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Those who have been following along will know that I have had my eye on the GT3 in general, and the 996 GT3 specifically, for a good while now. I know it’s the 996 and we’re not supposed to like their looks, but I keep coming back to these cars in part because I do find them to be stellar looking machines from the outside. I do hate the interior, but I can live with it and given the GT3’s pedigree and prowess we certainly don’t need luxury. There is something about its exterior lines that I do really love and I dare say it’s my favorite of the GT3 models.
I will admit that price does have a little bit to do with the attention I have given these cars and it is in that regard that this particular GT3 has piqued my interest. This is a Carrara White 2004 Porsche 911 GT3 which sits with only 16,396 miles and only has had one owner. It looks in phenomenal condition and has a complete service history. The asking price is above $100K and that’s where I’m curious. I really haven’t seen many 996 GT3s with this sort of price tag. Has the market for these finally picked up a bit of steam?
This is going to be a slightly peculiar post for me. I wouldn’t normally think too much of this 911 and would ignore it, but it has one very particular redeeming quality that makes me think it is worth a closer look.
We’re talking about performance for your dollar. That’s not an unusual feature of the 996TT. These have long been unloved by much of the Porsche community and as such values have been much lower than their performance should warrant. To really maximize your performance value you’d seek one with the X50 package and, of course, a manual transmission. Reasonable mileage and cool colors just enhance the allure. However, the cat’s been out of the bag for a while now and those cars are being priced higher. The value is diminishing.
Which brings me here. This 2001 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe pretty much possesses none of those features. So why are we here? Well, there is a way in which all of the aspects of this 911 I normally would construe as a negative have come together to create a positive. The asking price looks to be much more reasonable. Yet it still looks in good condition:
This GT2 reminds me very much of the Speed Yellow GT3 I featured last year. That GT3 remains one of my favorite cars I have posted here at GCFSB. It doesn’t possess the insane rarity of other models I’ve posted, but perhaps that’s part of its allure. While certainly not inexpensive it actually was attainable. And with 50K miles it also was driveable – in the sense that you don’t have to worry about that extra mileage harming its value.
This Speed Yellow 2001 Porsche 911 GT2, for sale in the Netherlands, with the factory-optioned Clubsport package ups the ante quite a bit in most of those regards. We’re taking a swift step upward in cost, but there’s also a significant upgrade in performance and rarity. That means it isn’t as attainable for most of us as the GT3 might have been. However, for those capable of shopping at these prices I do think it presents an alternative that should be equally as alluring as, if not more so, plenty of other options – some of which might themselves cost significantly more. It’s a simply wonderful machine.
Summer is approaching, which means warmer weather is on the way! At least that’s the theory. I’ve already seen that a baseball game has been postponed today because of snow. Still it’s probably safe to assume that it will be sunny and warm relatively soon and top-down motoring will once again be the thing to do. Back in the days when I actually drove on a daily basis I used to love the first few top-down drives of the Spring. They always brought a renewed sense of freedom and exhilaration to any drive. It was the best way to drive when I had nowhere to go. As the air grew warmer and the days longer I looked forward to those drives more and more. Even commuting wasn’t terrible.
So, let’s look at a Cabriolet then. Here we have an Atlas Grey Metallic 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet with Natural Brown leather interior and a lovely 6-speed manual transmission. It only has 11,352 miles on it and the price is quite high so this isn’t bargain shopping by any means. But I wouldn’t expect a sale at this price anyway so perhaps it can be worked down to something more reasonable. While just about any top-down drive can be a joy, having 415 hp at your fingertips certainly makes things that extra bit more enjoyable. To quote Dr. Frasier Crane, “if less is more, then just think of how much more more will be!”
This 911 brings with it a nice confluence of attributes that should make it quite desirable. Assuming, of course, you’re seeking out all of those attributes. Here we have a 2005 Porsche 911 Turbo S Coupe located in Knoxville. It has the desirable 6-speed manual transmission and has done 61,419 miles. It also is equipped with the very rare Turbo Aerokit. We saw this aerokit recently on a standard 996TT and on that car it created quite a juxtaposition between the exterior and interior aspects of the car. On this Turbo S, there is no juxtaposition. It’s full menace and the aerokit simply provides an additional dose of aggression. In all black it may not turn heads, slipping by almost unnoticed, but for any driver it’s sure to leave an impression.
