996 turbo ?
 

I keep seeing turbos online for really short money . you can easily get a low mileage turbo for about 5g more than they are asking for a C4S. I did a quick reliability search and it seems like they are not afflicted with the m96 problems. They obviously have there own inherit problems. They seem minor compared to the m96 unit. I also understand that the Gt3 does not have these issues either but they are expensive in comparison to the prices of 996 turbos. anybody care to chime in on why this is ?

I too have noticed that a current batch of turbos just out of warranty (time, not miles) are selling for very little money. I personally think it's a combination of a couple of things:

• The recession is dragging on and for some, the garage toy must go to free up cash.
• Turbo owners who have not been affected by the recession want the PDK tranny in the new one and the new motor as well.
• When turbo 911's need work out of warranty, it's not cheap. Why dump that into an "old" car when you can sell it and buy a new one?

Of course, these are just my gut feelings. I could be all wrong. :cheers:

Yeah, the Turbo lump is reputedly much more robust than the basket case that is the M96.

I think it's more a case of GT3s holding their value well than Turbos being uber cheap. The GT3 is an out and out driver's car - pretty much all the hardcore sports models - GT3s, RSs, Club Sports - hold their value better than the core range.

Monumentally rapid though the Turbo is, it's not as involving and therefore not as desirable to the hard core enthusiast. In that context, it's competing for attention with all sorts of models from various manufacturers - AMG Mercs, BMW M, Nissan GTRs cars etc etc. By contrast, people who are interested in an RS or GT3 are more likely to only be interested in that model. Supply and demand.

The 996 turbo was heavier and softer than turbos before and after. It had a luke warm reception when new. The price of all the water cooled non-GTs continue to tank.

I agree, the turbo is a heavy car and not what I'd consider nimble, but more of a grand touring vehicle. They tend to appeal to a smaller crowd, which would explain the soft prices. The turbos and GT3s have an engine based on a completely different design (GT1 dry-sump and no IMS), so no worries there. GT3s are a very popular track day car, but their numbers will dwindle due to destruction (appear to be the most crash inflicted model from my casual instructor observations).

That said, I've observed some very nice examples of the 996 GT3 MkII in the mid fifties to low sixties.

If you're interested in buying I would look at buying soon before things (the economy) turn around too much. I think last summer was the best time to buy. I personally purchased three used cars last summer as it was a GREAT buyer's market. One of those cars was a 2003 C4S. Looking at autotrader it seems that the prices on the C4S and other cars I was shopping last summer have gone back up by about 20%!

One thing to factor is continuing maintenance and repair costs. That's something you're considering, but only from the perspective of general problems with a motor platform. I personally do not lose any sleep worrying over D-chunk or IMS failures. One reason why I didn't opt for spending more to get a turbo was because when they do break they can be very expensive to fix in comparison to the naturally aspirated cars. Just look at the replacement cost of a turbo engine compared to an NA engine. Along this same thought I could have purchased a Ferrari, but I could not have afforded to fix it if it broke. I think the NA 996's are a much more affordable option long term, especially if you can work on them yourself!

Kirk

I have been looking at the 996 C4S i am hoping it will be my next ride. They are still not in my price range yet . Plenty around with over 50k on them but don't want one with that mileage. It just seems you can get a really nice turbo for a few $$$$ more.

996 Turbo with the right mods is almost as quick as a modded 997 Turbo. We're talking about milliseconds time.

It's cheap because:

- It's not a 993.
- It's getting old.
- 997 is the latest and the greatest.

It's sort of like the unloved middle child in the family.