Launched in 1997, the Porsche Carrera was designed as a grand tourer, but it was also comfortable and reliable enough to be used as a daily driver. Upon the launch, the 996 received quite a lot of criticism from the die-hard Porsche fans worldwide.

This was mainly due to the new design headlights, and the smooth sides without any more prominent wheel arches like people were used to with a 911. Not to mention the move to a 3.4 litre, water-cooled engine replacing the air-cooled engine previously used for many years.

Four years later, the new model 996 was released with newly designed headlights. These were more similar to the turbo version car, as opposed to the entry-level Boxster, which kept the Porsche owners happy, and was initially fitted with the same 3.4 litre flat-six engine before moving to the 3.6 litre in later years.

The Carrera 4 has a permanent all-wheel-drive system connected with the option of manual or Tiptronic for the gearbox, with buttons fitted on the steering wheel for easy shifting should the Tiptronic option be taken.

The Cabriolet also comes with a hardtop that takes two people to remove, but is a welcomed addition in the cooler months.

The seller of this exceptionally well maintained 2001 Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 4 Cabriolet has been the owner for the past 5 years. He purchased the car from the chief mechanic of his local classic car garage, where the gentleman had been running it himself for a few years. 

Knowing the garage well, as they do all of his work on his other vehicles, he knew the Porsche would be coming from a good home, and with full Porsche main dealer history before this, it made it an excellent choice to step into the world of a Porsche 911. 

However, it has been getting very little use, and already owning two other classics plus a motorhome, any weekends with good weather are used to take the motorhome out rather than the Porsche. This has meant that the 911 spends more time in his garage than being used, which is why he has decided to sell it.

The V5 is present for the Porsche and shows 7 previous keepers. There are also 3 keys present, two of which have the lock/unlock fobs built in. 

The car has an MOT which will expire on 22nd October 2022. The registration number for the vehicle will be staying on, as the seller doesn't wish to retain it as he’s not planning to replace the car. 

The Porsche has all the owner’s manuals present and correct. The service book has 13 Porsche main dealer stamps and 3 independent specialist stamps, with 2 of those being the garage where the seller purchased the car.

There are also 15 other stamps for long life health checks and brake fluid changes. The last service was carried out at 80,635 miles.

The colour choice on the interior of the 996 is Graphite Grey, which is a nice contrast to the dark exterior. The electric, heated leather seats are in very good condition with just some age related creasing to the leather, which is in keeping with the age and mileage of the vehicle. 

The door cards are in good order, with the storage lids opening and closing as they should. There are some light scuffs where the seatbelts come out of the interior panel, but nothing too excessive. Open the passenger side door, and the Porsche umbrella is still in place, which slots into the recess in the sill. 

The dashboard in the Porsche is the same colour as the seats, and is in excellent condition with no damage to point out. The wheel of the 996 is in good order and has no excessive wear, other than some shining to the leather. 

The instruments lay behind, with the rev counter being the most prominent and first to notice. The gauges are working as they should, with no warning lights displayed, and the odometer reads 80,637 miles. 

To the centre, and the in-car entertainment is all factory fitted and in good order, with no wear showing to the lettering on any of the buttons or switches surrounding it. 

The gear knob has some wear, possibly caused by a ring from a previous keeper, and there are some light chips around the handbrake area, which is quite common, and caused by the seat belt buckle. 

The carpets are nice and clean, with a set of Porsche mats fitted to protect the carpet. These are in good order with just some minimal wear to be seen, mainly because of their light colour. The headlining of the hardtop is in good condition, as is the underside of the convertible roof.

In the front storage area is the fold-away wind deflector in its original storage bag. The original jack, tool kit, spare wheel, and compressor are under the carpeted base. 

Finished in the stunning Schwartz Metallic Black, the 996 presents exceptionally well. The car looks to all be in original condition with no evidence that we could see of having received any paintwork. 

Starting at the front of the vehicle, there are some age and mileage related stone chips, as you would expect, but nothing too excessive, and the lower front air intake has faded a little. 

The bonnet aligns straight and equal to both wings and the front bumper. The headlights are nice and clear with no discolouration or chips, and moving further up, the windscreen is free from any chips. 

Looking down the flanks of the 996, there are no dings or dents to mention, and it is very straight. The windows are free from any scratches and are in good order along with the seals. 

Being black, some swirl marks are visible, but these could be reduced or removed by a professional detailer. Being a convertible, the hardtop is removable. This is a two-person job but does lift off relatively easy. 

Once off, the soft top goes up and down at the touch of a button with ease. The soft top roof is in good condition, just showing some crease marks from storage as you would expect. 

Around to the rear and the lights are in good order with no chips or splits, and the rear spoiler operates as it should via the button manually or automatically when travelling. 

The engine cover opens and closes as it should and has new struts fitted. There is a small mark on the passenger side of the bumper, which is a vertical line approximately 1”, and some crazing to the paint just above it. This isn’t that noticeable but it is there. 

The 18” Carrera 4 twist alloy wheels are in good condition. There is no corrosion to the faces to mention. The passenger side front does have a slight kerb graze but would be an easy fix for your local wheel refurbisher. The Pirelli P Zero tyres are in good condition and have a good amount of tread remaining.

This Carrera 4 is fitted with the 3.4 litre flat-six engine, producing 300bhp 258lb-ft of torque. This engine has been extremely well serviced, having been looked after for the majority of its life by main Porsche dealers, and the last couple of services by the previous keeper who, as mentioned, is the chief mechanic at a classic car garage. 

The 3.4 litre fires up straight away with the flick of the key. The distinct sound of the flat-six exiting the oval tipped exhaust sounds fantastic. 

The seller reports that the car drives superbly, and the gear change is smooth through the Tiptronic 5-speed gearbox. This is operated in fully automatic mode or by the buttons on the steering wheel, giving you more control as to when to change. 

There are no noises to report coming from the engine or transmission. A new battery has been fitted along with a set of wiper blades. 

The car comes to a stop quickly, with no juddering through the pedal. The car had new discs fitted in 2018, and since then, it's covered less than 1,000 miles, so it's still in excellent condition.

An affordable way to step into the world of the incredible Porsche 911. As we know, the 911 is probably one of the most iconic cars ever made, and the 996 is just one of the models which have retained the classic shape of the legendary Porsche. 

With a nicely stamped up service book, the 996 has clearly been well cared for over the years. 

Being a convertible is another string to its bow, as it also has a hardtop making it a very usable car all year round should you wish.