'Holy grail' 911 Carrera (996) for sale
Affordable 996s remain out there, but the very best ones only seem to be going one way...
Hate to break it to you, but the Porsche 996 was never going to stay really cheap forever. Those days of presentable examples around £15,000 could never last; partly as every other 911 cost more money, and association inevitably pulls values up a little. But also because the 996 was a great sports car, a great Porsche, and there was only so long that that fact would be overlooked because of water cooling and funny headlights.
The base Carrera was much loved at the time of its launch almost 30 years ago, which tended to be forgotten later on (and especially once the GT3 arrived). Values eventually plummeted because purists didn’t like the look or the new cooling method, popularity meant huge numbers of them, and IMS/RMS concerns put some off. But now that situation is beginning to change; every 996 is now more than 20 years old, and not all of them will have survived. Bear in mind the amount taken for dedicated track and race builds and the number will be even lower. It also hails from a pre-PDK time of rubbish autos and wobbly cabs, so those after a modern classic Porsche now are probably all hunting around the three-pedal coupes.
While choice most certainly remains out there, demand is increasing the price of supply. For those that want to go under the radar (and enjoy every single mile) all year round, this C4 manual is a PH Auctions lot later this week; for those after something a little more attention-grabbing, this Carrera 2 ought to be just the ticket.
‘Holy grail’, the vendor's description, may be stretching it a bit much for a base 911, but it is ticking a lot of boxes: as a 1998 build it gets the cable throttle that tends to be prized, as well as orange indicators (they had to be cool again at some point). The original owner really understood the brief when it came to speccing a great 911, too, plumping for Ocean Jade Metallic and adding the MO30 Sport Pack - with bigger brakes and racier seats - plus the MO30 lower, stiffer suspension. With an LSD as the cherry on top plus, absurdly, a rear wiper. Nobody’s perfect, after all…
Still, it should mean a properly thrilling Carrera experience, and a hard one to repeat these days given very few really early 996s remain in addition to the cost of Porsche parts. And it looks exotic in a way that silver 911s just don’t. A nice reminder that fun colours existed before Instagram was there to show them off.
With just 70,000 miles recorded, a fresh set of Michelins and a magazine cover feature to its name, this C2 is probably about as good as a 996 gets. Which means it’s also more than £30,000. You don’t need us to tell you the Porsche possibilities that sort of money opens up, and those who still had the 996 down as the cheap Porsche two-door might be in for a shock. But the price goes to show the regard that the first water-cooled 911 is now held in (at last), and seems unlikely to budge a great deal in the near future as Porsche muddles around with what to do about its new cars. Showing off a few more of them in Ocean Jade Metallic might be a good start…
I'd need to see the underside on a ramp at 70k miles.
I'd also look for IMS Bearing Retrofit, Low-Temp Thermostat, and Bore Scope Inspection.
Also grail spec would be without a sunroof. Sunroof adds say ~20kg of extra weight at the highest point of the car and gives you reduced headroom.
I'd need to see the underside on a ramp at 70k miles.
I'd also look for IMS Bearing Retrofit, Low-Temp Thermostat, and Bore Scope Inspection.
Also grail spec would be without a sunroof. Sunroof adds say ~20kg of extra weight at the highest point of the car and gives you reduced headroom.
As for the rest of it, why do we need all these gubbins? Seriously? Is this the standard line that gets trotted out when a 996 appears on here?
If the car isn't broken, it isn't broken. I always struggle with the negativity of posts on Pistonheads.
Please remember that poppopbangbang has run an early 996 (Carrera 4) to 300,000 miles on the original IMS.
And YES, this is "grail" spec for some - there's an "early 996" thread on here which has run into hundreds of posts
But for that money are you not firmly into the prices of a manual Carrera 997 S? which are mostly boring colours I know but still...
This is a cable throttle early 996, with no electronic interventions, and a particular styling and history.
Some people like it, some people don't ...
but I never really understand why the default argument on here is 997 > 996 every single time.
Unless of course this is a conversation about headlights.....
It is definitely a very late 90's shade, so maybe some might appreciate it for that, being of its time.
Bit like a Fuji green Z3.
It is definitely a very late 90's shade, so maybe some might appreciate it for that, being of its time.
Bit like a Fuji green Z3.
That said, the interior would make me feel like I was sitting in a bucket of cement.
Take inflation into account, can confirm anecdotally… these still aren’t at the bottom.
(Sold mine in 2022, would appear can get a much lower mileage /non knackered 4s for around 3k less than I sold it for at today’s prices - and I was very upfront and honest!!)
I do like a 996 but just cannot live with the interior. A 996 shell with a 997 interior would be the holy grail. Preferably without a chocolate engine.
Basalt or seal grey metallic, black leather, sports seats, 18" Sport Designs, litronic, manual, Bose... now you're talking
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