Should I panic and trade in the 996?

I don't work on the car period. I have no time. I always wanted to learn to work on cars, but it takes up too much time, even washing it. The warranty on my 996 with 28K miles has expired... Am I gambling by keeping the 996? To those who know how to work on cars is ok, but for me... I don't know. In spite of how reliable Porsches are, is it a bad idea to keep it? And so the following Dilemma: 1) Keep my 01 C2 coupe 996 tiptronic 28k miles out-of-warranty then get a BMW 650i. Had 996 for over 5+ years. I own another 4-door sedan DD. 2) Trade in the out-of-warranty 996 to a brand new 2008 black/black 997 C2 S, which will lower the lease payment substantially 3) Trade in the out-of-warranty 996 to a BMW M6 4) Trade in the out-of-warranty 996 to a BMW 650 and save money for 997 Having owned the 996 all these time, I sorta lost the excitement on the 996. Is it just me? I think there was a post on this topic. But... the 997 test drive changed my mind. The new 997 was totally different, but at 6'2", there is still the issue of size no matter how stunning 997 looks. I want a bigger car that will look good on me proportionately. I think I will miss the 911 (996 or 997) once I trade it in for either the 650 or M6. And so thought about keeping the 996, but the darn thing is out of warranty. How reliable is 996? Is it okay to keep it or am I gambling by keeping a out-of-warranty 996? If so, then I am definitely trading it in for 997 or BMW. Help me decide... 1, 2, 3, or 4?

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Well that's a hell of a lot of scenarios there to spin my head around ..... Your saying that you don't have any exp on in working on cars so I suppose that could be con right there, but seriously it doesn't mean you need to hop into a new car, or should you as you seem bored of your 996? I'll let someone who has perhaps been down the same path jump in with some advice, but on a personal note I LOVE my 996 and would honestly never swap it with anything as of now due to all the time and mods to come.

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What up, dog? 650 is out. It's a fuqin boat of a car that's boring to drive. It's got all the nice luxury/convenience items, but that's about it. Save it for all the OC wifeys who hit up the salon all day. So if in your shoes, it's the M6 or 997S. I personally like the M6 and M cars in general. The hs nerds who tuck in their t-shirts into their jeans and think sandals go great with sox will b!tch about its weight and size and go rah rah 911. For me, I understand that the M6 offers things the 911 will never give you which is size, comfort and luxury. Vice versa, the M6 will never have the lithe handling and timeless character of the 911. What do you want? The M6 is Breitling and the 911 is the Rolex. The Breitling is big, brash and an eye catcher. The 911 is a classic that's smaller w/ quality in and out. I could totally see myself being happy with an ACS-kitted M6 slammed on 21s just as I could be happy in a factory aerokitted 997S slammed on 20s. Both are siq cars. Let us know what you decide. Definitely ditch the automatic 996. Lame.

I'm always surprised that these decisions seem so hard that advice has to be sought from others. If you're worried/concerned about your Porsche being out of warranty, then sell/trade it simply for the peace of mind it will bring you. As for what to buy, why is so difficult to decide what to purchase? Decide what's important to you, then compare the candidates and choose the one that most closely meets your needs and/or your desires. Good luck, and whatever you do, enjoy the journey! P.S. The title of your post is very telling: "Should I panic....?" The answer is that there's really no need to panic. And if you can't stave off feelings of panic, don't make a decision until the panic subsides. You'll make better decisions that way.

what about option #5 - purchase an extended warranty not that I'm necessarily a fan of these, but it's certainly a much less expensive option than the first 4 choices. Steve

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I think it's totally cool JBiggie would come to us and ask for advice. I'm pretty sure he ain't panicking, but within this context, he's playing it more tongue in cheek. I think you actually gotta take it easy and not assume this guy's waking up in a cold sweat at nights anticipating the point at which he must make this oh so very important life decision.

What I really think he should do is insert a full-size picture of his avatar into his profile. I feel cheated by only being able to see such a small image of that woman.

LOL!

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Hey, what up? New avatar after all these posts? Who's that girl on the far right... with the long legs. Do you have a bigger pic? Hmmm I wonder what the title of the pic is... Hey, is your car under warranty? So how reliable are our cars? My 198K mile Benz has been pretty reliable ove the 16 years with average repair being $300 to $1,000, but what about those with 996 with higher mileage? Up until 28K miles, all that I had to ever put in was the cost of the two rear tires and $600 major service at 15k miles. So far so good, but are there any major repairs to look out for on a 01? I hear ya. So rather than having both blah 650 and tip 996, get the beast, M6. I think it's a little poserly and an overkill, but I'm still considering. In the Forbes showdown on 997 Turbo vs M6, guess who won. Approx 60% votes went to the 997 Turbo. But then again, votes are probably from those who are just looking at the pictures, and not real buyers.

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Alright, so I hear the similar comments from my siblings too. Get what you want, etc, etc. But there are unknown variables here which is the core question of this post. Don't interpret everything at its face value. We are all car fanatics, and we're having fun talking about cars. The word "panic" got you to read this post, didn't it. Believe me, I'm sipping Single malt Scotch whiskey with a Cuban cigar as I write this and going out to dinner in 5. Dudes in this forum who can afford to buy 911 will hardly panic with a few thousand repair bill, and I certainly ain't one of em. Appreciate your concern though Cheers.

3. Did I win? -td

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haha yea i got plenty o' pics on the laptop. that was taken in the cabana suite at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel back in October. i took up the one right in the corner. perfect. Daddy Long legs is Emma. Not sure why you're afraid of looking like a poser when you live in poser kingdom LA. if the m6 is posing, your auto 911 is .... I love that place, though. nothing but love for it. to live and die in LA. and yea i got that warranty up to 80K miles. i plan on keeping this one at least until then or 3 years from now. go get at that LA tail, baby boy. you'll come out stronger and better after all this.

With 28K on the clock, your 996 appears to out of the danger zone of something really radical going wrong with if you plan to buy out the lease at the end and keep it for a long period of time. However if you're leasing anyway, the whole idea is to get a new car every 4 or 5 years. Why not trade it in for a new 997S with lower lease payments, new up to date performance/looks and a new warranty. Bottom line sounds like you prefer a the latest and best with the least amount of hassle and are willing to take on a new lease payment commitment to get it. You're also in LA were only the great unwashed masses drive cars that are over 3 year old.

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Aren't you that one financing high roller that's broke A$$ can't make up his mind asking the same thing all over again guy? If so, I choose numero cinco -Set the out-of-warranty 28K miles 996 on fire before she blows, collect the insurance. Bling out the 198k mile MB, get you some moe fine liquor and have another cuban cig on me. Presto, finito

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Hmmm... so the guy who sits in his car every day says there are unknown variables, and so he is asking all of those people who DON'T sit in his car every day to look into their crystal ***** and tell him what those unknown variables hold for the future of his car. What's wrong with this picture? Methinks if the man in the mirror can't tell him, he should find a trusty and straightshooting mechanic and pay him to give the car a thorough inspection and provide an opinion based on fact and not guesswork or personal opinion. Alternatively, when polling the list, a question that would provide a lot of good relevant info might go something like this: If you have the same car I have, and you drive it the same way I do, then please tell me how much money you spent on items other than routine maintenance between the time your odometer reached <my current odometer reading> and the time it reached <odometer reading at which I plan to sell the car no matter what>, and tell me what those non-routine maintenance items were and when they were needed. That would at least give you some statistically relevant answers, although still subject to the variability that comes from the fact that no two cars, drivers, and car driving and maintenance histories are 100% identical. If you need other people to tell you what you should buy, then please allow me to tell you to buy a lightly used F430 or a brand new 997 GT3 or a twin turbo, and then let me drive it once in a while in exchange for giving you the good advice. :-) -wa2go - probable future GT3 owner trying to decide between 996 and 997, but deciding based on personal test drives not OPO (other people's opinions)

Cars don't mysteriously start to fall apart when the warranty expires, and stories suggesting otherwise are not a statistically significant sample. Trade it or not based on all of the other considerations. That said, Porsche's are not what I would call reliable compared to the general market, and when they break, they are expensive. FWIW, I'm at 28K with a 2002 - coming up on 6 years. Paid for it outright day 1; never looked back. Plan to drive it and track it for many more years. If you lost the excitement on the 996, you aren't driving it hard enough. The longer you drive it, the more you discover your specific car's nuances and personality. (although you sound as though by excitement, you mean as a fashion statement).

The car will be fine. What's clear is that you want to move on. I see no reason to hang on to a car that worries you, however irrationally, yet doesn't excite you. I'm where you are in one way: The lack of time. Between family, business interests, writing and teaching, and the fact that I don't have a driveway, my car is often unwashed. I service it religiously, but I have to pay someone to do it all for me. The funny thing is, the Porsche is the first car I've ever owned that still makes me grin no matter how short the drive, no matter how the car looks. With any other car I've owned, I'd be asking myself the same question you are. But this one, no.

It�s your choice of course but, you are asking for opinions. Of the car you listed I would go for the 997 C2S.

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Ahh...I thought so. Reminds me of a woman that can't make up her mind on what dress to wear as you hear it's fine, no it doesn't make you look fat, that's the one, honest, etc..etc..etc... Sorry. Look, I admitt I'm having a little fun with this, but come on, you can't be serious about all this. https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/398362-having-2nd-thoughts-sell-996-to-get-a-997-or-get-another-car-instead.html

The way I've always looked at it is that it never makes sense to buy a new car because you're worried the old one is going to break down. 1) Keep car...car COULD break and cost you some money 2) Buy new car...new car WILL cost you MORE money It would be a no-brainer for me to just keep the 996.

Since you live in LA and image is the highest priority, you should get the new 997S.

I seems to me that the point of warranties is to assure buyers they won't get stuck with manufacturing defects. So.....you've had your car long enough (time & distance) that you're reasonably sure you're out of the range of manufacturing defects -- so now you would be more likely to face costs due to wear/tear/age. Will you have some maintenance costs? Of course. Yet, a car is a value proposition. What you pay for a car above basic transportation is for what it does for you emotionally (how much you like its shape, its entertainment value, a {misguided} sense of status, etc.) I don't think there's any evidence to think your Porsche will suddenly implode....but, are you going to be upset every time it needs service? (...because it just doesn't "do it for you" any longer...and now every expense is a burden?) If so, get something else. But, typically, we dramatically underestimate how much a new car costs in depreciation, insurance, etc....so nothing is a free ride....just decide what you're willing to spend money on.

Warranty schmorranty

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where is the pic ?

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Do you want a sports car or a GT? Nothing wrong with either car, but they are very different. A good description of the differences.

Let's see...you kept a '91 M-B for 16 years, and yet you're sweating the reliability of an '01 996 which by your own account has been trouble-free during your extended ownership? Not sure I get that. I agree with Bruce, you sound like you're just wanting to move on since your 996 is old and "out of fashion." You're likely exaggerating the reliability fear (whether consciously or subconsciously) in order justify your desires for something new. Cognitive dissonance, perhaps? Whatever repair costs you can have with the 996 aren't likely to exceed the new lease expense. A blown engine is highly unlikely at this point, given your car's history. If you simply want some thing new, then just approach it that way, rather than complicating the issue with other thoughts. Between the 997S and 6-Series, it sounds like the 6 better serves your needs. Might be a good idea to buy some stock in the refiners as well.

keep the car... if it breaks get it fixed by an Indie

Buy a horse.

POSER

you guys are so harsh man - you make me look like an angel

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lol.. I will try to soften up a bit. My intentions were not to make you seem nice, sorry about that Ben

WHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA bastard

Buy the latest, most expensive P-car you can afford. Maybe it's simply time to upgrade? 997 turbo cab might work for you. What a fun decision to be making!

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Yeah. There's nothing like having a mode of transportation with a mind of its own and the ability to kill you to put an IMS failure in perspective.

Wait for the Panamera & ditch the Benz?? I'm reaching....

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Look who we have back here? Aren't you that 996 forum hoodlum joker who have nothing but time to lurk in here loser? Loosen up your panties and go do something productive for once.

Thanks for all your feedback, guys. I made my decision. I went with option #6: Keeping the low mileage 996, and getting the irresistible & charismatic 997 C2 S black/black. F*** the golf bags. Woo hoo