2006 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S

Description

[2006 Porsche Carrera S (997.1 C2S) Specs: Just over 62,000 miles; 3.8-liter flat six; six-speed manual transmission; Sport Chrono; PASM; sunroof; Stone Gray leather Sport seats; premium Bose sound; fresh Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 4S tires; classic Carrera factory wheels; clear bra; Fabspeed exhaust. Price: $52,000 or best offer. Rare color: Cobalt Blue Metallic (rated as the third rarest “bucket” of five at Rennbow), with matching-color transmission tunnel. I’ve never seen another 911 in this color; it’s compelling and always excites comments, even from seasoned Porsche guys; it cost $3500 as an option. Cool feature: Fabspeed exhaust; looks terrific and sounds better. The original owner installed it at a cost of $2400 or so. Fabspeed says it adds 12 hp and 12 lb.ft. and takes a pound or so off the rear end. That would put the car at 367 hp and 305 lb.ft. Car and Driver states 0-60 at 4.1 seconds for the manual car with stock motor and exhaust, so the car should be at least that quick. Owners and maintenance: the first owner took delivery in New Jersey in 2005, but the car spent most of its first years in Newport Beach, CA. Second owner had it in Santa Rosa for about two years, rarely drove it, and sold it to me in 2014 with 31,000 miles or so on it. I change the oil yearly and keep up with repairs, filters, etc. Germany's Best did coil packs and plugs a few years back, and installed new plugs 1/22/26, fixed the sunroof (a known problem for the 997 generation) in 2024, and the right passenger window lift and window washer pump in 2025. Half the year, in winter, the car is stored in a garage in Piedmont; the other half, summer, under an all-weather cover up here at our house in Incline Village. The cover is included in the sale, along with a fitted windshield sun blocker. No moving accidents, but the car made two trips to Uptown Body in Oakland, one for a tiny dent in the front bumper and a second for a minor dent in the driver-side front fender. Both were caused by people backing into the car while it was parked; both repairs involved replacing the clear bra. Uptown is my first choice for body work that’s always perfect; they are Oakland’s best. Original owner had a rear bumper accident of some sort that involved repainting that bumper. I can't discover any details beyond the repaint, although my seller said that the original owner had backed into something or been bumped from behind. Carfax will show this as an "accident" on 9/28/06. Car and Driver road test: the C&D road test that convinced me was this one, when the 997 generation was introduced in 2005: https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15132417/porsche-911-carrera-s-road-test/ What is said in this review exactly matches my experience with the car and probably explains why I’ve kept it so long. It feels like an extension of my psyche when driving. Bottom line: I've always thought of 997s as the last analog Porsches, and the last before 911s got so big. Prices are rising for this generation. There's no digital stuff, no buttons on the steering wheel, and the original owner clearly valued driving, as he ordered a driver’s car with everything you want and nothing you don't; it’s as light as you could spec a 911 back then, with no extra heavy stuff. This is a special car, available for viewing at Germany’s Best on College Avenue in Oakland. Contact me via this ad before going there, and I will alert the owner so he can show it to you. 1/22/26 UPDATE IN RESPONSE TO DOZENS OF INQUIRIES: Quetions regarding my 2006 Porsche Carrera S 1. Has the IMS bearing been changed? No, the bearing is not a serious issue with the M97 engine, especially in its second year. The failure rate is neglible. If it concerns you, it would be best to look for dot-2 car and spend another $10,000 or so. 2. Is the clutch original? Yes. It’s holding strong. I don’t burn clutches, and 997 clutches are known to go upwards of 100,000 miles, according to Paul, the owner of Germany’s Best in Oakland, where the car is currently stored. Paul has been my go-to mechanic for the last eight years or so; he knows everything there is to know about the car—certainly more than I. 3. Tires and brakes. A full set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires was installed in late August of 2023, so they probably have about 5,000 miles on them—please check the photos. Paul and I checked the brakes and rotors, and he estimates 7-8mm of pad left on the fronts; he replaces pads at 3mm, so lots of life left. 4. What about coil packs and plugs? Paul did both several years ago, and replaced the spark plugs today, January 22, 2026. Since I’ve put only about 30,000 miles on the car in 11 years, I’d guess the coil packs have at most 20,000 miles on them. There has been no misfiring, so the coil packs remain as installed previously. 5. Has it been bore-scoped? Yes, at Germany’s Best in Oakland. Paul reports light scoring, which is typical given the car’s age and mileage. The car does not exhibit symptoms of bore trouble: ticking, oil consumption, smoking, etc. I have always kept fresh oil in the car and always made sure the engine had a full heat cycle--up to temp--before shutting down. No trips around the block, etc. 6. Is the car smog legal in California? Yes. It’s passed the smog test several times under my ownership, and Paul smogged it a week or so ago. It passed again. The Fabspeed exhaust is a cat-back system that adds power and torque but does not make the car smog illegal in CA. 7. Title and registration. I live in Incline Village (Lake Tahoe), NV, and the car is registered in that state. However, NV is not a “titling” state, and so the car still has its original clean CA title from when I lived in Piedmont, in the Bay Area. 8. How much track time has it had? The car has been on track four times, for a total of maybe 10-12 hours. Two of the outings were with Hooked on Driving, at Laguna and Sonoma. The other two were private-party days sponsored by a member of my car club, The Candy Store, at Thunderhill. All days were gentlemanly, point-by events with no racing allowed. My goal was simply to be quick and smooth and drive fast in an environment where everyone was going in the same direction. I did not thrash the car, only did what Porsches are made for, such as doing 120 down the front straight at Thunderhill. Fast, fun, and safe—and no danger to the motoring public. (You know the joke about the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine, right?) 9. May I make a refundable deposit to allow me time to travel and see the car? I’d like to do this, but I don’t see what it accomplishes other than to hold off other buyers for hours while a prospective buyer from LA, San Diego, Arizona, or Tennessee comes out for a look—and that’s the five or six folks who have offered so far. For you folks, I hope the photos and the walkaround (available upon request) will help recalibrate your thoughts on coming here, and I hope you will come if you really want to see and drive the car. If you should choose to do so, you are most welcome; just let me know, and I will inform any local buyers that you are coming—and pledge to you to give you first right of refusal when you set out. I think wiring in a deposit that you can reclaim at will is a kind offer, but it really doesn’t accomplish anything. What am I missing here?