What would you buy? Bit of a porsche question actually
 

Ok here's a theorectical scenario. You have about $25k to spend. You would prefer a cabriolet but its not essential. Insurance costs are not a problem. While you don't need more than 2 seats, the car is your daily transport as well.

Would you buy:

A nearly new (lets say 2004) S2000...

A concours example (show condition) 1986-1989 911 or possibly a high mile but good condition 911 Turbo...

A 1990-1992 911 Carrera - would you get the C2 or the C4, coupe or cabrio?

A concours example (show condition) porsche 968?

A Boxster S

A well-worn 1994 911 (993 model)

Ok so I chucked the S2K in the mix because its more powerful than some of the porsches I listed, reliable, new, fun to drive etc

I think I'd pick a nice 92 or 93 964 carrera, or maybe an early 993 if the miles werent too high...

993 for me, turbo the best

Last option:

A well worn 993, though the '86-'89 Turbo is a good option too.

In black

:love: :love: :love:

I would go with the Boxter S.. what year would it be, I assume late 90's. I choose the Boxter because of reliabilty. I think with a high mile (even tho it is good condition) Porsche could end up being trouble after 10-20 or 30 K..where as the Boxter should be problem free for at least 50k if not much more. Newer car means lessa hassle.. and a Boxter S beats an S2000 in my books anyday!

i'm not a huge fan of those 930 911's...those bumpers make em look like they're high or sumn (as in having used weed)

A 968 is a brilliant car too, from what i've read about it it handles GREAT...i dont know if long distances would have to be covered, but if that were so, have you considered a 928 GTS?

otherwise, from the options u listed, i'd pick a 964 C2/C4 coupe...since ive never driven RWD/AWD cars, let alone sports cars, i really wouldn't know which i'd prefer (prolly RWD but who knows :P )
Or, if it's still in good condition apart from the high mileage, get the 993...its AWESOME, maybe the ultimate 911...

is 959 an option? :lol: :lol: :twisted:

Id go for the 993 you will definately love it. Maybe you should save alittle longer and get a 996 its bigger and has more convience features.

993turbo is the best car, but also the running cost are high, there are no el cheapo parts involved in making one. So i would stay with the NA models. Of course you can also think little lateral, and buy M3, there are so many options in that price range, that it is your preferences that decide what will be best for you. Just remember not to buy the cheapest one there is, and check the car professionally, better chance of having no bad suprices. Boxster S would be my solid choice of porsches. Just look for one with good kit, like hardtop.

I drove 993 cabrio a week ago. Very nice car. Great sound, very good gearbox, steering, but it's not that fast. Raced it against 3.0 Euro M3 and it was much slower. S2000 is also faster. Also it was very tricky in the bumpy fast corners. But 993 just feels very special. I would go for it. Also I don't think it would be a lot of difference in terms of performance between 993 & 964.
Boxster S is also a very good choice. It handles a much better than 993 & 964 and is cheaper to take care of.

I'll get the S2000 0X

S2K all the way

i totally agree, high milage might be a low, but everything else is a high !

S2000, at least you won't be seeing your diffrential or exhaust bouncing downt the street in your rear view. And having to fork out heaps of dosh for parts.

Plus an old porsche will get you killed and you'll be able to drive the S2K faster on roads without the threat of it spinning out when your lost concentration of a second or so.

You have to be a good driver or a poser(low speed wanker) to drive it safely. I know safetly isn't a prioriety but it should be, or should I say "ease of driving". PLus the 10 year old+ shoddy interiror

I'd go 911 turbo.... =)

To all the wise ones suggesting 993 Turbo keep in mind the street price is around $65K. A little out of his budget of 25K

Here's my take on the cars that you put fwd Transam2001
A nearly new (lets say 2004) S2000...
--> Will be reliable but is very loud and wearing if you planning to take it for road trips. Is excellent on the track but a bit gutless on the regular roads if you are not willing to shift at 8K rpms. Not my pick anyway

A concours example (show condition) 1986-1989 911 or possibly a high mile but good condition 911 Turbo...
--> Excellent choice - is one of the most reliable 911s in history. Bulletproof particularly the 3.2l versions. The negative is a very heavy clutch - not the best choice if your commute is stop-and-go. I think a good Turbo will be at 30K+ mark though

A 1990-1992 911 Carrera - would you get the C2 or the C4, coupe or cabrio?
--> Less reliable than the older ones as well the next gen 993. I think there were some engine leaking issues. Classic looks though! Best of the bunch. Of the lot the C2 would be the best bet.

A concours example (show condition) porsche 968?
--> 968s in the US do not have a reputation of being reliable. I think the 944s had some problems with the hatch rubber but I dunno if this was fixed with the 968. Besides I think you will wish you had a 911 instead

A Boxster S
--> Excellent choice - fast enough, modern enough, fun to drive. I do think 30K is more likely to be the price for a good 2000 Boxster S. I drove a regular Boxster (friend's) and loved it to death. Sweet car - nice engine noise. Torquier than an S2K

A well-worn 1994 911 (993 model)
--> 993s at this price may be dangerous buy. 993s hold their value very well - so a decent one would be in around $35K-40K. An excellent car - this would be the Porsche that I buy. Its got all the 911 character and looks cool too. NO Turbos or 4S versions at this price

Maybe you can also add a 91 -94 NSX - may be about $30K but a fab car as well.

Of course I am no Porsche expert unlike Lakatu or St. Anger. i did some research a few years back and this what I remember. Barnes and Nobles carries a Porsche Buyer Guide - pretty good info on model reliability and things to watch out for.

Hope this idle musing of yours turns into something nice :)

i didnt even think of the NSX. They are reasonable and would be the fastest of all those cars. What about a 2002 Z06?

too bad when it breaks, not if, but when, you have to take it to a mechanic. Not much work can be done on them without removal of the engine because of the layout of the engine, so the repair bills can become very expensive.

I would go with the 90-92 911 Cararra. The C2 or C4 choice would depend on where i lived. Living in Florida, i would get the C2, and use the extra money i saved to get some rims and tires, and use some of my budgeted money to get some suspension pieces. Strut braces, adjustable shocks, things that wont hurt the ride, but will be adjustable, so you can make the ride firmer, but the handling better for track/auto-x use. I would deffanitly go for the coupe. Better looking and lighter.
If i lived where it snowed, i would get the C4. less likly to get stuck in the snow and what not. More expensive, and more parts to break, and easier to burn up the clutch, but well worth it if u live in the north.



http://www.webmycar.com/zonecar/weba...0motelimar.jpg

That would be the one i would buy. Put a whale tale on it, and put some different rims on it. Sell the used parts on e-bay, get most of ur money back, oh yea!!

I'd chose the Boxster over the S2000 for staters but if you're gonna buy a Porsche lets not stuff around its gotta be a 911. My choice would obviously be the Turbo but you gotta ask are you capable of controling a older model? Me I'd say go for the C4 Cararra more stable on roads plus it looks good now and will still look good in 5-10 years 8)

Well this is just idle musing for now, and I think I would have to test drive some of the cars before I made up my mind ultimately.

i believe that was only on the first cars, and most owners had that fixed, so almost any 964 you'll find for sale today won't have these problems (although, ofcourse, after 15 years, it might be getting a bit past its prime)

This topic REALLY needs to go to the Porsche forum to get some St-anger exposure... :P

I would also go with the 90-92 Carrera, everytime driving your Boxster(which is also an excellent car) you saw somone in a 911 you would think: shit I could have had one of those.

id go for the concours conition 86-89 911. btw, how much do the first gen 911's cost these days? im a sucker for all classic cars (except the aurora, lol)

Whe you get closer to the time, this resource might be money well spent.

http://www.performance2and4.co.uk/guide32_n.htm

http://www.performance2and4.co.uk/

idk, i think that the Boxters, especially the first years, were known for poor reliability. As for driving older porsches fast, nah, its pretty easy. You have to be a skilled driver to push them at the limit, but that is what porsche wanted. They didnt want the average person going around corners at 100+mph. I would still go for the Cararra.

I'm not a Porsche fan, although I do admit there's some really good Porsches around. If I had to buy a Porsche (no, I don't have the money), it would be a new Turbo or the Carrera GT.

But from the list you mentioned, I prefer the S2000, simply because I really love the looks of it, and I love how it revs to 9k rpm. It's a fun car to drive, as is the Boxster too (I've had a go in both, an S2k and a Boxster S). But I just prefer the S2k over the Boxster mostly because of how it looks on the outside, and it handles in an interesting fashion. From the few hours I had in each car, I'd say that the Boxster had better grip and handling, but in a different sense of the word.

Although it's nice to get a very well performing car, a car has to be more then just performance to me.

@Ronin - Because the poster was interested in the opinion of a new(ish) S2000 vs an older Porsche

I did say 's2k' and not life wagon lol

!!!!BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!

:P