2002 Porsche 996 Carrera-Seal Grey on Black, 6-speed, well optioned w/ Comfort &Technic pkg, Sport Exhaust, 18″ wheels & more, 57k miles, amazing!

2002 996 well optioned, in pristine condition with all the right updates! Just 57k miles!

It is amazing how time changes opinions…My first 911 was a grey-market 1975 911 and as a teenager I was simply over the moon to have a rear engine Porsche. I also recall the many negative comments I received from the vaunted Porsche “experts” basically telling me that my 911 was the “worst” one ever built and it was a literal ticking time bomb… Amazingly it didn’t grenade itself and firmly impressed a lifelong love of Porsche onto my young and impressionable brain, that car was simply brilliant!

Fast forward to 2020 and two strange things have happened: first the dreaded mid-year (74-77) 911’s are now highly sought after due to the their light weight, spartan option list, period colors and bright trim and secondly after spending ~ 15 years as the “new” maligned generation of 911, people are starting to discover the greatness of the 996. Sure one can still find the occasional Porsche purist spewing vitriol over the headlight design, a perceived cheap interior finish or the several known issues such as the IMS BUT you are just as likely to have enthusiasts speaking rapturously about the analog nature, the elegant simplicity, the light weight, the approachable performance envelope or the hobbyist friendly community of 996 owners. Count me firmly in this camp, in fact last year I purchased myself a 996 Carrera 4 coupe and I LOVE it!

This particular 996 is the ideal one to buy; why is that? Because it hits all the key things you would want to have when buying one, so here is the list:

• Clean History, no accidents, stories or excuses. Clean Carfax and title of course, but 100% original paint as well!
• Well optioned- $80,740 original MSRP including some key items such as 18” Wheels, Comfort and Technic packages, heated seats, aluminum shift and brake knob and most importantly, SPORT EXHUAST!
• 100% Original- No modifications of any kind (well one minor one…. IPOD adapted added to the factory radio!)
• Complete service history in a 3 ring binder with a verifiable LN IMS bearing update done.
• Recent PPI at Chris’ German (chrisgerman.com) and every item noted was remedied, which wasn’t much but happy to share.
• Mileage- 57k, low enough to leave lots wonderful miles to enjoy this car or show much of the wear higher mileage cars show, yet not so low that you pay an enormous mileage premium for a car that should be DRIVEN! Call it the sweet spot!
• Complete with both keys, all books, build sheet, service history and Porsche CofA.
• Condition- the car is really remarkable, easily a top 5% example inside and outside. I am VERY picky and I would gladly let this car grace my personal garage!

For those not familiar the 2002 cars have some nice updates versus the earlier 1999-2001 996 cars because several key improvements were made, such as: Displacement increased via a stroke increase to 82.8 mm taking displacement to 3596cc. Horsepower increased to 320. Variocam Plus came around that was continuously variable, improving performance throughout the rev range. Inside the interior the cupholder was vastly improved, the central airvent is 20% bigger for greater airflow, the multifunction display got bigger and the electronic speedo moved to its correct spot at the bottom of the analog speedo.

You can probably tell that I REALLY like this car… As prices on air-cooled Porsche’s have risen to the moon here is a chance to own a great 911 at the price of a VERY ratty 911SC! In the future people will be saying “remember when you could buy a GREAT 996 for less than $30k…..”