2003 Porsche 996 Turbo

This 911 (996) Turbo was originally delivered new on the 21st of February 2003. The included V5 document shows that since then it’s had a total of seven owners.

The last of these, our vendor Ed, bought it from the Historics at Brooklands auction on May 24, 2018. ‘It all happened quite quickly,’ he recalls. ‘It was a Saturday afternoon purchase, and I thought I’m going to buy this car.’

Prior to bidding Ed had contacted Renaissance Cars in Surrey, the specialist that looked after the car. ‘When I got it back to Edinburgh I had a well respected local specialist inspect it, and he confirmed their opinion of the car, saying ‘it’s a lovely clean example’. There were a few typical things that afflict the 996 Turbo that needed doing, and I had him rectify them at a cost of just over £3k.’

Since he’s had the car, Ed’s put a couple of thousand miles on the clock using it purely for pleasure. However, he now feels it’s not getting as much use as he’d like.

‘I’ve had around 8 to 10 Porsches, including another 996 Turbo. In truth I’d forgotten just how fast a car it is. Perthshire’s twisty roads are great, but perhaps not for a car with straight-line performance like this.’

The odometer now reads just 49,200 miles, making this a well looked after low-mileage example. ‘It has had seven owners but like me, each of them has ensured that it’s been very well maintained.’

‘The exterior of the car is very good,’ says Ed. ‘There are no blemishes, scuffs or bumps other than a few little stone chips on the bonnet. Again David Phillips confirmed that the car has no hidden damage, and has never been crashed.’

The paintwork remains in excellent condition, with straight mark-free panels and tight shut lines. If we’re nitpicking then there’re some minor bits and bobs that could be easily touched up, such as some surface corrosion on the screws that hold the plastic lower sill cover and wheel arch covers in place – although generally, they’re out of sight; the nearside rear wheel arch has a couple of paint chips at the bottom, which again have accrued some minor surface rust but a localised repair should put that right; the front lip spoiler is a touch scuffed at its extremities and there’s a small graze above the nearside front-end induction vent.

These aside, as the pictures below show, it’s a very good example. Ed’s recently fitted two new Pirelli P Zero rear tyres – although the receipt isn’t included in the history file – at a cost of £550 the pair. The front two still have plenty tread and all five-spoke Turbo Twist alloys are mark free, as are the red brake callipers.

‘It’s a similar story inside, with no rips or tears or major scuffs on the leather,’ says Ed. ‘That should be clear from the pictures in the photo gallery’.

And indeed it is. There’s supple optional ‘soft ruffled leather’ all round, excellent dash binnacle trim, steering wheel and gear lever. Carpets and mats are relatively unworn, as is the headlining.

The Turbo was ordered fully loaded and highlights include heated seats, cruise control, electric sunroof, park assist, PCM telephone module and six-disc BOSE sound system. All of which Ed says function as they should.

In addition there are numerous interior alloy touches including part centre console, gear lever, handbrake and instrument dials. All of which makes for a very smart cabin.

‘I can honestly say that there are absolutely no issues I’m aware of for the next owner,’ states Ed. ‘It’s a clean, well-sorted example with a good service history and provenance.’ Performance wise, it’s an absolute beast. ‘It’s blistering. You see any line of traffic and you think, “I can do that” and you can.’

The Turbo is located at Ed’s home in Fife, so as with all our lots we recommend hitting the ‘contact seller’ button to arrange a view and test drive.

The engine bay is smart and appears leak free, while up front the correct space saver spare wheel remains in place. Underneath there’s a bit of surface corrosion on various brackets and screw heads, as well as the exhaust system, but all looks well and appears nice and solid.

There are a number of old MOT test certificates and a stamped service book with the car. Also present is the original Historics at Brooklands lot advert from which Ed bought the vehicle in 2018.

A Porsche certificate of production confirms chassis, engine and transmission numbers, as well as exterior and interior colours and optional extras included at production.

Numerous invoices are also present, with those of a more recent nature of most interest. In 2015 the centre radiator, battery and numerous brake and air con pipes were replaced. While in 2018 David Phillips Autos of Edinburgh fitted 4 new lower suspension arms, two front fork arms, rear anti-roll bar links, turbo heat shields, an auxiliary belt and three ignition coils; the total for the later work was £3289.50.

A spare key is also included and there’s a National Mileage Register check, carried out in 2007, which confirmed the then 29,000 miles on the odometer as correct.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to the very highest standard.

The Turbo is an entirely different 996 proposition. That Mezger engine frees the owner from any IMS worries, while delivering incandescent performance. Its aesthetics and water-cooled nature do combine to keep prices significantly lower than its immediate predecessor, but that means for this generation Turbo level performance is all the more fiscally accessible.

This example benefits from a good service history and low mileage, as well as considerable recent outlay by the vendor. All of which should combine to ensure it’s an excellent buy for the next owner.

As such we believe this car will sell for between £38,000 and £43,000, which we think will be a bloody good buy for the blistering performance available. Bid, win and ready yourself to unleash this turbocharged Stuttgart beast.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car is located at the owner’s home in Fife; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.