Porsche claims to have solved the cylinder liner problem that sporadically afflicted the 996 and has also made changes to the design of the big ends and Variocam system other potential fault points. No significant faults have yet to develop with the 997 but its worth seeking out a Porsche Approved car as even apparently trivial faults can be very expensive to rectify without warranty protection. Check the tyres for wear and also have the rear axle and suspension inspected as heavy acceleration from a standstill on a dry surface leads not to wheelspin, but to quite severe axle-tramp. The 19-inch alloys fitted to the 997 Carrera S are very prone to kerbing damage so check these over individually.
Check the bodywork, especially the bonnet, as this can easily be damaged by owners slamming them onto protruding items in the front boot. 997s are very colour sensitive and red, white and black cars are currently in vogue with silver starting to fall from favour
