£50K 911S: 996 TURBO V 997 C4S V 991 C2S
Words: Johnny Tipler Photography Antony Fraser The marketplace for mid-range modern Porsche 911s has crystallised around the £50K mark, now benchmark for the most affordable 991s and the best 997s, plus exotics like the 996 Turbo. We put three Fifty-grand
The modern 911 market place is in flux at the moment, with 991 values dropping and 996 and 997 values rising. The result is a parity in the £50k sweet spot. Which is the best buy?
Spoilt for choice! That is, if you’ve got designs on a modern 911 and you’re armed with a budget of £50,000, because there are several interesting ways of spending it. Steering clear of the rarefied air-cooled coterie, let’s assume you’re after a modern 911 that you can use on a daily basis. We’ve reached a milestone where the cheapest 991s have eased back from their 2012 £72K showroom price to the £50-grand mark, and that is a significant yardstick. There are plenty to choose from: today’s benefactors, Ashgood Cars, who are located a stone’s throw from Heathrow Airport, currently have half-adozen 991s in stock, all within a whisker of that £50K purse.
But you might prefer to venture into the realms of something a shade older and more exotic. So, if you’re not necessarily stirred by the 991, you still might harbour a yen for a 997, which, after all, is just as well-made and, some say, retains more of the delicacy of feel and fluidity that’s become veiled in the 991. In which case, how about the 997 C4S? That is a seriously lovely car, and represents the top of the conventional 997 range without getting involved with the more exotic GT3 and Turbo. Our third contender in the notional £50-grand affair is the 996 Turbo, and today’s offering has been kindly loaned to us by Paragon Porsche. Sure, at this budget – and the word ‘budget’ seems somehow incongruous, given that for many of us, £50K represents a veritable treasure chest – you could also take an even more sporting route and drive away in a gen 1 996 GT3.
Three modern Porsches, then, each presenting a different personality and slightly different hue. The 991 is Agate, the 997 is Meteor, and the 996 is Seal, making this a Grade A grey day. It’s interesting to contemplate their dimensions, which vary less than might be supposed: the 991