Help with first Porsche purchase - Page 1 - 911/Carrera GT - PistonHeads UK

Could I ask for your collective thoughts on what 911 to aim for with a war chest of £30-35k? It will be my daily and will on the odd occasion need to ferry the wife and 5mo sprog around too (it can be done, right?). Would also be interested on views as to whether it makes sense to increase the budget to get me into the realm of PDK cars. Plan would be to keep it for c.3yrs and then upgrade so need to factor depreciation into the equation alongside running costs. Thanks in advance

997 gen 2 Carrera. S version if you really need it. PDK is amazing but purely down to what you want.

As above or possibly a 996 turbo.

Thanks both - you've confirmed my initial thoughts. RSJ have some nice looking examples so will hopefully head up there on Saturday morning. Presumably the 996 turbo will hold its value better but may cost more in upkeep ?

mollytherocker said: 997 gen 2 Carrera. S version if you really need it. PDK is amazing but purely down to what you want. Might struggle to find 997.2 s on that budget might be better off looking for the plain 997.2

itsybitsy said: mollytherocker said: 997 gen 2 Carrera. S version if you really need it. PDK is amazing but purely down to what you want. Might struggle to find 997.2 s on that budget might be better off looking for the plain 997.2 I think you're right. I've extended the budget somewhat to get me into PDK territory. When buying from the likes of Cridford, RSJ, 911Virgins et al, would you recommend an independent inspection or is it safe to assume that sellers of this calibre would have done that level of due diligence to accept the car onto their books in the first instance? Or is it that incredibly naive of me !?!

Never a bad thing to have it independently inspected if it gives you peace of mind!

Never a bad thing to have it independently inspected if it gives you peace of mind!

jander1 said: itsybitsy said: mollytherocker said: 997 gen 2 Carrera. S version if you really need it. PDK is amazing but purely down to what you want. Might struggle to find 997.2 s on that budget might be better off looking for the plain 997.2 I think you're right. I've extended the budget somewhat to get me into PDK territory. When buying from the likes of Cridford, RSJ, 911Virgins et al, would you recommend an independent inspection or is it safe to assume that sellers of this calibre would have done that level of due diligence to accept the car onto their books in the first instance? Or is it that incredibly naive of me !?! Don't rule out buying private you can save a few quid,meet the owner,car could still have opc warranty and you could ask for 111 point inspection at opc! On your budget I think I still would look for a 997.2 carrera as a good c2s starts around £40 k+ Avoid early Pdk cars as it was new technology and there were a few gremlins so a late 2009 car onwards may be better but that IMHO is true of a new model from any manufacturer

itsybitsy said: Don't rule out buying private you can save a few quid,meet the owner,car could still have opc warranty and you could ask for 111 point inspection at opc! On your budget I think I still would look for a 997.2 carrera as a good c2s starts around £40 k+ Avoid early Pdk cars as it was new technology and there were a few gremlins so a late 2009 car onwards may be better but that IMHO is true of a new model from any manufacturer Many thanks for your views, really appreciated. I haven't ruled it out a private sale entirely but would feel more comfortable with a highly professional trade outfit as my counterpart. RSJ have an 09' gen 2 pdk 9972S with 31k on the clock at £40k, which seems a good place to start the search...

Hi pal, i've just bought my 1st 911, a 997.1 carrera 3.6 (997.2 beyond my budget :-() and she is superb!.....so far. Hopefully she will remain free of the problems that surround these otherwise wonderful cars. The only thing i would say is... i'm glad i never went for an S because you really don't need it. especially with sprog on board.so save a few ££££ there and maybe go for a few refinements the wifey will appreciate. good luck.

I feel the 997 route will inevitably have to include depreciation. Private will be OK if you have it inspected. 996 might be a better route if you intend to trade in 3 years?

Thanks for your comments folks, very much appreciated. There's been a slight change on my side following numerous test drives in a 996, 997 S and non-S. I've fallen for a 997 GTS. Somewhat blown through the budget, but the missus loved it, sprog was giggling in the back and the car drove like a dream. Collect on Saturday ... obligatory pics to follow.

Nice one! Well done.

Great one! I went window shopping on Saturday as well and ended up buying a GTS too. Collect mine on Saturday as well. They just seem to drive superbly and the interior with alcantara seems to give it a better sense of occasion and sportiness. Enjoy it and I look forward to seeing the pics.

Shiverman said: Great one! I went window shopping on Saturday as well and ended up buying a GTS too. Collect mine on Saturday as well. They just seem to drive superbly and the interior with alcantara seems to give it a better sense of occasion and sportiness. Enjoy it and I look forward to seeing the pics. Thanks, and same to you! Here's hoping for some decent weather!

Nice one. That's some change from the original plans. I've been looking for a Gen2 C2s or C4s over the last month and struggling to find one. Initially looked at a 58 C4s at OPC Nottingham and whilst working the deal, it was sold and pretty much same happened at Colchester on Monday. I've had a similar budget creep, whereby originally considered a Gen 1 997 at £25k and now looking at Gen 2 C2s or C4s at £50k. Just need to find something !

Collected the car this afternoon from OPC Guildford. Fantastic service and very smooth process. Chuffed to bits with the car having spent the rest of the day getting to know her. Pics not uploading via iPhone but will post tomorrow when I'm by the pc. Thanks again for all the guidance, not just from this thread but the general wealth of info shared on here - invaluable.

Really pleased for you Jander and we look forward to seeing the pictures when you can upload them.