Which is the best Porsche to buy for £50k?

Greig is straight off the bat with a ‘two-in-one’ suggestion of the 981 Cayman and Boxster GTS. “They are brilliant naturally aspirated Porsches, with a six-cylinder engine and one of the best-sounding exhausts on any modern Porsche.” They are a thrilling contrast to four-cylinder versions of the 718 and “at £30k less than a GT4 or Spyder, they are massive value for money”. Either would be a great car to own as a daily driver or a weekend toy.

Moving up the Porsche range, Greig suggests the 991.1 Carrera 3.4. “It was the last of the naturally-aspirated 911s before they went to the turbocharged 3.0-litre engine. To a lot of people, it still looks like a £100k car. It drives superbly and, given its four-seat configuration, you could even argue it’s practical.” One to try on your other half when convincing them to green-light your £50k Porsche, perhaps…

Greig’s final choice is a retro one: the 968 Clubsport. “It’s genuinely rare, with only around 170 UK cars. But at the moment, it’s still accessible – and it has the added race car pedigree from back in the day. Just be careful of accident-damaged cars and tired examples. If you get a good one, you’ll have a fantastic, enjoyable machine that will still feel great to drive.”

Jamie opens with a tantalising choice: the 996 Turbo. “It’s almost moving into the realms of being considered a classic, with the heart of it being the bomb-proof Mezger engine.” Because the motor is so dependable, and so deliciously potent, Jamie calls it a car “that can be both driven daily, yet still excite like little else on a weekend blast around the countryside”.

He picks another 911 as his second choice, the ever-attractive 997.2. “The later direct injection engine is the one. It’s commonly known as the last of the ‘analogue’ 911s. It’s relatively compact in size, with a lovely 993-esque look to it, and the fact it was built in relatively small numbers will help future collectability.”

Jamie is another of our experts who looks to the rarer Boxster and Cayman models. This time, it’s the 987 Cayman R and Boxster Spyder. “Again, they were produced in extremely low numbers, as the very start of the special-series Cayman and Boxster. They are both hugely exciting to drive.”

Jonathan goes for the later 997 Turbo as his first £50,000 best buy. “With 480hp, it’s a total rocket ship for the money,” although with twin BorgWarner variable geometry turbos, a first for Porsche, plus other high-tech gadgetry including Porsche Traction Management and Porsche Stability Management, “it can cost a lot to maintain”. We have been warned.

The 991 makes another welcome entry onto our list, with Jonathan rating the Gen1 cars, and their naturally aspirated engines, as offering a tremendous all-rounder at this level. “They’re currently brilliant value for money and, unlike the 997 Turbo, they shouldn’t cost the earth to maintain,”

Finally, it’s once again a case of great minds thinking alike, as Jonathan identifies the 981 Cayman GTS as another star £50k buy. “The 3.4-litre engine makes a wonderful noise and the car has a superb chassis. It’s also got to the point where it can only depreciate so much. In terms of safe investments, this is a surefire one.”