C4S - looking to buy

Hi everyone, I have been lurking around on the site for a while now and have recently arrived at the conclusion that life's simply too short not to..... Therefore I am now looking into buying a C4S preferably in Basalt black in the not too distant future but I just wanted to know the answers to a couple of questions: Are there any common known faults with this model? What do I need to look out for/check? (apart from the usual) Also, personal opinions as to whether this is the correct model to go for, in terms of overall residuals and reliability etc? Many thanks in advance!

oat, great choice of car, do a search of the forum for C4S & you will find dozens of threads, so I won't do a large post. Bottom line is they are great cars & relatively new, so not many issues try & find one under Porsche warranty & get the car checked out by an OPC before purchasing, this covers any "issues," also worth invetsing in a 996 buyers guide. Options are personal, but sat nav/phone is good for re-sale, Bose stereo useful etc!

I have to admit that you are making a superb choice. I just spent the weekend knocking up 500 miles in mine, and have to admit that I enjoyed every second of it. I originally set my mind on a Turbo, but have to admit that the C4S is a much better proposition. I agree with grant about the OPC inspection and warranty. I got it on mine. From a configuration point of view, I would recommend the following: PCM2 PSE (Switchable exhaust) BOSE Upgrade Sports Seats (depending on personal preference) Manual is a personal preference. From a license preservation side, try to get cruise control. With a dark exterior, I would recommend a light interior, possible grey, but again personal preference. Try to steer clear of Red or Savannah type interior, as these may be a problem come re-sale time, but again, personal preference. In simple terms, choose well, and you will enjoy.

Most people say that on a 996 you should choose a PSE before windows and wheels!

Oat, I bought a C4S 3 weeks ago and although I didnt have any 911 experience to make comparisons I couldnt be happier, I agree with previous comments about spec, PCM Sat Nav/phone, Bose upgrade, CD multichanger etc will help enormousley with the resale. I wasnt lucky enough to find one with the sports ex but it ticked 95% of my boxes so I bought it. Watch out for the front wheel drive it pulls you wide until you get used to it, what fun though. Go for it you wont regret it.

I have had mine for about 6 weeks now and agree with the exhaust comment - it transforms a great car into the greatest car. I have Bose and exhaust, PCM would have been nice but my Garmin Nuvi (portable) is just as good, yet not as neat and tidy as the PCM. Colour options are obviously personal, one thing I noticed when doing my research was that black had much better residuals - however this works both ways! I chose Cobalt blue (my favourite, yet not everyones) and hence paid £47.5 for a 52 plate with 10k on the clock from Porsche in Bristol. Which is about 3-4k less than the black equivalent. (I'm also cancelling the order for the new M3 - my times in the dark side are over!)

LOL Adrian, I wouldn't change it. It is more interesting[ ]

Hi again, apologies for the delay in responding as I've only just got back from holiday. Thanks for all the great feedback. I've got my eye on a local one (I'll tell the full story at a later date). Here are the details I currently have to hand although not complete: Sept. 52 Manual 24k Basalt Black Full OPC History Black leather interior with black suede headlining Twin tip style exhaust Bose upgrade and 6 disc changer Parking sensors Prof. tinted windows Leather speaker covers Heated seats 18" Turbo II wheels (monoblock) Bi-Xenon headlight system (inc. washer system) Leather package (large) Oversized wrap around sport seats with Porsche crest embossed on head restraints Electric tilt/slide sunroof (in black suede) Door pin spot light on drivers door?? (whatever this is for?) Aluminium/white coloured instrument dials Porsche alarm and immobiliser (435mhz) Electric seats (but not base or memory) Automatically dimming interior/exterior mirrors Front centre console On board computer PSM Automatic air conditioning 3 spoke sports steering wheel in leather Supaguard paint protection film program Windscreen with green top tint Porsche floor mats It received a "major" service last December but the MOT cert. indicated quote: "Advise surface rust on inside faces of brake discs". Now I know this particular C4S has been a bit of a garage queen and i'm presuming the rust will clear once the car has been driven properly...any thoughts on this matter would be greatly appreciated? Also the underside of the engine has some light form of white corrosion but there is no sign of RMS problems and the garage floor is also spotless. So, basically I'm just after further opinions as to what you guys think of the spec and also what kind of price you would value this at please? Many thanks once again

Oh and while I remember the wheels could do with a refurb and there is also a very small (but deepish) sctrach on the drivers door Thanks!

On cars that are put away wet or are not driven regularly, e.g. every few days, or just aren't driven hard enough, then the soft high iron content discs will rust. Since most of the braking is done by the fronts, the rears are not worked as hard. The inside face of these is particularly prone to corrosion. There have been threads about this before. Whether the corrosion is an issue or not, depends on how extensive it is. A few hard high speed stops should clean them, but it depends on how deep it goes. If the MOT guy has mentioned it, them I would be a little suspicious. If there is enough meat on them, they could be skimmed, or worst case the discs would need to be replaced. They're not cheap, but not crippling either. Salt and general usage makes the undersideof the engine a little whitish. As long as there is no pitting. I would recommend an inspection for the car. The extended warranty (if applicable) is transferrable. Not sure if you have seen it at an OPC or not as you don't say.

£46-£48k for an indy sourced model. You can price-compare on Autotrader.

Sports seats were an option (they look like the standard seats but have pronounced shoulder level wings to hold you in place. On the Boxster, the sports seats also have a strap held down with a press stud to hold the seatbelt in place by your left shoulder (for the driver) so that makes it obvious. The embossed crests were a separate option on either the normal or the sports seats. I think that the only thing this could be is the illumination behind the interior door handles that give them a really soft glow in the dark. They were standard and the guy is absolutely barking if he's listing that sort of detail! He may well be listing body panels, wheels and heater vents next! Interstingly this car has all the toys but no sports exhaust - you should keep a grand back for that.....

Er....I meant right shoulder.....

I think this means the LED light in the door handle. This is to light the key hole so you can see it in the dark - useful if you live where there are no streetlights. There is one under the rear view mirror that lights the interior of the car and has 2 brightness settings. But these are on all cars and are hardly a major feature.

Oat Sorry to steal your thread. I'm also looking to buy a 4S.......one for sale locally but has 84k miles. Anything obvious to check, or expect any major expenses?..I'm finally moving to a 996 after having several air-cooled models

Thanks for all the replies. I will be buying the car privately and will also be having to purchase a warranty (think this makes sense) The owner hasn't specified a price yet... I'm therefore after a rough ballpark figure before the price is discussed Many Thanks P.S The car received a major service in December and has only covered about 1/2k since. A brake fluid change and a new set of spark plugs are also due this December.

What if you were offered an immaculate Aug o3 C4s in Polar Silver, with Metropole leather, 21000 mls, full Porsche history, Porsche warranty, just had major service nothing due for 12 months or 12000 miles, with:- Tiptronic Parktronic Litronic Full privacy glass Bose sound 6 cd changer PCM2/sat nav, phone module Turbo11 wheels Leather roof lining 3 spoke wheel with body colour trim ali/leather gearshift/handbrake pack Heated seats + as standard:- PSM Sport chassis lowered suspension Turbo brakes etc etc I may have to sell due to business commitments(opportunity too good to miss) If interested pm me. cheers Ross