REVEALED: The best Porsches to buy for under £50,000

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There's a great deal of choice in the £0-50,000 bracket when it comes to Porsche, covering the Cayman, Boxster, 911, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera, plus the transaxle cars like the 924, 944 and 928. But which is the best to buy?
In this video 9WERKS enlists in expert help to pick out the best Porsches to buy for up to £50k, under the categories of best all-rounder, most Porsche performance, and most underrated.
Thanks to Chris at Harbour Cars and Phil at Philip Raby Specialist Cars for their insight and opinion.
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Search the full range of Philip Raby stock for sale here: philipraby.co.uk/home/special...
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[@alanwayte1688]

Worth mentioning depreciation, I have a 2011 997.2 GTS that I purchased in 2017 for £54.000 and it has increased in value. I was offered £58.000 last month, it’s not a garage queen I do 5000 miles a year and cost me £800 in costs last year

[@stephenauty2402]

That's a good point.

[@Carsaddiction]

That was a great entey point. The issue is what would you sell it for, so might as well keep it.

[@alanwayte1688]

@@Carsaddictionabsolutely true or have a company 340i and the depreciation on that in two years is something you would not want as a private owner

[@HdHd-hp6qz]

Yes but just because one person offered you that price that doesn’t mean that’s it’s market value.

[@Carsaddiction]

@HdHd-hp6qz actually average sold prices at auction are higher then estimated above.

[@EAD_0]

Always surprises me how the Panamera products are always overlooked, especially the GTS & Turbo variants. The 970.2 GTS with its N/A V8 sounds like a nascar.

[@markduffy9475]

987 Boxster S, owned for eights years, never missed a beat and handled like it was on rails. Now I have a low milage two owner 996 gen2 Carrera. Paid 24k for it and its awesome, done some tweaks to it suspension wise with a fast road setup, it covers ground at an astonishing rate. Absolutely unbelievable value for money. Its a keeper.

[@JJ-pe1wy]

981 GTS all day. That’s the hidden gem and one of the best overall packages of all Porsche models ever. Sold mine for a 992 and it was a bad move ;)

[@spyder_man]

Great video Lee, as a 987 RS60 Spyder owner I can confirm: Only 300 came to UK with 1960 made worldwide, all numbered cars. Available in red or black interior/hood and any combination of the two. Limited GT Silver paint, PASM, PSE, hardback GT silver sports seats, GT silver centre console, full leather dash and interior as standard, with special perforated leather in places. 5mm spacers all round, sits 10mm lower and stance looks just right. Hand painted silver roll hoops, hand painted A pillars in gloss black. Sport design 19” wheels and exterior trim, PASM makes the ride smooth even on 19” wheels. The induction noise and exhaust with valves open sound is sublime, with the roof down its orchestral. For 20-28k its a big chunk of Porsche for the cash, through the Porsche lens, a bargain IMO. The drive is outstanding, only weakness is some 3.4 engine cars had bore scoring, this can be prevented to a large degree by: Annual oil change, low temp thermostat, use injector cleaner and good fuel to limit bore washing, dont idle from cold to warm up and dont rev high until warm. I love this car, dont see how to beat it as a package, try one and call me a liar 😂

[@f.kieranfinney457]

But that roof is a dog. Mazda make a lovely manual roof so it’s possible yet Porsche’s version takes forever and doesn’t protect well. I mean come on Porsche. There’s light weight and then there’s just pointless.

[@gjonno]

@@f.kieranfinney457the RS60 Spyder has an electric roof as it’s based on the 987.1 so your Mazda comparison is incorrect. The manual umbrella roof you are referring to is on the gen 2 987 Spyder from 2010. The 2008 RS60 is a gem of a car. I’ve owned one for 10 years and racked up over 75k miles in it.

[@GT380man]

Much appreciate your work! Recent 911 owner, 996 40th anniversary edition. Excited to collect soon. A few upgrades being done. Interesting factoid about how difficult undoing fasteners can be through the generations.

[@richardsholl5977]

Love the way Phil Rabey suggests “you won’t look like a tw@t”. Brilliant. And true.

[@flatsixy689]

“You won’t look like a twat”, deadly serious. 😂

[@michaelbender1226]

Best Porsche Channel..! Cheers from Germany

[@GC987]

Very thought provoking. Brilliant !!!

[@911aircooled5]

Spot on Gents! What ever your taste or desire, always buy the best cared for Porsche (service history, washed, owner passion, etc) and not always the best spec. They are reliable and great motoring, but if neglected it will cost and you'll forever be chasing an issue. If you are looking to get into your first Porsche, Lee at 9werks is your go to man. Font of knowledge and accurate.

[@Pricey512]

A relatable Porsche video, well done 👏

[@jdrennsport8704]

Great piece as always, Chris. And I agree that a Macan, while a great SUV, is not a sports car and not something I would consider to be in the same category of fun and sportiness as a 911 or Boxster/Cayman. For a daily driver, I need a 911 for the back seats. Also I live in a four season environment and need AWD to make the car usable all year long. For me, therefore, the winner at the £50K/$62K range in a 911 is the 996 or 997 C4S. The 996 Turbo and 997.1 Turbo (or a 991.1 S or 4s for that matter) are in a significantly higher price bracket, at least in the U.S. for a decently spec’ed manual transmission car with reasonable mileage. Back then to the 996, 997.1 and 997.2 C4s, I’ve owned all three and would put the 997.2 at the bottom of that list. As you implied, but I don’t think many realize, underneath the skin the 9:10 997.2 is really a proto 991 (and the 997.1 is really more like a 996.3) and therefore I find the 997.2 to be quite dull to drive unless you are doing really big speeds. The 996 and 997.1 are much more analog and mechanical and for that reason I strongly prefer them (despite the higher potential for engine issues with the M96/M97 motor vs the 9A1 DFI in the 997.2). Of the three of those cars I never felt sad about selling the 997.2 and I still daily drive my 997.1.

[@996Revival]

Lots of good points!

[@flat6croc]

987 Spyder is a much better option if you want something special under £50k than the likes of an RS60, 550 Spyder, Black Editions, 996 40th etc. It's much more bespoke than any of those cars, and frankly a better car than any of them. Very much under rated and if you're desperate re chasing status and think cars are investments, which sadly a lot of people and this channel seem to be obsessed with, then long term there's no way it's not going to outperform those cars.

[@9WERKSTV]

We've long promoted the 987 Spyder and Cayman R on 9WERKS Radio, I think people get sick of me banging on about them!

[@flat6croc]

@@9WERKSTV That may be so, but when you have a video about the best Porsche "sports cars" under £50K and the bloody Macan on an Audi SUV platform features heavily and the 987 Spyder isn't mentioned, it's pretty odd, I'd say!

[@christianpratt]

I like the comparative off-the-cuff feel to this video Lee - and I think you got the best from Chris and Phil as a result. Some great suggestions. Also - pleased to see your eyes opening to the Boxsters and other metal from Zuffenhausen. They don’t really make bad cars! 😉

[@BAC_Mono]

997.1 C2s manual. Brilliant cars and don’t be worried about the engine issues, just put some money aside just in case and enjoy it! (I took mine on track at Silverstone and hand on heart it was as much fun as my BAC Mono!) (You can add bluetooth streaming for iPhone support, works really well with your phone in an air vent mount as the screen and keeps everything stock looking.)

[@peter466]

How do you do the Bluetooth audio?

[@BAC_Mono]

@@peter466 with a ‘mr 12volt’ Bluetooth adapter. They cost about £150 and work very well

[@halloweenjack8683]

Also worth mentioning the importance of getting a PPI

[@ianmitchell9102]

Best Porsche channel out there 👍

[@9WERKSTV]

Pints coming your way!

[@samarrenberg958]

Great video, watching it and being a Porsche ( lower end) enthusiast and owner one feels compelled to comment. Appreciate your 3k a year comments but I believe you could also push the fact that companies like Design911 sell good quality parts for less than dealer prices, thus bringing ownership costs down. A 5k Boxster of any engine derivative should not cost 3k a year in costs and doesn’t. Even if you say 50% of that budget on labour your left with 1.5k to which you could buy a lot of parts. Adding to the above, brakes, shocks, suspension components are all within most enthusiasts home garage skills. You can own a 996/987/987 or any of the earlier front engines models and maintain on a smaller budget than suggested. Fair enough you may not be getting the Porsche stamps, the dealer receipts but should you be bothered?, the likelihood the car will remain just as reliable as throwing 3k at it is the same. Should the model values start to rise an enthusiast maintained car over a dealer / specialist maintained car might not have the edge but when you consider the £’s saved you may not financially be missing out, plus the journey of ownership and connection you’d have got would be another element an owner who gives the car each time to someone else wouldn’t. There’s a whole load of bottom end 996/986/987 that are there to be loved, enjoyed and saved from the scrapyard or being parted. This channel is the platform to help people willing to roll up there sleeves or even do some of the mechanical donkey work at home or with likeminded folk and get/ keep these cars on the road. It can be done, perhaps the modern ways of liability would keep such an ethos from being broadcast, surely though the more Porsches on the road the better with the guidance from 9 Werks and it’s contributors. Too radical ?😀 Ps - each year I throw a few hundred quid at a 986 2.5, not excluding servicing, and each year it gets better 👍🏻, just acquired a 996, 3.4 cable throttle and will be doing the same.

[@chubbstock]

I believe the PCCM+ upgrade is only for the gen 1 cars at the moment.

[@spyder_man]

This is a true story.

[@9WERKSTV]

Ooh didn't know this, thanks for sharing with the community - all helps!

[@nigel.w]

@@9WERKSTV 9x7.2 PCCM+ upgrade probably due in 2026, and the 9x1.1 in 2030.

[@bwdrives]

987 black edition mentioned! They’re hard to come by but are effectively a 987.2 GTS given the spec and power bump, you can get one for a berry small premium to a regular Boxster s so I’d say they’re underrated

[@PeterKirton-nu9iv]

I owned the 986 anniversary edition bought new for 15 years. Great car

[@vukasinvlajic152]

You can tell these are UK prices. Continental Europe is nowhere near relative to the UK. 30.000 for a 996 Turbo, 45.000 for a 997 even? Sheesh, sign me up. 997.1 Turbo tiptronics are like 60k+. Nice video mate, cheers!

[@m4ttsbook]

Absolutely true about the 991.1 in that price bracket as I have - I will let you know if it hits the mark of my millennium roadtrip wise in two weeks 👌

[@tonyosullivan2382]

997 4 targa AWD manual isn't a bad shout for me. Quirky fun good looking 911 🤙

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

$50k, 911SC, seen a few great deals lately

[@shughes911]

Lee! Do you have merch for the us? Thx

[@duckman5642]

991.1 with 991.2 rear lights, perfect.

[@lawrenceconway8601]

I’d love a 996 turbo - so beautiful

[@createanddestroy]

Always amazed by how "cheap" they are in the UK. Also you are quite lucky to not pay tons of road tax and insurance. In Belgium it costs for a 996.1 around € 2400 in road tax and around €6-700 in insurance for these cars with limited miles/kilometers. So with an average of around 5-7000kms they easy cost 3500 euro a year to run without maintenance (or just an oil change) ... I think it might be an interesting comparison in cost (tax/insurance) between the different countries in the EU/world. But as always good quality content.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

That tax is nuts! What is the logic?

[@createanddestroy]

@@chriscarbaugh3936 Combination of engine displacement en CO2-emmissions. This up until they are 30 years old than there is the fixed road tax fee of around €100/year for any vehicle and only 2 yearly MOT.

[@stephenauty2402]

That would be a really good programme to do..I just taxed my 996 Turbo for £200 approx for 6 months , insurance £250. I think they're also cheaper to buy here in the UK.

[@nigel.w]

In London, the annual combined cost could be similar, due to the cost of insurance.

[@benpenagonzales6014]

You should do a video on reality cost of running a Porsche and going on holiday tours for 3 years inc insurance and track days etc

[@9WERKSTV]

cool idea!

[@911aircooled5]

That is really hard to quantify, if you can be more specific on model and year? Or do you mean Lee's little Irish? I've owned many Porsches over 35years, and they all have different daily running, track and trip expenses.

[@benpenagonzales6014]

@@911aircooled5 well so what car with £50k, that’s the question. Say, a week’s holiday each year with a trailer to Spain or the ferry to Spain. Plus £2k maintenance and tax and insurance? Plus a weeks holiday at say £5k of shipping cost and hotels etc. a la Harry’s garage style trip. So that’s 7 or 8k Pa times 3 is call it £25k total. As over 3 years some big bill would come up. Ie it’s not the 50k but what can you get for 25k that you can have an amazing 3 years with. Obvs bigger car bigger bills. What’s a good balance?

[@inksand]

Best value 996 (obviously) but no where nr yr £50k mark. I picked up a >100,000 mile 996 40 Jahre and with the change from £50 will gradually renew it. Got back today from a 4000 km road trip to Andalusia - car was a dream.

[@mylesurquhart]

Under £50k I'd buy my two cars all over again. Macan Turbo PP and 993 Carrera. 993 was £42k and I paid more than that for the PP but you'll get them under £40k now.

[@benpenagonzales6014]

Defo 987 boxster. 986 is so sweet but interior better in 987. And save the money for the best version, insurance and maintenance and holiday tours

[@spyder_man]

100% agree, 987 will be a future superstar, Boxster or cayman. Last of the Analogue drivers cars, sure they have a bit of tech but not too much. Hydraulic steering, good looking small frame, engine in the right place (physics). All weaknesses are well documented and have solutions, get a good one, sort it out and its smiles per gallon.

[@benpenagonzales6014]

@@spyder_man exactly! Currently with a 996.2 and yes it’s the big brother but it’s not the sweeter drive

[@kriskalpa]

I have a 986 anniversary as a fun car and it really is a lot of fun. Small and sounds great.

[@SussexMatt]

986 > 987 every time.

[@hugohugo2832]

Buy a 996 Turbo for £30k and save the rest. I’ve been running a high mileage one as a daily for 7 years. Still worth what I paid. Fantastic comfy exciting car

[@DarkClosetOfTheMind]

Macan, not a car. Agree on the 991.1 for performance. The 944 Turbo in the States is running about $30k. Entertaining video, thanks for sharing.

[@lklb8322]

I'd go for a 987.1 Cayman 2.7. No Bore Scoring, large unproblematic IMS, unbelievabely great chassis, fells much more athletic than a 997.1. I know the .2 is even more robust, but it doesnt justify 5-8k price difference (at leat in Germany). 85% the experience of the "911" for 50% of the price!

[@nigel.w]

Here in the UK, prices overlap significantly. I'd wait for a well-priced 987.2 base with the 2.9 port-injected engine, but each to their own. It's all good.

[@MWS1960]

I currently have a Racing Yellow with black glass roof and absolutely love it ❤️. I live in Scottsdale, AZ but I’m originally from Liverpool and looking to buy a second home now in the UK, so I’ll be checking these guys out for a 911. Hopefully I will t look like a twat 🤣🤣

[@Ty10444]

Is it better to buy from a Porsche dealership or specialist?

[@9WERKSTV]

Whichever offers you the best condition car with the best warranty, I'd say.

[@928pcar]

Low mileage 90’s 928 5 speed. Just as comfortable as any 911 and faster than the 3.3 911 Turbo

[@jeffchandler7662]

I’ll have upwards of 20k to spend on a Porsche in the next few weeks. It will be a daily drive but will only cover 6 to 7 k a year I’m tempted by a cayman Any thoughts guys and gals ?

[@stephenauty2402]

Brilliant cars as well as the Boxster. You could get a good 996 for that or even a 997 for that matter. Bear in mind Road tax on a Cayman could be very high.

[@nigel.w]

Keep road tax low by focussing on 56 reg and older.

[@josephradhik]

987.2 Cayman R or a Spyder. Also, the 987.2 doesn't have a PCCM+ yet. I'm still waiting.

[@nigel.w]

Probably 2026.

[@nigel.w]

Macan? I get it, but not for me. And it's compromised. A family car? Only if the kids are small. The leg room in the back is no better than some 2+2s. Personally, I'd rather have a Cayenne or a Panamera. Whether you like the looks or not, a Panamera feels special inside. There's no other sports saloon that has such a low-slung sporting driving position combined with limousine luxury. It is maybe a bit big for everyday for many people, which leads me back to the 911 as Porsche's best daily. Other than that, there were some good options. I was quite surprised how much Philip Raby seemed to rate the cars at the bottom of the food chain. Good to see. However, IMO 991s have to be the best Porsche daily under 50k. Otherwise, 997s and 981s have to be good calls. The only suggestion I don't get is 944s, Turbos or not. Underrated? I don't think they stack up well in 2024. 25k for a 944 Turbo/S with 220-250hp or 25k for a 997.1 Carrera manual with 325 n-a hp? Personally, I think the 997.1 Carrera manuals are the most underrated. People focus on the S, but it's only 25hp more and the 3.8 is far far more prone to bore scoring. Obviously, the 997 has a more classic appearance and is the right size for UK roads, and even the base has more than enough power for UK roads. Yes, there's the problem with bore scoring, but it's maybe worth bearing in mind that the purchase price of 997.1s is about the cost of a Hartech rebuild cheaper than a 997.2. They sound a lot better, and it now appears the 997.2s aren't as bulletproof as once thought. I'd also add an honourable mention to the 987.2 base. Excellent value for money. The 2.9 port injection engine appears to be the most reliable of the standard water-cooled engines, and it doesn't coke up like the DFI engines. Same performance as a 986 S.

[@HdHd-hp6qz]

Don’t ever buy a Porsche for under 50 grand especially if that 50 grand is every last penny you have.

[@Kyle900t]

The UK must have the cheapest Porsches today I reckon. Must be nice!

[@DanB-]

997 gen 2 are hurt by the insane road tax in my opinion, such a shame as they are the best looking 911s since the 993/964 but how caan anyone justify £700+/year on just road tax

[@spyder_man]

Depends on your situation/goals, you can manage it by taking off the road in the winter, 1/2 or 2/3 of the cost 6 or 4 months off the UK salty roads. Depreciation virtually zero with the right model and looked after. Pay monthly and its not so bad.

[@chubbstock]

Base 3.6 carrera road tax is more bearable. Nearly half the price of an S model.

[@DanB-]

@@spyder_man Its the principle of the cost for absolutely nothing in return when all newer stuff is super cheap at £190 after 5 years..... just a joke of a system in my opinion.

[@spyder_man]

@@DanB-Totally agree, its not a fair or even logical system. Should at least be capped and no longer adjusted for inflation once it hits that limit. I just wont let it stop me having the car I really want. Working round it softens the blow.

[@f.kieranfinney457]

Just drove a 991.2 C2. So boring. Like a sedan. Just so big and so ‘controlled’. Couldn’t believe that my 987.2 is the better sports car. I’ll be going back in time if I buy another.

[@stephenauty2402]

Chris looks like a cross between Harry Enfield and Ricky Gervais...is he funny?

[@twood74]

I think I like Phil.😂

[@MartC75]

So do I. Lee didn’t quite cut that early enough 😂

[@leventozsavaci7975]

Hi, how about under £25,000 Porsche I am a big Porsche fun and what can I buy under £25,000 has to be 911😂

[@kriskalpa]

996 Carrera 4S. one of the most beautiful 911's of all time.

[@nigel.w]

997.1 base manual.

[@shughes911]

Man the USA is expensive compared to the uk

[@lukeskywalker1574]

under 50K ? 993 all day long

[@mr488gto8]

My comments keep getting removed 😂

[@stephenelder2783]

Puppet boy

[@9WERKSTV]

Do you need a little shoulder to cry on?

[@bobbydazzler8620]

I understand your comment a mouthpiece for independent Porsche garages who have over inflated prices! 👏🏼

[@nickg2027]

haha, did Phil say dont look like a twat??

[@cartergarnon6299]

A Macan GTS with $100 lowering links drives better than all non-GT/Turbo 911’s. I think most people assume they drive like Cayennes and have no idea they come PDK and air suspension and ride on rails. The handling is insane and they dominate every task. If you agree that it’s a wife’s car, you would also say that all daily driveable Porsches are wife cars to some degree right? I don’t care what else you have in your collection, the Macan will be everyone’s favorite to drive and be the quickest around town for daily tasks, especially with a Le Mans start, which is how it goes in real life. It can’t be understated the importance of an entry/exit where the seat is the same height as your bum, you’re already in the shop before the 911 guy gets his inside shoe to pavement.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

Took my wife’s Macan Turbo out for a thrash w my mate in a great E46 M3. I spanked that M3 the whole way!