2003 Porsche 996 C4S

Finished in Arctic Silver with a Techart rear spoiler and an upgraded grey leather interior, ‘GM03 GWU’ is a 2003 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S that’s been in the hands of its enthusiast owner for the past half-dozen years. A passionate member of the Porsche Club, he’s built up a small and carefully curated collection of 911s, of which this is one. 

With fewer than 82,000 on the clock and a very good service and maintenance record, it’s just back from being fettled by Wrightune of Wallingford, so is ‘on the button’ and ready to thrill and delight its new owner.

As we’re sure you know, the Carrera 4S you’re looking at here benefits from the Turbo’s all-wheel-drive chassis and wide body, features that many think makes it the sweet spot in the 996 range.

This one has a high specification too, including crested leather seats, Guards Red seat belts, the Aluminium-look interior trim pack, and a Bose sound system.

The seller is a fastidious man and had the Porsche professionally detailed to get it ready for sale. As you can see, it scrubs up nicely for a 20-year-old car, doesn’t it?

With tight and consistent shutlines and perfect panel alignment, it tells nothing but a good story; dial in the fact it doesn’t have any dents, dings or other damage to worry about and you might be starting to think this one is a cut above the average.

And you’d be right because the Arctic Silver (colour code L92U) paintwork is every bit as good as the metalwork it was applied to.

The other details stack up, too. Like the Techart rear wing, which was fitted to the car from new. An expensive option at the time, it makes the most of that wide body and perfectly judged stance, doesn’t it? 

(In fact, we challenge you to take a long, hard look at photo number nine in the exterior section and then name a better-looking rear end for the same money.)

Moving on (reluctantly; that photo is art, isn’t it?), the five-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels have been refurbished only recently and look fabulous. Even the centre caps and wheel bolts are clean and fresh and the open design of the wheels exposes the (very good) red brake calipers and ventilated discs to view.

They’re also fitted with matching Continental SportContact2 tyres, all of which have plenty of tread left.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

The glazing, lamp lenses, and badges are every bit as good as the rest of the exterior. 

This means we can’t find anything to fault other than the odd small mark here and there. 

The cabin features the Aluminium-look interior trim pack, which finishes the trim on the centre console, doors, steering wheel, handbrake, lower dashboard, and gear knob in body-coloured plastic. It looks absolutely terrific and brings a cohesion to the cabin we love.

And there is, as you can see, a lot to love. The Graphite Grey (trim code CZ) leather seats, complete with Porsche crest on the headrests (trim code XSC) are lovely and they’re backed by matching hide trim to the rear seats, doors, instrument binnacle, steering wheel, and both handbrake and gear lever gaiters. 

In fact, the leathern trim is so extensive it’s even got the XJ4 leather-covered ignition lock surround and XV1 defroster trim…

The suede headlining is clean, taut and free of even the most minor damage, but then you’d expect nothing less by now, eh?

The Guards Red seatbelts add a welcome splash of colour and are a nod to the colour we’d have chosen for our dream 911 in the eighties – if only we could have afforded one…

It’s got the Bose sound system too, so if you ever get bored of the engine and exhaust note (unlikely, we know) you’ve got high-fidelity music on tap.

The frunk is very well presented and is home to the space-saver spare wheel and tool kit. 

As for cabin’s condition, well, just take a look for yourself. With a driver’s seat that’s barely creased, you might like to run the Hoover over the driver’s mat but that’s about all we can see might need doing.

This is not a fixer-upper.

Of course, this would all count for nothing if it didn’t run and drive as it should and you need have no fears on that score.

As you can see in the video, it starts perfectly, idles correctly and revs as it should. The water-cooled engine is smooth and much quieter than we’re used to after hearing so many older models over the years. 

This one also shows a good charge to the battery plus healthy oil pressure. 

We’ll come to the service history in the next section but the headlines are that it has been serviced and maintained by the right people at the right time.

As you expect, the engine and underbonnet area are clean and nicely presented. If detailing is your thing then you could spend a couple of hours under there quite happily but we imagine most people would be very happy to maintain it as it is.

The underside is good with only the usual light corrosion to some of the suspension components and fasteners. 

There are some scuffs and scrapes to the underside though, including one cracked panel. Please see the photos for details.

The 911’s MoT certificate is valid until November 2024 and the service history reads as follows:

• 14.07.2005 and 12,343 miles – service by Porsche Tonbridge
• 07.07.2006 and 18,214 miles – service by Porsche Tonbridge
• 09.03.2009 and 37,088 miles – service by Paragon Porsche
• 20.03.2014 and 56,210 miles – new front and rear brake discs and pads by Steve Bull Specialist Cars
• 31.03.2014 and 56,714 miles – six new ignition coils by Steve Bull Specialist Cars
• 28.10.2014 and 63,111 miles – service by Steve Bull Specialist Cars plus new brake fluid and new sparkplugs
• 25.08.2015 and 73,463 miles – service by Wrightune 
• 19.01.2017 and 79,635 miles – two new coolant radiators, two new coolant hoses, and fresh coolant by Steve Bull Specialist Cars 
• 07.11.2018 and 80,841 miles – service by Steve Bull Specialist Cars plus new brake fluid, sparkplugs, coolant and coolant hose, and an auxiliary drive belt
• 30.10.2021 and 81,787 miles – service plus fresh brake fluid, new brake pipes, and air-conditioning condensers by Paragon Porsche
• 12.10.2023 and 81,932 miles – service by Wrightune of Wallingford plus new front wishbones, powdercoating of front and rear cross braces, and new front brake pipes and coolant hoses

The 911 comes with a wealth of old invoices and its book pack.

The Porsche 996 might still be underappreciated compared to the earlier cars but if you can look past the slightly awkward front end you’re in for a treat because they’re as brilliant to drive and own as every other iteration – and *whispers* better than some of the more obvious choices.

Wonderfully easy to potter around in, they do tend to make the air-cooled cars sound and feel somewhat agricultural - and yet, for all their practicality, the 996 runs with the best of ‘em being lithe and nimble and as powerful as any sensible driver needs. (With 170mph on tap, may we politely suggest you invest in driver training before spending money on tuning bits if you find the performance lacking?)

Of course, this comes with the caveat that you have to buy the right one. 

Like this. Well maintained and still showing a very low mileage for the year, this Carrera 4S shows why the model is thought by many to be the canniest buy of them all. 

As for its value, we think that this one will sell for somewhere between £22,000 and £26,000, which is a tiny sum for such a versatile, reliable and thrilling sports car and while it might represent a higher sum than some you’ve bookmarked, quality is always worth paying for and we suspect any premium now will be returned, possibly with interest, when the time comes to let it go.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the vendor in Grove, Oxfordshire. Viewings are strictly by appointment.  To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.