Sales debate: How do SSEs compare to narrow-body 3.2 Carreras?
If you’re in the market for a 3.2 Carrera but want to stand out from the crowd, you don’t have many options. You could try and find a Clubsport version, however, you’ll be landed with a significant premium over a standard car (think strong six-figure list prices).
That leaves the Turbo-bodied 3.2 Supersport (also known as the SSE). With their added rarity compared to a narrow-shelled 911, SSE values are undoubtedly north of a normal 3.2, but by how much? We enlisted the help of two experts to give us a clearer picture.
“I sold a really good 3.2 narrow-body (which had done 70,000 miles) recently for £49,000. A 70,000- mile SSE, you would probably see on the web for the £70,000 mark,” explains RPM Technik’s Sales Director, Greig Daly. “They [3.2 SSEs] are probably worth a third more.”
However, Canford Classics owner and esteemed Porsche expert, Alan Drayson, doesn’t feel the gulf between the two body styles is so big. “If you had two, like-for-like, maybe you’d pay between £8,000-£10,000 more for a Supersport, but it would have to be in very nice condition,” he says.
Drayson is keen to point out that recent moves in the market make £70,000 3.2 SSEs unsustainable, if cars are actually selling already for that sort of money. “If a good 3.2 is £50,000 and then you have got a £20,000 rise to get your hands on a Supersport, you’re now into 930 territory at £70,000-£80,000. So why would you buy a Supersport?”
What both specialists do agree on, however, is that, despite their appealing Turbo-like looks, 3.2 SSEs aren’t always such an easy sell. “The narrow-body cars sell quicker, which may be for two reasons,” Daly explains.
“First of all, they are a lower entry point and also there is more choice of cars.” Despite a recent customer specifically wanting a Supersport, Canford Classics is similarly sparse when it comes to SSEs: “The numbers are not huge; less than ten,” reveals Drayson.
The added rarity of the SSE currently means that 3.2 Supersports are “more of a collector’s car” according to Daly. While he appreciates that he’s generalising, he feels “the guys that buy the wide-bodies have got a few Porsches already.”
In comparison, “the standard 3.2s are bought by people who just want one as their ‘weekend’ car.” That may not be quite the case going forward though, depending on which specialist has correctly called the market.
For market advice on any generation or style of Porsche 911, check out our full selection of sales debates, where we ask the 911 experts the pertinent market questions so you don’t have to.
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