Highlights

Very clean and original example
Cabriolet with hard-top
Carefully maintained with full service history

The Appeal

The Porsche 911 first appeared in 1964, and the basic concept has remained the same ever since. But in the 1990s, with the company facing an uncertain future, Porsche finally recognised that the signature air-cooled flat-six engine that powered the-then current iteration of the 911, the 993, was reaching the end of its life.

The 996, launched in 1998, was the first 911 to undergo a complete redesign. Styled by Pinky Lai, under design chief Harm Lagaay, the 996 carried little over from its 993 predecessor, as Porsche saw the car lasting long into the new millennium. As well as the company’s first water-cooled engine, the car had a new body and interior; a major upgrade followed in 2002 that included the ‘teardrop’ headlamps, a glovebox and sports steering wheel, plus a larger 320bhp 3.6-litre engine.

This example has clearly been well looked after throughout its life, and its condition belies its age and mileage.

The History and Paperwork

Original leather folder with owners’ manual and other materials
Porsche dealer and specialist full service history in original service book
Current V5
MoT until May 2023
Large folder of past invoices
Previous MoT certificates

The vendor bought the car in August 2021, from renowned Porsche specialist Eporsch in Surrey, and has spent around £3000 on improvements and maintenance. He enjoys driving the car but as he also has other cars and a motorbike he feels that he doesn’t use it enough and has reluctantly decided to sell. The car has been garaged under his tenure and trickle-charged, and has been used only infrequently and only in good weather, covering some 1500 miles.

The car comes with two sets of keys, it has the original leather folder complete with owners’ manual and other associated booklets, and a sizeable pile of paperwork that includes previous MoT certificates and historic invoices.

The service book records a full history with stamps from Porsche main dealers and specialists.

Please note that the car’s current registration number, HKZ 996, is a private plate bought by the vendor; he does not intend to include this in the sale and will retain it for personal use, but he is open to separate negotiation on this with the new owner. The car will otherwise wear its original plate, EJ 02 WUK.

The Interior

Seats in excellent condition
‘+2’ rear seats
Modern stereo complete with Bluetooth
Clean carpets and mats
Original toolkit
Space-saver spare wheel and tyre

Sit in the comfortable driver’s seat and it’s difficult to believe this is a car that is more than twenty years old. Both front seats have a slight patina but no serious wear and no damage. The ‘+2’ rear seats, as you might expect, have no visible wear bar a few small dimples, and the backs fold down to provide a more usable load area. Elsewhere, the leather trim adjacent to the rear seats and on the centre-console have a few scuffs and scratches.

The carpets and original overmats are in very good condition, with only a small hole worn in the mat in the driver’s footwell.

The distinctive instrument cluster looks as new, while the vendor has replaced the original stereo head unit with an Apple car-play unit (Kenwood DMX-5020BT with reversing camera). In the glovebox is a fitted phone charging lead, and the original locking wheelnut is still in its protective pouch.

Under the bonnet is a clean and tidy luggage space, plus a space-saver spare wheel and tyre, which looks to be unused and retains its original cover, while the original tool-roll is present complete with all tools.

The Exterior

Classic 911 profile
Superb and rare "Polar Silver" paintwork
Excellent hard-top supplied
Dark blue hood, in very good condition
Wind deflector
Smart badges and brightwork
Excellent Porsche Sport Design Wheels
New front tyres
Retro-fitted reversing camera
‘UK LUX’ spec: tinted windows and metallic paint.
Automatic anti-dazzle interior mirror and rain sensor
Automatic anti-dazzle door mirrors
Headlamp washers

For a twenty-plus year old car, the bodywork and paintwork are remarkable.

The only visible blemish we could find around the whole car was a barely visible stone chip next to the front badge. The (supplied) hard-top is similarly immaculate, and while the fabric hood might benefit from a clean it’s in extremely good condition, with only one tiny nick visible. Worth noting is that the electric hood mechanism works perfectly, and that the car also comes with the detachable folding wind-deflector.

The Porsche Sport Design wheels are superb, with no kerb damage or corrosion, although the Porsche logos on these have faded slightly. The two front tyres are recent while the rears have plenty of life in them.

All the badges, brightwork and lights are in excellent condition.

The Mechanics

3.6-litre normally aspirated engine
Starts and runs beautifully
Six-speed manual gearbox
Retro-fitted cruise control
Recent new clutch and flywheel
Recent IMS bearing check (excellent condition)
Recent bore score check (excellent condition)
Gearbox oil change in 2021
New aircon compressor
Replaced air-con lines (and air-con regas)
Checked and cleaned drain holes
Recent major service (including spark plugs and coil packs)
PSM Porsche Stability Management
Porsche Sports Exhaust
New engine mounts (RS upgrade)

The 996 has a reputation as a sports car that’s practical enough for everyday use and has the reliability to match. This one starts on first turn of the key, and it idles beautifully. Our photo location was a few miles from the vendor’s home and it was clear even over this modest distance that the car drives and handles as it should. The vendor assures us that there are no issues.

Open the engine cover and everything is clean and well-maintained.

Before the vendor purchased the car from specialist dealer Eporsch, they carried out a major service and inspection and corrected any outstanding issues, including fitting a new clutch and flywheel and checking the notorious IMS bearing, a common 996 weak spot. They also changed the gearbox oil and replaced the air conditioning compressor and lines.

There was an oil analysis done by Millers 1,400 miles ago and their analysis showed that the oil condition was very good, backing up the good condition of the engine.

Summary

The Porsche 911 is a motoring icon that has been in production, in its various forms, for approaching half a century. The 996 iteration retains the classic 911 silhouette and combines it with modern performance and reliability.

This stunning cabriolet example is clearly one that has been well cared-for, with an impeccable maintenance record, and offers the prospect of wind-in-the-hair motoring thrills just as the weather starts to improve.

With the added benefit of the immaculate hard-top, this is a 911 to be driven and enjoyed all year round.

Notice to bidders

This item is sold on an ‘As is Where is’ basis. The condition of this item is the opinion of the seller and may differ from your own opinion. Photos and listing descriptions are for guidance purposes only*.** Car & Classic do not warrant listing accuracy. Full inspection is recommended. Viewings are at the seller’s discretion. Buyer is responsible for delivery and collection of any item purchased.*

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