2001 PORSCHE 911 (996) CARRERA CABRIOLET

This 2001 Porsche 911 (996) Carrera Cabriolet is a collector-quality example of an exciting and engaging open-top sports car. It is powered by a 3.4-litre flat-six engine producing 300bhp, with rear-wheel drive via a slick six-speed manual transmission. The odometer shows just 38,616 miles from new, which is fully supported by the history file.

An original right-hand drive UK market car, this 996 was specified in the Lapis Blue factory colour, which is now a rare find. Other factory options included 18-inch Turbo-style alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlights and the desirable hard-backed sport seats. There are just two previous registered keepers on the log book, and it has been owned by the vendor for the last year.

The car’s bodywork is in outstanding condition, as is the original paint finish. Evidently, it has received a lot of care and attention throughout its life, with regular cleaning and protecting to ensure that it still presents superbly today. The factory-supplied hardtop remains with the car, stored by the vendor under a protective cover, and is still in excellent order.

Its 18-inch alloy wheels are pristine, and are finished with coloured Porsche crest centre caps. All of the light lenses, rubber seals and trim pieces around the body are in great shape, and the original exhaust tailpipes are in very good condition. The black fabric hood retains a deep colour, is undamaged and opens and closes perfectly.

In the cabin, the black full leather upholstery is in superb condition, with no rips or tears and exhibiting only minimal signs of use. The optional sport seats feature electric adjustment, and the three-spoke leather sport steering wheel is also present.

The dashboard is equipped with climate control as well as the Porsche CDR-22 stereo head unit made by Becker. All of the switchgear and electrics work as they should. The front boot trim and lining is in good order, and currently houses the original detachable wind deflector and a spare-saver spare wheel.

The last scheduled maintenance was at independent specialist Northway Porsche in January 2019, which consisted of a minor service. Despite its low mileage, the previous owner made sure the car was kept is superb running order, and so it was also seen and serviced in both January 2018 and January 2017 as well. The accessory drive belt was renewed during the latter.

Its last MOT was 21 January 2019 at 38,269 miles, which resulted in a clean pass with no advisories. In fact, the six prior annual tests were also first-time passes without any advisories whatsoever, which is a testament to this car’s pristine condition.

The alloy wheels are fitted with a set of N4-rated Pirelli P Zero Rosso tyres in size 225/40 ZR18 at the front and 265/35 ZR18 at the rear. The tyres are date-coded to 2017 and are in great condition, having only covered around 2,000 miles on the road.

Accompanying the car is all of the original literature, including driver’s handbook, user guides and the stamped maintenance record. There are also numerous old invoices for servicing, as well as prior MOT certificates.

This Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is a shining example of the drop-top 996. It is presented in immaculate condition with genuine low mileage from new, and must surely be one of the very best available. Cosmetically superb and mechanically strong, this represents a great opportunity to acquire a very clean car for the collector, ready to delight its next owner on sunny weekends.