Why is the 2005-2008 Porsche 911 (997.1) so much cheaper than the 2009+ models? In a market where 911 prices are skyrocketing, Derek just picked up a high-mile 997.1 Carrera for the cost of a used Boxster.

In today’s episode of Rennthusiast Radio, Will and Derek break down why this generation is the ultimate sleeper. We look at the real ownership data, the apparent truth about Bore Score, and why the base 997.1 might be the best analog driving experience for the money.

What you will learn:

• The real-world cost of a 100,000 mile 911.
• Why the "unreliable" reputation is keeping prices low.
• How to find a $38k 911 that won't ruin you.
• Why Derek prefers the 997.1 engine over the newer 997.2 DFI.
• The specific things to look for in a 997.1 PPI.
• 
  

Subscribe to Rennthusiast Radio on YouTube. Check out Rennthusiast.com

Subscribe to ElevenAfterNine on YouTube. Check out ElevenAfterNine.com

Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. New episodes weekly.

Leave a comment with your car, your year, and your biggest ownership surprise.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to Rennthusiast Radio

01:58 The 996 vs 997: Watercooled evolution

05:30 Why 997.2 prices are out of control

09:52 Market Report: What a 997.1 costs in 2026

15:30 The 100k Mile PPI: What Derek found

18:00 The 3% Rule: Bore Scoring data from Blackstone Labs

23:21 The $38,000 reveal

28:30 Why the 997.1 is the better analog experience

Keywords: Porsche 997.1 buying guide, $38k Porsche 911, 997.1 vs 997.2 price, Porsche 911 reliability, 997.1 Carrera review, affordable 911, high mileage Porsche 911, bore scoring facts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Rennthusiast Radio, Will and Derek sit down with Joe Adams, Senior Analyst at Blackstone Laboratories and host of the Slick Talk podcast, to separate Porsche engine fear from real data.

We hit the stuff that keeps owners up at night. Bore scoring. Oil brand tribal wars. Additives. Long oil change intervals. Winter storage. Track use. And whether the internet’s “it’s inevitable” talk matches what Blackstone actually sees in thousands of oil reports.

Joe breaks down what oil analysis can and cannot tell you, what patterns point to real problems, and why trends matter more than one scary forum post. If you’re shopping 996, 997, 991, or you just want to sleep better with your current car, this one is for you.

Listen for:

Bore scoring reality and why the numbers surprise people

What actually matters with oil choice, viscosity, and API certification

When longer oil change intervals are fine, and when they are risky

What storage does to oil, and whether you should change it before winter

How Blackstone processes samples and what $40 testing includes

Follow and support:

Will’s YouTube: Rennthusiast

Derek’s YouTube: ElevenAfterNine

Podcast: Rennthusiast Radio is on YouTube and all major podcast apps

Want to run oil analysis on your Porsche?

Order a kit from Blackstone Laboratories, take a clean sample at your next change, and build a baseline so you can track trends over time.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Owning more than one Porsche sounds ridiculous on paper. Then you live it.

In this episode of Rennthusiast Radio, Will and Derek talk through why a multi Porsche garage can actually be practical, and how it can make your ownership life easier, cheaper, and more fun when you set it up the right way.

We get into:

What you learn fast after buying and selling a lot of Porsches

How your taste changes once internet opinions stop mattering

Why the best two car setup is one dependable car plus one special car

How to avoid overlapping experiences, drivetrain, transmission, and purpose

How repeat buying builds a network for off market cars and faster deals

How experience helps you spot seller red flags and walk away clean

When “too many cars” turns into a chore, and what to do about it

Will’s early take on 996 GT3 ownership and what it teaches you about limits

If you’ve ever thought about adding a second Porsche, or you already have multiple cars and feel the squeeze, this one will hit.

Listen on your favorite podcast app:

Search Rennthusiast Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen

Watch more from us:

ElevenAfterNine on YouTube, Derek

Rennthusiast on YouTube, Will

For business, guest requests, or sponsorships:

Email us!

[email protected]

[email protected]

Include “Rennthusiast Radio” in the subject line

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think your low-mileage 911 is a "collector's dream"? You might actually be killing it. This week on Rennthusiast Radio, Will and Derek dive deep into the brutal truth about Porsche ownership, from the psychological "mileage buckets" to the high-stakes world of impulse buys and "while-you're-in-there" repair bills.

Whether you're daily driving a GT3 or wondering if your air-cooled beauty has "lot rot," we’re answering the most controversial questions from the community.

• The 40k/100k Rule: At what mileage does a Porsche stop being a collectible and start being a "free" driver?
• The Italian Tune-Up: Why babying your car under 3,000 RPM is actually doing more harm than good.
• The "While-You're-In-There" Trap: How a simple $10 gasket turns into a $6,000 engine-out service.
• The Air-Cooled Holy Trinity: The 3 items you must carry in your glove box to avoid being stranded.
• Mod Sins: The specific modifications that instantly ruin a car's soul (and its resale value).
• Bucket Seat Brutality: Are carbon buckets worth the "athletic" exit strategy, or are you better off with "sofa" seats?

00:00 – Intro: Why we listen to your comments

02:38 – Teaser: Derek’s mysterious new water-cooled arrival

03:45 – The Mileage Barrier: Collectible vs. Driver

08:40 – The hidden dangers of "Low Mileage" older Porsches

11:45 – Is 3 weeks without driving "wasting" the car?

14:20 – What is "Lot Rot"?

21:30 – The "While-You're-In-There" maintenance spiral

31:50 – The Air-Cooled Emergency Kit (The Holy Trinity)

38:50 – Modifications that ruin a Porsche instantly

45:00 – Fixed-back buckets: Are they actually a nightmare?

Derek Youtube: ElevenAfterNine

Will Youtube: Rennthusiast

Got a question? Drop it in the comments below for our next Q&A!

#Porsche #911 #997 #993 #GT3 #AirCooled #Porsche911 #CarPodcast #RenthusiastRadio #PorscheMaintenance #GT4

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rennthusiast Radio is back with a simple question that hits every Porsche owner.

Do you own your Porsche, or does it own you?

This episode started with Will parking his 997.2 at the airport and posting one quick photo. The response was huge, and it exposed something we all deal with. Fear of door dings, theft, bad luck, and the stress that comes with driving a car you worked hard to earn.

We play a fast “would you or wouldn’t you” game with real-life scenarios. Airport garages, street parking overnight, grocery store runs, packed lots, and valet parking with a manual. Then we get into the bigger topic, tool car versus trophy car, and how your choices change based on mileage, rarity, and replacement cost.

We also talk original paint, why it matters, when it should not, and how chasing perfect paint can make you drive less. We cover PPF, buying repainted cars the right way, and why surprises in the history can ruin the whole experience.

If you’ve ever skipped a drive because you didn’t want to risk the car, this one is for you.

Watch and listen here

YouTube, Will: Rennthusiast

YouTube, Derek: ElevenAfterNine

Podcast: Rennthusiast Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Renthusiast Radio, Will and Derek get real about something a lot of Porsche owners are feeling right now. Prices are up, the hunt is harder, and it’s easy to sit on the couch every night scrolling listings and thinking “what if.”

So we talk about how to stay happy with the Porsche you already own, and how to make it feel fresh again without doing something dumb, expensive, or irreversible.

We start where most people do not. Baseline. Because a lot of “my car feels old” is really “my car feels tired.” Worn tires, sloppy bushings, tired alignment, old plugs and coils, mushy shifter parts. Fixing that stuff can make the car feel like it did when it left the factory, and that alone can make you fall in love again.

Then we get into the fun part. The upgrades that actually change the character of the car, fast. Derek’s rule is simple. If you don’t feel it in the first three minutes from the driver’s seat, skip it.

What we cover in this episode:

Touch points that change your relationship with the car

Steering wheels, what works, what feels wrong, and the safety tradeoffs

Shifter feel, short shift kits, weighted knobs, cables, and why this is the first mod Derek would do

CarPlay and PCM upgrades, why this can modernize the whole cabin

Sound upgrades, how to avoid drone, and why Porsche Sport Exhaust is worth hunting for when you buy

Why some mods are only worth it if the car is a forever car

How a road trip can reconnect you to the car more than any part you can buy

Why having two very different cars can cure boredom, even if both are Porsches

Detailing as therapy, and why a truly clean car changes how you feel about it

Track days as a reset button, even if you are not a track person

If you’re tired of shopping your own garage and you want to actually enjoy what you already have, this one is for you.

Tell us in the comments:

What is the one change you made that made your Porsche feel new again?

What mod did you regret?

Listen to the podcast:

Rennthusiast Radio is available on all major podcast apps.

Watch more from us:

Will’s YouTube channel, Rennthusiast

Derek’s YouTube channel, ElevenAfterNine

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Will and I break down Rennlist’s “Porsche’s Biggest Wins of 2025, And the Quiet Missteps.” We go point by point and tell you where we agree, where we push back, and what actually matters if you drive your cars and pay the bills.

We cover:

• The 992.2 transition and the hybrid GTS, smart move or the start of the slide
• The manual squeeze, and why Porsche keeps boxing you into certain trims
• Why GT cars still carry the brand, and why buying one feels like a game
• Porsche EVs, great design, brutal depreciation, and what that means for real owners
• Pricing drift, option creep, and why sticker shock finally hit the mainstream
• Trim overload, too many variants, and why it matters when you’re shopping used
• Weight gain across the lineup, and how Porsche hides it better than anyone
• The hardest truth, Porsche ownership feels less accessible than it used to
• Derek’s biggest 2025 miss, the Boxster and Cayman ICE pause and the messy EV rollout

Rennlist article we discuss:

https://rennlist.com/how-tos/slideshows/porsche-s-biggest-wins-of-2025-and-the-quiet-missteps-1002636#intro

Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, etc.

Watch our channels:

Will - Rennthusiast YouTube

Derek - ElevenAfterNine YouTube

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shannon Harper of Harper Porsche, Knoxville, Tennessee runs a Porsche store the way most of us wish every dealer did: No games and no nonsense. We talk pricing, ADMs, and the stuff you ask us about all the time, especially allocations and why some cars feel impossible to get.

What we cover

• Why some dealers add big markups, and why Shannon refuses to do it
• What really happens when someone flips a new GT car
• How allocation works, and why GT cars stay tight
• How Porsche rewards dealers, and what the “hoops” actually look like
• What a Gen 5 Porsche dealership is, and why it feels like a Porsche clubhouse
• Shannon’s personal collection, and why he is obsessed with green cars
• The most reliable Porsche pick for a normal owner who just wants a car that works
• PLATICA, how it started, and how it turned into a serious event

Porsche PLATICA info

• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Sunday, May 3, 2026
• Follow @porsche_platica on Instagram for ticket announcements and updates
• Website: porsche-platica dot com
• 
  

Rennthusiast Radio

• Listen and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Watch Will

• Rennthusiast on YouTube

Watch Derek

• ElevenAfterNine on YouTube

If you have a dealer experience that made you swear off a store forever, tell us in the comments!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Rennthusiast Radio, you hear the full ownership story behind one of the most talked-about modern 911s. Will breaks down eight months with his 2009 997.2 Carrera S manual in Guards Red. The good, the bad, and the expensive.

You hear how he found a rare manual car in a sea of PDKs. You hear what felt off right after delivery. You hear how $13,000 in maintenance and mods changed the car, and his opinion of the platform.

We talk real buying advice. What to ask sellers. What PPIs miss. Why borescope proof matters. Why cold second gear surprises owners. Why the 997.2 feels different from both older air-cooled cars and newer 991s.

If you are shopping for a 997.2, this episode matters. If you already own one, this will sound familiar.

Topics covered:

• Finding a rare 997.2 manual

• Ownership reality after 80k+ miles

• Transmission behavior and cold shifting

• Exhaust, suspension, and seat upgrades

• $13k in work, what was worth it

• Is the 997.2 really an $80k driving experience

• Would he buy another one

Watch Will’s full video series on the car on the Rennthusiast YouTube channel.

Check out Derek’s reviews and ownership stories on ElevenAfterNine.

Subscribe, leave a comment, and tell us if you think the 997 is actually worth it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.