Instinct, not to mention the internet and possibly even personal experience might tell you to walk away from a 997 with well beyond six figures clocked up. But things are a little different in High Mile Club - and this Carrera is a little different, too. The 126k-mile example has covered only 4,000 miles since its flat-six was treated to a full top to bottom rebuild at specialist Hartech Automotive. Moreover, as a September 2006 997, the car came from the factory with a toughened 3.6-litre motor anyway - so it’s not associated with the issues of earlier examples.
We sung the 997's praises just last week, touting it as a modern classic well worthy of consideration at hot hatch money. And as we noted the recently updated buying guide, the later 997 motor uses larger bearings to address the intermediate shaft bearing failure of the earlier design, which at one stage was common enough to convince many to walk away from used 997 and 996 ownership. So while this car is way over the 100k mark, its engine ought to be up to the job. Now it's been rebuilt, you should be good to double the odometer reading.
Handily, the manual six-speed gearbox is considered to be tough, having been engineered to deal with well above the 325hp and 273lb ft of torque produced by the naturally-aspirated flat-six. The rear-drive 997 Carrera platform was always a great handling thing, but like all 911s the chassis does need to be fairly fresh to offer its best. The seller claims that no expense has been spared throughout the car's life, so it's unlikely that its running gear is all 126k old.
Obviously a prospective buyer would be wise to check. No part with a Porsche badge stamped on it is cheap – a pair of front springs alone will set you back £250 and front PASM dampers are over a grand for the pair. To look at though, butter wouldn't melt in its mouth: we'd rate it about as close to tip top as anyone can realistically expect for a six-figure miles car. From the photos at any rate, the paintwork, 19-inch wheels and cabin fabrics all defy age and miles – apart from the nasty tear visible in one tyre sidewall.
Of course, a near 14-year-old Porsche won't be without its blemishes and potential costs - but it’s also up for £21,995, and that feels like pretty decent value for car that's just been made new again where it really counts. And unlike buying one of the more pampered examples further up the price range, there will be no need for hand-wringing guilt when you give it death. In fact, assuming the C2 passes close-up inspection, it ranks as one of the more appealing 911s currently for sale. After all, what's the point of owning Porsche's flagship sports car if you can't enjoy it without keeping one eye on the odometer?
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