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1997 Porsche 911
Invoice: $54,952 - $129,300
Miles Per Gallon
City: 13 MPG - 17 MPG
Highway: 19 MPG - 25 MPG
Body Style: Coupe, Convertible
Engines: 3.6L H-6 282 HP, 3.6L H-6 400 HP
Sports cars do not lend themselves to the kind of rational evaluation found elsewhere on these pages. Every virtue most car-buyers hold dear--low price, fuel economy, spacious accommodations or minimal maintenance cost--is conspicuously absent from the attribute lists of these high-performance machines. The fact of the matter is that sports cars are not designed to appeal to consumers. Rather, they are directed at driving enthusiasts, people who choose transportation based on input from their hearts, not minds. The motivations here can seldom be justified, and really don't need to be. Every sports car on the road represents a victory of want over need. Porsche owners--specifically, Porsche 911 owners--are at the peak of this small but intense class of customers. They are fiercely loyal, usually vocal about their reasons for purchase and are, almost without exception, as much in love with their cars as a car owner can be. Such partisanship is understandable. Porsche has experimented with a variety of engine layouts and body designs over the years, but at the core of its business the 911 series, first introduced in late 1964, stands alone. The 911's preeminence is now fact as much as fable. All current Porsches are 911 derivatives, whether entry-level 911 Carrera coupe, Carrera Targa (with its innovative sliding glass roof panel), flip-top Cabriolet, all-wheel drive Carrera 4 or 4S, or overachieving 911 Turbo. Over a 32-year production span, they have been improved in countless ways, to the point where they blend real-world comfort with performance that can only be exploited to the maximum on a race track. Logically, the 911s have a host of competitors. The Acura NSX, Chevrolet Corvette, Dodge Viper, Mazda RX-7, Toyota Supra Turbo and Nissan 300ZX Turbo are all ultra-high performance machines, and most are less expensive. But this is not an arena where comparison shopping has much meaning. If you're in the market for one of these cars, your heart will tell you which dealer to visit. Our test car was the top-of-the-line 911 Turbo, one of the true rocket sleds of sportscardom.
Purchasing an older vehicle, such as the 1997 Porsche 911, makes good financial sense. You're able to avoid the steep depreciation rates that occur with brand new vehicles. This essentially gives you the advantage of getting a 1997 Porsche 911 for less money than when it was new. If the 1997 Porsche 911 was properly maintained, you also have a good chance of steering clear of problems that would have developed when the car was new.
The amount you pay for an older car depends on various factors. One important element is where you buy the vehicle. You're likely to get a better deal if you buy it from a private party, as opposed to a dealer. On the other hand, a reputable dealer will normally have some kind of limited warranty, so you can drive away knowing that if the car breaks down right away, you'll be covered. Another factor that may affect price on a 1997 Porsche 911 is whether it's "certified" by the manufacturer. A certified vehicle will cost more because warranty service is provided that normally doesn't come with a used car.
Another dynamic that will play into the purchase price is the resale value. A used vehicle with a high resale value will obviously cost you more. It is expected that the 1997 Porsche 911 will have a very good resale value. This assumes that the 1997 Porsche 911 is in good condition and has a reasonable number of miles.
Find a used 1997 Porsche 911 for sale at CarsDirect.
