2001 Porsche 911 (996) Carrera 2 Cabriolet

The vendor works in the motor trade but has used this very sorted 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet as his personal car. “It’s actually been my daily driver,” he says. “And hasn’t missed a single beat in the six months I’ve been using it – typical strong German engineering”.

It comes with a comprehensive history file some 8-inches thick, which can be viewed in our Photographic Gallery below. “You can see that it has been looked after by all the best franchise or independent dealers, from Charles Ivy through to Maundrell.”

In fact, it was the latter that inspected the IMS bearing and found it to be in rude health, with no need to disrupt or replace. “Personally, I’ve spent around £2.5k trade on the car; this included a major service with coils, belts and everything, as well as having the entire front suspension rebuilt.”

The included V5c document shows eight owners from new, while the current MOT test certificate runs until 21/03/2023. It passed with one minor advisory: a touch of light corrosion on a brake pipe at the body clips. It’s worth noting that the current registration plate is being held on retention and therefore isn’t coming with the car.

So why is the vendor selling? “It’s making way for a 924 GT Carrera as my new daily!” We’re not jealous… much.

That decision means that this nicely sorted 996 drop-top is ready for a new home.

“On the whole the exterior is in very good condition for its age,” says the vendor. “The lacquer is solid; yes, it does have a couple of age-related scuffs, some small chips and a little compression crack on the front bumper where someone has reversed into it at some point, but it’s holding up very well.”

We think that is fair comment because, having had the car at our Abingdon HQ for a while now, and it does present very nicely. The Lapis Blue paint retains a decent sheen. Panel fit, in true Porsche fashion, remains tight and it’s a silhouette that’s undoubtedly unmistakable.

The love ‘em or hate ‘em ‘fried egg’ front light clusters retain a good level of clarity with little fading, as do the rear ones. “The five-spoke alloy wheels are perfect, and tyres, pads and discs all have plenty left on or have been replaced where required.”

Up top, the cabriolet top looks to be a relatively recent addition (last six years or so, is James’s guess); it’s smart, with just one or two small crease markings and the odd scuff on it. A feed with some convertible/cab top colour product should see it revive nicely.

Overall, it’s nice and smart.

“The interior is solid for its age,” says the Vendor. “Again, there is the odd age-related scuff here and there, but it has been well maintained and clearly looked after.”

All electrics function as they should including, perhaps most importantly, the soft-top mechanism. “The entire interior is Blue, which I think was an option.”

It is one that lifts the cabin a soupcon above the more standard black, which can seem a bit dour and Germanic, by comparison. Like many a 911, the +2 seats in the rear don’t seem to have seen much action and remain excellent. There’s a bit of patina on the front ones; the driver’s seat (especially the outer bolster) would benefit from a fresh feed.

Carpets are good, as are door cards. There are a couple of things to note: the backing is coming away on the rear of the driver’s seat, slightly exposing the foam; and one of the caps is missing on the cover that hides the cabriolet top once retracted.

“This 911 is a testament to older cars getting better, the older the get. The engine has such a lot of power to give for a car of its age; it pulls like a train in the right hands. The exhaust is tuneful and with the front-end suspension rebuilt it holds the road incredibly well.

The gearbox is excellent with perfect tension for smooth and seamless gear changes. Driving the car in a docile fashion is also a treasure with it almost giving the impression of a comfortable GT, given the combination of comfortable seats and a relaxed RPM range. The real fun lies elsewhere, though…”

The engine (or should that be boot) bay looks nice and clean with no evidence of any untoward fluid leaks (who would have thought we’d ever say that about a 911 until the 996 appeared!).

Up front in the un-engine bay or front boot… whatever you wish to call it, the space-saver spare wheel is present, as is a jacking/tool kit.

The underside has a bit of road dust/grime but looks nice and robust, with solid looking metal and factory underseal that is still in good condition.

As the seller stated, the history file is around 8-inches thick and we’ve provided a selection of the highlights for viewing in the Photographic Gallery, below. These include the original service book, which shows Stratstone of Wilmslow as the original supplying dealer; a total of 15 service stamps are present from a variety of main dealers and independent specialists. The final one coming from those ladies and gents at Maundrell in Letcombe Regis on the 18/03/22.

Also present is the invoice for the considerable works carried out at the same specialist for the works mentioned earlier (major service, coils, belts, etc) at a cost of £1,131.73.

You will also find a selection of other invoices to view.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of the paperwork to support our claim that this car has been looked after to a very good standard.

Ah 996, you’ve been powering many a 911 aficionado for many a year now and providing them with top value sports car motoring. Yes, some can’t see past the headlights or the water-cooled nature, whilst others shy away because of IMS issues… but those in the know, know. Get a sorted one and you can have a whole lot of fun for not a whole lot of money.

This example has been fully checked over by a 911 specialist and received a clean bill of health; it has also had a major service, with coils and belts replaced, relatively recently and then been run daily for the last six months.

It isn’t perfect… there are a couple of scuffs and cracks externally and the interior, although smart, is a little lived in. As such, we think this 996 Carrera 2 Cabriolet will fetch somewhere between £16,000 and £20,000.

What? We hear you scream. Yep, as a diminutive magician once stated: “it’s not a lot, is it?”

Okay, we paraphrased. It’s not though, is it? Top down, high-speed 911 fun awaits.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market 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’.