In 2016, I sold my 964 convertible to buy this best 996 C2 shifter I could find after a long search. The 911 had been given a very sporty configuration by the first owner in Leipzig in 2002, with an X74 sports package, side sill panels, 18-inch turbo rims (you can see them in one of the photos), a dream in gloss black. The accident-free car had - and still has - a clean and traceable history thanks to numerous invoices and MOT reports, all work was always entered in the checkbook, the uni-black paint was - and still is - free of repainting. In 2016, the car had only covered 43,350 kilometers with no gaps. I met a nice and also Porsche-affine previous owner, the third at the time, who understood the car and looked after it as it should be for 8 years. I have continued the logbook he started for this car to this day. A 111-point check at the service center confirmed my good impression of the car, so we came to an agreement - and I became the fourth owner. To this day, the retrofitted 4S front apron is the only part of the car that has been repainted. The original skirt, which has not been repainted, is packed and stored and will be included in the sale.
4.200 KM later, at only 47,500 KM, the infamous piston tipper occurred. So: complete engine rebuild with new pistons and revised cylinder liners at PoMoTec GmbH. Then the worst-case scenario in 2020: at 61,400 km, there was suddenly no longer sufficient oil pressure, the new Nikasil coating was defective. However, warranty service was no longer possible due to the insolvency of the now former M96 specialist company. So: another engine rebuild, this time by a solvent specialist: Axel von Blittersdorff in Hamburg, who swears by steel bushes and converted the original engine to this absolutely stable variant. These two revisions cost around €26,000 for the engine, but the 911 remained matching numbers and thus interesting for collectors in the future.
Since then, the 996 has been running perfectly, has sensational performance and drives like a year-old car. There is no measurable oil consumption.
The visually completely inconspicuous Supersprint sports exhaust rounds off the sporty-elegant appearance of this car very nicely in terms of sound. Up to approx. 3,000 rpm, the sound is discreet, albeit with a typical 911 rumble. At higher revs, the 3.6-liter displacement produces a sporty, pithy sound, without being intrusive, but always accompanied by goose bumps. Meanwhile, the accompanying ABE is reassuringly stored in the glove compartment. If required, music can also be played from the PCM1 + original sound package, the CD changer is located under the trunk lid. Even after 23 years, this technology + Bluetooth adapter is still easy to get to grips with, although the factory-fitted NAVI seems somewhat under-complex by today's standards.
In reminiscence of the old 911s, 4 brand new 18-inch Fuchs rims with colored hub caps were added in 2021, as well as 4 new Michelin tires. I also had the seat center panels and backs of the sports seats covered with typical 911 "houndstooth pepita fabric", a rare feature for this model generation, and incredibly stylish, in my opinion. The Guards Red seat belts are a nice color contrast to the car's original aluminum stainless steel package, and the Porsche umbrella in the passenger side storage compartment is a very rare extra. In the interior, too, there is no longer any sign of the former frugality of the first 996 generation.
The 996 now has 74,500 KM on the clock, was last professionally serviced by Axel v. Blittersdorff in 10-2024, is reliable and still unused. Almost like a 23-year-old year-old car. The car radiates that it has always been cared for regardless of cost and has been modified in typical 911 fashion.
So if you are looking for a rear-wheel drive, manual transmission, unused 911 coupé with a revised engine, low mileage and a sporty, elegant appearance, which has always been well maintained and documented, is a pleasure to drive and looks good in any collection, then this could be the car for you. The price gap between this 911 and comparable (!) 964, 993, 997 and 991 is still large. Still...!
P.S: All information is given to the best of my knowledge and belief. As a private person I can offer neither guarantee nor warranty.
P.P.S. The first two professional photos are from www.celinbausch.de
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