Porsche 911 Coupé (04 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 18 February 2011
Now in its fifth decade of continual evolution, the 911 is more honed and polished than ever. It retains those classic looks which have made Porsche such an iconic carmaker, but underneath lies some of the most sophisticated technology around. It's still rear-engined, but it's not intimidating to drive and offers incredible traction along with stunningly effective brakes. There's a wide range of models available from the entry level Carrera up to the racetrack-inspired GT3 RS, but all offer storming performance along with that unmistakable Porsche engine soundtrack. In mid-2008 the 911 was facelifted with new engines, styling tweaks and the introduction of a twin-clutch automatic gearbox called PDK.
5 out of 5

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2 out of 5

Buying new

The 911 is a substantial purchase new with prices ranging from around £60,000 up to more than £125,000 for the GT2. If you're ordering new then a discount is highly unlikely - Porsche dealers aren't under pressure to sell large numbers and there's always plenty of demand. The extensive options list could give you some room to haggle though.

4 out of 5

Buying used

Compared to other high performance cars from the likes of Aston Martin, the 911 is a far more common site on the second hand market, so tracking one down shouldn't be too much of a problem. However a full Porsche dealer service history is essential. Facelifted cars from 2008 are easy to spot thanks to the LED daytime running lights in the front bumper.

  • Boot/Load Space Porsche 911 Coupé (04 on)
  • Interior Porsche 911 Coupé (04 on)

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See 76 used Porsche 911 Coupés for sale, starting at £25,950

4.5 out of 5

Selling

There's a strong market for used Porsches, but key options such as sat nav will help the sale no end. Unsurprisingly the majority of buyers want low mileage examples, but the 911 is superbly built and can easily cope with higher miles - as long as they're well maintained.