Porsche 997 911

The 997 corrected the 996’s most-criticised detail by going back to round headlights, and improved the interior beyond recognition. Carreras ran a 3.6-litre flat-six, the S a 3.8. It is the point where a 911 starts to feel modern while keeping hydraulic steering — which is why this generation has stopped depreciating.

One date splits the range. Cars up to 2008 (the 997.1) share the 996’s intermediate-shaft bearing, so the same documentation matters — a recorded IMS replacement changes what a car is worth. The 2009 facelift (997.2) replaced the engine internals entirely: direct injection, a new crankcase with no intermediate shaft, and PDK in place of Tiptronic. That combination is why many buyers treat the 997.2 as the sweet spot of the modern 911, and why it rarely turns up as the cheapest option in a search.