911 ownership comparison

A long time ago I remember reading an article in Total 911 that detailed the costs of ownership of a used 911 versus a regular four-door saloon. I think the saloon owner was projected to be a school teacher. He buys new with finance versus owner “B” who buys a nice used 911. In the end the saloon’s cost of ownership is more over five or 10 years (I forget which), mainly due to depreciation. Then the teacher has to start all over again and the 911 is worth about the same as originally purchased. Even after some higher running costs the total cost of ownership was lower. The reasons for wanting to locate the article are probably fairly obvious!

Would it be a useful piece to revisit with current car prices and loan interest rates, using a good, used 996/997 as reference? Andrew Hobin

It’s a great idea for an article Andrew, and absolutely will still ring true in today’s climate. The purchase price between a used 996/7 is similar to (or even less!) than a modern-day hot hatch, which will only depreciate in the ensuing five years, whereas I can’t think of any 911 outside of the 991/992 line-up which won’t at least hold value during that time.

The key, of course, will be buying a good example of 911. Many independent specialists offer a long-term warranty for peace of mind.

As an example, the 40 Jahre that I bought last year from Paragon via the 9WERKS Marketplace came with a 12-month warranty, which has correlated to a year’s free motoring – exceptional, given that the car was 20 years old at the time. Naturally, on top of the financial incentive, one must also consider all the amazing experiences a 911 will offer you in our mythical five-year ownership window. Sure, a hot hatch will be fun, but there’s nothing quite like a road trip in a Porsche 911 – or a track day, for that matter! These are the things you can’t put a price on. The answer, to my mind, is pretty straightforward.