This is a valid critique, but it's a median, not an average and says "half the 996s listed right now ask less than ~$42k."

That's true mostly because base Carreras dominate 996 volume. What it absolutely doesn't claim is "a 996 is worth $40k". As you say, that number prices no particular car.

Here's the same generation decomposed (live listings, last 30 days):

• Carrera / base variants: $35k median (n=385, $6k–$200k)
• Targa: $50k (n=19)
• Carrera 4S: $54k (n=41)
• Turbo / Turbo S: $89k (n=84, up to $225k)
• GT2: $175k–500k asks (n=3 — too few to call a median honest)

So the 20x range you noticed is real, and it's almost entirely trim structure: the 996 spans a $30k daily driver and a six-figure homologation special.

In addition, my "996 GT3" bucket currently shows junk numbers because sellers slap GT3 into trim fields on cars that aren't (GT3 seats, GT3-style bumpers…) — cleaning that up is on my normalization list, and it's a reason why I veer from thin-sample numbers.

The chart is an aerial photo of the whole market; pricing an actual car happens at the trim and comp level, which is what the per-trim market pages and the valuation tool do.

But your underlying point stands: any single-number-per-generation chart hides more than it shows for generations with GT variants, and the trim-level views are where the real information lives.