997.2 GT3 RS I saw whilst there - which I thought was unusual): Post-Le Mans detailing at Valet Magic in Camberley followed by a quick photo shoot by Nick Williams arranged by Robbie at Valet Magic: The interior: All-in-all the decision to keep it and use it was the best decision I've made - so by putting miles on it I may have notionally lost some unrealised monetary gain, but the car is epic and I just love it. If you own one use it; there is little out there that can compare.

Cars are to be driven... Yes people are put off by high mileages. BUT if it is a keeper the ability in years to come to look back at where you took it and the photos adds to it's provenance....

You won't have the only one of these at the Le Mans classic ), see you at Arnage, be cool to get a pic of both cars as they are v similar spec

SteelySteve said: You won't have the only one of these at the Le Mans classic ), see you at Arnage, be cool to get a pic of both cars as they are v similar spec Cool - I'll keep an eye out for you!

OP, i remember reading this thread of yours and was glad in the end you took the decision at the time to use the car. I do however have a question if i may. If you had a 4.0 with similarly low mileage, knowing what you know about values would you still have been able to resist storing it?

Wozy68 said: Drive the car and enjoy, put zillions of miles on her. Just think how lucky you are to be able to do so. Agree 100%. For all the same reasons. A month ago I bought a 2007 GT3 in as new condition. It had covered 9500 miles. Since then I have put 3,000 miles on it and picked up a couple of stone chips. But I don't regret it for a second! 2 weeks driving down to Italy coming up later in July ...

TheDeadPrussian said: Just thought I'd provide a short update. All-in-all the decision to keep it and use it was the best decision I've made - so by putting miles on it I may have notionally lost some unrealised monetary gain, but the car is epic and I just love it. If you own one use it; there is little out there that can compare. Brilliant :-)

Shame I'd have given you 500k for that car

Was the pull handle common on 7.2 RS's or a retro mod?

lemmingjames said: Was the pull handle common on 7.2 RS's or a retro mod? It's standard.

shaunRS said: Here's another that's come available: http://www.jzmporsche.com/news/2014-07/porsche-997... Great spec and mega low miles. I'm bias but best colour combo I think. What's the betting on prices? 100k? 130k? 160k?

In fairness JZM get the best cars unlike other so called 'Specialist' that don't have the same experience

160k…got to be !

So I just thought I would provide another quick update. Just back from the Le Mans Classic which was swiftly followed by a week of driving the best Alpine Passes we could find (myself and seven friends in all sorts of varying machinery – from a Caterham, to an M3, to a modified BMW 2002)…with a bit of a trip north to the Porsche Museum, then on to watch friends racing in the British GT at Spa and a Touristfahren day at the ‘Ring to finish off. So the car now has 4,300 miles on it; but what a car! I certainly don’t regret the decision to drive it and if it’s fallen in value – so be it; I think I’ve had my moneys worth. I posted up details of the latest trip on Twitter so if you fancy a few photos and brief thoughts etc check out @TheDeadPrussian for the details…

A couple of 'photos from the trip: St Moritz for lunch: Stelvio Pass:

Nice!! Love alpine trips.

Just back from the San Bernadino Pass, in fact I did all the main passes, amazing place. Can't wait to get back. Pocty Edited by pocty on Friday 18th July 21:50 Edited by pocty on Friday 18th July 22:02

Someone just sent me the last pic of my RS.2 the day before I sold it...... It was a great car....

Great car there Roland. I remember it well when I bumped into you at the Nurbugring. Pocty

pocty said: Great car there Roland. I remember it well when I bumped into you at the Nurbugring. Pocty Back next year with the 991RS when it shows up..might grab a beer

pocty said: Just back from the San Bernadino Pass, in fact I did all the main passes, amazing place. Can't wait to get back. Pocty Edited by pocty on Friday 18th July 21:50 Edited by pocty on Friday 18th July 22:02 The 6RS looks absolutely lovely...yes, I am very biased

RDMcG said: pocty said: Great car there Roland. I remember it well when I bumped into you at the Nurbugring. Pocty Back next year with the 991RS when it shows up..might grab a beer Count me in too ! I was there that morning in 2010 in the Pistenklause at breakfast. Great cars they were but the 991RS will be better.

majordad said: Count me in too ! I was there that morning in 2010 in the Pistenklause at breakfast. Great cars they were but the 991RS will be better. The arguments will rage as they always do in Porsche circles, and at this stage I have given up in figuring out "best". However, the Ring IS "best" and I look forward to seeing old friends there next year....

Pocty

Just stumbled across this video of a 3.8GT3 and a 3.8RS at Imola - with the former being driven a lot better than the RS, yet the RS power/gearing keeping it ahead - quite evident at 48secs into the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZYLWm3biBA

N24 said: Just stumbled across this video of a 3.8GT3 and a 3.8RS at Imola - with the former being driven a lot better than the RS, yet the RS power/gearing keeping it ahead - quite evident at 48secs into the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZYLWm3biBA Nice find - seen the same with 3.8RS as the underdog & a 4.0RS

Near Adenau a few weeks back in the sunshine: The following day at Reims - _incredibly_ atmospheric - even in the rain:

I took the attitude that the car is to drive, the fact it might appreciate is a bonus and basically means you can drive it more for less I've probably put 8k on mine in the last year and pretty much every one of those has been a joy. Thought I might as well post a few pics from some of the trips with a few friends.

Deja Vu?

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smoores said: I took the attitude that the car is to drive, the fact it might appreciate is a bonus and basically means you can drive it more for less I've probably put 8k on mine in the last year and pretty much every one of those has been a joy. Thought I might as well post a few pics from some of the trips with a few friends. Great photos - I think I almost bought that exact car once when it was at OPC Guildford. Hey, I notice the cars on a motor rail. Which train is this and where from/to?

LaSource said: smoores said: I took the attitude that the car is to drive, the fact it might appreciate is a bonus and basically means you can drive it more for less I've probably put 8k on mine in the last year and pretty much every one of those has been a joy. Thought I might as well post a few pics from some of the trips with a few friends. Great photos - I think I almost bought that exact car once when it was at OPC Guildford. Hey, I notice the cars on a motor rail. Which train is this and where from/to? Is that the train to Furka? Edited by V8KSN on Wednesday 30th July 11:52

V8KSN said: Is that the train to Furka? Edited by V8KSN on Wednesday 30th July 11:52 Yep, absolutely amazing road out the other side

Could you give us any idea of the Furka Train please. Where to / From, how long, how often, cost. Does a low Porsche fit, do you load it yourself?

Hi Smores, hope you're looking after KUS, my old car. Only a 991 RS will ease the pain. Rhodie

majordad said: Could you give us any idea of the Furka Train please. Where to / From, how long, how often, cost. Does a low Porsche fit, do you load it yourself? Start from Brig, head up towards the Grimsel Pass, ignore the train, keep going up, gasp in awe at the Grimsel, and head towards the Furka... Highly recommend a stop at the Rhone Glacier, you can walk on it and in it for less than 10 Swiss Francs... Picture below is looking from the start of the Furka, Grimsel Pass is on the right zig zagging upwards, you'd come from the middle just round to the left. The train misses this! (though it is handy when the Passes are shut due to snow)

majordad said: Deja Vu? Is that a shadow of someone saluting it

smoores said: Yep, absolutely amazing road out the other side you bet!

N24 said: majordad said: Deja Vu? Is that a shadow of someone saluting it Yep, a soldier's farewell ?