GT or S4

[Trev928]

All things being equal in regards to condition/year/mileage, how much more valuable (if any) is a 5-spd GT over a normal automatic S4?

1990/1991


Thanks...

[ROG100]

$3000 to $5000 less than the superior auto 8>)
In reality - no accounting for taste - $3000 to $5000 more.

[low miler]

I'd say at least $5000 plus! Maybe as high as $8000 depending on mileage.

Todd

[rhjames]

pay no attention to Roger....he's still telling everyone to convert to slushboxes (ha, ha, ha......).

just having a little fun with you Rog---

--Russ

[Danglerb]

All things are otherwise NEVER equal, the GT invites a much more aggressive driving style than the paper differences between it and a S4 5 spd would suggest. Manual transmissions also tend to get driven harder than automatics. OTOH aggressive driving can lead to aggressive PM, and lazy shiftless driving to lazy shiftless PM.

Value is all about supply and demand, and the equation gets quirky due to the small market of both buyers and sellers. Porsche didn't make most of its cars an AT by accident, those were the type that they could sell the most of, and that hasn't changed a great deal over time, 5 spd people are just noisy about wanting what they want while the bulk of cars actually bought are AT.

Bottom line, what everybody else said, expect to pay about $3k to $5k more for a GT than an auto S4, and maybe $3k more than a 5 spd S4. What happens to be on the market at the time, and who is looking for what will shift the value around, but 5 spd sellers also tend to know it may take longer to sell and be firmer on price. OTOH after taking longer and sitting on a car they need to sell, prices can often suddenly become flexible, but we often never find out about just how low prices can get because neither the buyer or the seller wants to talk about it.

[Danglerb]

Also like Todd said, with a "special" GT, low mileage, whatever, and being a GT increases how special it is and opens the door to silly price land.

[Herr-Kuhn]

Both are really good cars. The GT is of course the better choice, but you won't go wrong with an S4 at all.

[Trev928]

... thanks for the insights everyone.

[icemang17]

Okay for the sake of an arguement lets assume they are the same MY & not the ultra rare 89GT vs an automatic 89....so its limited to 90 or 91 GT's vs S4's..... Lets also say the mileage, condition and even colors are exactly the same....... I would say $3000 tops, assuming both 928's are exactly equal, with only the tranny being the only difference...

With that said, good luck trying to find two identical 928's.....condition varies greatly between 928's of the same MY & even the same mileage...... I've seen some with well over 100K that look & drive great and other sub 50K miles that don't run well and have ratty interior.....

[Danglerb]

If you don't buy what you like, you won't be happy.

If you focus on price, a great deal or even just a good value, you will end up passing on cars that might make you happy.

The 928 is too small of a market to be treated as a commodity with high, low, and average prices that mean anything. Each car is a unique transaction between you and some other person for a car that is at least somewhat unlike any other.

[low miler]

Originally Posted by Danglerb

If you don't buy what you like, you won't be happy.

If you focus on price, a great deal or even just a good value, you will end up passing on cars that might make you happy.

The 928 is too small of a market to be treated as a commodity with high, low, and average prices that mean anything. Each car is a unique transaction between you and some other person for a car that is at least somewhat unlike any other.

Well said!

Todd

[low miler]

Let me add that I've been buying and selling 928 S4's, GT's and GTS's for nearly 10 years now. 90% of those were 5 speed because they're much more highly in demand over their automatic counterparts, and thus easier to sell with a larger profit margin. I'm still sticking with my $5000-$8000 difference depending on the mileage.

But that extra $$$ is totally worth every penny if you ask me. I've owned and driven a ton of them, and regardless of mileage, you still can't make that 3000 lb. plus beast feel like it's truly got any balls unless it is a 5 speed. What kind of price would you be willing to pay for that?

A 5 speed transmission makes all the difference in these cars and makes them totally a great buy especially at the very inexpensive prices even the 5 speeds can be bought at. Since they're already the most undervalued used sportscar available on the market today, don't you think that paying the extra over next to nothing already makes great sense?

Todd

[john928]

Drive both. Buy the one you like driving. The GT is great car, but does rev higher at highway speeds. The decision is about how and where your drive

The GT will be $5K+ more if all is equal, and worth it

[rhjames]

why would you buy a sports car without a manual gearbox.......?

(it's a rhetorical question)


---Russ

[Danglerb]

Originally Posted by rhjames

why would you buy a sports car without a manual gearbox.......?

So you could put one in?