[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Brando

That's the thing Matt. The M96 series of 911s and Boxsters are very alluring with their low cost of entry. Equivalent of getting that "inexpensive" 951. This rings true with any marques in the same category; Look at Mercedes-Benz cars and BMWs that are almost 6-10 years old and their values vs. cost of maintenance. Our air-cooled brethren are retaining and gaining value. They are also more DIY friendly and I found maintenance to be less costly than for the M96 series. Even though they are not as technologically advanced as the water-cooled generations. Quite honestly I consider that an apples-to-oranges comparison. The differences between a 993 and 996 are significant and are ultimately two different cars.

I think we have all seen this be true here: It's either a low entry price tag up front with cost of repairs or a higher entry price tag with fewer repairs.

I think you missed my point. ANY Porsche has potentially expensive repairs lurking. The 996 has far less than most, including the 993. Fixing the SAI plugged port issue on a 993 is exponentially more expensive than an IMS. Same story with replacing cracked head studs on an SC or Carrera. As for maintenance, I've been all over 996s as well as air cooled models and would rate the 996 as easier to work on. Very high quality and access is generally very good. Plus you NEVER have to adjust valves. Parts are comparably priced and readily available.

Very true on the value, which is what makes the 996 such a bargain. You can get a low mileage mint condition 996 for $20k. Or you could get an ok SC, a Carrera that needs work, or a wrecked 993. I seriously doubt that good 996s depreciate much more than $15k, they are simply too much car for the money.