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Which Porsche 911 should I buy to celebrate my retirement?

Growing up in the 1970s and 1980s I always hankered after a Porsche 911. Now approaching retirement that desire has returned with a mid-80s 3.0 SC being my favourite shape. Am I better off buying one of these for £50-60k and acknowledging that I will have to spend several thousand each year on maintenance or would I be better off buying a more recent version for another £40k or so?

I'd prefer a manual so that would mean a Carrera S although I'm not really interested in outright performance or lots of extras. I'm looking for a car that would do about 5000 miles a year and last me for about 20 years to potter about in retirement.

Asked on 14 October 2021 by Jason Down

Answered by Russell Campbell
Sounds like an excellent way to celebrate your retirement!

If the SC is the one you want, that's the model you should get. It's a lot of money to spend so I would recommend fastidious research on the good and bad things about that particular model so you know exactly what to look for. It makes sense to have the car inspected before purchase or to buy from a Porsche specialist who know the cars inside and out.

Annual maintenance shouldn't be in hundreds not the thousands, although it makes sense to keep a car fund set aside for any unforeseen larger issues. Have the car inspected annually and you should catch small problems before they develop into something bigger.
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