Depreciation Station: Porsche 996 GT3

Story By Andy Reid

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Once the ultimate car for Porsche fans, the 2004-’06 Porsche GT3 has become available for base-model Boxster money. You think we’re exaggerating the greatness of these cars? Well, if zero-to-60 times of 4.0 seconds, zero-to-100 times of 8.8 seconds, quarter-mile times of 12.3 seconds, and a top speed of 190 mph don’t convince you of how good these cars are, then we have no idea what will.

The original reviews of the GT3 were glowing, and it was the “it car” for many people—a real Porsche 911 homologation special in street clothes.

These cars were sold new for more than $100,000 and usually had a waiting list to boot. These days you can snag a nice one for well under $50,000. That may seem like a lot of money to some, but to us it is possibly the absolute supercar bargain of the century. This is mainly due to their owners wanting the next new Porsche and no longer being interested in a car that, to them, is yesterday’s news.

Because the GT3 is a top-range Porsche product, it’s practically guaranteed that they received proper service. Plus, they were typically driven few miles, making them perfect used cars.

When new, the GT3 exhibited a few problems but was one of the best-developed versions in the 996 Porsche range. If anything, watch out for track rats.

We searched online and found quite a few examples, ranging from a 2004 with 29,800 miles for $42,000 to a 2006 with 21,000 miles for $54,000. There were many cars between these numbers, with the average price being around $45,000.

We challenge you to find a car of this pedigree and this performance for less money.

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