WHICH 996 TO CHOOSE?

We’d all like an RS, and a few of us recall when they were £50,000, but those days are gone and you’ll need about £130,000 now. The next most sought-after 996s are the GT3 and Turbo: the GT3 for its superb dynamics, the Turbo for its massive, everyday-friendly performance, both for their rarity. The rear-drive-only, turbocharged GT2 is rare, too, but it never gained a cult following.

The Carrera 4S did though, its combination of C4 running gear and Turbo-wide body working beautifully with its bespoke suspension set-up, and it’s only £2000 above a C2. There’s also the 40th Anniversary – a C2 with a 340bhp power kit, a limited-slip diff and a Turbo nose.

After those, the most sought-after 996 is the regular Carrera 2 in manual guise with no sunroof. RPM Technik’s Anderson has a soft spot for the original 3.4 because it likes (and needs) to rev, but there‘s a greater selection of torquier 3.6s. Keen drivers avoid the five-speed Tiptronic auto. Also less favoured, in order, are the Carrera 4, the Cabriolet and the Targa, which suffers maddening rattles and creaks. We reckon the bargain here is the Carrera 4; it’s typically cheaper to buy than the Carrera 2 even though it drives just like it, except in very low-grip situations when it’s actually more impressive.

The preferred wheel size is 18in. Nice-to-have options include Litronic headlights, Bose stereo and a leather dash, but not sat-nav because it’s obsolete and dates the interior. A factory limited-slip diff sounds like a good option but will likely need replacing by 50,000 miles.

Colours have an effect on saleability, too. Greys are ever-popular, rare solid colours can look great, silver is seen as too common and maroon is shunned. For the cabin, black is a safe bet but lighter shades give an airier feel. Wild interior shades such as mint green can make a car harder to sell on.