The Porsche 997 has staying power but which one should you buy today?
Its been 6 years since the last Porsche 997 left the Porsche factory doors and with time passing by the Porsche 997 is now considered a great model range in the annuals of Porsche 911 history. Compared to the previous Porsche 996 generation, many Porschephiles consider it a great generation and some models are already destined to become huge collectibles models. But with a huge range of models to pick from during its run (2005-2012), we are going to help by highlighting the models we think would be great to buy for daily driving, for car collector, and track use.
There were at one point 18 models in the Porsche 997 line-up, not including the special limited run models like the Porsche GT2 – which is a collectible Porsche 997 today. The 997 also came in two generations, the first 997.1 models made from 2005-2008 and the latter 997.2 models which came in 2009-2012. Note that the early Porsche 991.1 models came in the 2nd half of 2012 so if you ever search online some Porsche 911s showing up for 2012 will be both 997s and 991s.
We cover the differences in the 997 range in previous articles so we won’t go into too much detail about the differences here but we do recommend the 997.2 as the better generation to buy due to the elimination of the infamous IMS issue found in the early 997.1 models. While the IMS issue wasn’t a bigger issue compared to the previous 996 model range, eliminating the issue altogether in a used sports car makes the buying consideration a lot easier. Plus the then new 997.2 9A1 engine was more robust with direct-fuel-injection – a 997.2 Carrera has almost the same performance as the 997.1 Carrera S. Another note was current events. The great financial crisis of 2008 came when the newer 997.2 models came out and due to the scarce buying conditions of that time, less 997.2 were sold during the first few years of their run. This brings fewer cars in the resale market today.
But with that said we still recommend 997.1 models in our list as well. While as a whole the 997.2 may be better cars then their earlier counterparts, there are 997.1 models still worth the consideration. Enough said, here is our list of recommendations for Porsche 997s to buy today.
Best Daily Driver Porsche 997 – 2007-2008 Porsche Carrera S and 4S
The 997.1 Porsche Carrera S and 4S models packed a lot of punch when they came out and price wise are your best bet to get a Porsche 997 experience today. There are many of these to choose from on the used car market and price wise you can find them as low as in the $30,000 USD range but with more miles. The key is to buy the later year models which came with an improved IMS bearing from the factory. Most Porsche mechanics and dealers will tell you that these cars tend to less susceptible to an IMS failure based on history (its been 10 years now so they have a good idea).
The Carrera S and the 4S models usually came highly optioned. The 997.1 Carrera 4S model usually come fully optioned due to their then position as the model ‘right’ under the Turbo in the 911 hierarchy. In the 997.2 years, they added the GTS which came above the 4S range.
Future Collectible Porsche 997 – 2007-2009 Porsche Turbo
There are tons of collectible Porsche 997s but they are more limited in numbers and many have already reached the ‘collectible’ status – like the Porsche 997 GT2, Sport Classic, and the GT3 4.0 RS. We want to focus on a car you can buy today but don’t have to worry about paying the ‘collectible status’ penalty (see any air-cooled 911 price today). That would be the 2007-2009 Porsche Turbo.
Why those years? These are the early year Turbos and came with famed ‘Mezger’ engine. Plus most had the 6-speed manual transmission while in 2010 model years and up the 997 Turbo came with the new 9A1 turbo engine, and many came with the popular PDK transmission (which wasn’t available in the 997.1 models). So there you have the formula – you want to find a Turbo with the Mezger engine and mated with a 6-speed transmission. This is a combo that will never exist again and eventually the prices in the 2007-2009 Porsche 997 Turbos are going to rise higher due to this certainty. We already have seen a rise for clean examples this year.
Note: 2009 had the refreshed PCM 3.0 and updated interior bits from the 997.2 refreshes but still kept the Mezger engine for 1 year last year till 2010 came with the new Turbo engine.
UPDATE for 2019: The Porsche 997 Turbo has gone up on the used car market with prime low mileage models selling for 100k +. If you are looking to buy a 997 Turbo, look to purchase in 2019.
Best Track Porsche 997 – Porsche 997.1 GT3 and 997.2 GT3
This is a no-brainer since the GT3 became more prominent in the Porsche 911 nomenclature in the 997 model years. While a 996 GT3 existed before, the 997 GT3 models upped the ante in track performance and desirability. You can’t go wrong with either car but here’s a quick recap of the differences:
Most people say the 997.2 GT3 is the better car. The 997.2 was an upgrade in performance (i.e. HP) from the 997.1 but it also handled better and Porsche got rid of some of the driving twitch-ness that bothered drivers on the 997.1. The 997.2 also came with different exterior body gear including new front bumper and rear wing. The 997.1 GT3 body kit was actually sold on non- GT 997 models as the aero kit package, so you can see 997.1 models look like the 997.1 GT3 while the 997.2 GT3 was purely its own thing. Downforce was increased on the 997.2 and it came with stability control.
The 997.2 GT3 runs 10-20k more on the used car market compared to the 997.1 GT3 but it also depends on the options (like a roll-bar, does it have sports seats, etc) of the car. Some 997.1 GT3 command prices to the $100,000 mark if it has the right options. Both cars are respected track cars and great for spirited driving on the track or long winding roads.
The Timing is Right
The Porsche 997 is a great 911. People are appreciating their 997s every day and as more time goes by the 997 lineups really shines. But there are many 997s out there so this is the perfect time to pick one up. We wish you luck on your hunt.