Used Porsche 911 Coupe 2005-2012 review
The Porsche 911 is a dream car for many people, but what are the realities of buying a used example?
- Used Porsche 911 Coupe (05-12)
- Used Porsche 911 Coupe (05-12)
- Used Porsche 911 Coupe (05-12)
- Used Porsche 911 Coupe (05-12)
What's the used Porsche 911 like?
The Porsche 911 is one of the all-time great sports cars. It has been around since 1963, survived even when company bosses tried to kill it off, and has spawned a vast number of derivatives.
One of the things that’s been key to its success is the way the 911 has evolved to include the latest technology and ever increasing levels of performance while retaining the essence of what made the early cars so great. And so, even though the 997 version featured here was launched more than 40 years after the original, it is still recognisably a 911.
Pros
- Incredible performance
- Sharp handling
- Surprisingly practical
Cons
- Expensive to buy
- High running costs
- Lots of road noise
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A large part of that comes to having the engine mounted in the rear of the car, which in turn dictates the shape of the bodywork and allows for a 2+2 seating arrangement and a surprisingly large boot in the nose of the car (it’ll swallow a couple of soft weekend bags with ease). True, the rear seats are only really suitable for kids, but even the entry-level 911 can accelerate from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, and that means this is one of the most practical cars to offer that sort of performance.
What also makes the 911 stand out is just how easy it is to drive. Visibility is excellent for a sports car, the ride quality is perfectly acceptable (particularly if you have the PASM adaptive dampers), the engines are smooth and the controls are all so precisely weighted that it never feels less than completely intuitive.
However, all this would be for nothing if the 997 had lost the unique driving experience offered by older 911s. Thankfully, that’s not the case in the slightest, for this is a car with steering that is at once delicate, precise, well-weighted and brimming with feedback, while the rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive layout ensures the tyres bite into the road with unbelievable grip. Advanced traction and stability control systems, meanwhile, ensure even novices can drive a 997 quickly.
As with any generation of 911, the 997’s model line-up is fairly complex. To keep things as simple as possible we are only concentrating here on the rear-wheel drive Carrara with 321bhp and more powerful Carrera S with 350bhp, and the four-wheel-drive Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S. Other models, such as the Turbo, GT3, Targa and Convertible are different enough to warrant reviews all of their own.
To complicate matters slightly, the 997 range is also split into pre- and post-facelift, also known as Gen 1 and Gen 2, the first from 2005 to 2009, and the second from 2009 to 2012. As well as the introduction of direct injection for the engines (taking the Carrera to 340bhp and the Carrera S to 380bhp), one of the major differences was the switch of the Tiptronic torque converter automatic gearbox to a much more responsive seven-speed dual-clutch PDK unit.
Ownership cost
What used Porsche 911 will I get for my budget?
Prices for early 997s dip under the £20,000 mark, meaning you can buy one for less than most new hot hatches cost. Whether or not you should, however, depends very much on the car in question, because at this end of the market you can expect high mileages and potentially patchy service history. For this kind of money you’ll also see cars advertised with new engines. If this is the case ensure the work has been carried out by a reputable Porsche specialist (there are plenty of Porsche 911 forums online that will help identify which ones are good).
In terms of value for money, Carrera models are generally cheaper than their more powerful S equivalents, and 911s with four-wheel drive and/or automatic gearboxes tend to carry a premium, too. As such, while you can pick up a 50,000-mile rear-wheel drive Carrera manual for £27,000, to buy the same car as a four-wheel-drive auto would be closer to £30,000.
Gen 2 911s cost from about £34,000 on account of being that much newer and also fitted with the better engine and, if applicable, dual-clutch gearbox.
Approved used cars carry a premium (a late Carrera S from a main dealer with less than 40,000 miles on the clock will still fetch upwards of £50,000) but come with a two-year manufacturer-backed warranty, so don’t rule them out.
Our recommendations
Which used Porsche 911 should I buy?
The good news is there is no such thing as a bad version of the 997, and so there’s an argument to be made for just opting for the most basic rear-wheel-drive Carrera and saving some money. However, with its increased power output, standard-fit PASM adaptive dampers and the fact there are simply more to choose from, the Carrera S is our 997 of choice, preferably in Gen 2 guise to minimise the possibility of engine problems.
As for optional extras to look out for, any car with a stopwatch on top of the dash will have the Sport Chrono pack fitted, which allows you to sharpen throttle response and relax the stability control system for a sportier drive. There is also a Sport chassis that lowers the suspension and adds a mechanical limited-slip differential, improving handling at the cost of a firmer ride.
A rear windscreen wiper is also a useful option it’s worth looking out for, particularly if you need to reverse out of your driveway first thing in the morning.
Our favourite Porsche 911: Gen 2 997 Carrera S manual
Alternatives
What alternatives should I consider to a used Porsche 911?
One of the reasons for the 911’s success is that there isn’t much else out there that does so much so well. A Jaguar XK offers a similar amount of space and some fine engines, but is more of a grand tourer than a sports car.
For something that’s as exciting to drive as a 911 you might also be tempted by the gorgeous Aston Martin V8 Vantage, but in doing so you’ll forgo the 911’s useful extra seats, and even then it doesn’t feel quite as polished in dynamic terms.
Then of course there’s the threat from models lower down in the Porsche range, most notably the Cayman, which is superb to drive and cheaper to buy, meaning you can pick up a significantly newer car for the same price as a 911.
How reliable is the Porsche 911 ?
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