Thinking of crossing over to the dark side...

Hey everyone, I'm thinking of getting a 911. I know I know, inferior platform. But I've been searching daily since the beginning of the year for a 987.2 with the options I'm looking for (most important being PDK, PASM, SC, Bi-x) and haven't found a single one that really fits. I'm thinking it is because production numbers on early 987.2s were so low. And it seems like PASM really went out of style in '09-'11. Would you guys agree? I had it on my '08 and LOVED it, so I don't want to go without it. But I haven't found a single PDK CS with PASM and SC combined, which I would think would've been a slam dunk with folks ordering new back then! Anyway, many thanks for any opinions on this baby: https://hennessy.porschedealer.com/...Porsche/911+Carrera+S/2009/Porsche+Racing+Green+Metallic/green/1221349/info.php (listing); https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B4SM-wYAIagsdS1jbWx5TkhfNnM&usp=sharing (photos and service history). Price seems really good and I can't find anything wrong with it! Hope everyone has a great weekend and thanks for your thoughts!

Price seems reallllly good! I would jump on that!

That is a great price for a 2009 CPO C2S, some 2006 are listed higher. The exterior color is why it's probably listed so low. It's not a desirable color. But if you like it, that is all that matters. You'll love the 997.2, I haven't heard anyone moving from a Boxster to a 911 regretting the decision. Good luck.

I'm going to agree with ynot about the price having to do with the green. I have seen green 911s but its not common. As to your service records, two things: 1. I see nothing in there about brake bleeds. Maybe they include them under yearly maintenance but I doubt it. This car was put on the road 9/08. There should have been three brake bleeds done by now. 2. The second thing I see is that the services don't seem to match what is required. Minor Service is 2 years or 20,000 miles, Major service is 4 years or 40,000 miles. Each is "OR", whichever comes first. It's not "wait until the car gets 20,000 miles and then do a Minor Service". This car is almost 7 years old. It should have had done a Minor Service at 9/10, a major service at 9/12, and a minor service at 9/14. In between would be the oil changes, which I assume what the yearly maintenance means. The 2 yr/20K service was done 3 years late. There is no such thing as a 30K service. By 9/12 a Major Service should have been done. Major Service can easily run $1,700 depending upon dealer location. Where is that done? Don't see it. If it were me, I would inquire about the brake bleeds and the time of the minor and major services. I would never buy this car if the Major service has not been done. Good luck

Sorry for posting this in the wrong place, and thanks moderators for moving it! Ynot, I LOVE the green! Bring on the green, especially if it causes better prices! I would love for that to be the reason of the low price and not some mechanical issue due to the neglected services that Chows4us mentioned. Thanks for pointing that out, Chows4us. I will definitely have to get that resolved before thinking more about this car. If the dealership offered to comp the 40k service would that be a good solution? I guess I'm asking if you know of any long-term problems that could result from this situation? I know it's CPO but I'm really looking to buy something to keep for a long time.

Either way you are going to get the older body style and dated interior, older version mechanicals and a used car. If you are thinking of spending over $50K, why not spend an extra 10+ grand (and assuming good discount) and order a new 981 spec'ed the way you want it?

I've looked closely at the 911s as well. Personally, I would hold out for a Type 991 platform 2012 and newer. Substaintially improved product. Lighter, quicker, much better handling. You should be able to find a base in the $67 - $77 range today. Good hunting.

I'm pretty sure that all required services (time or miles) have to be completed before the car can be certified. Nice!

No, I do not. It's just something I would ask the dealer. I would want the major service done, regardless of the fact the car is CPOd. That 997 is a 385HP, $100,000 car. It will be a bit rawer than a 991 and does not have PASM, PDCC, or PTV+ (not sure if 997 PDK cars had that as an option). But still, its a 911 and will always be a 911. That car has been driven about 4K miles/year, which is about the right number or a little low for a 911. Just look at the service dates and mileage. It's pretty consistently driven the same mileage each year. If all checks out, it looks like a deal to me. I'm still thinking the racing green as something to do with it. Look up the black book avg retail price of a 2009 911 w/30K miles. Its ~$51,400. Looks like that price is good, especially since its CPO

So funning to read BlueNorther comment. I am thinking the opposite. For $50k I could have bought this car and had an asset that depreciated much slower and would start to appreciate soon. Instead, I ordered a $86k Cayman S. I love my car, but this car is a very good deal if it checks out.

Here's a 987.2 Cayman that has all your "wants" except SC (which can be added)...PDK, PASM, Bi-x (with cornering). At 64,000 km it's just shy of 40,000 miles, and asking price of $46,900 Can. is $37,587 U.S. Bonus is it's a CPO. At the Porsche dealer in Oakville, Ontario.

Thanks so much for all the thoughts and insights everyone! BlueNorther, I am one of those rare folks who actually prefers the look of the 987 to that of the 981! So I am not really in the market for a brand new Cayman S. Matttheboatman, I'm already stretching my budget thinking about a used 997, so a 991 is not really an option for me. Scayden, I hope you're right! but I'm gonna make sure and verify that the major has been done. Chows4us, thanks for weighing in again! The rawness of the 997 is what really attracts me to it actually. It is GT capable and can even fit a baby seat in the back but still has some pure sports car in it too. This green one does actually have PASM but I don't think they listed it on the options list because it was standard on the C2S. But you're right it doesn't have any of the other high speed performance tech that the 991 and 981 have, and I'm very okay with that. It has hydraulic steering, which I really enjoy and am overall just super fascinated with! Thanks for checking out to the cosistency of the annual mileage. I hadn't thought to do that and I know that long term health for porsches depends a lot on consistent driving. Great insight! Kindrunnermike, your comment was hilarious! Yes you could've bought a used car but your blue 981 is stunning! Gcurnew, your idea is very interesting...would you happen to know what kind of costs go into importing a car from Canada? Another question for anyone still reading...can prospective buyers still haggle aggressively with cars that are already priced really fairly? This green 997 for example has only been at Hennessey for a few days, so there's no argument for them needing to move it right away. And the asking price with the CPO is right at where edmunds and the black book say it should be without the warranty. I've used edmunds on all my previous car puchases, and every time I've used it the appraisal has been almost laughably low. So finding a car that seems like a great deal even according to edmunds is really throwing me off! But the thing is... Even at only $52k it is really really stretching my budget. So a discount would be amazing!!

Why wouldn't you? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Agree with every one else. The most the can do is say "no". I also agree the 987 Cayman looks much better than the 981 Cayman, do to the swoopy look. The 981CS is much harsher or harder lines. However, I think the opposite for the 987 vs 981BS. I think the 981 boxsters look better than the 987 Boxsters. BTW, every day that car sits in their lot, it costs them money. So they do have an incentive to sell it.

Agree 100%. And it's a view i've heard expressed fairly frequently.

I owned a 2009 997S with a MT rather than PDK. The car was fast and fun to drive. I liked everything about it and don't think you will have any regrets. The price seems decent and other posters offer good advice. I don't think you'll miss the 987 and, unless you are tracking it, will never notice the rear engine, and probably not even on the track. The car is powerful and easy to handle. The MSRP seems about right and I think your color was a special color in 2009. Good luck with the purchase and with the dealer.

I have never purchased a used car, but if I did I'd carefully review all of the maintenance records. Of course by far the most important maintenance item is the 10K or annual oil change. Another one is the brake fluid change. There's lots of opinions on how often they should be done, but Porsche recommends every two years. I owned a 997S and I changed the brake fluid yearly, but I regularly tracked my car. I agree with chow4us that the brake fluid should have been changed three times or at the absolute minimum, two times. After two or more years of service, brake fluid become badly contaminated with moisture. This lowers its boiling point which may contribute to pedal fade if the brakes overheat. It also promotes internal rust and corrosion that can damage calipers, wheel cylinders and anti-lock brake system components. This could be a costly problem down the road, and even more importantly, a safety issue. The major maintenance which should have been done after four years of ownership, is not a cure all. The biggest difference between the two year minor and four year major service is that spark plugs are changed during the major maintenance, otherwise just lots of checks. Also, after six years the drive belt should be changed. I would insist that the belt be changed if it hasn't already been done. So carefully check the maintenance records. If the work was done at a Porsche dealership, your dealer will be able to print you a copy. You can also ask the dealer if he has the car's maintenance booklet. This will list the services performed, when they were performed, and most importantly have the dealer's stamp along side the service. If you can't get the complete records, then I would strongly recommend a comprehensive PPI by a certified Porsche tech. I believe that one of the requirements of a CPO car is to ensure that the car is up to date on maintenance, but I would want more than their word that it has been done. I would want to see a documented report.

So much great advice; thanks everyone! Gcurnew and 7West: I'll keep importing from Canada in mind--it is WAY cheaper than I had imagined it would be! But that specific Cayman S won't work for me; my wife accepts the idea of me owning another Porsche as long as it is not red or yellow. Haha she just sees P-cars as already being too flashy! Funny because in my mind they are in general among the most understated sports cars you can buy. Even BMWs seem much more gaudy to me. That's in general though. Obviously a GT3RS's rear wing is pretty good at drawing attention! Chows4us and Fast1, I've just finished writing the sales rep with questions after going through the maintenance records. There are some services missing, although I did see that in addition to being driven 4k miles per year and having annual oil changes, it did have evenly spaced brake fluid flushes at 2 years old and 4 years old. But it looks like neither the plugs nor the drive belt have been changed, and also I read on the maintenance checklist that at 6 years the PDK clutch oil needs to be changed too. So I've inquired about getting these services done. And to everyone, thanks for weighing in on whether or not to negotiate on price. It will soon be negotiation time if the dealership does right on this missing maintenance so wish me luck!

Well, the link to the dealer inventory no longer works. Means someone bought the car???

Hey TerrySmith yeah I'm back on the hunt. After I sent the message to the sales rep asking for more details about the maintenance history, he wrote me back letting me know that someone came in and bought it! So it wasn't the car for me after all! I'm still oscillating between the 997.2 and the 987.2. My previous car and first porsche was a 987.1CS and I loved it. So I still have a soft spot for the Cayman S but since there were so few '09-'12s sold in North America it looks like buying a 997.2C2S might offer the best value. Anyway, thanks for checking in! Have a great week!