1996 Porsche 911 993 Targa

Often cited by enthusiasts as "the last real Porsche" the 993 straddles the bridge between pure high performance driving thrills, visceral dynamics, and appealing design-led solutions to emissions and safety requirements. No previous 911 variant had such high-speed cornering ability and stability via the use of widened track and all-alloy rear suspension. The six-speed manual gearbox not only surpassed the previous four and five-speed gearboxes in usability, but most commentators also found it to be a quicker reacting and a smoother gear change, in turn allowing full concentration to be employed on the road ahead rather than fighting the gears themselves.

The Targa, introduced for the 1996 model year, changed the future of Porsche Targa roof designs by being an all-glass retractable surface rather than removable panels - cementing the link between heightened functionality and aesthetic form demanded by buyers from the 1990s onwards. This design had the added visceral benefit of a clean coupe line from A to C pillar (previous Targas incorporating bulky roll-over protection on the B pillar to facilitate the removable panels).

The 993 Targa Tiptronic offered here is finished in Iris Blue and has a blue / biscuit tan leather interior. Although the early history of the car isn't present, we can ascertain from looking through the history file that the car has been through the workshops of Autostrasse, Paul Stephens Ltd, Rivervale Porsche and Porsche Colchester during its life. In May 2006 the car was treated to stone chip removal by the Vehicle Repair Centre, Kent, who painted the bonnet, front bumper and both front wings, along with a mechanical polish to improve the overall finish of the car.

Presently showing 95,504 miles on the odometer, this car is supplied with its toolkit, driver's manual and a spare ignition key, as well as a UK V5c and an MoT valid until June '15. In its present form, it's fair to say that there are areas for improvement on this car, but as values of Porsche 993's continue to climb and at this guide price, "JSV 993' cannot be overlooked.

MoT History

MoT Date Mileage13.10.05 59,913 miles15.9.06 60,720 miles3.9.07 81,626 miles28.5.08 82,413 miles20.7.09 86,980 miles11.11.10 88,782 miles31.3.12 90,861 miles13.4.13 92,678 miles24.6.14 94,310 miles