2000 Porsche 911 C4 Millennium Edition

Because this is not just a left-hand drive Porsche 911 Carrera 4, desirable though that would be.

Oh no, ‘W59 YPP’ is even better than that because not only is it one of the fabled Millennium Editions, it was also bought from the Porsche dealer at Le Mans, making it stratospherically cool.

Known as “The Duchess”, it’s also been in the same family since new and, because it’s a Millennium Edition it’s finished in the unique and uniquely attractive colour scheme of Violet Chromaflair.

And nor are we finished there because it also boasts polished turbo-look alloy wheels and a tan leather interior with dark burr maple veneer.

Only 911 examples were ever built, something the plaque on the centre console confirms with the legend ‘911/465’, so you can add rarity to its many other attractions. It is also one of the desirable six-speed manual cars (a Tiptronic was also offered) and has a low mileage.

All of which means Porsche 996s don’t come any better than this.

Always garaged in the French sous-sol (under-house garage), the fact that it still looks as good as this really shouldn’t come as a surprise. With that wonderful nigh-on black Violet Chromaflair, this is a 911 that flies under the radar until curiosity provokes you to take a closer look, at which point you start to tick off its many good points.

Like ultra-tight and consistent shutlines alongside excellent panel alignment. There’s also a distinct absence of dents, dinks and ripples – and let’s not forget a colour as dark as this would highlight even the most insignificant flaw.

It’s got a helluva shine to it as well, which photo 4/100 illustrates very well. This was clearly a much-loved member of the family.

The Millenium Edition also features a unique ‘911’ badge at the back, along with matching sill plates. The ‘Raulet Le Mans’ badge on the engine cover is also pretty cool.

The sliding metal sunroof fits its aperture perfectly, and also opens and closes at the touch of a button.

The turbo-look alloy wheels were refurbished in December 2024 by RRT, the people Porsche Hatfield recommended. They did a great job but it came at a cost as the final bill was over £600.

The open design of the 18-inch alloy wheels also allows the passer-by to appreciate the cross-drilled brakes discs, while the silver brake calipers are suitably understated.

As for the rubber they’re fitted with, the Continental tyres were measured by the Porsche Centre Hatfield in November 2024, and they reported back that they varied from a low of 5mm to a high of 5.9mm.

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.

If we’re being picky – and we do try to be because we know so many of you bid sight unseen – then the centre caps on the wheels are faded and the headlamps could do with being replaced with ones that dip to the left.

(Obviously, if you’re going to be taking it abroad and using it there then you’ve only got the centre caps to worry about.)

There is also a slight scuff to the offside rear wheelarch, but it’s so minor that we can’t see it heading anyone’s To Do list.

The minimal and high-tech interior you usually find in a 996 has been given a twist thanks to the Millennium Edition’s fetching combination of tan leather and dark burr walnut veneer.

It’s a permutation that manages to be very 21st century while echoing some of the German firm’s offerings from the 1970s and 1980s; it’s almost like Porsche set out to design a suitably change-of-millennium cabin.

This one is also in a very good condition. Despite being 25 years old – yes, it really has been a quarter of a century since we all stayed up to see if the world would crash as the clock ticked past midnight – we’ve seen more wear on a high-mileage, five-year-old car.

The front seats, for example, show nothing more significant than gentle creasing and a little softening, and even then this is primarily to the outer edges and seat base. They’re also both heated and electrically adjustable.

The rear seats are in an even better condition but then most folk leave them folded down and use them as extra luggage space given how tight legroom is back there. Nonetheless, it’s good to know they’re both there and in an excellent condition.

Matching leather has been used extensively throughout the cabin – there’s even a matching old school mobile phone holder on the transmission tunnel – and this is in the same fine condition as that of the seats.

The burr maple veneer is also excellent being free of cracks, chips, and other damage, even on commonly used touchpoints like the gearknob, steering wheel, and handbrake.

The carpets, including those on the lower edge of the door cards and the back of the rear seats, are barely marked. The overmats are grubby and worn though, but then that’s what they’re there to do, take a bullet for the more expensive ones that lie underneath.

The frunk, which rises on new struts, is clean and neat too. It also contains a Porsche indoor car cover and the sat-nav discs for France and Great Britain in addition to the space-saver spare wheel and tool kit.

The 911 was serviced as soon as it arrived in the UK. The work was done by Porsche Hatfield on the 12th of January 2024 at 42,917 miles and comprised a service plus new front bonnet struts and a battery. All-in-all, the work cost £1,389.

Since then, it’s only covered around 300 miles, and the seller tells us he isn’t aware of any problems.

Why so few miles? In the seller’s own words: “We had to retain ownership of the vehicle for 12 months following transportation to the UK to avoid import duty, hence we’re selling it now on the anniversary of its import.”

Porsche Hatfield, to whom the car was shipped direct when it arrived in the UK, also replaced the offside door mirror at the end of last year at a cost of almost £1,000.

There is also a duplicate invoice for a major service on the 11th of October 2017 by Porsche Tours at a cost of 1,344 Euros.

As you can see and would expect given the 996’s bulletproof reputation, the flat-six starts easily, idles perfectly, revs beautifully and does it all with good oil pressure and a healthy charge to the (new) battery.

The engine bay is in great shape too, being clean and neatly ordered. You could detail it if that’s your bag, and while no one would criticize you for doing so, no one is going to think you slovenly if you don’t.

The 911’s MoT certificate is valid until January 2026, and it was issued, like the one before, with no advisories, which is a great way to kick off its UK MoT history.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear and shows two previous owners. This is, we are told, because the car was transferred into the daughter’s name and then back to her mother.

Sadly, the only service history paperwork we have is for the work that was done when it came here, plus one from 2017. The seller tells us that his mother-in-law had it serviced regularly in France, but the paperwork has since gone astray; we suspect Porsche may be able to help with a summary of what was done should the new owner apply to them when the auction ends.

It also comes with the Porsche driver’s manual for the car.

Presented in an excellent condition and benefitting from both a low recorded mileage and single-family ownership, the only reason this Porsche 911 Carrera 4 is going to be cheap is because of the lack of service history and the fact it is left-hand drive.

How cheap? we hear you say...

Well, we suspect the next lucky owner will pick this up for between £23,000 and £28,000, which is staggering value for a car as quick, reliable and fun as this one is – and if you can sort out the paperwork for what may well be a good service history, then you’ll have done even better.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.