I doubt I'll ever buy a new one

Having this 2001 996 has been a game changer for me. I bought it for a fair amount and will be putting money into it I'm sure. $2500 a year? But if I bought new, the depreciation would be huge, and make this look like peanuts. But most importantly, this car seems like the right combination of automation where you want it, that is largely invisible. The new cars are so in-your-face with modes, and Big Brother looking over your shoulder... Even if I could afford a new one, I don't think I'll ever get one. I like to be in charge of the driving experience. I doubt I'll ever get a new car actually.

You are just on a different place on the depreciation curve. Its a great place to be because the upswing is happening.

The depreciation when you drive a new Porsche off the lot could buy a 996.

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Good point - glad to be in the position I'm in. I'm not sure how much more value I could lose just by driving it, but at the same time I'm not sure I care R

I'll never buy a new one because I'll never be able to afford it... but you bet your *** if I could afford it I would. And by "afford it" I mean stroke a check and give two sh*ts about depreciation... not "afford" the payments.

Getting hard to justify new when used 991 prices are already overlapping with 997.2s

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That's because the 997.2.is such a better car...

$2,500 a year?? for what??

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I"ve spent $1200 already. The car is in great shape. But new tires and an alignment will be needed. Then perhaps engine mounts. There is no end to it. I don't do my own work. So I think $2500 per year is reasonable.

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$2,500 is the annual amount I'd planned on when I bought mine a little over 3 years ago. Thus far its upkeep has been much less.

Depreciation isn't the worst thing in the world if you buy the car to be only yours and expect it's value to be $0 when you are done with it. We bought her's new when combined we were making less than $50k/year (Internet stock!). Since then we have seen its value plummet over $80k. Certainly a stupid financial move at the time, but it worked out fine. I bought it for her at the time because the 911 was her dream car as a kid. We didn't buy it as an investment, just as something to enjoy for as long as she could. There was never any intention to sell the car and there still isn't (the quickest way to get her to give up talk of a 991 is to tell her she has to sell the 996 ). So while $80k seems like a painfully large number, we have enjoyed every penny's worth of depreciation. We also did not have to compromise on it as it was build to order so it is as close to exactly as she wanted as Porsche would let us have it. I honestly thought that would be our first and last Porsche (new or otherwise) and at the time I thought much like many of the younger 996 buyers do now, get it now so you can enjoy it young. Happily life has gone well and 12 years later I was able to order my P!g. Still a dumb financial decision, but I've only got one life and I'm still happy with my choices (it's down about $40k thanks to VAG's diesel games). Hopefully I'll have it as long as she's had the 996 and if it is as trouble free maybe we'll get another in 9 more years

The only new 911 I would even think about buying is the 991 Targa. The top mechanism may be stupid but the car looks fantastic to me. Otherwise, I would move on to the new Panamera Turbo with the transformer rear wing or possibly a Cayman if I wanted a new Porsche. To me a 911 is a 911 and my 996 does it enough for me. I don't need 20 like Seinfeld. I would rather spend the extra money on a used Ferrari FF or Aston Martin Rapide (I have to have a four seater) than a new 911.

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That makes a lot of sense to me, everybody is different in how they get value out of the $ they spend on cars.

It's funny that many assume other owners didn't buy their 996 new??? Not every 996 is a beater with excessive miles on them purchased at the low end of NADA value. For that matter, you could just as easily purchase a late 80's 911 in great shape for the same money as a average shape base 996. Value and desirability is in the eye of the beholder. A 911 is a 911 is a 911. New or old they all are 911's regardless what their current monetary value is at the present time in history. What I am getting at is I watched 1979 930s be called old beaters and being devalued because they were not the latest 911 in the mid 1980's. Fast forward to today and those beautifully kept 79 930's value speak for themself. The 996 has a monumental place in the history of the 911 and represents perhaps the purest form of the modern 911.

If you buy for cash, keep it forever and don't finance, the depr factor is rather ephemeral. Not really, but it could be treated like that. I'm in the same boat as the OP. The only new cars I ever bought were two for my kids, and since they saved me collectively over $200k in college debt by getting scholarships, and grants - I was more than happy to write those checks. They love their little cars, and keep them in near flawless shape. But for me - I would never buy a new car like a Porsche. Every time I looked at it, every time I sat in it, every time I watched the odo click over another mile, I would see those dollars in my mind flowing out the open window, and no way for me to back up and get them again. I always wanted a 911 version and came real close when the 930s hit their low point(woulda shoulda coulda), but now with the 996 it's like manna from heaven. All the car I've been wanting, none of the financial loss unless I ball it up. The 996 Aero should, in a fair world, be a $28-38k car depending on features and options. Thankfully, they are trading at half that price, and opens a whole new ownership world to guys like me.

This is an interesting discussion. My bucket list includes ordering a new 911 from the factory, exactly the way that I want it. I just finished paying for my youngest child's college education. The possibility of ordering a new Porsche is real now. I don't give a sh*t about depreciation, or what other people think about buying a new Porsche. I'm not saving it for the next guy. I'll buy it and enjoy it.

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When I went in to buy the new Prius's's's'sss(Priuii, Priuses?) for my kids, I asked for the salesperson with the most kids. I got quite a few cockeyed looks from the receptionist but they found a guy with 3 kids all under 12. He was my salesman. Not sure you can find that at a Porsche dealer, but it worked for me.

I _could_ afford a new Porsche, but other than a warranty, what would it buy me? A car I'd be afraid to rag out - one blown shift, and that precious warranty is gone. One blown downshift and the car drops 50% in value. The people who buy new Porsches are the ones who (a) have so much money the purchase price is insignificant, and (b) the people who are so in debt that another $100K is a drop in the bankruptcy bucket. Since I'm not a member of the first group and I prefer not being a member of the second group, I'll just keep driving my 996 - which I love more today than the day I bought it. *edit* There's a third group - the average joes who save for many years to buy a new Porsche although they are otherwise of ordinary means. While I respect this, I wouldn't be able to blow the money on a $100K car for myself knowing there are things my wife would have liked to have but didn't buy because we are 80% savers and only 20% spenders...

I think it would be cool to buy a new a Porsche. But I've always had such car ADD that the depreciation was a very real issue for me. Plus I just don't have the desire to buy a new one. It won't be any faster than my 99's (when I get done with them.) And the nicer they are, the more electronics they have, the more they insulate you from the pleasure of driving. An E55 AMG was my first desire for the longest time and when I finally got one (an '01) I was ecstatic. It was everything I had hoped it would be. Well almost, it was a little slow. But an aftermarket supercharger took care of that issue. My company vehicle was an older Ford Explorer and I would switch back and forth between them for my 1 hour commute each way. One night I was driving home after a really long day and it struck me that I didn't know what car I was driving. I intentionally stared out the windshield to try and force myself to remember. The point is, once the newness wore off, they all seemed the same. So now I will drive our '11 Expedition with 140k miles on it if I want luxury. Funny right? But with all the heating/ cooling seat, nav, Bluetooth, cruise, room, ride height, auto lights, sat radio, etc. It requires almost no thought or effort to drive. I can see how that appeals to some people but I want none of these qualities in my Porsche. I want it to force me to interact, to pay attention, and to enjoy it. And I still drive it every chance I get.

My bro-in-law's 991 was the first 911 I've seen that has the big plastic "don't touch" cover on the engine. That was kind of a sad thing to see.

Slakker, I'm with you 100%. We have a '12 Explorer with all the toys one could get. Ordered it new in the colour we wanted with the options we wanted. It's an appliance, it hauls the family and all their gear, and it doesn't break. Earlier this year we looked at replacing it but I couldn't really see the point. For various different forms of driving pleasure I have the Porsche, the Saab and the Audi. Each of them were pretty cheap, I fix them myself, and they're loads of fun. Sure, if I were in the position of being able to buy / lease a new 911 and not notice the $$$ I probably would. But with one child starting college next month and the other just starting high school, it'll be a few years

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Heh,, didn't think of that, but these days your car records everything you do. Nissan or Acura denied a bunch of engine warranty claims on their hipo cars after they downloaded the run logs and told the owners to go pound sand cuz you actually used all the power they put in it.

If you buy a car with PDK, then it's not an issue!

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I concur, of course it's best to follow breakin procedure as recommended but beyond that having a brand new car with a four year warranty has a lot of value imo and they will fix your vehicle issues as they crop up, or hopefully you don't have any. The mbenz dealership I go to provides exceptional service. I thought I was treated well at Lexus when I bought a new car there a few years back, (which I was), but the MBenz guys go above and beyond. At Porsche I was treated like a ****in serf (I kid not and I am extremely easygoing)

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I have seen dealership customer service vary alot with Audi and Porsche.

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+1

I got a new Cayman S (PDK) a couple years back, and I gotta say - it's really a kick having both cars! They have similar horse power, but such a different character. The Cayman is smooth and really strong, while the 996 is a hot rod! (996 is ALWAYS the car that gets the thumbs up). I LOVE getting up in the morning, and deciding what to drive!

I am in the section of people with a brand new car that.... First it's watching/waiting for the mileage to surpass the breakin period, then it's fun to drive that car daily and watch the mileage go up as I enjoy it. I've never bought a vehicle and winced as "it gets used up" and hits certain "price points". Just my opinion, not a knock against those whom don't agree. (I purchased my heavily optioned 15k miles 06 997 c4s in 2010 for a steal and after 6 years of trouble free ownership got a fantastic trade in $ on my latest purchase.) So I'm not a new car..every year..fiend...lol I see value in both of the above I think buying used or new it's picking the car you really like and just enjoying it completely.

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Well said!

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Thanks ;-) The funny thing was... ever since I can recall I wanted a 911. Later in life when our Canadian dollar was hovering around par for awhile I found the idea of importing a higher end vehicle from the U.S. quite interesting/intriguing...easy to put the want/idea together lol I had a Range Rover that I liked a lot but a 911 just lit me up So one evening at the end of 2009 I thought..well what kind of 911 should I buy and what to pay? (I didn't have a clue about prices) I always liked the widebody 911's, quickly decided that the 997 c4s was the one to get, did some quick reading on 6speed, found the IMS didn't (IMO) apply to the 06's... So I went on eBay around 7pm, did a completed listing search to get an idea of a fair price, saw one (6 speed manual) that just made me go Ahhhh that's my type of car..Lol I emailed the dealership and said love the car, if you come across a similar one please contact me immediately. I got a quick reply, deal had fallen through. Spent the whole night reading more about the 997 model, satisfied and excited, first thing in the morning I made a deal and wired the $. (I relied heavily on the dealers 100% feedback on 400 high end vehicles, where I was very comfortable with the purchase sans ppi) Drove it daily for 6 years Best used vehicle I ever purchased, best deal I ever got, and I got a 911, which is the greatest car ever made imho. ;-)

So what are you driving now?

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Hi, I bought a 2016 AMG GT S It's pretty awesome ;-)

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Good for you Dennis C and congrats on being free of college tuition! Do you plan on keeping your sweet-looking 997 and add to the fleet? As for the response to the topic, I would love to order a new one and I have used the configurator on the Porsche site more times I would like to admit. With that said, I couldn't swing a new 911 without giving up the 996 so I have been giving thought to the <gasp> Macan in a few years. The logic is to keep the 911 and order a new Macan and replace my Touareg. I have dreamed of ordering a new Porsche and always thought it would be a 911 but lifestyles change and the Macan fits the current life. I keep my vehicles for a long time so the depreciation isn't a concern and I'll have the satisfaction I didn't "settle" for a car that was on the lot.

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Thanks! I will most likely sell the 997, but I haven't decided. My 997 turbo is is one of the last with the Mezger engine, and one of the last with a manual transmission. A new turbo will require me to buy a PDK car. Otherwise, I might consider a new C4S cabriolet. The new turbocharged C4S makes almost as much power as my 997 turbo. I know what you mean about buying the right car for your situation in life. My first Porsche was a Cayenne S. That car was in my garage for almost 10 years. I loved my 996, I love my 997 and I'm sure I'll love a 991 or whatever follows it someday. These are all great cars.

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Those are great cars. I have buddy that has one and loves it. I will be curious if you find yourself missing the querkiness of the 911 after about a year. After I sold my first one, no matter what I was driving, I always looked at 911s longingly. The only thing that cured that was buying another one.

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I tried to replace the 911 fever for the Audi S and RS line. Beautiful cars but certainly NOT a Porsche 911 replacement.

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Yup, the days of being able to pull off the supercharger, headers, and intake, swap the injectors back to stock, put the factory equipment back on, and drive up to the service advisor complaining that it blew another head gasket are long gone. (No, I wouldn't do this)

I love my 996 turbo, but let's not kid ourselves if I had the funds id have a new one sitting in my garage. With deviated stitching mmmmm deviated stitching

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But what c o l o r would the stitching be? That is the real concern!

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Red. Duh. :P

No, sorry but I can say with complete honesty that there is no new car that I would prefer to buy. Not one blows up my skirt although that new Alfa is pretty cool. I can buy pretty much any new car within reason(no Buggatis, Rolls is out) but nope, not really interested. I don't even window shop for them. Much prefer a bargain like a 99 996. Prolly 75% of the performance for 15% of the cost. And who can use that last 15% of the perf curve anyway? I'm just a cheap bastage, and no harm in saying it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get a PBR and some WalMart cheese and ham sammich.

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well said, chap....well said... the only grief my wife gave me on this car purchase was that I need to make sure my kid had his booster seat in order for him to ride in it. Other than that, I subscribe to the 70% savings club and is the reason I bought a 996.

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Hi Slakker, I'm now to the day 6 months in on my AMG GT S and it's just so much fun! That 4.0 litre turbo v8 dual clutch is a blast, it really comes ready to go "out the box" (exhaust, etc) If I tracked I would have persisted in my 991 gt3 purchase, but for the street, I am a happy man with this fantastic car. Cheers, Gordon

usually people that buy new ones dont care about depreciation unless you buy like a GT3 or GT2... The only way I would buy a new porsche is if I had like 5 million in my bank

If The Man added a zero to my paycheck (left of the decimal,you!), I'd keep my 996 and add a NA981 Boxster. It'd be PTS in 80's Audi "Helios Blue" over camel, with seat and steering wheel heaters, a couple extra cows inside, PSE, and whatever headlight upgrades were available. When it arrived, I'd ship my 996 to Georgia for a max-durability 375/375 motor. Then I'd start looking for a vacation home near water and mountains-- a bedroom, a kitchen, a porch, and one hell of a driveway. Not that I've given this much thought...

(I'll use the deLorean to order my NA981...)

On my way in to work this morning, I pulled in behind a 997 and a 991 at a stop light (all three C4s, probably the result of some distant cosmic alignment). All three vehicles arrived at the next stop light at almost exactly the same time. Good value this 996, I thought to myself.

I've driven a lot of crazy exotics and American muscle (new and old), but the 911 (any iteration) just does it for me. It's almost like there's the 911, and then everything else is "cars". Sure, I've enjoyed other stuff pretty well, and lots were faster by some measure, but the flavor of driving the 911 is almost indescribable if you don't already "get it". Didn't hurt that my first drive was an 86 930 Turbo 4 speed. My future was sealed before I even got home, somewhere between Jackson, MS and the Alabama line. Did a tired '74, an average 82 SC. Pined for a 993, then got one and was not disappointed with it until I drove a 996. Deal changer, and now my aged '99 still makes me very happy, especially for the 20k I spent. It's a lot of car, and one of the market's best kept secrets. It's amazing that guys come in to see a 35k '69 Camaro, and then wow over the 911 like they think they can't afford it. All said, the investment end of 911 ownership is not much of a consideration for me, it's all about the drive!

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lol. same here. I think buying a brand new Ford Focus is a waste of money. buying a brand new porche of any kind is just absolutely insane. but I don't have insane money either. I'd probably sing a different tune if I had 5 million in the bank.

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Very well put. I feel that trying to get some monetary ROI with these cars really dampens the ownership experience. To each their own, but I'm convinced that the real value you get out of a 911 comes from enjoying putting many miles on them, especially with how affordable the 996 is.

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Totally agree, buy what you want (brand new is funz) and smile as the miles go up, it's your car, don't "save it" for the next person

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Agreed. If I'm ever fortunate enough to buy a new one, I don't care about depreciation. I don't care about performance vs. the previous model. I will buy a new one because I can order exactly what I want.

I bought a 2 year old Benz E350 because I could get CPO coverage for the entire length of ownership that I expect. I like this idea. But I don't like a lot of the features of new cars, such as poor visibility and electronic snooping...

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If you are refering to the Assitance systems, blind spot, foward collision, etc, you can turn them off.

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creepy black boxes, who knows how much they are reporting and to whom. The ridiculous rollover standards led to tiny rear windows. The Panamera is typical, it's like being in a cave. My E350 was the last year when you could basically see out the rear window.

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If you are that paranoid, then deactivate MBrace. That being said, your smartphone reports more information than your E350 does...

Turning off location history in Google Maps is a good first step.

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Actually turning off location services all together is even better. Apple tracks more info than google and you can track where you've been yourself just from Apple's data on your phone. Go to the Settings section, and hit the Privacy tab. Then, click Location Services at the top, which will probably say ‘on’. From here, scroll right to the bottom of the menu and click System Services. Finally, press Frequent Locations, which is the last option available. Most avg peeps don't know that except the divorce lawyers or private investigators that track cheaters.

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Yeah, but no - don't bother. https://wrongfulconvictionsblog.org/...-how-it-works/ If you want to remain track-free, turn off the phone, remove the battery. Then, drive a cheap car from the early-90s or earlier. Oh, and obscure your license plate somehow.

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Well if you wanna get down to the NSA level then you just need to buy a lead lined briefcase to carry around your old dumb prepaid unregistered flip phone.

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Rewind to this past spring. I went on a 996 test drive (first 911 experience after testing a Cayman the prior week) and was giddy with joy, thinking "this is the first CAR I've ever driven." There are transportation devices and there are real cars. Going forward this would be my chariot. Period.

I love my 2013 E350. It is a perfect car, just perfect in every way. BUT, it is not fun to drive. The 996 C4 is amazing to drive, just makes driving a whole new experience and an escape from everything else. It is a meditation to drive it. Everything in my C4 works, every door lock, sensor and item works. Yes it has PSM (thank goodness) and other gizmos behind the scenes, but the driver is in charge of what the car does, and there is the driver-car connection that makes it a meditation to drive. New cars may be very attractive, but they have often removed this feeling of being in charge and at one with the car, IMHO.

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You're right, I'm screwed. Can't live without (pardon the exaggeration) google maps, find my iPhone, uber, etc.