2004 Porsche 997.1 Carrera 2 S

‘RX54 KXE’ is a first generation Porsche 911 997 Carrera 2 finished in Seal Grey Metallic with a black leather interior. Boasting the 3.8-litre engine and six-speed manual gearbox, it shows fewer than 50,000 miles on the odometer, has had a ceramic IMS bearing fitted, and is said to be “bore score clear”.

So well presented that we’re struggling to see how it can possibly be 20 years old, it’s been in the seller’s hands since June 2019. Mind you, he’s a fastidious chap, only ever filling it up with high-octane fuel and taking the long way to work in it: “I only live one mile from work, so I go the long way when I take the 911, giving it has five miles or so to get properly warm and taking care not to drive it hard until the oil is hot.’

Don’t you just love it when you’re thinking of bidding on a car and you hear geek-level stuff like this?

Seal Grey Metallic is a great colour for a 911 being understated and lending it a hewn-from-solid look that suits its classic lines to perfection. 

Of course, this only works if the shutlines and panel alignment are up to scratch, which is fine here because they absolutely are. Tight and consistent enough they look like they’ve been drawn in with a Sharpie, they conspire with ripple-free flanks to give it an air of invincibility.

The paintwork is excellent, too with no damage or serious stonechips plus a good shine to the finish.

The five-spoke, 19-inch alloy wheels are similarly impressive being free of scuffs, dinks, and other damage. Their open design not only looks great but also allows passersby to admire your red Porsche-branded brake calipers and huge cross-drilled discs.

They are fitted with a matching set of 30- and 35-series Pirelli P-Zero tyres -  and further proof of the seller’s fastidiousness comes with the news they’re even free of the sort of kerbside scuffs that most drivers say are inevitable when you’re parking on such low-profile tyres.

Plus, 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 rest of the coachwork is equally good. The metal sunroof fits in its aperture neatly, sealing tightly against the elements and opening and closing as it should.

The light lenses are free of chips and damage. The badges are bright and shiny. The window glass is unblemished, and their sealing rubbers are free of cracks and other UV damage. 

As for work to do, the headlamps are a little milky, so you could polish them to bring them back to a better condition but given that’s the extent of your exterior woes we can’t see many folk objecting to the half-hour of elbow grease this will entail.

If a subtle grey metallic is the right choice for the coachwork, then black leather is the obvious hue for the cabin. 

Still plump and firm and barely creased, the front seats have shrugged off by the passage of 50,000 miles and a couple of decades with typical Teutonic aplomb; the 911’s cockpit might lack the visual drama of some of its European cousins but there’s no denying it beats them hands-down for longevity.

Electrically adjustable every which way, the driver’s and passenger’s seats are also heated, which more than makes up for any winter-day chill their hide covering might imbue.

And while the two individual rear seats might not offer much in the way of legroom, there’s no arguing with their condition as a result. Apparently barely used, we imagine they’ve spent much of their life folded down as a luggage space, which will also have contributed to their current condition. 

The leather trim extends to the dashboard, centre console and door cards too, and these are all in a similarly good condition. 

The Porsche entertainment centre, which plays through Bose speakers, comprises a sat-nav, comprehensive trip computer, radio and CD controller, and phone controls. It might be a little dated now, but it all works as it should and still gets the job done.

The dashboard parks its flag on a 200mph lawn, with pride of place being given to a rev counter with a 7,000rpm red line. Other instrumentation includes a clock plus instruments to relay oil pressure, coolant, oil and ambient temperatures, and fuel level.

The steering wheel might be on the hefty side but you can forgive any chunkiness thanks to a leather-wrapped rim that feels sublime in the hand. It has survived countless hours of adrenaline-fuelled fun too, as has the gearknob for the six-speed manual gearbox.

The carpets are also good, and they’re protected by Porsche overmats. The headlining is taut and undamaged, and the frunk is neatly trimmed and free of damage, even if it would benefit from a quick Hoover.

We are told that everything works as it should, so the only flaws are cosmetic. 

There are some scratches to some of the hard plastic trim, along with some scuffs to the leather covering the back of the front seats. The heater controls also show some wear but replacements are included and just need to be fitted.

The 911’s service and maintenance record can be summarised as follows:

• 02.09.2006 and 6,441 miles – service by Porsche Centre Guildford
• 05.09.2008 and 17,435 miles – service by Porsche Centre Guildford including fresh brake fluid
• 03.03.2011 and 21,063 miles – service by Carrera Performance including fresh brake fluid
• 01.07.2013 and 28,018 miles – service by Walkers Autotech
• 23.03.2015 and 31,861 miles – service by Woodward Motors Limited
• 22.12.2016 and 35,686 miles – service by JZM Porsche including fresh brake fluid
• 01.10.2018 and 38,602 miles – service by Zuffenhaus including fresh brake fluid and a new three-piece Sach’s clutch kit and slave cylinder
• 09.09.2020 and 45,187 miles – service by Zuffenhaus including fresh brake fluid
• 18.08.2022 and 48,661 miles – service by Zuffenhaus including fresh brake fluid
• 12.06.2024 and 49,559 miles – service by Zuffenhaus including fresh brake fluid, new sparkplugs, and a bore scope

Zuffenhaus also fitted new air-conditioning condensers and recharged the system at 49,064 miles, changing the front and rear brake discs and pads at the same time. 

The same firm also fitted a coolant crossover kit, headlamp beam adjusting links, a pair of inner tie rods, and front bumps stops in August 2022, carrying out a four-wheel geometry check while it was in their hands.

Walkers Autotech fitted a LN Engineering IMS bearing and bearing kit along with a new clutch kit and rear main oil seal in March 2014. 

As the video demonstrates, it starts well, with a surprisingly subdued engine note in the cabin. It shows good oil pressure too, its civility underpinned by a wicked edge to the exhaust note.

The seller is honest enough to admit that the synchromesh between first and second gear can be felt when the gearbox oil is cold. He says this goes away completely when it’s had time to warm up and is never crunchy or obstructive; “it just feels slightly notchy”. 

The engine itself is clean and a credit to both its owners and those who have worked on it over the years.

As for the underside, not only has it racked up 14 advisory-free MoTs in its lifetime, not one of the few comments that have been made mention structural rust or corrosion.

There are a few light scuffs under there, but these are minor and wouldn’t concern us in the slightest.

The Porsche’s MoT certificate, which is valid until June 2025, was gained, like the three previous ones, with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Porsche comes with two keys, the stamped service history booklet, and a pile of old invoices and bills.

A Seal Grey Carrera 2 is the very definition of a stealth supercar. Capable of keeping up with sportscars costing considerably more, the fact no one outside of the knowledgeable few would give it a second glance is likely to make the ownership experience considerably less troublesome than it might be with a gaudier example.

The 997 is also still massively underrated, which means they’re still cheap compared to the earlier air-cooled cars. 

We estimate that this one will only fetch somewhere between £23,000 and £27,000, which is an absurdly small sum to pay for something that can run with the best of its contemporaries while being a hissy fit-free zone as it does it.

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 Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.