Enthusiasts Blogging Our Favorite Classifieds
Back in January, I took a look at a GT Package 996 with very low mileage in great condition and with the IMS bearing done; in short, there was little to complain about, except for the asking price at $43,000:
Well, I’m back with another 996.1; this time, is a C4 with the factory Aerokit bits in Speed Yellow. Mileage is even lower this time around, yes the IMS bearing is done, and it’s got some great BBS wheels. What does that do for the asking price? Hold on to your wallet…
The 997.1 Porsche 911 is probably my favorite “budget” 911. I wish I could put “budget” in size 82 font quotation marks given we are talking Porsche here, but in the grand scheme of things where a new base 992 C2 is $100,000, your buck doesn’t go very far these days. Now you are probably saying, “What about the 996?” And yes, you are right. But given the very small price difference between the 996 and 997.1, I think it is the perfect sweet spot of having a modern 911 without spending over $50,000 just to get a seat at the table. Today’s 997 has my favorite Lobster Fork wheels and isn’t a boring color. There’s only one problem though – the transmission.
Some days I really like yellow cars. Other days I do not. This might be one of those days I don’t like it. What we are looking at today is a 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo obviously finished in Speed Yellow, but to me it just feels a little too light. I looked at a 2004 GT2 last month that was also in finished in Speed Yellow, but comparing those two cars, they feel totally different to me. Maybe it is just the 996 vs 997 thing, but this Turbo just seems like a real let down to me when it comes to wowing me with the color. Your thoughts?
In terms of the “windowmaker” Porsches, the 996 GT2 certainly seems worthy of that title. Hard to believe that a 996 can be deemed scary, but that is exactly the kind of false confidence that gets you in trouble with these. Having a twin-turbocharged car that will get you to 60 mph in under 4 seconds without the help of traction control or stability control is the perfect combination for the result of “I just lost it” after getting a little too confident. I think Porsche knew this, and as a result only 303 examples of these cars made it to the US from 2002 to 2005. To put that into perspective, that is half of how many Carrera GTs there are.
If you haven’t noticed, prices of the 996 GT3 have been on the rise over the past few years, and consequently, it’s no longer the budget Porsche special that it once was. But Porsches being Porsches, there are of course options! Probably smartest if you like the GT3 look but don’t have the GT3 budget is an Aerokitted 996, like the one I looked at in July:
At about a quarter the cost of a real GT3, you’re getting a lot more than 25% of the experience. However, there are also homebrew options, too, and this particular C4 coupe went a step further. Or perhaps a step too far. Or a few miles too far. You decide:
