2005 Porsche 911 997 Carrera 4S

First registered on the 3rd of November 2005 and showing just four previous keepers, this lovely black-on-black Porsche 911 Carrera 4S has been in the seller’s care since 2021.

Fresh from a £6,000 investment to ensure it meets his high standards, this 63,000-mile examples also has a good spread of factory options, the desirable six-speed manual gearbox, and a fine service record.

Rarely driven by him because he has “too many cars”, the pride he takes in getting his cars ‘just so’ could be your gain; as he points out, buying a well-fettled 911 is a very different proposition to buying something like an Aston Martin because while the latter requires four-figure annual servicing, a normally aspirated Porsche can generally be run for much, much less.

Black is even more judgmental as your ex, ruthlessly highlighting flaws in a way even they never managed, so the fact this one looks as straight and clean as it does says nothing but good things about its curation over the years.

As do the tight and consistent shutlines, high-quality badges, and clear and bright lamp lenses: Porsche longevity entered the petrolheads list of clichés for a reason and nowhere is that reason more obvious than here.

It helps, of course, that it’s been so well serviced (more of which anon) but the plain fact is that no-one builds sportscars like the folk at Stuttgart.

Recently repaired, the rear spoiler still deploys as it should and while the folding hood looks like it’s spent most of its life furled, the resulting creases also mean it hasn’t seen as much sunlight as most, balancing out. It rises and falls as it should, and is free of damage.

The 19-inch Sport Design alloy wheels - complete with option 446, the coloured Porsche crest on the centre caps – are in fine shape but one does show some minor damage and lacquer loss (e.g. #97). However, by way of compensation, they’re shod with a set of matching Bridgestone Potenza tyres, two of which were replaced just over a year ago.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The heated and manually adjustable front seats are in good order, showing only gentle patina and remaining comfortable and supportive. Low-slung and having massive lateral support, their leather facings are wearing very well.

The factory rear seat option is also in good shape, with only minor marks (e.g. #116).

It’s also got the leather covered dashboard and door panel option, and these are in a similarly good condition.

Other factory-fit options include the DVD-based sat-nav, Park Assist, a 12V socket in the passenger footwell, a Bose sound system with CD-changer, and the Galvano Silver centre console.

That Galvano Silver centre console does have the odd scratch (#33) and a piece of trim is coming astray (#131). That’s the extent of your woes though, which is okay, isn’t it?

As you can see, it fires into life with enthusiasm before settling down to a steady tickover with good oil pressure. It also revs beautifully and drives as it should.

But then the seller has invested £6,000 in fettling it, money he knew he’d never get back; he admits that once he’d started, a combination of pride in his cars and stubbornness meant he had to continue fixing the small stuff most of us would have ignored.

You can see the invoices for yourself but the work even included a thousand pounds for a new rear spoiler and drive unit. There were new front springs and mounts too, plus rear toe arms, steering rods, and much more.

The engine bay is a bit grubby but no worse but even that’s okay because nothing highlights an oil leak faster than a dusty engine and this one looks fine.

The underside is good. With only light surface corrosion to the fasteners, no MoT tester has ever had cause to mention anything like structural rot – but then this is a 997, so that’s only what we’ve come to expect.

Its service history is recorded in the booklet as follows:

· 29.10.2007 and 5,587 miles – service and fresh brake fluid at Porsche Centre Tonbridge

· 27.10.2009 and 13,506 miles – service and fresh brake fluid at Porsche Centre Tonbridge

· 09.11.2011 and 17,271 miles – service and fresh brake fluid at Porsche Centre Tonbridge

· 04.11.2013 and 22,766 miles – service and fresh brake fluid at Porsche Centre Mid-Sussex

· 07.09.2015 and 42,152 miles – service and fresh brake fluid at Porsche Centre Mid-Sussex

· 13.01.2021 and 59,198 miles – service at Mil Porschemode of Bristol

· 17.03.2022 and 62,912 miles – service at SP Autobahn of Stirling

The 911’s MoT certificate is valid until March 2024, and it comes with the book pack, a stamped service history booklet, and one key.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and the personalized registration number will stay with the car.

When the market falters, it defaults to what it knows best and a well-maintained Porsche 911 997 Carrera S with a manual gearbox, a great specification and a good service history is the very definition of what it knows best.

And yet, for all its many great qualities, we think it’s going to sell for between £25,000 and £35,000 - but as it’s being offered with no reserve it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Even so, we don’t expect this to be the cheapest 997 but the true cost of ownership can only be calculated after you’ve sold the car and good examples like this will always fetch a premium over the sort of shabby, high-mileage, abused cars that might look temptingly cheap but can end up costing you far more than biting the bullet and buying a good example in the first place.

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’.