I enjoyed an interesting conversation and follow-up exercise this week with a good friend and Porsche 991 owner about the relative desirability of factory options on a 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera.
The car in question is his own. In the fleet since the middle of 2018, he was gearing up to part exchange it against a 987 Cayman. I have a couple of people on my books looking for a well priced 991 with full Porsche history and preferably the manufacturer’s warranty. The Guards Red 991 for sale ticked all those boxes, apart from the spec: it was a relatively simple car with manual transmission, Xenon lights, electric sports seats and a diff.
Many reviewers will claim that the perfect 911 is a simple “driver’s” spec with very few options, but try getting a buyer to go down that road. The 911 has always been sensitive to specification and buyers are aware of this. The notion that one will spec a new car to appeal to the next buyer may seem slightly twisted, but the reality is that this is how it has to be if you want to easily exit the car when the time comes to sell it.
I am not sure that a perfect spec exists: it really depends on your plans for the car and how long one intends to keep it. I like a sunroof, good lights and heated seats. A rear wiper is nice. Multifunction wheel is nice but not essential. DAB radio is kind of a must but overpriced factory navigation is something I can get by without.
That would be enough for me on a new 911, but bring a used car like this to market in a challenging colour and get ready for some pain. Buyers like dark metallics, they like navigation, they are not too bothered on sunroof, but PSE (sports exhaust) and PASM (active suspension) are acronyms they appreciate, and sort of expect.
I ran the 991 past a couple of people who I thought would click with the basic spec and classic profile, at a price in the mid £40ks, but it soon became obvious that this conversation was not going far. They don’t necessarily want a high spec car for themselves, but again they were looking to the next guy.
When it comes to options and setting a price for what the car comes with, it is usually the case that a car with reasonable spec should be the market average. Lower spec cars should cost less, and really high spec examples will fetch more. Paint to sample with high spec is the creme de la creme and well worth the premium (assuming the shade is your sort of thing). Personally, I like the simple life and lean towards simple Porsches, but buying a simple Porsche should only be attempted at an irresistible price.