981GTS should i pull the trigger?

[KZC]

Hi all 

First post here. 

I'm coming from non-porsche background with the only two sports cars i've owned being an Abarth 124 spider and a 370Z, both auto. I've been contemplating on a boxster purchase and actually text drove one against the 124 Spider and decided at the time to go for the 124. I reason I went for the 124 was mainly how silly fun that car was even at legal speed and how playful the rear end was. Switching to the 370Z was an unfortunate event due to personal reasons I'd not disclose here but I missed a lot of the top down fun and the playfulness of the 124. The main issue with the 370 was that I had to be travelling at license losing speed to not feel like i'm driving a normal sedan. Yet I'm quite unwilling to get another 124 due to very very bad dealership experiences so a boxtser is now back on the list. 

It's kinda difficult to get to test drive a 981 at the moment in Brisbane due to low volume of cars available and I'm yet to drive the 718 (i guess that's one thing i should do). Based on my recollection of the 981 base pdk test drive I did 3 years ago, i think i'd be quite happy with the car esp the top down experience and the satisfying pdk shift. I've looked at the options on carsales and base 981 pdk are around the 90k mark for a 2015+ and low km (less than 40k) model and the S PDK are around the 110-120k mark. this has lead to me looking at a GTS PDK, with low KM, for 135k. Between the additional options and the (to me) nicer looking front end, I thought the GTS makes a pretty attractive proposition for 20k or so over the S. Part of me is also thinking that the GTS may have better resale than the S later down the track to I'm not exactly 20k down the drain for nothing? 

I've noticed that there's very much a shortage of 981 GTS on carsales and a white one with 33k on the clock  i've been watching sold with a listed price of 134.9k. This does make it very difficult for me to establish if I'm on the right track in terms of my research (or lack of). The car has been on the market for quite a while, at least 2-3months. I will definitely have it checked by Porsche prior to purchase but I'd like to know if there's anything in particular i should look out for or am I being completely out of my mind with this one? 

Kind regards

[rego]

The 981 GTS is basically an S with a badge, a few options as standard, a 3rd radiator, slightly different front and rear bumper and a modified ECU for more power.

The 981 GTS maybe had something when it was possibly going to be the fastest naturally aspirated Boxster made, but with the 4.0 718 being made which is newer and a much more special engine I wouldn't be buying a 981 GTS for 135k and I DEFINITELY wouldn't be buying an S for north of 100k, I've seen 981 Cayman S' for just north of 100k recently which usually hold a good premium over a Boxster.

If you are going to spend that sort of money would go look at a 991 series 911. You  can go buy something like this for 140k which has a Porsche extended warranty you can keep extending until 2028 https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-porsche-911-carrera-991-auto/SSE-AD-6599318/?Cr=0 

Or this which doesn't have extended warranty but is an S cab with minimal km https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2012-porsche-911-carrera-s-991-auto/OAG-AD-19669349/?Cr=2 c

[Andy73]

G'day @KZC

Welcome to PFA.

This is a tricky one...

GTS models in that age range do tend to be a bit of an anomaly in terms of pricing, holding value exceptionally well but often sitting on the market for a longer period (historically at least). Up until a year ago, 981 Cayman S could be had comfortably for $90-$100K. I passed on a beautiful, low mileage PDK example that I wish I'd snapped up. At that moment in time, the idea of throwing an extra $30K ++ down to get a GTS didn't seem to make much sense, given the difference in spec is not massive. However, S model 981s are experiencing upward pressure in terms of pricing so the difference between them and the GTS is now a bit more realistic. Will rising S prices push GTS prices? Who knows. I suppose the point is that the GTS always seemed to me - as @rego said above - to be maybe overpriced for what you get. at this point though, maybe it's a bit more reasonable. That said, $25k is $25k so if you can pick up a decent S for $110ish you're getting most of the GTS features but for a good chunk cheaper.

It's true, you could get a 991.1 for around $140+ (I bought a 991.1 S) but I'd say it depends on how you plan to use the car. I bought the 991 as I needed to daily it as well as enjoy weekend runs. But i can tell you that for the weekend driving I do, in most instances, I'd prefer a Cayman over the 991. Particularly on the super tight stuff where the 991's comparatively large size becomes apparent. If I had my time over, I'd have chosen the Cayman S over the 991S.

[KZC]

3 hours ago, rego said:

The 981 GTS is basically an S with a badge, a few options as standard, a 3rd radiator, slightly different front and rear bumper and a modified ECU for more power.

The 981 GTS maybe had something when it was possibly going to be the fastest naturally aspirated Boxster made, but with the 4.0 718 being made which is newer and a much more special engine I wouldn't be buying a 981 GTS for 135k and I DEFINITELY wouldn't be buying an S for north of 100k, I've seen 981 Cayman S' for just north of 100k recently which usually hold a good premium over a Boxster.

If you are going to spend that sort of money would go look at a 991 series 911. You  can go buy something like this for 140k which has a Porsche extended warranty you can keep extending until 2028 https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2013-porsche-911-carrera-991-auto/SSE-AD-6599318/?Cr=0 

Or this which doesn't have extended warranty but is an S cab with minimal km https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/details/2012-porsche-911-carrera-s-991-auto/OAG-AD-19669349/?Cr=2 c

Thank you mate for the great information. I do realise that with the GTS 4.0 and the spyder being built, the 981gts are no longer as special as they once was going to be, which means that I should be able to pick one up without too much premium over a well optioned S. Maybe I can aim for just north of 100k for this one but i doubt that id' have much of a chance esp with the current covid tax situation. 

I like the look of a 991 and may be able to persuade myself to justify the additional coins. My biggest concern is that it's possibly going to fall under the same 'drive slow and no fun, have fun and lose your license' category as my 370Z. I know that the 981gts will still need to be driven properly to have fun but without many other convertible options i think this is as close as it gets to having fun at reasonable speeds. 

BTW to address the elephant in the room, I've considered MX-5 very seriously but finds it bit too soft edged for my liking. I'd love a straight 4 lotus but there's no auto option. 

3 hours ago, Andy73 said:

G'day @KZC

Welcome to PFA.

This is a tricky one...

GTS models in that age range do tend to be a bit of an anomaly in terms of pricing, holding value exceptionally well but often sitting on the market for a longer period (historically at least). Up until a year ago, 981 Cayman S could be had comfortably for $90-$100K. I passed on a beautiful, low mileage PDK example that I wish I'd snapped up. At that moment in time, the idea of throwing an extra $30K ++ down to get a GTS didn't seem to make much sense, given the difference in spec is not massive. However, S model 981s are experiencing upward pressure in terms of pricing so the difference between them and the GTS is now a bit more realistic. Will rising S prices push GTS prices? Who knows. I suppose the point is that the GTS always seemed to me - as @rego said above - to be maybe overpriced for what you get. at this point though, maybe it's a bit more reasonable. That said, $25k is $25k so if you can pick up a decent S for $110ish you're getting most of the GTS features but for a good chunk cheaper.

It's true, you could get a 991.1 for around $140+ (I bought a 991.1 S) but I'd say it depends on how you plan to use the car. I bought the 991 as I needed to daily it as well as enjoy weekend runs. But i can tell you that for the weekend driving I do, in most instances, I'd prefer a Cayman over the 991. Particularly on the super tight stuff where the 991's comparatively large size becomes apparent. If I had my time over, I'd have chosen the Cayman S over the 991S.

Thank you Andy for the welcome. 

The only reason why I looked at the GTS was the seemingly reasonable price delta, and not having to look through every base and S to find out which one's got the options (must haves include pdk, PSE, chrono, sports steering wheel and maybe a set of nice carrera wheels). 

it's somewhat comforting to know that GTS typically sits on the market for a little while as I didn't think of this at all. I thought that people would be jumping all over the GTS and there must be something wrong with this particular one that made it stay on the market for so long. 

The car will be my DD but i don't drive that much at all and rarely do long trips. I find satisfaction in good shifts, nice sound, accurate steering and not necessarily going fast. I feel a 911 may be too big and too stable for what I want and i don't need additional seats. 

[Andy73]

Totally get this mate. When I was looking for a Cayman S, I found the same challenge (particularly if you start hunting for a manual!)

I think the moments of GTS sitting for longer are also on the way out. I know there was a yellow one on CS which just sold. I say, if it feels right, snap one up. I've never seen a bad report on that car (in fact, watch Dickie Meaden's review on YouTube and you'll decide it's the only car you need). 

[nytelfer]

Hi @KZC - the Rhodium Silver BGTS is appealing & reasonably priced given low km - difficult to say if the premium over a well optioned 981S model is justified but you will pick up some the difference at resale time. One point to note is this particular car has the X73 suspension option so PASM is deleted & the ride height is lower - you would want to take a decent test drive to ensure you are happy with the firmer ride if the car is to be used as a daily driver & and that it doesn’t scrape the front end on your driveway. I also prefer the look of the GTS model over the S albeit the difference is more pronounced on the Cayman.

Genuine GTS sellers do appear to be dropping their prices after testing the market at elevated levels - the white BGTS you mention was initially listed at $150k before price dropped to $135k - a CGTS also changed hands very recently at a significant discount to the initial asking price after being on the market a short time.

The asking prices of low km 981S models (Boxster & Cayman) appear to have lifted in recent weeks so a price just north of $100k for the Rhodium BGTS is ambitious but an awesome buy if you can negotiate it!

As an owner of a 981S for over 4-years, nothing in particular to watch out for - required tyres at 28,000km & front brakes (pads & discs) at 41,000k but otherwise nothing other than scheduled services. Happy if you PM me for additional details.

[rego]

16 hours ago, KZC said:

Thank you mate for the great information. I do realise that with the GTS 4.0 and the spyder being built, the 981gts are no longer as special as they once was going to be, which means that I should be able to pick one up without too much premium over a well optioned S. Maybe I can aim for just north of 100k for this one but i doubt that id' have much of a chance esp with the current covid tax situation. 

I like the look of a 991 and may be able to persuade myself to justify the additional coins. My biggest concern is that it's possibly going to fall under the same 'drive slow and no fun, have fun and lose your license' category as my 370Z. I know that the 981gts will still need to be driven properly to have fun but without many other convertible options i think this is as close as it gets to having fun at reasonable speeds. 

BTW to address the elephant in the room, I've considered MX-5 very seriously but finds it bit too soft edged for my liking. I'd love a straight 4 lotus but there's no auto option. 

No worries, I would say that GTS models are realistically not going to be available for much less than 120-130k.  Based on what you  said it sounds like they would be far better suited to you than a 991, I was just suggesting it as it's similar money for a car that went for nearly double the price new.

Make sure you drive a 981 S/GTS before buying if you thought a 370Z was hard to enjoy without losing your licence, the chassis is so good on the 981 that it's going to be partial throttle a lot of the time if you drive hard in the bends, however the sound of the engine and the way the PDK blips makes up for a lot.

We are selling our MX5 at the moment to make room for a 991, it will be sad to see ours go but I get what you mean about them being soft out of the box, I think a Porsche is far nicer stock.

[AndrewM]

If you are looking for something that is fun at low speeds, look at a Lotus Elise.

I used to have a Gen 1 MX-5, and the Lotus handles better, and more fun to drive at low speeds due to how low you are to the ground. Even doing 60km/h feels kinda fast!

Edited 11May, 2021 by AndrewM

[KZC]

22 hours ago, Andy73 said:

Totally get this mate. When I was looking for a Cayman S, I found the same challenge (particularly if you start hunting for a manual!)

I think the moments of GTS sitting for longer are also on the way out. I know there was a yellow one on CS which just sold. I say, if it feels right, snap one up. I've never seen a bad report on that car (in fact, watch Dickie Meaden's review on YouTube and you'll decide it's the only car you need). 

thank you very much for your outlook and I'll check out Dickie Meaden's review for sure. 

16 hours ago, nytelfer said:

Hi @KZC - the Rhodium Silver BGTS is appealing & reasonably priced given low km - difficult to say if the premium over a well optioned 981S model is justified but you will pick up some the difference at resale time. One point to note is this particular car has the X73 suspension option so PASM is deleted & the ride height is lower - you would want to take a decent test drive to ensure you are happy with the firmer ride if the car is to be used as a daily driver & and that it doesn’t scrape the front end on your driveway. I also prefer the look of the GTS model over the S albeit the difference is more pronounced on the Cayman.

Genuine GTS sellers do appear to be dropping their prices after testing the market at elevated levels - the white BGTS you mention was initially listed at $150k before price dropped to $135k - a CGTS also changed hands very recently at a significant discount to the initial asking price after being on the market a short time.

The asking prices of low km 981S models (Boxster & Cayman) appear to have lifted in recent weeks so a price just north of $100k for the Rhodium BGTS is ambitious but an awesome buy if you can negotiate it!

As an owner of a 981S for over 4-years, nothing in particular to watch out for - required tyres at 28,000km & front brakes (pads & discs) at 41,000k but otherwise nothing other than scheduled services. Happy if you PM me for additional details.

thank you so much for pointing out the X73, i wasn't even aware of that and just assumed that it has PASM. it appears that the car has been specified with quite a performance focus i think the main thing left now is the car condition (might have been on track or driven harder than many others) and the price. 

I will definitely get Porsche GC to go over the vehicle before purchase and maybe even consider getting warranty extension. 

2 hours ago, AndrewM said:

If you are looking for something that is fun at low speeds, look at a Lotus Elise.

I used to have a Gen 1 MX-5, and the Lotus handles better, and more fun to drive at low speeds due to how low you are to the ground. Even doing 60km/h feels kinda fast!

Elise has always been my most logical move if not for the manual only proposition. I want something that's just that bit better than the 124 spider with dealer support and Elise seems to go along a very similar formula (much more so than the 981GTS) but i fear that as a DD the manual only will eat away some of the enjoyment out of the car particularly just in the daily grind. 

[AndrewM]

3 hours ago, KZC said:

Elise has always been my most logical move if not for the manual only proposition. I want something that's just that bit better than the 124 spider with dealer support and Elise seems to go along a very similar formula (much more so than the 981GTS) but i fear that as a DD the manual only will eat away some of the enjoyment out of the car particularly just in the daily grind. 

Always a good excuse for a test drive. 😄

The Elise (not Exige) has a super light clutch and the shift is light too, so never found it a problem in traffic. You do sit really low, so your biggest issue is ingesting all the fumes from the hiluxes and landcruisers around you.