The remaining Motor Trend writers and road-testers joined in with Walton and concurrred: “As the miles began to stack up, the comments came pouring in. ‚It’s the right size for a sports car‘ notes Senior Road Test Editor Chris Walton. ‚It has the right amount of power, stellar brakes, impeccable handling, the best/most comfortable OEM seats I’ve ever sat on.‘ Adds Editor-in-Chief C. Van Tune: ‚The more I see the new 911, the more I like its looks (except for that Boxster-ish nose and dashboard). And the more I drive the new 911, the more I love its performance, handling, and great engine feel and sound. Second gear is the place to experience the long, strong pull of its ultra-wide powerband-it’s good to 74 mph!‘ Porsche’s VarioCam variable valve timing system helps the engine deliver lots of torque, all across the tach. It won’t thump your behind like a Corvette, but really pulls well from most any rpm level in most any gear.”
All this may help explain why, in just the past few years, the 996 Porsches (like the 914s and Boxsters before them) have begun to gain noticeably in value. Aesthetic criticism of the car’s front-end design has finally started to fade as the car’s many charms have become more and more appreciated.
The 2001 Guards Red 911 Carrera Cabriolet offered here, representing the first year of the changed 911 design, and displaying a long list of options—including a number of highly prized “Porsche exclusive” factory options listed below—is a sound collectible example.
Option Codes:
CO2 – US Emissions
XME – Center console painted red
XSC – Porsche crest embossed in headrests
XSX – Red seat belts
X54 – Stainless steel tailpipes
X76 – Side skirts
236 – Internal production code – tires
288 – Headlamp washer
413 – 18-inch 993 Turbo-look wheels (not hollow spoked)
424 – CD compartment
436 – 3-spoke steering wheel
437 – 8-way electrical seat-left
438 – 8-way electrical seat-right
448 – Sports brake pads
490 – Basic sound system
537 – Seat memory-left
551 – Wind deflector
601 – Litronic (xenon) headlights
659 – Board computer
696 – CD-radio Becker Porsche CDR-220
750 – Without hardtop
939 – Draped leathe rear seats
981 – Leather dashboard and door panels
982 – Draped leather front seats
The car’s overall condition is exemplary. Paint, black draped-leather upholstery, red console, red seatbelts, engine compartment, undercarriage, original Turbo-look wheels all display superb care and consistent professional maintenance. The 3.4-liter engine’s known IMS-bearing weak point is of no concern on this car; the recent bearing replacement is documented and carries its own warranty. New clutch installed as well. Both done at Euro Autowerks. At just over 37,000 miles—roughly 1,500 miles per-year on average—this well-maintained 911 Cabriolet offers a stellar enthusiast’s combination of collectability and plenty of enjoyable driving miles ahead.
We encourage appointments for in-person inspections of the car. Meanwhile, be sure not to miss the more than 150 high-definition photos and the short walk-around video available at the GarageKeptMotors site. Don’t be too surprised if you find it’s pretty easy to picture yourself in this drop-top 996 beauty from Zuffenhausn.
(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it’s possible that you’ve only seen some of our many photographs of this vehicle due to website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150 photographs, please go to our main website: GarageKeptMotors.)
1997 
