For Sale: 2005 Porsche 911 in Katwijk, Netherlands

"You can't be a true petrolhead until you've owned an Alfa Romeo." That's what the messiah of the motoring world once said. What he never mentioned is that you only truly know what driving is once you've felt an air-cooled, or in this case water-cooled, rear engine swing behind your neck on a wet motorway heading towards the Spaghetti Junction near Birmingham. The Porsche 911 is that car every enthusiast eventually arrives at. Whether you love Italian temperament or the British V8 roar, somewhere deep down you know: a 911 is the benchmark against which everything else measures itself. The 997 generation is, for me, the last truly classic 911 in feel, with just enough modern civility to live in every day. At the start of this century, Porsche knew they had to make the 996 pay for their sins. And pay they did. Round headlights back again, an interior that suddenly did feel worth the money, and beneath the rump that glorious 3.8 boxer that screams in a way you find nowhere else. A crescendo you would normally need a season ticket to the Royal Albert Hall to hear. Right, back to the 997 in question. And what a story it has. Because this example did not begin its life in Stuttgart or Zuffenhausen, but in Tokyo. Delivered new in February 2005 at Porsche Center Hamadayama in Suginami, kept in impeccable Japanese care. And if there is one thing the Japanese do, it is cherishing their cars as though they were porcelain. This one barely turned a wheel, then. Almost twenty years of Japanese love, with an average annual mileage that would leave a retired Sunday driver gasping. In 2024 it came to the Netherlands, properly inspected, and was treated at Carshop Fortuin in Noordwijk to a layer of Angelwax Nebula ceramic coating. Complete with warranty number, as it should be. The black paint, Tiefschwarz Metallic, sits there as a result like a polished grand piano on a concert stage. Tiefschwarz on a 911 is a choice for the purists, because black forgives nothing. But when it is well cared for, and this one is, there is little more beautiful. Under the bonnet, or rather behind the rear axle, sits the celebrated 3.8 litre six-cylinder boxer that delivers 355 bhp. Coupled to the automatic, which for this version means you can cruise through Chelsea without any fuss and put your foot down when the road opens up ahead. The 19-inch wheels carry wide Michelins, 235 up front and a full 295 at the rear, because a 911 should stand firmly on its rear wheels like a sprinter in the blocks. It is a car with four seats, which means you can theoretically bring your children along. In practice those rear perches are mostly suited to your coat, your shopping bag or a reluctant mother-in-law you do not much care for. But the very idea that you could gives the 911 a practical charm a pure two-seater lacks. What I appreciate so much about this example is that it combines character and documentation. You get a car with a clear story, from the first delivery inspection in Tokyo to the latest MOT here in the Netherlands, valid well into 2027. No question marks about where it came from, no mystery. Simply a 911 that has been treated well its whole life and now stands ready for a new owner with taste. And let us be honest: a 997 Carrera S has by now reached that point where the value no longer falls but instead starts moving the other way. The enthusiasts have discovered this generation, and not without reason. This is the sweet spot: modern enough to use, classic enough to cherish, and rare enough to look at your purchase receipt with a smile in a few years. Driving a 911 never gets old. You step out after a run and glance back over your shoulder one more time, every single time. This is one of those. **Special features** - Porsche 911 (997) Carrera S, year 2005 - 3.8 litre six-cylinder boxer, 355 bhp - Automatic, rear-wheel drive - Tiefschwarz Metallic (solid black), a purist's colour choice - Delivered new in Tokyo, Japan (Porsche Center Hamadayama, 2005) - Almost