BUYING ONE
The S had a relatively short production life and virtually all the RHD cars for sale were registered between late 2010 and 2012. About a third of production comprised the Cabriolet, which originally retailed for £7,000 more than the Coupe. Interestingly, a decade later on the used market both open and closed models sell for the same price. Most cars show low mileages – 30,000 is the norm and examples with 50,000 or more miles unusual.
All 997 Turbo Ss should have a complete dealer history, but with such low mileages (in some instances fewer than a 2,000-mile annual figure), it’s worth checking to see whether any service intervals have been missed. This is more frequent with older, lower-value Porsches that have dropped out of the OPC or specialist independent network. Prices of the 997 Turbo S are still at a level where most owners would be looking after them properly and any faults likely to be the product of age and under- rather than overuse.
On the mechanical side, a Turbo S of this vintage should be in first-class order, but as Paragon's Jason Shepherd points out, these are 10-year-old cars, and parts either wear out or deteriorate from corrosion or simply lack of use. He suggests examining the suspension: after a decade bushes fail, control arms slacken, struts and dampers can become fatigued, and the brake and engine coolant pipes corrode. The 997’s underside – including its coil packs – is exposed to the vicissitudes of northern Europe’s salty winter roads.
On the other hand, a proper service history will show where replacements have been fitted; air conditioning radiators too may well have been replaced. The originals, if still in situ, might constitute a negotiating point for some buyers. Jason has also seen incidents of alternators and water pumps failing (997 cooling systems often need attention before those 10 years are up) and the very occasional case of the PCM module crashing.
Mechanically, the 3.8-litre in blown guise has proved a very reliable unit, exhibiting nothing of the crankshaft problem that would dog the first version of the 991 GT3. Admittedly, this used a far more highly strung (naturally aspirated) version of the
3.8-litre engine. Off-hand, Ray Northway of Northway Porsche is unable to think of any recurrent problems with the 3.8-litre, a much more modern and refined unit than the “rattly old Mezger”. Neither does the PDK, the first application on a 911 Turbo and particularly well-matched, give any cause for concern.