► It’s month 13 with our beloved Porsche 911
► And it’s time to say goodbye
► One year living the 911 dream
Is the engine in the wrong place? Would Porschefying our lives ruin our bank balances? Can you possibly justify spending forty large on a five-year-old, out-of-date car? Would decades of rave reviews end up unravelling under the cold scrutiny of day-to-day life with a truculent, impractical status symbol? All these questions – and more – have been bubbling away during our year-long tenure of a secondhand 997.
We’ve learned from research that nine-elevens most likely figure in your dream garage: they hail from that mystical sweet spot between the exotic and the attainable, and by picking an approved used one we hoped to discover whether we could hand-on-heart recommend you follow suit.
The Porsche arrived just in time for Le Mans 2014 and contributing editor Ben Oliver drove to La Sarthe as his first assignment in the Carrera 2. Our spec was tantalisingly close to perfection: it’s a second-generation 997 which ushered in the direct-injection flat-six and PDK twin-clutch auto, optioned with niceties such as zippily heated leather seats, extended nav package, Bluetooth phone connectivity and upgraded 19-inch alloys.
The car came from the Porsche Approved Pre-Owned scheme, arguably the safest way to source your organic used Pork. With it comes the security of a two-year warranty and breakdown cover in case things go wrong, and a 111-point bill of health and servicing top-up to make sure it doesn’t. Yes, you’ll find cheaper at supermarkets but we’d encourage you to check franchised dealers first; their prices are on occasion closer to reputable specialists than you may think.
We made one change to FE59 SJY before delivery, swapping the crap gearchange buttons on the steering wheel for a more intuitive paddleshift. What a difference! The plus/minus buttons on early Gen 2 cars are banished forever – they’re a rare Porsche faux pas – and the satisfying clunk of metal paddle (so much better than an F-type’s) has been a highlight of 911 ownership this year. It did cost us £865, mind.
I ended up quite liking the PDK transmission. Damned with faint praise? Early doors, I regretted our sports car not having the manual but, after a year of commuting and trudging to airports or around town, I’m almost convinced. You have to tap the Sport button first, to sharpen the shift speed, as it’s sluggish in auto mode. Truth is, the first-gen PDK isn’t as slick as later iterations, but the auto does add an extra degree of flexibility to the repertoire. Driven in manual mode, it’s nearly as satisfying as DIY.
With seven ratios, cruising is very relaxed indeed, the 3614cc flat-six burbling away at just 1900rpm in top. This helps fuel consumption and we were impressed by how close to the claimed average of 29.4mpg we came, routinely hitting 25mpg+. With a decent 64-litre fuel tank (three litres down on Carrera 4s, anoraks), we enjoyed a frisson of reassurance every time we filled up and saw 400 miles flash up on the predicted range.
Nothing broke or failed in our year with the 911. Faults can be summarised on the fingers of one hand: the PDK threw a wobble twice and went into neutral at low, about-town speeds, but the problem disappeared; a rear exhaust finisher came loose and ended up at a wonky angle; and the front bumper had a small area of delamination, possibly after a power hose too many. But the 911 left us after nearly 13,000 hard miles of daily driving feeling as tight as the day it arrived.
Palpable engineering integrity is one of the crowning achievements of the 911. It feels so much better built than comparable exotica of this vintage – from the solidly assembled dashboard to the way it sits on the road, dives into corners and responds to every input into those precisely weighted, delicate pedals and (still hydraulically assisted) wheel. The leather hide felt like new, the air-con consumption and we were impressed by how close to the claimed average of 29.4mpg we came, routinely hitting 25mpg+. With a decent 64-litre fuel tank (three litres down on Carrera 4s, anoraks), we enjoyed a frisson of reassurance every time we filled up and saw 400 miles flash up on the predicted range.
Nothing broke or failed in our year with the 911. Faults can be summarised on the fingers of one hand: the PDK threw a wobble twice and went into neutral at low, about-town speeds, but the problem disappeared; a rear exhaust finisher came loose and ended up at a wonky angle; and the front bumper had a small area of delamination, possibly after a power hose too many. But the 911 left us after nearly 13,000 hard miles of daily driving feeling as tight as the day it arrived.
Palpable engineering integrity is one of the crowning achievements of the 911. It feels so much better built than comparable exotica of this vintage – from the solidly assembled dashboard to the way it sits on the road, dives into corners and responds to every input into those precisely weighted, delicate pedals and (still hydraulically assisted) wheel. The leather hide felt like new, the air-con blew so cold we occasionally froze and the retro touches such as carpeted doors are beautifully finished.
Running costs were bearable, bar one pricey visit to Mid-Sussex Porsche at 32,820 miles. The scheduled service at £398 was very reasonable, but three tyres (£853), bi-annual brake fluid change (£114), six-yearly replacement filters, belts and fluids (£307), new catalytic converter heat shields (£241) and sundries sent the total spiralling to £2297. Be reassured that 911s only need maintenance every two years or 30,000 miles and those 19in N-rated Michelin Pilot Sports had 5mm at every corner when it left us.
Should you plunge your hard-earned into a similar 997-era 911? Our experience would resoundingly support you if you did. Its size remains a treat to use –narrow and wieldy enough to drive every day, the +2 seats great for kids – the drive never ceased to put a smile on our face and the best bit is solid residual values: it’s lost £9k in a year, less than our new Seat Leon Cupra 280 did. Keep it for longer – or life – and you won’t suffer that loss.
From the driving seat
+ Entry 911 Carrera PDK does 0-62mph in 4.5sec
+ Few rivals feel so nimble, right-sized
+ Older 911s still get a handbrake!
– Wish ours had the sports exhaust
– Still don’t trust the digital oil dipstick…
Logbook Porsche 911 (997) Carrera
Engine: 3614cc 24v 6-cyl, 345bhp @ 6500rpm, 289lb ft @ 4400rpm
Gearbox: 7-speed twin-clutch PDK, rear-wheel drive
Stats: 4.5sec 0-62mph, 179mph, 225g/km
Price: £69,538
As tested: £43,850
Miles on test: 12,372
Total miles: 38,973
Our mpg: 24.8
Official mpg: 28.8
Fuel cost overall: £2760.73
Extra costs overall: £2297 (service and repairs)
Count the cost
Cost a year ago: £43,850
Dealer sale price: £39,521
Private sale price: £36,546
Part-exchange price: £34,761
Cost per mile: 41p
Cost per mile including depreciation: £1.14