MARKET RIVALS
In all markets the Carrera S has a particular cachet, and this is even more apparent in the UK. Prices fall between £70,000 for a Tiptronic C2S to £90,000+ for a fully optioned manual C2S. The £70-£100,000 bracket certainly opens a broad swathe of other 911 possibilities.
991 Carrera T
At around £70,000 for a 2018 model this, the most ‘traditional’ of the modern 911s, might appeal to a C2S buyer, though its everyday practicality could be offset by its far larger dimensions. The modern models have nothing like the visibility of earlier 911s, and the Carrera T will also depreciate significantly, like most current Porsches.
3.2 Clubsport
A rare 911 even in LHD, a Clubsport is a deeply satisfying but more demanding drive for the price of a concours 2S; exciting car though it is, the Clubsport’s rudimentary equipment level and raucous engine make it altogether less suitable for longer distances than the more refined (and just as quick) C2S.
997 Turbo S
£80,000 buys a ten-year-old, low-mileage example, equipped with Pdk-only, which makes for more relaxed progress. Brilliantly conceived 650 horsepower supercar that it is, the Turbo S, also subject to higher depreciation and maintenance costs (and unexploitable power), might seem extravagant to a classic enthusiast.
911 SC
An exceptional SC at £70-£80K is an alternative to a higher-mileage C2S. Purists may rate the vintage driving experience over the 993, but the SC might be a shade too vintage for later 911 fans. A good SC presents more of a challenge than a C2S, but potentially more fun only for the kind of buyer who had considered a Clubsport, but found it beyond their budget.
BUYING ONE
The C2S model is simply a version of the 993, so the usual 993 caveats apply. A solid OPC or recognised specialist maintenance history is vital and it should be consistent. Mark Sumpter of Paragon Porsche usually turns away from cars with more than three-year gaps in their history. That said, the 2S was a premium priced special and usually covered far lower mileages, enjoying a rather more cherished existence than the plain C2, some of which had to work hard for their living, especially as the 993 was notably reliable. Corrosion is not the fundamental problem that dogs 3.2s or earlier 911s, but 993s themselves are old cars now and inevitably suffer the ravages of time. Rust can occur around the windscreen and rear window, though on a well-presented car, this area should already have received attention; more insidious is corrosion inside the rear bumper which will require substantial dismantling to repair. A worn clutch reveals itself by being unpleasantly heavy – the 993’s pedal was never light, and declutching only at the end of its travel; dampers too will be less efficient after two decades, but the service record should show evidence that these components have all been renewed. Similarly, the vulnerable front valance may have been replaced at some point. If it is not realigned precisely this suggests a complacent body shop and should prompt further investigation, but a little used and correctly presented £100,000 Carrera S should display none of these worn 993 faults and drive almost like a new car.
INVESTMENT POTENTIAL & OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE
The specialists blanche at the notion of a 911 as an investment – ‘it’s a sports car to be driven’ they cry in unison. That said, it is clear that in the long term, some 911s have done better than others. Those who bought, say, a 2.4S at the height of the boom in 2016, or earlier a 964RS when it was almost a craze, may yet be waiting to break even, but the smart money is usually on the models that had very limited production runs. The Clubsport (340 made for worldwide markets) or the Turbobodied 3.2s and 964s are examples – cars which for years, unlike the 2.7RS, tended to escape attention. The 993 Carrera S, a 911 that was always exclusive, falls very much into this category. In Phil Raby’s opinion a handsomely optioned C2S is unlikely to lose value in the current climate where financial pundits foresee growth in non-monetary investments such as art and classic cars.
“A handsomely optioned C2S is unlikely to lose value”