• Inescapably expensive to run
• But relatively efficient all things considered
• At least it’ll hold its value well

What are the running costs?

Consider that most Porsche 911 Coupes will cost in excess of £100,000 new once you’ve been via the options list, and it’s inevitable that running one won’t be cheap. Not only will the purchase or finance cost be pricey, expect tax and insurance to be hefty, too, while servicing and replacement part (tyres and brakes at the very least) will be right at the top end of the market as well.

At least a light right foot will reward you with surprisingly good economy. We’ve managed mid-20s mpg (miles-per-gallon) easily, with more efficiency possible if you have a particularly light touch.

Drive the 911 as it begs to be driven, and economy will plunge. Though perhaps not as much as you might fear unless you’re really on the ragged edge in a Turbo or GT3 model.

Servicing and warranty

Like all Porsches, the 911 gets a three-year unlimited mileage warranty. An official Porsche extended warranty can increase this to 15 years or 125,000 miles for a fee. Should your purchase break down in the first three years, you’ve also got European breakdown cover for free.

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Officially, the service intervals are up to 20,000 miles or every two years on non-GT-model 911s. If you’re to consider these cars a proper investment, however, we’d halve both those intervals (as is indeed the case for models sold in the USA). For the GT3 range its every 12,000 miles anyway, but the harder you use these cars the more regularly you should at least change the oil.

There are plenty of well respected independent specialists that can help keep servicing costs down, but we’d stick with the local OPC (Official Porsche Centre) during the warranty period; these often have good fixed-price servicing deals, too.

Reliability

• Hopefully more reliable than its predecessor
• A well-honed, beautifully engineered car
• Replacement parts will be expensive

It’ll be some time before we’ve a clear picture about how reliable the 992-generation Porsche 911 Coupe is, but both its builder and customers of the previous 991-generation model will be hoping it proves to be more robust.

Inevitably, despite Porsche’s position within the enormous Volkswagen Group, many of the 911’s components are unique to the sports car brand and consequently will be expensive if they need to be replaced.

We’ll update this page as and when there’s a definitive line to report, but there already some areas of concern. This ranges from quite trivial (but still very annoying) problems with Bose hifi system through to software updates and more concerning issues with engine mounts, driveshafts and cranks. Leaks from the PDK transmission aren’t uncommon, either.

If buying used it should be straightforward to call the local Porsche dealership to make sure any outstanding recall work has been carried out. There are plenty of specialist pre-purchase inspection services in the UK, too. Read their reviews carefully before choosing.