BUYING A 991.1 CARRERA
Porsche built over 120,000 of the firstgeneration 991s, so there’s no shortage and the usual online markets abound with choice. Cars are offered privately through sports car dealers, Porsche specialists and, of course, Official Porsche Centres (OPCS). This publication makes no secret of its preference for the specialists who often have an interest in buying the car back later, especially if they’ve been maintaining it. Their labour costs are lower than the OPCS and for older Porsche their technical knowledge is often superior.
For such a high-tune engine the 9A1 is remarkably reliable, but regular maintenance is key and once outside its warranty a carefully owned car will have had its oil changed annually as well as the two-yearly service. This is even more beneficial on low- rather than higher-mileage engines.
A Porsche specialist seller will have carried out a PIWIS diagnostic check, so evidence of mileage and any over-revs or fault codes will be apparent. Bore-scoring is unusual, but can still affect this generation of 911. The causes aren’t entirely understood, but many ‘indies’ will carry out a borescope examination if asked.
The car’s history matters. Anecdotally, 991.1s that live, for example, in London and which are rarely or never extended because PDK changes up at 2,000rpm in its default setting, may well appear to shift unevenly. This is readily rectified by a factory-reset of the PDK – a simple enough DIY operation.
Porsche of this age should show no sign of body corrosion, but the same can’t be said for the underside. Exhaust bolts in particular corrode and often need replacement after eight or so years. Aluminium suspension components also suffer after a decade of salty winter roads.
Paintwork, on the other hand, should be uniformly excellent; many 911s of this age have had some respraying of the vulnerable front bumper, which should be virtually undetectable if carried out properly. White is an especially easy colour to match, and can hide a multitude of bodywork sins. Beware the resplendent white, multi-owner 991 offered at a temptingly low price by a ‘trade’ seller.
When dealing with an OPC or independent specialist, expect to find all the equipment from air-conditioning to hood (if a Cabriolet), together with the various optional extras, functioning correctly. On test drive it’s always worth checking that the PDK responds to the Sport and (if fitted) Sport Plus buttons.
The interior of a cared-for Porsche should retain the faint smell of leather. Any hint of mustiness means water ingress somewhere, which will demand investigation. The 991 cabin is very well made, and another sign of a cared-for car is that even after a decade, the interior looks almost as good as new.