2003 Porsche 996 Carrera 4S

Buying a 911 of any age is all about condition, specification and above all history. Buy the wrong 911 and it will bite you but buy the right one and it will delight you!

We are certain this delightful 2003 Carrera 4S will fall fair and square into the latter camp. It’s a goodie and make no mistake.

Our seller purchased the car from renowned Porsche specialists Mortimers Prestige in East Sussex. They have over 35 years’ experience of the marque and only sell the very best cars, prepared to the highest of standards.

That was over five years ago and with a growing family, our seller feels that it is time to let someone else enjoy the car and thus a new chapter for GK53 LLM is about to begin.

The car boasts four-wheel drive which adds not only to the driving pleasure, but also adds much reassurance when driven in wet or slippery conditions.

The Tiptronic gearbox takes the strain out of city driving, yet control can be had via the steering wheel buttons should the driver be in the mood. The best of both worlds we say.

Our seller’s view of the car is that it is old enough to be considered a classic 911 yet is young enough to be usable as an everyday car. We think he is spot on. His period of ownership has been pleasantly hassle free. Buy the right car in the first place….

Lapis Blue, a lovely hue! It suits the 911 rather well. Smart, elegant, understated, classy even. It’s in mighty fine condition too, a testament to our seller’s careful ownership. He assures us that he never used the car in the wet either, which helps.

If we are being picky, we can spot a tiny indentation on the nearside rear wing, in line with door handle. There are also some light surface scratches here and there, most noticeable on the rear bumper just behind the offside rear wheel.

There is also a scratch on the passenger door mirror.

It is quite possible that a good valeting may well improve matters.

We note the steel sunroof, a lovely extra for that wind in the hair feeling.

The five-spoke alloy wheels look to have been cared for and each is shod with a premium Falken Azenis tyre.

If you thought the outside was lovely, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Savannah, a lovely shade and so much nicer than dreary black, a far more common colour for a 911 interior.

Porsche build their cars to last, and it therefore will come as no surprise to find that the 996’s interior is still in great condition even after 18 years of use.

The driver’s seat has a little light creasing to the offside bolster, but other than that there is just a lovely gentle patina from years of careful use.

The front seats boast electric adjustment, so the ideal driving position should be easy to find.

Yes, there is seating for four, but let’s just say the rear perches are best occupied by children or used for extra luggage space.

Carpets and mats tone in nicely and once again are in fine fettle.

The front boot is trimmed with practical black carpet and with careful packing, it is surprising how much luggage can be squeezed in. A spare wheel and tools lurk under the boot floor.

The 911’s first owner added a raft of desirable extras to the car. We thought a list might be in order:

Cruise control

Lumbar support on front seats

Electric tilt/slide sunroof

PCM 2 – telephone

BOSE sound package

CD autochanger

Automatically dimming interior mirror

Porsche Communication Management (PCM)

Green tinted windscreen

Floor mats with leather surround

On board computer

Satellite navigation

Leather interior

We can only speculate how much that little lot would have added to the 911’s list price.

The engine compartment shows all the hallmarks of careful ownership. There’s lots to see and all of it good. Specialist maintenance is the key here and we have plenty of paperwork to support this.

We are told that the liner issues were dealt with before our seller purchased the car.

The car’s underside is clean and presentable though we do note a light graze on the lip of the front spoiler. It was all a badger’s fault! Our seller encountered one in the middle of the road, braked hard just as the car hit a dip in the road and the rest as they say is history. Oh, and the badger lived to fight another day and ambled off unperturbed by his brush with death.

How we love a stamped service book and that is exactly what we have with this 911. A mixture of main dealer and specialists is exactly what we would expect with this age of car.

Not only that, but the car also has all its original manuals and the lovely, monogrammed case in which they live.

There are plenty of invoices with the car, totalling around £15,000. No expense has been spared we believe in keeping this car in tip top condition.

For example, a service was carried out in 2017, the invoice totalling £2,632. It included a brake fluid change, Tiptronic gearbox service and a geometry check amongst other things.

In 2019 another service was carried out and the air conditioning condenser was replaced.

The car has covered very few miles since.

Also available is an extensive collection of old MoT certificates, which help corroborate the car’s modest mileage.

The last test was carried out on 1st April of this year.

We think this car will be a great introduction to Porsche 911 ownership. With evidence of careful maintenance from 3 owners over the years, we can imagine years of trouble-free motoring ahead.

This is a high specification car too and with four-wheel drive and Tiptronic gears, it will not be in any way intimidating to drive. Instead, it will offer thrills aplenty.

And let’s not forget about the lovely colour combination, a real head-turner if ever there was one.

The price for all this 911 goodness? We estimate the car will sell for between £18,000 and £25,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, within government guidelines of course. The car is located at our Abingdon headquarters; we are open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm and 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’