Porsche 996 Carrera 4S

Offered here is that “most desirable” 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S in one of the most desirable color combinations: Seal Gray Metallic over Graphite Gray full leather. A stunning all-wheel drive,epic German sports car. All that aside, Porsche buyers rightly consider a car’s pedigree and maintenance history foremost in their appraisal of any candidate for acquisition. In that regard the Carfax-documented Porsche-dealer service consistently performed on this car over its 15-year life makes a strong case. Delivered new to Ray Catena Porsche in Edison, New Jersey, the car’s 27 recorded service visits have nearly all, been performed at Porsche-authorized dealers. Clearly, the five owners of the car shared a passion for the marque and a sense of responsibility to religiously maintain their personal Porsche for future owners. Its 112,000 miles, accumulated at the rate of roughly 8,700 mile per year, represent an added sign of owner care.

From the turbo-design “nose” with the large air intakes that mark the top-of-the-line 911 cars with a distinctive look, across the entire body, to the speed-activated rear spoiler, the Seal Gray paint is in excellent condition. There are no obvious scars, no body dents, no signs of abuse or neglect. Glass, lighting lenses, mirrors, and emblems—not least of all the pewter-look Porsche hood crest—are all pristine. The aero-inspired lower bodywork including the aggressive louvered rear quarter-panels is undamaged. The rear bumper cap and chromed dual exhaust outlets are similarly without scrapes or evidence of abuse. The view of the car from the rear definitely makes a statement, with or without the (removable) “Enjoy your Prius” rear-window decal.

Inside, the Carrera 4S door-sill plates, supple leather upholstery and trim, switchgear, instruments, Bose audio system, Tiptonic shifter all show owner attention. The only lapse apparently arose on the console adjacent to the brake handle, where a driver’s wristwatch or bracelet left some marks on the trim. All-weather rubber mats protect the carpets.

Since the 2003 models lack the “hidden engine” cladding of more recent Porsches, the engine bay nicely showcases the well-kept 3.6-liter, flat-six engine. In a similar way, the engine viewed from below has the impressive exhaust headers in plain sight. The remainder of the car’s undercarriage, while mostly protected with factory-installed covers, shows an absence of scrapes or damage often seen on cars that have been tracked.

The overall excellent condition of this low-annual-mileage 2003 Porsche 911 4S is faithfully presented in the more than 185 high-definition photographs, together with a short walk-around-and-startup video mentioned earlier, available at the GarageKeptMotors site. That said, there is no substitute for an in-person, up-close inspection. We encourage such inspections by interested parties at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. We ask only that an appointment be made by phone or email in advance. Our showroom is not open to the public.

One of the Car and Driver staff reviewers described his time in that magazine’stest 2003 911 4S: “Like Christmas on wheels. I took my mom, dad, brothers, sister, and friends all for rides, and at some point in every ride they’d all laugh out loud. Everybody left with a huge grin.” And that paralleled the magazine’s take on their long-term test car: “What we can tell you, aside from the fact that 911s are certainly expensive, is that the combination of elevated performance, visceral driving experience, and sexy shape will never get old….”

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 2003 Porsche 911 4S on a website other than our GarageKeptMotors site, it’s possible that you’ve only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 185 photographs, a short walk-around-and-startup video, and a link to its accident-free Carfax report, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.)