2008 Porsche 911 (997.1) Carrera

The vendor bought the car in May 2020 and, as he is in the motor trade himself, set about using his access to discounted labour and parts costs in the cause of tackling the various maintenance tasks that needed doing.

Consequently, the work carried out was done by Porsche main dealers and specialists, with no jobs missed or corners cut anywhere.

He believes he spent around £8k of his own money getting everything just right. That would have been a somewhat larger sum to anyone not in the trade.

We have driven the car and fully concur with the vendor’s view that this is a thoroughly sorted and well-screwed-together example of the model and the marque.

Nothing rattles or squeaks. Everything works. The manual gear box is positive, slick and notchy.

It pulls strongly, handles precisely and is, in short, a joy to drive.

The car has 60,087 miles on the odometer and has recently earned itself a fresh MoT certificate (with no advisories).

The vendor is only reluctantly selling because a kitchen extension has called for the diversion of some funds.

His most recent significant (c.£1800) expenditure on the car was for a new steering rack.

All the work he has commissioned is accounted for in the documents section. The vendor states a copy of the factory spec can also be found in the paperwork, which is photographed in the listing. The vendor also states he is currently subscribed to a Porsche Tracker System.

The full specification list from the factory is as follows:

• Short Shift Gearbox Selector (£?)
• Metallic Paint (£570)
• Parking Sensors (£325)
• BiXenon (£705)
• PASM (£1030)
• Sports Chrono (£530)
• Sports Exhaust (£1216)
• Carrera S Wheels (£1018)
• Wheel Centres (£107)
• Electric Seats (£1006)
• Bose (£768)
• CD 6-Disc (£348)
• Navigation (£1248)
• Telephone (£523)

The car comes with two keys, a tracker, all the right paperwork and a full set of manuals.

The condition of the recently machine polished bodywork is really very good indeed, and the paintwork really pops and sings in the sunshine.

There are no dinks, dents or creases of any significance whatsoever.

The panel gaps and shut lines are consistent and even.

The wheels are excellent, as are the tyres, which are configured with Uniroyal RainSport 3s at the front and Bridgestone Potenzas at the rear.

The only blemish we could find anywhere on the exterior of this fabulous car is a tiny chip to the lacquer on the n/s/f wheel.

If we were being hyper-critical we might point out that some of the exterior rubber trim looks like it’s just starting to fade very slightly.

The lights, lenses and badging are all fine.

It’s an equally impressive story of excellent condition on the inside where, aside from a tiny mark on the squab of the driver’s seat (you’ll have to squint to see it), everything looks pretty much showroom-fresh and still possessed of oodles of Porsche’s legendary tank-like build quality.

The door cards are free of any scuffs and scratches.

The carpets and mats look fine.

Ditto the headlining, dashboard, steering wheel and controls.

The grey leather seats – front and back – are supportive, comfortable and functional.

We didn’t press every button or tweak every toggle, knob or switch but, as far as we can tell, everything does what it’s supposed to do.

Certainly, the vendor couldn’t think of anything that doesn’t work.

We spotted one or two marks on the inside of the rear screen. These look likely to capitulate if threated with a damp cloth.

Everything (visible) in the engine bay appears clean, dry, right and proper.

The undersides of the car look to have a good deal of structural integrity and seem to us to be wholly untroubled by either time, wear or use.

This car comes with a satisfyingly thick and informative wad of invoices, bills and receipts covering every aspect of its service and maintenance history.

The car has a fully stamped main dealer/specialist service book.

It was last serviced by Porsche Centre South London on 27.5.22, when the mileage was 59,274.

The belts were last changed by Porsche Portsmouth at 57,863 miles on 5.6.20.

This is a car that shouldn’t be springing any nasty surprises any time soon.

In our opinion, this is a particularly fine and well-curated example of a 997 Carrera.

And we’ve seen a lot of them.

All the heavy lifting has been supervised and commissioned by a trade professional with a very keen eye for detail.

So, that’s work (and expense) that you won’t have to incur.

We think this is, by any measure, a good ‘un.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £28,000 - £32,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.