1998 Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 2 - Manual

Introduced in 1997, the Porsche 996 was the first water-cooled 911. To date, the pre-facelift 996 Carrera 2 has turned out to be the lightest of all the water-cooled 911 variants including the 996 GT3 which weighs 35kg more, and the 3.4 litre, 300 bhp engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission and rear wheel drive. Tiff Needell reviewed the 996 Carrera in period on 'Top Gear' and noted “as a driving experience, this is second to none; superb handling, steering that feels as you want it to feel, brilliant brakes, a slick 6-speed gearbox, and seven and a half thousand revs to play with. This is a use-it-everyday supercar” In 1998, 'Car and Driver' put the Carrera 2 up against the Ferrari 355 and the Porsche came out on top. Further still, it was prized as the 'EVO' magazine 'Car of the Year' with "its ability to be approachable and accessible like a sports car, but still with the ability to inspire awe like a supercar... on the road its purity of purpose, poise, finesse and honed athleticism allowed it to dominate a test that included the Ferrari F355 and Elise 135".

This particular car is an early launch model, produced for one year only, and was delivered in January 1998 to Porsche GB to be used as their UK press car. It featured in a number of press reviews and in a Chris Goffey piece on 'Men and Motors TV'. The 1998 Model Year differed from later cars in a number of ways including amber front and rear lights, cable operated throttle rather than by an electronic throttle body, and it lacked the in-dash glove box. This is a very mechanical 996 whilst remaining modern enough to use comfortably. It was ordered in Metallic Zenith Blue with a contrasting Black leather interior and optioned with Sports Seats, 17"" Turbo Twist alloy wheels, and a Hi-Fi Sound System. It also has the GT3 'centre console delete kit' for added comfort and knee room. The car has now covered just over 58,000 miles from new, backed up with a full service history with 14 stamps in the service book, predominately from main dealers. Its most recent service was performed in March by Porsche only a few hundred miles ago, and the car has since had a full engine out inspection and top end rebuild at a cost of £6,000. Recent expenditure also extends to new Pirelli P Zero tyres all around.

The full history folder contains the complete original book back, all previous service invoices dating back to 1998, and even the original purchase invoice!

Service details;

28-08-1998 at 11,427 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

29-01-2002 at 22,799 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

17-02-2003 at 26,808 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

05-02-2004 at 32,192 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

17-01-2006 at 42,021 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

06-11-2006 at 48,716 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

03-11-2007 at 50,929 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

11-08-2008 at 52,822 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

10-11-2009 at 54,021 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

20-10-2010 at 53,421 miles at a Specialist

02-11-2011 at 56,050 miles at a Specialist

26-03-2015 at 57,710 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

09-03-2016 at 58,096 miles at an Official Porsche Centre

25-06-2016 at 58,172 miles at a Specialist