997.1 Carrera Coupe

A 997 for under £30,000 has been a reality for a while now, helped in no small part by the sheer volume of them built. Greig Daly says: “Get a straightforward 997 C2, non-s, manual Coupe and it’ll do everything. For under £30k, you can’t go wrong. A good daily-use car.” Northway’s a bit more circumspect, though: “I’d only consider getting into a Gen1 997 if it’s had an engine re-build including a modified intermediate bearing and the liners replaced. Unless it’s had a rebuild by us, RPM Technik, or any of the other recognised workshops, with an invoice showing it, then I’d avoid.”

Sage advice, but buy wisely and the Gen1 997 represents a hell of a lot of car for the money. The Paragon team reckon they’re great value with the right history, Tyler going as far to say a Tip shouldn’t be overlooked if you’re predominantly city based. Shepherd adds that a Cabriolet shouldn’t be ignored either, especially if it’s an occasional, high days and holidays driver, saying: “I’m beginning to think there’s a wider appreciation of Cabrios starting from people who might not usually have considered them. With the modern cars, the compromises just aren’t there for the road. I think Cabriolets are on the up.” That’s true across the entire market. Buyer beware, then, but buy right and a 997 will serve you very well indeed.