996 On Cars and Bids Represents the Best Starter Porsche
High-mileage 996 Carrera on Cars and Bids has no frills and a six-speed manual transmission. It isn’t special. Therefore it is perfect.Â
With the mind-melting performance of modern-day Porsche offerings, it’s easy to overlook the humble 996. However, the 996 generation 911 is perhaps the most perfect starting place for any Porsche fan with aspirations to become an owner. There’s far more to this thinking to this claim than the 996 being one of the most affordable offerings, too. Some consider the “broken yolk” headlight models to be the ugly duckling of the 911’s illustrious history. However, the humble base Carrera 996 with a manual transmission is, in some ways, the best 911 of them all.
For example, this particular 2002 Porsche 911 Carrera is currently for sale on Cars and Bids. With three days left on the auction at the time of writing, it currently is only bid to $16,000. It doesn’t have anything particularly special about it, either. It’s not all-wheel-drive, it doesn’t have any turbos, and it isn’t a GT3. Furthermore, it has over 138,000 miles on it. If that seems like a lot of miles, it’s because it is! That combination of high mileage and low spec is precisely what makes it a perfect stepping stone into the Porsche world.
There’s Beauty In Flaws and Simplicity
Finished in Lapis Blue over a Graphite Gray interior, it’s actually quite lovely to look at! Despite the high mileage, the interior looks far from abysmal. In fact, it looks like quite a nice place to be. As is to be expected with all the driving this vehicle has done, it’s got a handful of chips, scratches, and dings. Additionally, the seller reports that the sunroof button’s one-touch close function is no longer operational. So, the next owner will have to hold the button down to close the sunroof. The horror!
Additionally, according to the Carfax report, this car sustained front-end damage in 2003. Though it clearly states that the airbags did not deploy, that is about the extent of the provided information. Clearly, though, whoever did the work repaired it pretty well!
IMS Bearing and 996 Notoriety
Under the decklid, you’ll find a water-cooled 3.6-liter flat-six engine mated to a six-speed manual transaxle. This, however, is where most Porsche enthusiasts will stop any would-be buyer in their tracks, thanks to the iconic failing Porsche intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing. We’ve got great news, though. This 996 had an LN Engineering permanent IMS bearing solution, which retrofits an oil-fed bearing to ensure that the issue will never make a return. According to the listing, it was installed at 90,000 miles.
This, too, is what makes this car so perfect for someone looking to enjoy the Porsche experience. It’s not fancy. You can publicly park it wherever you want without too much worry; you can run it through automatic car washes, and, most importantly, you can drive it at its limit without feeling bad. After all, the Porsche 911’s legacy wasn’t born out of parking on Rodeo Drive to go shopping or getting valet parked at the country club. The 911’s legacy comes from years of racing, victories, engineering specific to crafting the perfect sports car and, most importantly, driving it how a sports car should be driven.
So, if you’re looking to get into the Porsche world with the legacy of the 911 on your mind and you intend to enjoy the windy drives home, take it to a race track, or even autocross, look no further than the humble 996.
Photos: Cars and BidsÂ