2004 Porsche 911 (997) Carrera

With the above in mind, it’s certainly fair to say that this 997 has aged particularly, wearing its 16,000 miles with pride. Condition, of course, varies wildly through different 997's & we think we’re pretty safe in saying that this one surely has to be one of the best we’ve seen. Not only does its condition set it apart, but its desirable heap of options. The basic Carrera II specification, the base price of which was £48,056.17 in 2004 has been enhanced with over £12k of options. Porsche’s PASM switchable adaptive damping has been fitted in addition to the Sports Chrono Pack. The latter tightens up the throttle response and loosens up the nannying influence of the traction control with the press of the ‘Sport’ button.

The good news keeps on coming as the driver selects this 911’s six-speeds via a fantastically slick manual transmission. Having covered a displayed and documented 16,077 miles, this two-keeper Porsche has seen both sparing use and fastidious care. Looking back through its MoT history, we can pick out some years where it was clearly only taken out and used for special occasions; covering a little over 200 miles in 2010 and a bit more than 400 in 2011.

To many a car enthusiast, a Porsche in Basalt Black metallic paint (LC9Z), is top of the dream garage list. The panels and paint finish of this 911 are almost exactly as Porsche intended. We took a hard look around this example and found only trivial faults. A tiny dent to the offside rear three-quarter – just inboard of the spoiler – is about as bad as things get. Additional quibbles include a little rubber peeling from the nearside door handle surround and some very tiny paint imperfections to the offside nose cone and some similar spots on back of both mirrors.

Glancing around the rest of this highly-presentable Porsche, the wheels haven’t a mark worth mentioning; their Bridgestone Potenza tyres are looking very heathy indeed. Panel gaps are as Teutonic and perfect as you’d expect from a modern Porsche; suggesting that this 911 has escaped a bump in its 17 years. Glass and sealing rubbers all look great with the correct sun-strip windscreen also fitted. This 911 also benefits from a recent detailing session and ceramic finish that’s keeping it looking top notch.

This 911 also comes with an official Porsche fitted cover, which adds to the fact that this car has clearly lived quite a pampered life (most likely indoors for much of it).

A black exterior is perfectly complimented by an exceptional sand beige full-leather interior. As anticipated for a 911 displaying so few miles, the wear you’d expect for a near 20-year-old Porsche is conspicuous by its absence. Pedal rubbers appear like new with carpets and matts in equally fine order.

We really had to look very hard indeed to find anything at fault inside this 911, with a very tiny mark to the bottom of the steering wheel and a few light minor creases on the drivers' seat bolster.

It’s hard to really get stuck into an inspection of a car as modern and technically advanced as this 911; there’s too much plastic covering the major parts for one. What’s easy to ascertain is that the suspension and its bushes appear in excellent condition. There’s very little wear or signs of corrosion anywhere, surface rust being relegated to tiny areas of the front suspension uprights.

The underside of this 911’s rear-mounted engine appears dry and free of any current or ancestral leaks. There’s really only the odd minor moisture mark and stain from road grime, oh and the odd carbon mark from the exhaust joints.

Although not sporting a complete Porsche service history, there’s a good deal of stamps and invoices from Porsche Centre Colchester. Said dealer was called upon to fit a new battery and carry out a belt service and coolant swap in July 2016. Recent work includes a minor service carried out by Porsche specialist GT Heritage in 2019 and another bigger bill, which comprised new spark plugs and belts, from earlier this year courtesy of Porsche specialist SP Autobahn in Stirling.

Further back in the folder there’s a large bill from specialist JZ Machtech. The Kings Langley firm carried out the major (usually 40k-mile) service in November 2008, which included a brake fluid change (one of four that the car has received to date). In addition to the stack of old MoT certificates, there’s also a pair of keys and two condition reports from Porsche Centre Colchester.

The truth is, 997 Carrera's won't come much better than this one & it is rather refreshing to see one with a tan interior, over the more common black & dark grey variants. They were and remain Porsche’s best-selling 911 and their exceptional build quality and materials mean there’s bound to be a lot of them still hammering around our roads for many years to come.

This example is in exceptional condition and its tiny mileage and highly-desirable list of options means it stands head and shoulders above the masses. That’s why we’re confident in placing an estimate of between £32,000 and £40,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET HQ near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’