Where do you think the sports car market is heading ?

[Deschodt]

I had this thought that I wanted a last manual ICE sports car before a) we can't anymore (EVs) b) I'm too old to get in and out of one c) they get taxed, too expensive, or legislated out of existence...

I sold a car recently before my current lease expires in 3-4 months, and figured I was in a good position with a nice downpayment to maybe look at a slightly used 718 or something similar. Porsches are overpriced but nobody beats their perfect feel of all the contact points (pedals, stick, wheel) and relative reliability for track/daily.

To my surprise, even the much decried (initially) 718 4-banger turbos sell for almost full original MSRP when 4-5 year old ! The very oldest ones show some depreciation but very little vs historical trends. The older 981s are now falling into more of a danger zone for SMOG/bore scoring/higher maintenance costs and still seems super overpriced (which pushed me to look at 718s)... I'm done with 911s, too big now.

We already covered that depreciation on cars seems to have halted or reversed course in some cases, tariffs, wars, supply etc.. How do you see this going in the next 6 months ? I hear a lot of upcoming AI or economy driven layoffs, wondering if that will bring the market back down or if relative scarcity, or more people wanting a last gasp sporty car, will continue preventing the normal depreciation.. I know nobody has a crystal ball, just opinions, I wanna hear them..

(can't even find an NA miata for my kid under 8 grand, 10-12 if clean!)

[berettafan]

Not to a good place that's for sure.

I share your bummage at used P pricing. I look frequently and try to justify but thus far I haven't been able to see how it makes any sense. Have looked at the SS1LE Camaro which btw is no longer. Low to mid 40's for 450hp, manual and track ready suspension.

Bought a GTI last year and still enjoying the heck out of it as it's the shifting and handling that is the real source of joy for me. Occasionally consider a civic R but not sure I could live with that red interior. I think BMW M2 is still manual.

I think the real struggle here is the new transmissions are so good in auto or paddle shift mode. Faster than a manual.

[Arizona_928]

The market is still hot. However, it seems like the 2025’s are being shunned due to their ecm encryption. 2019+ have SIM cards… New cars are junk and far from diy friendly so there’s an intrinsic value to the late model to vintage vehicles.

I was second in line for a 951 with the engine in pieces. Asking price? 8k !
I think the boxsters are the best bang for the buck. 986 (non S) will take any vw/Audi v8 power plant from that era bolt on. Repowering one of those cars is on par with vw euro vans and it’s a bread and butter build.

[berettafan]

ECM issue meaning they can't be tuned?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The wealthy are doing extremely well in our K shaped economy and will continue to do so until the AI bubble bursts and there's a major market correction. So the high priced car market will continue to grow.

The interesting segments will be low and mid priced cars. Who will be buying those? AI layoffs and low hiring for jobs for buyers supporting these categories means they will suffer and may offer some great deals as time marches on.

[Arizona_928]

Any encryption can be broken… my understanding is that one has to send it in to a hacker to brute force the encryption then tune. I’m not sure of the legality of it especially since all of the cars are mobile hotspots to the manufacturer.

[RANDY P]

Pricing replacement parts will be punishably expensive.

I was considering a 997 but, knowing me I will want to tear it apart to perfect it (M97 rebuild) Then I'll be in a situation where buy two, get one thanks to Porsche tax AND Tariffs.

It will only get worse. I would love another Porsche but that ain't happening at that price. I'll stick with domestics.

Maybe you can buy a freshly blown up older one someone has given up on. They are out there- then pay to rehab.

rjp

[oldE]

I am another aging Boomer. It came as a bit of a surprise to me last Spring when a friend offered me her low milage 2000 NB Miata special edition which needed a top and minor door dents removed. The price was almost too good to pass up....but I did. I knew the car and could have had fun with it, but that itch had been scratched after two P cars, a MR2 and a1990 Miata. I suspect there are more like me and as we get out of the market some interesting deals will present themselves. Good hunting!

[Tobra]

The cars I am interested in are going to stay reasonable, or even cheaper.


Soon a manual transmission will be a practically insurmountable anti theft device

[HardDrive]

I bought my 2014 Cayman S with the thought that there would be a long term premium on the last of the normally aspirated flat 6 cars. Probably rubbish I told myself to justify the purchase, but I could have bought a 718 if I wanted, and did not.

I think AI is 100% a bubble, and its going to make a small segment of the population a lot of money, and huge segment is going to get absolutely screwed. Millions of people are going from white collar living to blue. That does not bode well for the value of toys.

[Arizona_928]

Who’s funding the AI boom and then ask how that’s going to impact vehicle ownership.

The old school hot rodder guys switched to jet boats for a reason.

[Rapewta]

Everything is a gamble. I picked up some silver three years ago at $25.00 per oz.
I did good this year. It doubled. Now it is heading back down.
I am conservative so at my age I don't take risks but I did take a chance that the Porsche 996 Mezger Turbo manual coupe with no mods, no accidents and no track days with low miles will make 10% per year. So far so good. Of course low miles helps too.

[onewhippedpuppy]

If you look at today’s trends in cars I think it helps inform what will be collectible in the future. Small displacement, turbos, computer controlled, automatic transmission, etc. I think cars with V8s and V12s will have value, fun simple cars, manual transmissions, all the things that give you an experience that modern cars cannot.

I also agree that P-car pricing, with the exception of the Boxster, has fully jumped the shark. A driver 996 is an easy $35k, they simply aren’t that good. For the same money you can find better cars that are also cheaper to own and more reliable.

[p911dad]

I got a 997.1 6 speed last spring after I literally got an offer I couldn't refuse for our 993. I immediately got the itch again for a 911 so I picked up this daily driver which has turned out to be a gem of a car for relatively little money. I agree the newer Porsches are in outer space for the prices and I would never spend that kind of $ for any car, no matter how nice. It seems like anything past 2015 - 2016 is staying at very high asking prices. Also, manual transmissions seem rare after the 2010 introduction of the 997.2 models. Different world for sports cars in general and Porsches included. But keep looking, they are out there!

[Crowbob]

No idea, don’t care, either.

I ran the numbers.

Too busy with carrying the g-kids around. Little Ninjas (gymnastics-aged 6) theater group (stage hand for musicals-aged 9).

Life is short.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

job cuts are going to make a lot of cars more affordable in 2026.

[RANDY P]

Are you kidding me?

[ramonesfreak]

All I see out there are more and more uninteresting, ugly computer cars that seem to be increasing in price to the point of being absurd

I’m not interested in used cars unless it’s a vintage car on my bucket list. My life expectancy at this point is too short to deal with problems. Bad enough that new cars are built like crap

So, even if I had all the money in the world, I would be very happy with a new 718, even the 4 cycl would be very ok with me

Hate all the new 911 offerings because of their interiors and price. The 718 and boxster retain what I would consider a well styled interior that makes me happy to sit in, even if just sitting in it in the garage on a rainy day

Due to the lack of inspiring offerings and crazy prices, I have shifted my interest to off-road 4x4 vehicles. Way more fun to me these days. And more useful. And I’m not looking back. Lucky for me one of my dream cars is in the garage and has been there almost 20 years, though I only managed to put 400 miles on it this summer. Next step will be to dump that too as my only air cooled tech within 300 miles appears to have 1 foot in the grave and I have zero interest in wrenching anything anymore

[berettafan]

What I know is that the other day as I juiced it on a left from light onto a downhill into a reasonably fast local road and the tires briefly struggled for traction as I felt a hint of the downhill roller coaster sensation followed by strong acceleration...well to quote a popular song 'in that moment I am happy'

[DaveE]

Well, I just bought a 987 Cayman S.
Livin’ on the edge…