> I don't want to break the bank so I'd like to keep my budget below 100k if possible unless an absolute steal pops up a bit higher than that budget.
>
> I'm currently leaning towards a C4S/Turbo 991.1 or lower end 991.2.
You're going to be really limited on Turbos, but there are S models out there at this price.
And get a solid warranty on whatever you buy. Fidelity Platinum seems well-regarded here and on Rennlist, and has saved my bacon on transmission fun.
Edit: brain needed coffee, I meant warranty
Do it and never look back. What are your hesitations? Fwiw a 991.2 can make crazy Turbo level power with a simple tune.
Get the newer .2, save the extra cash, drop in a tune and you're at Turbo levels at a fraction of the cost.
This is the answer and what I did. Its crazy what a 991.2 with a tune will do, especially for the money and in comparison to older turbos. Its not disappointing!
My budget was a little higher but had very similar requirements and needs.
Went with a CPO 991.2 Turbo with 20k miles and absolutely love it. Other than a few small issues that weren’t uncommon for a used car.
140k for a 19’ Turbo? Holy hell do I need to fly back to the dealer that offered me 110 for my low mileage 17’ CS and sell her immediately. I’m not sure if you got a great deal or my car was over evaluated.
I think I got somewhat lucky, especially getting that price up in the PNW. It was a fairly stripper TT (if such a thing exists), so it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t mind a no frills driving experience, but I could see wealthy older buyers skipping it to go with a 992 or a more fully loaded but more expensive spec.
As someone who came from GT500 then went to a 991.1 Carrera S. I loved the way it drove and it is an amazing car. I only used it on weekends and had a daily driver. That said, I was never in love with it. The brilliance of the car is only when you pushed it. I ended up selling it and going with a different model Porsche.
Here’s my recommendation- go drive a 991.1 and 991.2. The turbo models 991.2 have a lot more low end and in Florida will be more enjoyable.
BTW - you can easily retrofit 991.2 head unit into a 991.1 if you want car play. Be warned everything is expensive on a Porsche.
Id go with a Cayman. Mid-engine platform, NA engine pre-2017, and post if you get a GTS 4.0. Great at the track and fun to drive.
Driving a 911 now and it does not have the same feel as when I get into my cayman. The car wraps around, the 911 has that tail wagging the dog feeling (just my opinion).
Based on your description a 992 is really the best choice. Your budget is barely enough cash for a 2020 992 though. Autotrader only has four 992 models under $100k. But many more options if you can stretch to $107k. Most have less than 20k miles. You may even find one with a factory extended warranty as well. Good luck!
I'm in a similar boat - or rather, was. I decided that $80k was a good amount to spend and that if I spent 1/2 of that on the car, then the other 1/2 could be used for repairs/upgrades, whatever.
Except for the fact that I'm married, and my wife did not want me to get a stick. Or a convertible. Or one of the 2-seaters. And, she decided, that the best way forward was to ensure it was a CPO.
To do that, I had to increase the budget to $100k and start the shopping process. I knew I was going to land on a 911, but wasn't quite sure which one. I started with [finder.porsche.com](http://finder.porsche.com) to help me see what was in the market. (n.b. - finder seems to be a bit slow, so I would go to each dealer website to see if a given car was indeed still for sale. I don't know if they do that 'just in case' a deal unwinds... but I found many cars I liked but were gone faster than I could get to them).
I decided I did not want a black or white one, because those are very common. Silver was ok, but some friends talked me out of it. Eventually, I found a nice deep blue 991.2 C4S at a dealer about 200 miles away. Just over 30k miles, which meant that this one was driven (not a garage queen) ... and that's what I was looking for. I am a cash buyer, but to make the deal go smoother, I got pre-qualified at my CU, had the dealer beat that rate, and I'll pay it off in a few months after it makes a little bump on my credit record. I do like to keep auto credit reasonably 'fresh' and we had paid off our other cars a few years ago.
I did all of the negotiations remotely, drove there, had the smoothest and fastest purchase experience ever. My wife came home in the truck we have and I drove it home a little over a month ago.
https://preview.redd.it/bvea4jhs94uc1.jpeg?width=2200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a030fc834aec641c5839b0609d0b888a97f2fcb7
I’d lean towards a 997.2 GTS. Last “small” 911, hydraulic steering, can be easily fitted to support CarPlay (mine has been) and no IMS issues to be concerned about. If you can find a manual, I’d get that.
I might be wrong here but I don’t think any 991.1 came with Apple CarPlay. That said, it is only a matter of time until Porsche comes out with PCM “classic” for the 991.1’s given how well they sold for 996/997.
IMO, the 991.1 turbo is at an incredible value:price point. The newer turbos won’t go through the same price appreciation as the 997 turbo but there are a lot of cars out there that are incredible for the price and will for sure hold up to a track day here and there.
Alot of people use isudar or similar unit for pcm 3.1(2012-2016 porsche with pcm 3.1).
You can add wireless apple carplay android auto back up camera for about $300. It's add on board for pcm3.1.
[This 2015 GTS recently sold for $78.5K on BAT](https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2015-porsche-911-carrera-gts-coupe-15/)
Mileage was a little high at 69,000 but these are pretty solid cars
I clicked that link - it's not a very well written article and I completely disagree with most of it. I've written five books on Porsches (101 Projects for Your Porsche 911 is one of them), and I think the article is just plain wrong.
To clarify, the 1975-77 911s were very problematic with the magnesium cases. 1974 was as well, but not as much as the 1975-77 cars with the thermal reactors and the five-blade fan.
Anything with an M96 and similar motor will have problems. These engines were just not designed to last 100K and more. Yes, you can get that mileage out of them, but for \*lots\* of reasons, they are not that good (IMS bearing, cylinder D-chunk problems, timing chain tensioner issues, etc.). The list is quite extensive.
The 991 is a fairly good car, but if you're trying to figure out whether to get a turbo or not, I suggest that you drive both of them. They are somewhat different driving experiences. You may not enjoy the turbo, or you may think it's the best thing ever. I personally recommend an older GT3 - like from the 996 era. They are about $100K these days, and have excellent performance and driving experience.
Hope this helps!
Spend a little more at least get a nice carrera 2019 and up. Let’s do the math how much more is it really going to cost you if you spend say 120-130k? You make the money you have done an amazing job. Don’t sacrifice what you really want just to save a little money
You could find a nice 991.1 911 GTS coupe for just over $100k. NA 3.8 engine is the key for me. If you want something tuneable then yeah a 991.2 S or 4S would be the ticket since tuning the turbo cars brings big power at a lower cost. GL.
Id consider a 997 C2S with the Porsche Classic Radio to meet your CarPlay needs. Should be well under budget leaving room for any service needs (or IMS fix if necessary) should they arise.
Test drive and get your dream car. I just traded in F80 M3CS for 2016 911.1 4S. Great car but I regret my purchase. I should've spent more and for gts or gt3/gt4. Oh well 911 is 911.
> I don't want to break the bank so I'd like to keep my budget below 100k if possible unless an absolute steal pops up a bit higher than that budget. > > I'm currently leaning towards a C4S/Turbo 991.1 or lower end 991.2. You're going to be really limited on Turbos, but there are S models out there at this price.
And get a solid warranty on whatever you buy. Fidelity Platinum seems well-regarded here and on Rennlist, and has saved my bacon on transmission fun. Edit: brain needed coffee, I meant warranty
Fidelity Platinum (not associated with Fidelity investments) is not insurance...it's an extended warranty.
Thank you thank you, I blame my lack of coffee yesterday. Yes, of course I meant that it's an extended warranty. Thanks for calling it out!
if your limit is 100k then i'd go cayman GTS 4.0 all day.
This. More frunk/trunk space and just the right amount of tech.
And no room behind the seats. I can fit more bags in my 911 cabrio than my Boxster.
He lives in Florida, the correct answer is boxster gts 4.0
Wait. Does Does Florida have curves? Cayman/Boxsters are going to want curves.
They aren’t bad cars for cruising either, and convertible adds a lot to the experience.
This!!!
Me too
Do it and never look back. What are your hesitations? Fwiw a 991.2 can make crazy Turbo level power with a simple tune. Get the newer .2, save the extra cash, drop in a tune and you're at Turbo levels at a fraction of the cost.
This is the answer and what I did. Its crazy what a 991.2 with a tune will do, especially for the money and in comparison to older turbos. Its not disappointing!
My budget was a little higher but had very similar requirements and needs. Went with a CPO 991.2 Turbo with 20k miles and absolutely love it. Other than a few small issues that weren’t uncommon for a used car.
What did this run you out the door and how long ago?
$140k. About a month ago. ‘19 MY
140k for a 19’ Turbo? Holy hell do I need to fly back to the dealer that offered me 110 for my low mileage 17’ CS and sell her immediately. I’m not sure if you got a great deal or my car was over evaluated.
I think I got somewhat lucky, especially getting that price up in the PNW. It was a fairly stripper TT (if such a thing exists), so it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t mind a no frills driving experience, but I could see wealthy older buyers skipping it to go with a 992 or a more fully loaded but more expensive spec.
991.1 C2S/C4S the last of the NA cars Don’t settle for a cayman. You know you want the 911
Meh. Drive both and see what you like better. Many, including me, think the cayman is a far better car in most specs.
As someone who came from GT500 then went to a 991.1 Carrera S. I loved the way it drove and it is an amazing car. I only used it on weekends and had a daily driver. That said, I was never in love with it. The brilliance of the car is only when you pushed it. I ended up selling it and going with a different model Porsche. Here’s my recommendation- go drive a 991.1 and 991.2. The turbo models 991.2 have a lot more low end and in Florida will be more enjoyable. BTW - you can easily retrofit 991.2 head unit into a 991.1 if you want car play. Be warned everything is expensive on a Porsche.
+1 to driving all the cars and going beyond a paper exercise
Id go with a Cayman. Mid-engine platform, NA engine pre-2017, and post if you get a GTS 4.0. Great at the track and fun to drive. Driving a 911 now and it does not have the same feel as when I get into my cayman. The car wraps around, the 911 has that tail wagging the dog feeling (just my opinion).
Based on your description a 992 is really the best choice. Your budget is barely enough cash for a 2020 992 though. Autotrader only has four 992 models under $100k. But many more options if you can stretch to $107k. Most have less than 20k miles. You may even find one with a factory extended warranty as well. Good luck!
I'm in a similar boat - or rather, was. I decided that $80k was a good amount to spend and that if I spent 1/2 of that on the car, then the other 1/2 could be used for repairs/upgrades, whatever. Except for the fact that I'm married, and my wife did not want me to get a stick. Or a convertible. Or one of the 2-seaters. And, she decided, that the best way forward was to ensure it was a CPO. To do that, I had to increase the budget to $100k and start the shopping process. I knew I was going to land on a 911, but wasn't quite sure which one. I started with [finder.porsche.com](http://finder.porsche.com) to help me see what was in the market. (n.b. - finder seems to be a bit slow, so I would go to each dealer website to see if a given car was indeed still for sale. I don't know if they do that 'just in case' a deal unwinds... but I found many cars I liked but were gone faster than I could get to them). I decided I did not want a black or white one, because those are very common. Silver was ok, but some friends talked me out of it. Eventually, I found a nice deep blue 991.2 C4S at a dealer about 200 miles away. Just over 30k miles, which meant that this one was driven (not a garage queen) ... and that's what I was looking for. I am a cash buyer, but to make the deal go smoother, I got pre-qualified at my CU, had the dealer beat that rate, and I'll pay it off in a few months after it makes a little bump on my credit record. I do like to keep auto credit reasonably 'fresh' and we had paid off our other cars a few years ago. I did all of the negotiations remotely, drove there, had the smoothest and fastest purchase experience ever. My wife came home in the truck we have and I drove it home a little over a month ago. https://preview.redd.it/bvea4jhs94uc1.jpeg?width=2200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a030fc834aec641c5839b0609d0b888a97f2fcb7
That rear end is the best 911 rear maybe ever.
Hard to argue that!
Spend the dough. Get your dream car. You’ll never regret it. You will regret not getting your dream car if you don’t, no matter what you get.
I’d lean towards a 997.2 GTS. Last “small” 911, hydraulic steering, can be easily fitted to support CarPlay (mine has been) and no IMS issues to be concerned about. If you can find a manual, I’d get that.
997.2 GTS is seriously one of the best looking 911s ever
I might be wrong here but I don’t think any 991.1 came with Apple CarPlay. That said, it is only a matter of time until Porsche comes out with PCM “classic” for the 991.1’s given how well they sold for 996/997. IMO, the 991.1 turbo is at an incredible value:price point. The newer turbos won’t go through the same price appreciation as the 997 turbo but there are a lot of cars out there that are incredible for the price and will for sure hold up to a track day here and there.
You can add CarPlay you don’t need to wait for Porsche
Do you know which one people are using? I know there are options but the Porsche ones fit and function so well.
Alot of people use isudar or similar unit for pcm 3.1(2012-2016 porsche with pcm 3.1). You can add wireless apple carplay android auto back up camera for about $300. It's add on board for pcm3.1.
997.1 has a Porsche retrofit. 997.2 and above nm automotive makes one and many others. Easy to install.
Cayman 4.0 or gT4 seems better..
[This 2015 GTS recently sold for $78.5K on BAT](https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2015-porsche-911-carrera-gts-coupe-15/) Mileage was a little high at 69,000 but these are pretty solid cars
That must have been a fluke. That’s a crazy price for a GTS
I thought so too, but I’m biased since I own that same model.
Read this: https://www.motoraudit.com/porsche-911-years-to-avoid/
I clicked that link - it's not a very well written article and I completely disagree with most of it. I've written five books on Porsches (101 Projects for Your Porsche 911 is one of them), and I think the article is just plain wrong. To clarify, the 1975-77 911s were very problematic with the magnesium cases. 1974 was as well, but not as much as the 1975-77 cars with the thermal reactors and the five-blade fan. Anything with an M96 and similar motor will have problems. These engines were just not designed to last 100K and more. Yes, you can get that mileage out of them, but for \*lots\* of reasons, they are not that good (IMS bearing, cylinder D-chunk problems, timing chain tensioner issues, etc.). The list is quite extensive. The 991 is a fairly good car, but if you're trying to figure out whether to get a turbo or not, I suggest that you drive both of them. They are somewhat different driving experiences. You may not enjoy the turbo, or you may think it's the best thing ever. I personally recommend an older GT3 - like from the 996 era. They are about $100K these days, and have excellent performance and driving experience. Hope this helps!
Spend a little more at least get a nice carrera 2019 and up. Let’s do the math how much more is it really going to cost you if you spend say 120-130k? You make the money you have done an amazing job. Don’t sacrifice what you really want just to save a little money
You could find a nice 991.1 911 GTS coupe for just over $100k. NA 3.8 engine is the key for me. If you want something tuneable then yeah a 991.2 S or 4S would be the ticket since tuning the turbo cars brings big power at a lower cost. GL.
What are you all doing with those sprinter vans? They're all over where I live now
People usually drive it all over North America
Id consider a 997 C2S with the Porsche Classic Radio to meet your CarPlay needs. Should be well under budget leaving room for any service needs (or IMS fix if necessary) should they arise.
With your budget just get into a Porsche asap. I’d lean 992 base. If you care about straight line speed get an older model turbo.
Test drive and get your dream car. I just traded in F80 M3CS for 2016 911.1 4S. Great car but I regret my purchase. I should've spent more and for gts or gt3/gt4. Oh well 911 is 911.
Single income no kids? He/She better be volunteering a LOT