Help with Buying a Porsche 911 991.2, sight unseen

I currently own a beautiful Racing Yellow 2014 Cayman S that I bought with 13,000 miles on it, back in 2015. It has been an absolutely fantastic car, and I am not really looking to sell it since it has that glorious sounding Flat 6 non-aspirated engine. But I've also always wanted a 911 . After much research I have decided on which generation I want. I've been looking for just the right 2017 - 2019 Porsche 911 991.2 Carrera S or 4S for the last several months. I really prefer the GT Silver Metallic over Black/Luxor Beige, dark (Truffle or Espresso) brown, or black. I saw what looked to be pretty much exactly what I wanted about a month ago. I thought about pulling the trigger, but the car was 1,000 miles away. My problem is this: I'm 74 years old and not in perfect health, so traveling to pick up a car and drive it back is out of the question. On my last 3 or 4 cars, I've bought them with a simple once-over by the dealer selling the vehicle (and their mechanic) and had the car shipped to me. To this point, I've not had any serious problems with going that route. That was okay with vehicles that run in the $50K to $60K range, if you ask enough questions, and insist on pictures, and limited mechanical going over. But when you get in the $100K+ range, and with serious sports cars like the 911 , you obviously need to exercise considerably more due diligence with this method. I am convinced from what I've read on forums like this that what I really need is a Pre-Purchase Inspection to be performed, preferably by a "non-interested party". And I also am under the impression that it needs to be a thorough ($500+) total mechanical/cosmetic examination. I've also seen it advised that the vehicle should definitely be checked for "over-rev" occurrences, through a DME (?) report. So here's my dilemma. If you find a real "gem", that appears to be exactly what you want - chances are that it's going to get snatched up fast. So how do you go about moving fast, but at the same time, allowing for several days to a week to get that PPI done without losing the car? I suppose one might be able to negotiate a contract on the car that is pending closing based on receiving an acceptable PPI report. Still, it seems like you could spend a lot of money (in the $1000s), if you get unlucky and you have several of the reports disqualifying that car(s) you're looking at. I hated missing out on that previous "home run" I found earlier, but I knew that this model/build/mileage/color combo was going to go fast if it didn't have major problems. And it did. Sold in about 4 days. And have not found one specked out like it since. So...given this scenerio (need to purchase sight unseen from distance), what would you advise as far as my approach to getting the right car, and making that offer in a timely fashion?

I bought my boxster sight unseen from a dealer in another state. From my understanding if you go the PPI route with a reputable and licensed shop the car will go offsite to their garage for the work. So you should be safe from other lookers that way and you can have an agreement to purchase the car based on the PPI results. There is always going to be a risk of paying for the service just to have the car be undesirable. Yes you lost out on what you paid for the PPI but that is much less than the headache of having a car and wishing you got it done. If I am looking at headaches, I would feel much better having a PPI done, even if it is on multiple vehicles. To me it is money well spent.

Are you planning to buy a new one, a CPO or a used one? From a dealer or from a private party? I bought a new car from a dealer and had them ship it to my local dealer, shipping fee was reasonable. I am looking into CPO now and this seems to be doable as well. Private party is a different story. I bought a car from a different location, but I flew there to have a look in person, shook hands, handled the paperwork and payment, and then called the shipping company which was able to pick yup the car the same day.

I think, with your worry about the condition, anything less than an in-person inspection, along with a PPI, won't make you feel secure. In that case, it's going to cost more. Some bargain deals simply aren't possible to sort out quickly without an element of risk. Are you keeping the Cayman ? Just curious.. quite a few people might consider a good Cayman as the better car for an enthusiast driver over a 911 , which is so costly it mostly sits in the garage. I often tease my wife about the red Ferrari I'm going to buy - but it's only a tease - my 2009 Boxster does everything I want a fun car to do, and makes me smile every time I hear the engine start up. It's also not so valuable that I have to protect it against the inevitable wear and damage that use causes - I can afford to USE the car, not just look at it in the garage. And using it means I get to have fun taking care of it and keeping it at 100%. And since it doesn't actually depreciate - it's not a huge expense just maintaining it. Just a thought from someone a tad older than you.. Sometimes it's better when dreams aren't fulfilled; the reality doesn't really match up with the dream.

Sir , Please don’t get me wrong as I just recently got a 911 and I love it. If you find that car you want take a chance and get it then ENJOY it every time you drive it . As I said don’t get me wrong at our age every day is a blessing to enjoy . You can’t take it with you when you pass so live it to the fullest one day at a time, Drive it Thanks for reading

To expand on Don’s wisdom, I, too, lusted after a 911 for many (about 40) years. I got one three years ago and the reality is that I love the Boxster —and sort of like the 911 . I am selling the 911 as I need to start thinning the herd anyway. You really should go check it out yourself.

I just went through this process. The vehicle was at an off brand dealership in AZ. Part of penske auto group though. They gladly brought the car to North scottsdale porsche , a sister company, for a ppi/ dme . Had they asked for a deposit to do so, I would've and had it not met expectations, got the deposit for the car back. The whole process was enjoyable and I honestly didn't even sweat it. I really didn't even ask for any up close pictures, etc. Car came back clean on reports. It only had 4,000 miles anyway and a 2024. Trust your gut. If the car/dealer/salesman gives you good feeling, go with it. life is short.

This would definitely not be a new one, as I'm after a 2017-2019 991.2 911 . I would love to get one with a CPO from a dealer, if possible, but not absolutely necessary. Just want to do what I can, within reason (health/age) to assure I don't get stuck with someone else's headaches...

At least for now, definitely not planning on selling the Cayman S . Too much fun, and, more importantly, it's been a great car for the last 12 years without any major issues. Curious about some of your advice - "sometimes better when dreams aren't fulfilled" - if you've got 56 cars, m/c's, and boats, it doesn't sound like you denied yourself too much fulfillment! Thanks for the advice, though!

I can definitely understand not being too concerned about aesthetic and/or mechanical issues if you're buying something only 1-2 years old. Not a whole lot should have happened over this short period of time. OTOH, when you're looking for a car that is 7-9 years old, I would think a little more thorough inquisition/inspection would be wise.

I'm 73, disabled enough to get a placard, and just bought a 2020 Aston Martin Vantage 1000 miles away, sight unseen. So I understand your concerns. And, getting a PPI on a Vantage is arguably tougher than a 911 . So here's what I did: 1) Got an A-M dealer service and inspection form and had the selling dealer complete it, down to tread and brake pad depth and coolant pH, Got an Anker A-M compatible ODB2 scanner (~$500) and had their shop run a full scan and send me the results for my approval, as well as print out their copy. I had both attached as part of the sales contract, along with an attestation that both were accurate. A sizable deposit (refundable only if the car didn't pass the inspection and scan) helped. I also asked for, and got, an all-fluids change (oil, coolant, ATF, brakes, and diff) as part of the deal. The rest of the transaction went very smoothly, and my wife and I flew in, picked up the car, and road tripped it home. It's been flawless for 5 months, and 2000 miles. Modern cars are incredibly instrumented, and almost every imaginable parameter can be read and documented, far more thoroughly than any manual inspection. What isn't instrumented, paint and leather condition, wheel scrapes, etc., should be the focus of the manual going over. And making all that part of the purchase contract gives you a legal baseline if you discover undisclosed issues. Hope this helps.

I’m 62 and recently moved from a White ‘14 981C to a ‘18 GT Silver C4S. I was not really looking to “upgrade” but had the opportunity and took several factors into consideration. My wife hated riding in the 981, which she named Zippy (not a compliment) as she thought it was too low, often felt car sick and didn’t have room for her purse, leftovers, or our 45lb doodle. So the 911 checked a lot of boxes. The biggest one is she doesn’t feel as sick and the dog fits in the back seat. As far as the purchase, I found it on Porsche ’s site at a dealer out of state. It is a 2018 and only had 21k miles on it. I took a risk and didn’t get a PPI but did get 4 years of Porsche CPO coverage. I had the brother of a frunk friend swing by to put eyes on the car before closing the deal. I had the car shipped to VA and have been very happy with it. ~4k miles into it, I’m still learning it. The engine out back and all that torque take some getting used to. I do love the car and am glad my wife doesn’t hate it! Other pluses are PASM , Front Axle Lift, Rear Wheel Steering, and heated/ventilated 18-way seats.

Nice car Shawn! Happy wife = happy life.