2005 Porsche 911 (996.2) Turbo S Cabriolet (Manual)

The Porsche 911 (996) Turbo S came at the very end of the 996 production cycle in 2005 and was given the full-house treatment of options, being sufficiently different to become known as the 996.2. The engine was fitted with the bigger turbos from the X50 Power kit, uprated intercoolers and a revised ECU boosting output to 450bhp, and the car's top speed broke through that magic 300km/h barrier, with a maximum of 190mph (307km/h), placing it firmly in supercar territory, helped by the four-wheel drive. This period also saw a huge change in attitude towards semi-automatic gearboxes, helped by Ferrari’s F1 and Porsche’s Tiptronic, and unprecedented technological advancements. It was accepted as the best of both worlds by the traditional, yet enthusiast, Porsche Turbo buyer, and subsequently a manual gearbox was rarely specified, none more so than the Turbo S, most of which were Coupes. A UK-delivered manual cabriolet Turbo S is therefore so rare that UK production figures are not recorded but, undoubtedly, there are very few and they seldom become available. However, none are comparable to this car’s colour, mileage and provenance, which combine to make it unique.

Optioned with carbon ceramic brakes and delivered new to the UK, finished in the very rare colour of Olive Green, this Turbo S Cabriolet was first registered on  23rd May 2005 to a successful restaurateur. He used it as a daily driver for the first few years, covering largely motorway miles, however, the annual mileage gradually reduced as time went by. Having always coveted the car, our vendor, multiple British Rally Championship winner Mark Higgins, purchased the Porsche from his friend, becoming the second owner on  26th December 2013.

Like many of the sports cars in Mark’s Collection, this Turbo S has been driven sparingly with overseas filming commitments limiting his time behind the wheel. His talents have been called upon in the modern era of Bond films, most recently doubling as James Bond in the set piece Aston Martin DB5 scene in No Time To Die. As one of Hollywood’s go-to 'wheelmen' Mark’s driving has featured in the Fast & Furious, Batman and Star Wars franchises to name a few.

Regular oil changes were carried out and the maintenance record lists main dealer and specialist services together with dates and mileage. Since 2013, Mark has driven less than 3,000 miles in the car and it's presented to auction freshly serviced and MOT'd with an odometer reading of 66,995 miles at the time of cataloguing. It's supplied with hard top, spare key, wallet containing the Porsche manuals, aforementioned receipts and its V5C.