Goodbye to my 993...or not?

I was given the opportunity to trade my 98 993 C4S with 144,000 on the clock + a couple grand in cash for a perfect 08 Cayman S with Adaptive Sport Seats, Sport Chrono & only 8,000 miles. The Cayman would be my new daily driver until its near death.

I love the 993 - my favorite 911 I've ever owned. I bought it new & its more or less been my daily driver since then. Looks great, no loss of power & I only add a quart of oil every 4K. I'm assuming there's no need for a top end rebuild anytime soon that I'd feel guilty about laying off to my buddy.

I've already placed a deposit on Boxster Spyder (I was going to keep the 993), but with the Cayman I basically have the same car & can save $70K.

Seeing as I'm getting a new car for the next 10 years I know I should take the offer & I also know I'm going to feel sick about it afterward. I guess I'm looking for a good reason not to make the deal.

So...would you give up the classic 993 for a new Cayman?

 

Man, that's a tough one. Yes, I would trade. A slew of purists would not.

Speaking of value alone, your 993 is going up, your cayman is going down. That would be offset by the spyder which will also go down.

Speaking of performance and fun, I much prefer the cayman S. 3.4 liter is a lot of fun in that mid-engined car. Test drive the heck out of a Cayman S and see what you think. Neither will be as much fun as the Spyder, but thats a lot of money to put in your pocket to have DD car that you can use at the track.



My completely unrelated suggestion.... For the same price range, I would stoop to an early 996 turbo with the GT based dry sump engine as a DD.

 

For some reason part of my brain says going to the Cayman S is a downgrade.......but going to the Boxster Spyder is not. Funny 'dat......illogical at best.....but what the hell.

Having said that........you didn't say how much cash on your part is involved in the deal, but if a "couple of grand" really means <$5K I'd say go for it RFN......if it is between $5K and $10K I'd say pass. A 200,000 KM 993 is saleproof where I live, for any sum over $25K, regardless of condition.

How about this, after the deal is done, go and sell/trade the Cayman S and buy another low mile 993 afterwards ?

 

The cash trade amount is less than $5K or a Dino Zei watch of mine.

Believe me, I've thought about doing just what you suggested. I looked around on Autotrader last night and low mileage 97-98 993's (got to have the wide hips!) are upwards of $50K. I'd be paying a premium for a low mileage car which I'd instantly begin putting miles on. That's why I'm leaning towards the Cayman - its a killer Porsche and I don't have to worry about miles. I think I should get out when the getting is good.

If I make the trade I've also considered scrapping the Boxster Spyder & buying a 3x8 GTS ~$40K & playing with it for a year or two. I shouldn't lose any/much money and can pick up a clean Spyder on a lease turn-in in 24-48 months if i still want one.

 

Do you love the Cayman as much as your 993 ? Because if you drive it too 100k + miles, you will basically be giving it away when you are tired of it whereas you still seem to love your C4S and those will prob always be worth something.

 

I like the 993 more than the Cayman, but looking at the deal from a cold hard money perspective it makes sense to buy the Cayman.

If your 993 was a 14,000 mile, pristine show car, then I might think twice. But with 144,000 miles on the clock, you're probably going to be due for a new car (or an expensive rebuild on this one) in the not too distant future anyway.

The reason NOT to make the deal would be if you'd be happier with another 993 instead. Values on those are about as low now as they ever will be.

I sold my '96 993 cab in 2005, with 11,000 miles on it, and I would take that car back in a heartbeat over a Cayman.

 

Agree on both counts. Plus the latter gives him a chance to 'test own' a Cayman for not much money.

 

I have a 97 993 C2S that is going on the block. 40,xxx miles, Vesuvio Grey Metallic, yellow calipers, Better Bodies Turbo S wing (as well as original articulating wing), S door sills and gage faces. I'm in town out by the beach if interested.

 

Tough choice. The practical side says, a 993 with 144K on the clock is will need some work sooner or later. With the Cayman S you will be getting a close to new car, its still under warranty, and its not costing you much to get into. The Cayman S is a great performer and out handles a modern 997 (I think one of the car magazines showed a current Cayman S made it around the track as quickly as a 997, even though the CaymanS has 60hp less). Its probably also got more modern amenities and may be more practical as a daily driver than a 993.

That being said, when it comes to sports cars sometimes the practical side does not matter. I can't say I'd want to change from a 993 to a Cayman S. The 993 is the last of the air cooled cars. No offense to owners of the 996/997, but 996/997s are so different from the air cooled cars that I don't consider them 911s any more so than I'd consider a Ferrari 458 Italia a 308GTB. I am a huge fan of the the air cooled cars. Whatever the pros and cons are to owning a 993 (or any air cooled 911) there is no denying they are distictive in shape, handling, bizarre ergonomics, and feel. To me there is a much more mass produced feel with modern Porsches, while the air cooled cars still have a small cottage industry handbuilt feel. Thats not to say Porsches have not become better performers and better daily drivers as a result of large scale production and economies of scale. I think their is a historic side of the 993 and earlier cars that a Cayman S will not have.

Just so people don't think I'm a dyed in the wool air cooled car fan, a few months ago we picked up 2008 Boxster RS60 that had never been sold. It had 122 miles on the ODO, and was CPO'd so the warranty is good until 2015. Its quite different from previous Porsches I've driven and very different from a 308/328, but its a blast to drive! Its definitely a very useable sports car and one that can easily be a DD. I'm sure you would find a Cayman S to be a very enjoyable car to drive on nice winding roads, and easy to drive in day to day traffic...but its not a 911.

Maybe as another suggested, make the trade, then look for a great 993 with low miles. Its still going to be less money than the $70K you were going to spend on a Boxster Spyder. Then you will have the best of both worlds a fun DD and a 993 for weekends, vacations and just the occasional drive to work. Let the Cayman accrue the battle scars of high mileage...just my 2 cents.

Let us know how things go.
Best regards,
Dino

 

I swapped cars with my buddy last night so I'll have it until next weekend. I hate to say it, but the Cayman is absolutely brilliant so far. Very comfortable, smooth power and beautifully balanced on the twisty residential streets around my house. However, the more I look at it the less I like its lines.

My better half and I heading up to the Monterrey Peninsula for the weekend and I should have some good fun driving the 1! More to follow...

 

Watching with interest - my DD is a 1996 993 Targa with 109,800 miles.

I am hoping it will just last until I retire - have driven an AC 911 since 1969.

 

I wouldn't call it a beauty. But the one I drove a couple years back was unflappable, so to be behind the wheel is to forgive a lot...

 

Well, I've had the Cayman for a week and even drove it up the California coast. Frankly, for what it is, I can't find too many flaws with the car - its that good. Plenty of power, brilliant balance, good brakes (maybe a bit mushy but still pretty damn good) fantastic fuel mileage and the adaptive sport seats are superb. FWIW, I saw very little benefit to the sport chrono package. If I were optioning a new Cayman I'd pass on it.

As good as it is I still prefer my clearly inferior 993 C4S. The 911 looks superior from every angle, its build quality won't be seen again and I guess I just feel more comfortable in the dated interior - although I would love to have the adaptive sport seats in the 993. Long live the air-cooled 911 - I think I'll always have one in my garage.

My plan is to make the trade with my friend, sell the Cayman and get a fresh(er) 993 C2S or C4S as some of you have suggested. So, I need to familiarize myself with the Cayman market & see what I can get for it. I see what people are asking for them but have no idea of what they end up selling for. Any of you unload one recently?

 

glad you made what i consider the better decision. the c2s and c4s cars are the last in line for porsche in my opinion. congrats on your decision.

 

nO TRUER WORDS...