E85 values - bottomed out, peaked or something else…?
Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2024 11:27 pm
Thought I would try and establish what the current barometer read is for E85 prices, given the wealth of knowledge and experience on this forum…
My perspective is that of a novice enthusiast who is not linked to the trade in any way but spent 6 months looking for (and eventually buying) “The One” recently.
I’d been looking for a weekend toy to partly appease a significant age milestone coming up and partly for wanting something I could get my 9 year old son to get involved with together. My search started off in the world of 911’s (996 C4S) but after some disappointing viewings of high priced cars not being up to scratch and becoming ever paranoid about the potential catastrophic engine failures these cars were prone to, I decided to change tact. I saw a beautiful E85 one summers day in 2023 and it really sparked my interest- after a bit of online research, I realised that this ticked a lot of boxes and so the search commenced…
To start with I didn’t have a precise model in mind - more I wanted to try and find something special that came with high levels of provenance. Very quickly I realised realised that it was either a 2.5 or 3.0 that I wished to focus on but wasn’t initially too concerned about gearbox, M54 or N52 or spec.
After lots more reading and deliberation, I started to watch a handful of vehicles to see what was selling and the relative prices- I was in no rush and reckoned the best time to buy would be around Christmas when not many are in the market for a soft top with a relatively big engine.
It soon became clear that the strongest prices were for the 3.0 and manual gearboxes were more in demand- so my attention turned to looking for the best 3.0 that I could find. I noticed that spec seemed to have a big impact on what was selling, particularly the wheels and seats - 18” ellipsoid alloys with sport seats appearing to be linked to cars which sold quicker than others.
So, after many months of looking I finally found “The One” on a journey that highlighted:-
1. The number of good E85’s out there is on the decline- cars with under 100k miles, low number of owners, comprehensive service history and relatively unmodified - look to becoming harder to find
2. Entry level 2.0 E85 represents some fantastic used buys and make a much stronger case than an equivalent MX5! A budget of £2k to £4k can get you something highly respectable.
3. The 2.5i E85 commands more of a following than the entry level 2.0 and a budget of £3k to £5k secures a cracking example
4. The 3.0 E85 looks to be in most demand and have the greatest range of prices. £4k to £5k seems to be the starting point for a solid car per my description in point 1. £6k to £8k brings in some great offerings- most likely to be a 50k to 70k miles car with less than 5 owners and good history, with higher end being 3.0Si Sport at this level
5. The top end of the market at £8k to £11k is reserved for some quite unique vehicles which will be most likely less than 50k miles, handful of owners with fully documented histories and very high specs
6. So, from my observations, particularly on 3.0 manual versions, prices look to have bottomed out at around £5k - at this price you can get a good honest car which you can enjoy for many years and not lose much money on…
To conclude, I’d say prices have definitely now bottomed out and the value for money on E85’s will see them only getting more desirable over time - they’re a great analog driving machine which will deliver so many more memorable moments than todays digital electrified offerings.
Clearly, this is just an opinion and I’m sure others will have a different perspective….
My perspective is that of a novice enthusiast who is not linked to the trade in any way but spent 6 months looking for (and eventually buying) “The One” recently.
I’d been looking for a weekend toy to partly appease a significant age milestone coming up and partly for wanting something I could get my 9 year old son to get involved with together. My search started off in the world of 911’s (996 C4S) but after some disappointing viewings of high priced cars not being up to scratch and becoming ever paranoid about the potential catastrophic engine failures these cars were prone to, I decided to change tact. I saw a beautiful E85 one summers day in 2023 and it really sparked my interest- after a bit of online research, I realised that this ticked a lot of boxes and so the search commenced…
To start with I didn’t have a precise model in mind - more I wanted to try and find something special that came with high levels of provenance. Very quickly I realised realised that it was either a 2.5 or 3.0 that I wished to focus on but wasn’t initially too concerned about gearbox, M54 or N52 or spec.
After lots more reading and deliberation, I started to watch a handful of vehicles to see what was selling and the relative prices- I was in no rush and reckoned the best time to buy would be around Christmas when not many are in the market for a soft top with a relatively big engine.
It soon became clear that the strongest prices were for the 3.0 and manual gearboxes were more in demand- so my attention turned to looking for the best 3.0 that I could find. I noticed that spec seemed to have a big impact on what was selling, particularly the wheels and seats - 18” ellipsoid alloys with sport seats appearing to be linked to cars which sold quicker than others.
So, after many months of looking I finally found “The One” on a journey that highlighted:-
1. The number of good E85’s out there is on the decline- cars with under 100k miles, low number of owners, comprehensive service history and relatively unmodified - look to becoming harder to find
2. Entry level 2.0 E85 represents some fantastic used buys and make a much stronger case than an equivalent MX5! A budget of £2k to £4k can get you something highly respectable.
3. The 2.5i E85 commands more of a following than the entry level 2.0 and a budget of £3k to £5k secures a cracking example
4. The 3.0 E85 looks to be in most demand and have the greatest range of prices. £4k to £5k seems to be the starting point for a solid car per my description in point 1. £6k to £8k brings in some great offerings- most likely to be a 50k to 70k miles car with less than 5 owners and good history, with higher end being 3.0Si Sport at this level
5. The top end of the market at £8k to £11k is reserved for some quite unique vehicles which will be most likely less than 50k miles, handful of owners with fully documented histories and very high specs
6. So, from my observations, particularly on 3.0 manual versions, prices look to have bottomed out at around £5k - at this price you can get a good honest car which you can enjoy for many years and not lose much money on…
To conclude, I’d say prices have definitely now bottomed out and the value for money on E85’s will see them only getting more desirable over time - they’re a great analog driving machine which will deliver so many more memorable moments than todays digital electrified offerings.
Clearly, this is just an opinion and I’m sure others will have a different perspective….