History & character

The 997, produced from 2004 to 2012, is for many the most well-balanced modern 911: it marks the return of the classic round headlights after the 996, with an interior notably raised in quality. The Carrera 4 adds four-wheel drive and a body widened by 44 mm at the hips — the most flattering silhouette in the range. As a cabriolet, it is the 911 pleasure machine par excellence, usable all year round thanks to four-wheel drive.

The naturally aspirated 3.6-litre flat-six, producing 325 bhp, sits in the rear overhang, as it has since 1963: a flat-six soundtrack, linear power delivery through the rev range, no turbo. Our 2006 example is fitted with the Tiptronic S automatic gearbox, ideal for relaxed wind-in-the-hair motoring. A water-cooled 911 from the era before all-pervading electronics, whose values are now stabilising on the collector market.