Advice on what next...

Gents, unfortunately the time may have come to move on. I have thoroughly enjoyed my 911 ownership (even though it has been expensive) but my 996 is my daily driver and at 86k miles I can't risk anything major going wrong and being left with no transport to work. Also, if we have a winter like last year in Aberdeen I don't fancy using my front aero bumper as a snow plough again. So, I've been looking about at what to get next around the £16k mark and was looking for some advice/recommendations. If I had a bit more cash I think i'd go for a 335d but not keen on stretching myself financially for it. Andy

Sad to read. Prepare for that sick feeling when you see a 996 and don't actually own one. There really is nothing else.

+1 Lots of other nice cars to choose from at that money but nothing like a 911. What about buying into a warranty with loan car etc. I keep hearing good things about warrantywise. Would give peace of mind and loan car if anything does happen.

There's an awful lot of perfectly decent 'drive to work in winter' cars out there that can be had for less than the price of a 996 major service and tyres. Why not get just one of them? I've just done 10k in one year in a £1000 banger and I'd be disappointed if I couldn't sell it on for the same money as it's a lot cleaner than when I bought it. In that time it's cost me less than a tenner, (2 bulbs + fitting) to get it through an MOT and hasn't missed a beat. It makes all the time you spend in the 996 even more fun and I actually enjoy (a) sitting in traffic jams next to cars costing 40x as much and (b) feeling smug at knowing what I've got sitting in the garage waiting for its next blat. :judge:

Thanks for the comments, I was thinking along the lines of a banger for the commute, its still an option. I just don't want to get to the point where I start to dislike the car due to the money it's costing me to put things right. Andy

I went through the same thought process when my circumstances changed. I nearly bought a £1000 Nissan Micra for the commute to work. I realised that there is a perfectly good bus service where I live, which takes less time to get to work than taking the car. I now use the Porsche every weekend and it is a real pleasure to take for a drive, rather than sit in commuter traffic every morning.

Why not buy a cheap low insurance winter car agadinni and keep the Porsche for summer use only. 86K miles isn't a killer for a 996 IMO.

I'd agree that 86K isn't a killer. I have an 108K 02 Tip and a 68K 98 6spd and the 108K car is as strong as ever. It's maintenance history over the last 20K has not been anything out of the ordinary.

Keep the 911!!! If you like the car then don't sacrifice it. My mate bought a BMW 316 5 years ago with 160k on the clock for £1200 for his 'daily driver' and TBH it hasn't put a foot wrong. It Doesn't look that bad, has climate control, power steering, ABS, full electrics and being a 1.6 he gets fantastic MPG. Very cheap to run and insure. Granted he'd lose a drag race to the pope-mobile but then living in London getting over 25mph is a luxury. I wouldn't advise stretching yourself financially for a car that will depreciate quickly and not be that enjoyable to drive. However having he 911 sat at home waiting for you after work / weekends will surely make you crack a cheeky grin now and then surely. You can always get a 'My other car is a Porsche' bumper sticker for the daily driver too. :thumb:

I use mine as a daily commuter to work and back, its a 01 996 C4 soft top, and its covered 123k ! with full porsche service history, ok some services where £3500 but if you add it up over the years its not a lot.. and i love it to bits, also wanted one for so long cant imagine anything else for the next 5 years or so.. dont do it, keep it, or youll never feel the same again.. that special 911 moment its magic IMHO