e mid-engined maestros
ewd Porsche buyers should not overlook late-model six-cylinder Cayman
d Boxster models, according to our sources – especially the GT4 Cayman
rrently around $205K) and limited-run models like the Boxster Spyder.
e virtues of the thirstier, less torquey atmo sixes over the turbo flat-fours
well documented, and while second-hand values may not have fully
tomed,thewordisthattimemaynotbefaroff,andfromthere,thesecars
ould be, at the very least, depreciation-proof. And remain joyous to drive.IT’S ENOUGH to make us regular car-buying lunks
go in search of a very high window ledge to step off.
I’ve burned tens of thousands over the years in vehicle
depreciation, when it turns out all I really needed to do
was buy a decent 911, revel in the driving thrills and
watch it rise in value like a glider riding a warm updraft.
But can it really be that simple? What happened to the
old finance adage that if something appears too good to
be true, it probably is?
Well, a degree of prudence is always necessary in any
form of investing, and the Porsche owners we spoke to
mostly insisted that they did not buy their cars with
expectations of turning a profit; merely with the hope
that running costs would be kept in check by a degree of
capital appreciation.
But are we now in bubble territory, where values could
drop like a stone? This seems unlikely, because the fact
is that ‘classic’ 911 values have softened over the past 18
or so months, by as much as 15 to 20 percent according to
our sources. So a little steam being let out of the market
may have now steadied it, but demand remains solid so a
plunge in values seems remote.
According to Porsche expert Anthony Raymond (Sales
manager, Autohaus Hamilton, Chatswood, NSW) the
demand is underpinned by several fundamentals: firstly,
at a global level, the rich are getting richer, and are
prepared to pay huge premiums for limited-run models
like the GT2 RS and 911 R if they are unable to secure
a spot in the queue. “This has the effect of dragging the
broader ‘classic’ 911 market up,” says Raymond.
Then there’s the housing market, which has surged
massively in the last decade or so. “When mature-age
home owners with low debt realise their house is worth
twice or more than they paid for it, they feel more
inclined to buy a ‘lifestyle asset’ like a classic car, and
this also pushes the market higher,” says Raymond.
Further to this, as 911 values have boomed since
around 2010, it’s made some buyers wonder if they
have missed the boat, and turn their attention to other
models, like 944 Turbos, 968s and 928s. According
to Raymond, values of these models have firmed
considerably over the last five or so years, and thatPORSCHE
IT’S NOT JUST DRIVERS WHO LOVE THE CARS FROM66 whichcar.com.auu///wheels
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