Is this 996 Carrera 4 the ultimate station car?
What to do with a Porsche 911 that has covered nearly 400,000 miles...
The high-mileage 996-era 911 is never too far from discussion on PH - it’s simply too interesting a Porsche to ignore. Received well at launch but unloved as a secondhand prospect, for a long time they offered an alluringly affordable way into rear-engined Porsche sports car ownership. And some proved tougher than expectations would have suggested. So we featured 996s like the 300k-mile desert runner, plus both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive Brave Pills. The risk was undoubtedly there at little more than £10,000, but the reward didn’t need much explaining either.
Furthermore, even as the first water-cooled 911 has slowly but surely increased in value over the past decade or so, they remain the cheapest way into one. And actually, they’re now being appreciated as a great classic Porsche, with compact dimensions, fantastic handling, and a simpler mechanical makeup than later cars. Some folk even like the headlights now…
Given all that, it’s a surprise that in 2025 this is the cheapest 996 we’ve ever seen. You’d have thought the days of 911s being sold for four-figure sums would be behind us, yet here’s a 2000 Carrera 4 Coupe available at £8,925 before any negotiation. It’s one you might actually want, too, with a manual gearbox, carbon interior bits, Turbo twist wheels and seats that are said to be from a GT2. When all the cheapish 911s now seem to be Tiptronic drop-tops, this looks like a bit of a find.
The mileage explains the price. A 911 that’s reached 200,000 miles would be pretty notable, but this 996 passed that milestone yonks ago. And then 300,000 as well. Then 350k. At its most recent service in April, the C4 sat at 378,560 miles, and is now for sale with 387,207 on the odometer. An astonishing number for anything on four wheels, really, let alone a bona fide sports car with a reliability rep that isn’t the best.
Naturally, it’s taken some work to get here. The ad says that the flat six was ‘comprehensively rebuilt’ with both a ceramic IMS and ceramic engine liners, the latter of which should prevent any bore scoring issues. It doesn’t say when the work was done, although with those upgraded parts it shouldn’t need doing again. There’s said to be plenty of main dealer history, plus new dampers, discs and pads this year. So this ought to still drive like a 911 should, to some extent.
Investment will be required cosmetically, though. Probably a full respray, for those that don’t want the scabby look, given the state of the arches and the bonnet. The sills definitely look like they’ve seen better days as well, although the MOT does run until April, so hopefully the rust isn’t terminal yet. It could be a cool project for those with the skills (or the budget) to properly rejuvenate. On the other hand, left as it is, what a winter hack opportunity the 400,000-mile 911 Carrera 4 looks…
Ironically, the mileage and mechanical condition isn't what put me off - I mean, if it's made it this far it can't be all bad, right? Also, the previous owner sounded like a good sort who wasn't afraid to throw cash at an old car.
No, what put me off is the cosmetic state of it. As the article says, it ideally needs a full respray plus there's a lot of rust in the arches, so you're looking at - what? - £3-5000 to make it look nice? For not much over the combined total you could get a car with less than half the mileage, just as much preventative work carried out and in better cosmetic condition. Arguably, the right buyer is the one that doesn't care about the looks, but if (when) I buy a 996 I will want it to look right.
It's just a total waste of money. It's one of those "Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics" cars, where the TV company buy the car for £8K and spend £20K fixing it up and then sell it for £10K. No one wants a 400,000 mile Porsche and to call it a station car is just idiotic.
It's just a total waste of money. It's one of those "Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics" cars, where the TV company buy the car for £8K and spend £20K fixing it up and then sell it for £10K. No one wants a 400,000 mile Porsche and to call it a station car is just idiotic.
It's just a total waste of money. It's one of those "Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics" cars, where the TV company buy the car for £8K and spend £20K fixing it up and then sell it for £10K. No one wants a 400,000 mile Porsche and to call it a station car is just idiotic.
I think it's cool. The bodywork wouldn't bother me. Provided you give it a good check over and the rust isn't too severe, I'd happily get under it and patch it up. With it being high miles and tatty, it's perfect for a project or for modifying without feeling guilty about spoiling an immaculate example. It's the sort of car someone with some mechanical skills could have a lot of fun with.
It's just a total waste of money. It's one of those "Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics" cars, where the TV company buy the car for £8K and spend £20K fixing it up and then sell it for £10K. No one wants a 400,000 mile Porsche and to call it a station car is just idiotic.
I don't see the mileage as too much of an issue as long as the maintenance of the car is up to scratch. It will put some people off, sure, but to others it will be a fun novelty and a challenge to have such a high mileage 911.
It's just a total waste of money. It's one of those "Bangers & Cash Restoring Classics" cars, where the TV company buy the car for £8K and spend £20K fixing it up and then sell it for £10K. No one wants a 400,000 mile Porsche and to call it a station car is just idiotic.
Fixing it would make would buy a better car and I'm not rich enough to write £8k off should it fail its next MOT due to rust.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff