Calm Down, The 911 Isn't That Expensive*

"RyanFrew" (ryanfrew)
04/28/2014 at 09:37 • Filed to: VW Beetle

Thanks to a conversation I'm having in the comment section of Autofocus' !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I found myself doing a bit of research. According to an !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! from Car & Driver about the '95 Porsche 911, the base price was $63,000 (with luxury tax). They were impressed by this number because it was actually $5,000 less than the base price of the previous model. Adjusted for inflation, that means that the base 911s were priced at $97,680 and $108,420 for the 993 and 964, respectively. For comparison, the 991 starts at about $84,300, although we all know it's about impossible to get into one for that price.

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For further comparison, while we're having some fun, the '89 944 S2 started at $41,900. In today's dollars, that's $79,844. Sure, it's not an apples-to-apples comparison, but an $80,000 Boxster would run some serious circles around that '89 S2.

Frankly, I'm not sure how Porsche was able to sell cars so inexpensively during the era of the 996 and 986. Those body styles took the company straight through Germany's transition to the Euro, which could be relevant. The point is, Porsches were a pretty great deal in the early 2000s, which was the exception, not the rule.

*Numbers were found using the Department of Labor's !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

DISCUSSION (11)

CalzoneGolem > RyanFrew
04/28/2014 at 09:48

A second hand Boxter can easily be had for econo-car money

RyanFrew > CalzoneGolem
04/28/2014 at 09:48

Preach. Although, you better have a decent set of tools.

Party-vi > RyanFrew
04/28/2014 at 09:49

What if, and bear with me here cause this is a BIG what if, but what if Porsche realized they could lower the price of a car by de-contenting it and then pricing up the options list while still maintaining a health profit margin?

CalzoneGolem > RyanFrew
04/28/2014 at 09:51

Meh, they are far from complex though parts are more spendy than your typical new econo-car.

Mattbob > CalzoneGolem
04/28/2014 at 09:51

is that including the cost of parts?

RyanFrew > Party-vi
04/28/2014 at 09:55

Nope. Impossible. Plainly wrong. Haha, interestingly, I was reading another article published during Porsche's big slump in the late 80's (that continued into the early 90's), and a dealership was complaining about taking delivery of a new 911 Carrera 4 and claiming that they'd have to knock $15,000 off sticker because no one wanted all of the silly options that Porsche made standard. Porsche's strategy definitely changed.

RyanFrew > CalzoneGolem
04/28/2014 at 09:56

Right. And convincing anyone else to work on them typically isn't cheap either.

CalzoneGolem > Mattbob
04/28/2014 at 09:57

Nah you can find a decent examples for low 20s

Z_Stig > RyanFrew
04/28/2014 at 09:59

Porsche was able to make the 996 and 986 so cheaply with the help of Toyota, who knows a thing or two about mass production. Also helping, was the fact that Porsche had to make them cheaply or face financial ruin. Porsche was in dire straits in the mid 90s, but the 9x6 models helped them through the dark times. Of course, that meant that the Mk. I 996 shared it's entire front end - suspension and body work - with the lesser 986, and there a few quality issues with the mechanicals, but it has meant that they are among the best values in sports cars these days.

These days, Porsche starts it's pricing at a reasonable level, then most buyers start adding on the exorbitantly priced options and - kaching!

I think Porsche charges $600 for heated seats! In a car that they should be standard in!

Party-vi > RyanFrew
04/28/2014 at 09:59

Can you think of any other company that produces at Porsche's volume and has options like painted wheel crests, crest on headrests, painted key fob, painted wheels....

Stef Schrader > RyanFrew
04/28/2014 at 22:12

Stef's next car is probably going to be another P-car. They're not bad at all.