996 C2 buying advise

Having had my S2000 for nearly a year I'm feeling it's time to sell up and move onto something new, at the moment high up the list of possible replacements is a manual 996 C2. Just have a few questions before the S2000 goes up for sale and I can start looking for a 911. - Is the increase in performance of the 3.6 over the 3.4 noticeable? - Other than the engine were there any other significant changes at this time? - I'd only expect to keep the car for a year or so, are there any options which are considered a must have for resale or anything to specifically avoid? was sat nav available/desirable - I've seen a few cars advertised with an M030 suspension upgrade, any opinions on if this is worth having? - Lastly are the standard C2's up to the occasional trackday / sprint? I think I'd be looking for a 3.4 Manual coupe, open minded to external colours except for Jade green ideally with black or grey interior, not a fan of the green / red / tan interiors Is £15k ish likely to be enough to get a decent 3.4 with sensible millage (sub 70k) or would I be better of popping in to see the bank manager and spending around £20k on an early 3.6? Thanks in advance

well, 1) there is not really a noticeablr difference in performance between 3.4 and 3.6. as whilst there is a bit more power there is also a bit more weight. You might possibly just notice mid range torque but I doubt it. 2) These cars had ongoing development year on year. The main differences on facelift (3.6) cars are the headlights and front and rear bumpers. The interior is a bit better quality (but same design) and the 18" wheels are iimho a nicer design. 3) Sat nav (although actually well off the pace) is desireable as a toy as is upgraded audio and PSE (sports exhaust) and PSM. 4) Opinions vary on M30 suspension. I find it a bit harsh and very tiring for everyday driving if you do a decent mileage, but there is no doubt it helps whe getting a move on or on track days. 5)Yes a C2 can happily cope with the occasional track dy (if you cant stretch like most to a GT3!) 6)Yes £15k would buy a nice 3.4 car but if it were me I would go a bit further and get a facelift 3.6 car .Even they are under £20k now. Good luck with your search.

If you are only looking to keep the car for a year and don't want to lose loads of money doing so, my advice would be: 1. Buy now or better still in a month or so when prices will be lower due to fair weather drivers looking to change. 2. Buy privately but carefully and ideally with a PPI. Sell privately when the time comes and ideally when the weather is still good. 3. Go for silver, black or grey with black or grey interior or maybe dark blue with blue or black. Avoid anything else. 4. Ensure the serice history is full and of good quality and that the mileage is sensible. ie. 8k a year average or 70k max. 5. During your period of ownership don't scrimp on services or consumables. Follow the above and you should get 12 months of great fun without feeling you've paid through the nose for the experience. BUT don't be surprised if you get hooked and the 12 months turns into X years :thumbs: Have fun searching. T8

Thanks very much for the replies and giving me some good advise. I'll definitely have a PPI done by a decent indi, but would prefer to discount the cars that aren't for me prior to spending money having them checked over. on the face of it this looks like a nice example http://911uk.com/ads_item.php?id=2255 I've got my last sprint race of the year in the S2000 tomorrow and hopefully will be in a position to put it up for sale in a few weeks, fingers crossed there will be a 911 on the drive before the end of the year.

That seems to tick all the boxes I referred to. If you like the look of it and the claims made in the ad all check out a PPI will then tell you everything else you need to know. If anything is picked up use that as a bargaining tool but IMO £20k is not OTT. You'd pay several grand more for the same car at a specialist. Good luck.