Getting your first Porsche is a milestone in any enthusiast’s life and the legendary reliability of the brand’s machines means entering the club—or adding to your collection—via a used example is easier than with some other go-fast makes. So we’ll be discussing of the most underrated Porsches you can buy, with a focus on modern cars.
For starters, each car lover may have their own definition of underrated. And the vehicles in this article were listed by three Porsche experts in the UK, with each offering three names for the list. Interestingly, there is what we may list as a common denominator here, so now would be a good time to guess it.
The three experts are Jason Shepherd from Paragorn Porsche, Johnathan Franklin of Johnatan Franklin Cars, and Will Jameson of Philip Raby Porsche. They were interviewed by 9Werks TV, which mentioned that none of their companies had any of the listed models for sale at the time of their discussion.
Speaking of which, we’ll add some prices for each model below—these are average values based on auctions from the past year or so, for vehicles that have been properly maintained (think: Bring a Trailer, Cars and Bids, Collecting Cars, Mecum and others).
The 996 GT3 that started it all
Jason Shepherd starts by mentioning the 996.1 911 GT3. Introduced in 1991, this is arguably the first Porsche of the modern GT era and part of the only water-cooled generation that didn’t have a GT3 RS.
Yes, the 996.2 GT3 is nicer to drive, but also a bit more expensive. And while prices for the 996.1 GT3 have rised over the past few years, Johnatan expects a rather steep climb in the future. Right now, a 996.1 GT3 will set you back over $90,000, while a 996.2 GT3 usually trades hands for over $110,000.
The next car on his list is the 997.1 Carrera range. Just like the 996s used to be off many Porschephiles’ radar for about a decade—this changed a few years ago—the 997.1 still doesn’t get the popularity it deserves nowadays. However, there’s a reliability twist here, but we’ll get back to that below.
Find one that’s been properly maintained and it will offer good value for money—a base 997.1 Carrera Coupe can be found for under $40,000.
The third car here is the 987. We’re looking at the second-generation Boxster and first-gen Cayman, which came about in the early 2000s. More mature than the original Boxster—especially visually—this mid-engined generation can be a gem. However, while you can get base Boxsters and Caymans of the 987 iteration starting at under $20,000, this means you have to pay close attention to how they were maintained.
According to Jonathan Franklin, the 997.1 and 997.2 GT3 are still affordable enough if we consider their outstanding driving experience. Interestingly, the prices for the 997.1 partially overlap with those of the 996 GT3s listed above. So a 997.1 GT3 will set you back around $110,000, while that number jumps to over $150,000 for the 997.2 GT3.
The 1980s cool kid that is the 911 Carrera 3.2
Next up, we have the only air-cooled car on the list, namely the Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera of the G-Body generation. Built between 1984 and 1989, this can offer bulletproof reliability and the lack of power steering only adds to its character. And well-kept examples start at under $80,000.
The man also mentions a late 2000s Boxster S as his pick from the 987 family. His question is simple: for $20,000, what car drives like this?
Will Jameson kicks things off with an approach that’s both balanced and bold, since he mentions the 997.1 Carrera models. Yes, their engines were plagued by IMS bearing and bore scoring issues, but proper maintenance and properly warming up the engine before extracting that power will “mitigate the risk”.
He adds that the 997.1 (base Coupe/Cabriolet for under $40,000) feels livelier than the 997.2.
Next up, the man mentions the most modern car on the list, namely the 981 Boxster built between 2012 and 2016. He’s advocating for a nice spec and while talking about a leather dashboard and a sports exhaust might sound less than complete, when these features make the 981 Boxster a 991 Targa alternative for $20,000 less, it sheds a new light on the whole matter.
Regardless, the base 981 Boxsters start at under $40,000, but you’ll have to pay considerably more for the kind of spec mentioned above.
The Cayman R is a true performer
The final car here is the 987 Cayman R. As Will puts it, this compares better to the contemporary 997 911 GT3 than its successor, the 981 Cayman GT4 does to the 991 911 GT3. Still, in the US, you’ll have to pay about $70,000 for a Cayman R, with the (global) rarity of the mid-engined special also playing a role here.
Now, as we mentioned when discussing the falling prices-including Porsche Taycan buying guide, we encourage you to do your own research when purchasing one of the special German machines mention in the 9Werks TV clip below .