Best 911 to own

The 911 Turbo Carrera. https://www.excellence- mag.com/resources/specs/371#.WOE0pzvyuUk

The BEST to own and drive is the one you own and are driving (smiling). Don't buy a low mile car that is 8 - 11 years old. You will be handed the 30-40-50 K maintenance bills all at once these low mile garage queens... Porsche's are forward compatible. For example, my 996 Turbo is running the same HP as a 2014 Turbo. A tune and a couple upgrades, you are there, that's forward compatible. Saving you 10's of thousands of dollars in purchase price. You may want to look for 911's that have UPGRADES. Not Mods or modifications. The higher the miles with records means all the scheduled maintenance's have been completed for you. Car is ready for worry free miles. In the 996, look for a 3.6 liter. If you can afford, go with 09 or newer with the DFI motor. 997 and newer do not have "the IMS bearing" problem. Again, stay away from low-mile cars. It means they have been sitting and drying as opposed to being bathed in oil. Operating in oil is a Porsche design-in feature. Sitting means Rotting, natures way of destruction. Oil baths for all! Keep operating temps under 250 and the car will last and last. I raced the 964 engine. Recommended rebuilds were every 50 hours. I was winning championships with 200 hours on the motor. Keep them cool, fresh oil. Drive them!

this is subjective- and based majorly on your budget of what you consider best for the money. If money was no object, then any long hood targa would be fantastic, or a 993 turbo. Or if you are a purist, all of the air-cooled ones are favorable, but the 964 a little less so. The 996 gets a bad rap for the IMS issue, yet the 996 turbo didn't have that problem. IMS can be updated to one that does not fail- but if you care about what other 911 guys think than this one is not for you. They do drive very nicely, and have a lot of the newer luxuries we have grown to love. TNTJobs brings up a crucial thing to look for, and it is one that has not had a sedentary life- the hoses and belts dry out and you will pay for it in the long run. A nice 1-2 owner, well maintained car would be the best one to buy. That's about the best answer//non-answer I can muster up.

With such an ambiguous question, the best for the money would be a $10k running 996. Almost all of the performance for a tenth of the price. If you add a few more constraints, the answer will change dramatically.

Indeed... well said. It's almost like asking, "what's your favorite beer?" Are we on the beach or in the boat? Perhaps on a ship, at a ballgame, a tap room or in front of the TV? And, or, my favorite beer is the one in my hand I'm sipping! Porsche's for the track or, highway. For a special occasion evening out. Or.... my everyday driver. Yet! Yet! A Porsche can be on the track all weekend. And, be your transportation home. So, just buy one. Find a price your are comfortable with... and, look at all the options in that model. If you key in on options. Begin your hunt that-a-away.

The 993 Turbo is always in demand, particularly the later ones.