ryangambrill

If this is near the end of the recession, could we see the value of our car stabilize?

Not that I think these cars will appreciate in value, but it would be nice if the rate of decline decreased.

Marlon

I think the 996 prices have leveled out!

Phil G.

NOW you tell me!!

Dale Gribble

These cars started to decline before things really went **** up. They'll hover in the 20's and that'll be that. The sub 20K 996's will dry up but I wouldn't hold out for much else of a bump. There's just too bloody many of them.

fpb111

As much as we love these cars we have to acknowledge the fact that we own 5-10 year old "used cars" with a "not stellar" history of engine problems. They are too new to be classics and (three generations??) too old to be new tech.
And as Dead-Eye points out there are many to choose from.

RallyJon

The doomsayers will continue to point to scam ads and beaten dogs for sale on Craigslist as representative of the market.

The modified and higher mile cars will be on the next tier, taking a while to sell, and at a lower price. This will accelerate as they fall into the hands of kids and suffer chrome wheels, bodykits, painted interiors, etc.

Mostly stock, documented, well-maintained, moderate mile cars--especially Mk 2 cars--will experience a gentle slide.

And the amazing garage queens will continue to bring a price premium, but nowhere near the premium low miles brings on the air cooled cars.

Nicolaasdb

prices of cars will always drop! so the longer you keep them the less the are worth.... until they are classics and the 996 will never become a classic there are just to many made... in the end who cares...drive have fun..take your loss when selling and get something new and better!

jasper

The recession is near the end??

chriswaxman

We're not talking about 924s here.



I do think the 996 has lasting appeal, and that will be reflected in prices. The bottom line is, no matter what you think of the 996 it is a 911, and was Porsche's flagship car when it was released. Porsche made it the standard-bearer of the 911 heritage. And despite what some of the air-cooled crowd said, it delivers on the promise by being faster and handling better than the 911s that came before it, while retaining the rear-engine-boxer essence.

As to whether the 996 will become a classic. . . I guess it depends on what you consider a classic. Its not a 356 Speedster, or even a soft window Targa. Maybe 996s will never be as collectible as ANY air-cooled 911. Maybe there are too many out there. If so, ok. But the 996 is still an amazing car and that's not going to change. If we still have fuel to put in the cars in 25 years people will still want 996s. The driving dynamics of the car are exceptional. The 996 looks great. It’s a rear-engined Porsche with civility and accessibility. Is it "neutered" as compared to the air cooled cars? Maybe, but it makes you feel like a better driver while still having what it takes to scare you.

It I can't imagine the 996 would ever be given the same regard as a any of the front-engined four cylinder cars. Not that any of those are bad cars. And really, any clean Porsche has the potential to be a classic as it ages. Well, maybe not the Cayenne.

I've made the mistake of checking prices regularly since I bought my 996 last year. It has not made me happy, and I should have stopped a long time ago.

At any rate, prices do indeed seem to be stabilizing. Even on eBay 1999 C2s are selling for mid-20s, maybe a little lower than a year ago but not much. And of course very clean, low mile, well documented cars still go for more.

There are sub $20k 996s out there. A few seem like good cars, but just have high miles. Again, nothing wrong with that, but it impacts the value of any car, especially when there are low mile examples to choose from. (There's one on eBay now with 149k miles, doesn't mention a new motor.) Others, well . . . . when I was looking at 996s the less expensive ones turned out to be less expensive for a reason. Car doesn't look good in person, accident comes up on carfax, for sale at a spotty-looking used car lot, etc. (As an aside, I don't think accident history should be deemed a fatal flaw, if there is documentation of a good repair and the car checks out.)

Bottom line, maybe I'm not saying anything different than those who have said 996 prices will settle in the mid-20s for a while. But I do think the 996 is a car that will remain desirable over the long haul.

ArneeA

RallyJon

There will be extreme pressure from falling early 997 prices. I was considering a 996 C4, then I saw how cheap the C4S was, and got that instead. Pressure from above. What if a 997 C4 had been the same price I paid? They will be soon.

There won't be a car like the 993 made ever again, but Porsche keeps making lots of those new facelifted 996s.

ivangene

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you have to factor in the cost of the new watch if you buy a 997 though -

let me know when 996's are worth more so I can put mine on the market and get what Phil got for his car - that will be the day

Marlon

I hate to say this, but I think the 996 actually looks better than the 997, why? Because as said above, the 997 looks like a facelifted 996. Lots of 'complaints' about the the Boxster headlights and now you have round lightlight cans grafted onto the 996 front end. Maybe some styling complaints about the rearend and now you have implants stuck in the rear end to make it more bulbous, but it doesn't look like a 'unitary' design - it looks "implanted". So consequently the 997 styling is a little disjointed and herky-jerky IMO. Whereas the 996, as 'slabsided' as it is, is 'whole' - designed on one sheet of drafting paper. Does that make sense?

BTW: If you look at the top edge of your front fender and look carefully at your rear end, you notice subtle homage to the compound curves that you admired on your 993

s-spiff

I just saw a friend that told me her girlfriend and husband just bought a used 911. I nearly fell down when I heard the details: 2001 C2 with basic options, 23k miles and supposedly a high end stereo. Their friend had it since new and was upgrading. Supposedly in good condition (never saw it myself, but she said it had never even been driven in the rain) and this is in Toronto mind you, but sale price was ~$46k US!!! It's good they were not in the room when my friend told me. Talk about being naive to the 996 market! I don't think they even had a PPI done. I didn't even want to mention the history behind the engine reliablity, especially at that low mileage....

ivangene

sounds like the buyer is my twin