2000 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 (996) Manual

Highlights

• Lovely example of purest 996 Carrera 2 
• Six-speed manual
• Father-and-son owned for past 21 years
• Genuine low mileage 
• Full stainless exhaust system

 Overview

If you want a sound tip for a future investment, then the Porsche 911 ‘996’ must be it.

For many years the underappreciated 911, the first of the water-cooled models, is now very much on the way up – and with very good reason, too. After all, it was one of the most-focused and enjoyable driver’s cars of the late 1990s and early 2000s, irrespective of the fact that it shared its distinctive ‘fried egg’ headlamps and much of its front suspension with the Boxster. Which, let’s face it, is hardly a bad thing…

While some 911 purists sniff at the water-cooled engine and shared parts, other fans of the marque recognise it for what it really was – Porsche bringing the 911 bang up-to-date, while maintaining a number of key elements of its essential DNA, namely the iconic coupe-body profile, the horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine in its rump, and the upmarket but accessible supercar image that the 911 had portrayed so well since its inception.

It was also brilliant to drive. You could still make the tail wag the dog if you over-provoked it,  but in other ways it was arguably the finest handling car of the 1990s, with tenacious grip, sensational steering and a gorgeous, howling soundtrack – amplified on this example by the addition of a stainless-steel sports exhaust. 

If anything, then, the 996 was the perfect compromise. Docile and easy to drive around town, but rapid, grin-inducing and focused when offered a wide open road, even in entry-level form.

Or, some would argue, ESPECIALLY in entry-level form – for the access point into the 911 line-up at the time was the Carrera 2 Coupé, and that’s what we have here. A car that’s arguably closer to what the 911 stands for than any of the highly tuned or lairy models that followed. Those are brilliant, of course, but an unmodified Carrera 2 is pure – a 911 in its truest of forms. 

This is a narrow-bodied 2000 car finished in Basalt Black Metallic with a tan leather interior, and has been in the same family for over 20 years, owned by a father and son since 2004.

It’s a fantastic way into 911 ownership – and in our eyes is a guaranteed-to-appreciate modern classic.  

History and documentation 

• Full UK V5C in the name of the vendor

• First registered on 4 April 200 and supplied new by JCT 600 of Newcastle

• MOT until 23 June 2026 

• Lots of early history

• One key plus second fob

• Original Porsche book pack and manuals

• Service book stamped as follows: 6,906 miles (2001, main dealer); 11,449 miles (2002, main dealer); 18,491 miles (2003, main dealer); 20,916 miles (2004, main dealer); 27,670 miles (2005, main dealer); 32,923 miles (2006, main dealer); 42,633 miles (2007, main dealer); 53,052 miles (2009, main dealer); 62,800 miles (2011, main dealer); 71,833 miles (2018, specialist)

• Tracker fitted and still registered

Interior

• Tan leather trim in good overall condition

• Some wear to driver’s seat bolster and upper corner

• Minor scuffs to driver’s side seat back

• Matching dash and console in good overall condition with minor signs of wear

• Some wear to door cards and gear knob

• Aftermarket Alpine stereo

• All dials and controls work as intended

• Climate control

• Spacesaver spare wheel and original tool kit

• Original Porsche overmats

Exterior

• Stunning Basalt Black Metallic

•  Very smart overall condition with only minor stone chips and one small area of faded paint on the roof

• Factory option BBS split-rim alloys in good overall condition but with some light kerb rash 

• Mixture of Hankook and Vredestein tyres with decent amount of tread but some age-related cracking

• Clear, transparent and non-cloudy headlights

• No signs of any visible external corrosion

• Appears sound underneath

Mechanical

• Early-spec 3.4-litre water-cooled flat-six

• Six-speed manual transmission

• 296bhp M96 engine

•  0-60mph in 5.2 secs

• Upgraded full stainless-steel exhaust

• Well-maintained example with genuine low mileage

• Described by the vendor as driving well with no noticeable faults

Summary

If you’re looking to experience 911 ownership – and why wouldn’t you? – then this is a great way into a highly exclusive club. 

Being a rear-wheel-drive manual, it’s a terrific car to drive and a genuine evolution of the legendary 911s before it, in an easy-to-own package that’s not as expensive to maintain as you might imagine. A great car to drive, and one that you can very easily live with every day. 

As modern classics go, there are few more compelling – and this one’s a fabulous example. 

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. The car is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland.