As improbable as it may seem, the fact remains that the Porsche 911 is a car which somehow manages to keep getting better and better. Since the original 911 of 1963 was an exceptionally good car in the first place, the benefit of 40 years of progress meant that the new 911 for 2004 (internally designated the 997) really was something else. The 997 was similar to its predecessor the 996, but boasted increased power and revised styling on slightly more traditional lines.

The 997 spawned a range of different models, starting with the base Carrera and moving upwards through the Carrera S and Turbo to the GT2 and GT3, the latter two really being aimed at the serious performance-car enthusiast. For most people, the Carrera or Carrera S would be quite fast enough, with the base model’s 3596 cc engine producing a potent 321 bhp. 

The Carrera S went one better, utilising a 3824 cc engine producing 355 bhp. That’s all very well on paper, but what does it amount to on the tarmac? In the case of the S, nothing less than a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph.

Performance like that placed the 997 squarely in supercar territory, but somehow the Carrera never quite seemed like a supercar because, if anything, it was too nice. The spacious, leather-upholstered interior, with ample rear seating and a multitude of luxury options to choose from, made it more of a grand tourer. 

Because it offered the perfect combination of performance and luxury, wrapped in a good-looking package, and without an earth-shattering price tag, the 997 Carrera and Carrera S proved extremely popular and remained in production until 2013. The Carrera S may now be a 17-year-old model, but for the price of a second-hand one you get a lot more for a lot less compared with any number of brand-new cars.

The earliest known owner of this Cardiff-registered 911 was a Mr. Jason Stiff of Credenhill, Herefordshire, who purchased the car in 2010. 

The present owner bought it only a few years later, and has now owned it for over seven years, and has spent a lot of money on preserving its good condition.

In addition to the current V5, the Porsche comes with some invoices and MoT certificates. There are three invoices from Sussex Porsche specialist Paragon for work undertaken in 2014 and 2016, and a further one from Octane Garage in Crowborough, which fitted a new oil filler neck. There are MoT certificates from 2017 and 2020, plus the current certificate with no advisories which is valid until 7th October 2022.

Additionally, the original owner’s literature is all present, including the following booklets:

Step inside and prepare to be amazed at just what a fine state of preservation this Porsche’s interior is in – it seems hardly to have aged at all. 

Sumptuously trimmed in a high-quality grey-blue leather, there are a few very small marks in places on the seats but, when all is said and done, the upholstery is wholly intact and barely even creased. The dash, centre console and steering wheel are superb, with inspection revealing no obvious damage, and the carpets and headline are very nice and clean.

Bidders may note just how well-specified this car’s interior is, with numerous options selected from power seats to the electric sunshine roof. It all amounts to a highly luxurious way to go sports motoring, and to the best of our knowledge everything is in working order.

See for yourself just how well cared-for this car has been over the years. It really is exceedingly difficult to fault. Having scoured it for any blemishes, we eventually discovered the smallest of paint chips below the rear number plate, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that, without placing the car under quite such intense scrutiny, it looks very much like it has just been driven off the showroom floor.

The wheels are in outstandingly good condition, again looking very much like new, even if a couple of the Porsche crests look slightly weathered. A look through the spokes reveals the racy disc brakes, with both the discs themselves and the calipers looking like they’ve hardly been put to work, despite the strenuous effort required to stop a fast-moving missile such as the Porsche is.

At a higher level, all the Porsche’s glass is in excellent order, and the sunroof sits flush with the profile of the rest of the roof. Meanwhile, underneath, everything is wonderfully solid and even areas of the car which one expects to show a bit of wear, such as around the sills and valances, have hardly suffered at all from the ravages of 49,000 miles.

We expect everything on this car to be in fine order mechanically. It fires up straight away, slots nicely into gear and then pulls away leaving a sonorous rumble in its wake, loud enough to be satisfying but quiet enough to be civilised and unobtrusive. 

The power steering makes manoeuvring wonderfully easy, but the steering still feels reassuringly firm and responsive. At low speeds, the brakes bring the car smoothly to a halt just as they ought to. Under the engine cover, the engine itself and all its ancillaries are neatly and cleanly presented.

From a safety perspective, we are satisfied that everything is in order as the Porsche passed its MoT in October with no advisory points. Various other things have been addressed as and when necessary, with the car having received its 40,000-mile service in 2016 and some extensive work in 2014 involving the fitment of a new driver’s door lock, front brake discs and pads and the ignition coil heat shield, in addition to the radiator ducts and bulkhead drains being cleared, air conditioning pipework system complete, complete clutch pack, among many other things.

Classic lines, modern technology: steady progress with respect to tradition is what has made the Porsche 911 a continual object of desire for almost 60 years now. While it may be the early cars which are the stuff of dreams for collectors, for many people, a water-cooled 911 represents the best option. It doesn’t really make sense to look for a brand-new one when a nearly-new one like this can be had for a fraction of the price, and this is one of the best ones out there.

The paint and interior are beyond fantastic, the engine is crying out for a spirited drive, it boasts all manner of little luxuries and there’s plenty of room for passengers in the back. How many other 186mph cars are there that are as well-suited to supermarket shopping trips as they are to track days? Go for it – you’ll wonder how you’ve lived so long without a 997.