Grant
New member
LOOKING TO BUY A NEW 997 (0R 996's, Boxters etc come to that) you need to ask yourself Is it C16 Uk specification-........................................ many of the web regulars will know this , but for those that don't.
The 997 is clearly going to be popular with demand outstripping UK supply & long waiting times likely (unless you want to pay a premium) it is likely that some garages and individuals will be selling imported new rhd cars from the continent. Porsche GMBH builds rhd cars for many different markets (e.g. South Africa, Cyprus, Australia etc.) and the standard specifications vary for each country. So the standard spec. for another country may not include full leather or air-con and the under seal may be different, the alarm specifications may also vary as will the radio etc. Each country that the car is built for at the Porsche factory is given a code and the UK code is C16, this means the car was built at the factory to the full UK specification. An example of another C code that appears regularly in the UK is C98 (non specific country rhd build). Although many sellers claim to have "upgraded" these cars to full Uk spec, the problem is it is very hard to know if this is the case and Porsche are very cagey about confirming exactly what the differences in spec are. So you may end up without a top tinted screen or the correct stereo, or you may find air con and full leather missing. On the other hand the car may have been specified to be exactly as per UK cars, the point is it's very hard to be sure & this affects the cars value and your peace of mind (note: most OPC's won't buy non C16's). So before travelling to look at a car, it's probably better to check with the owner/independent that it is a C16 car, they can find the code either on the VIL sticker on page 4 of their service book or on a sticker under the boot. Here you will find the VIN, engine code (etc) and also all the option codes that are fitted to the car, the very first option code is the country build, this is then followed by a host of other codes confirming what extras the car had included when new (e.g. 476 is PSM & 030 is sports suspension). If the car isn't C16 then it's probably better not to go any further, unless you are prepared to suffer greater depreciation or the car is very well priced and you are prepared to do some serious checking, also be aware that you are likely to pay a higher insurance premium for imported cars which don't match Uk spec. Once you have established that the car is C16 you will want to know whether it was "officially" imported by Porsche GB & UK supplied by the Official Porsche Network. You can find out (if the owner isn't sure) by checking the supplying dealer stamp on page 4 of the service book or providing the Vin number to Porsche HQ who can confirm all UK cars history.
If it isn't an OPC supplied car (but still C16) then you will want the continental Porsche dealers number/email to verify it was imported from them brand new direct to the UK, again you should find the foreign OPC's official stamp at the front of the service book, if it was officially supplied. Unofficial C16's are still desirable, but can be worth slightly less than official cars.
Some RHD country codes
C16-Uk
C18- japan
C26 - South Africa
C23- Australia
C98- non-specific RHD production, there are many others, let me know if you need one checking.
The 997 is clearly going to be popular with demand outstripping UK supply & long waiting times likely (unless you want to pay a premium) it is likely that some garages and individuals will be selling imported new rhd cars from the continent. Porsche GMBH builds rhd cars for many different markets (e.g. South Africa, Cyprus, Australia etc.) and the standard specifications vary for each country. So the standard spec. for another country may not include full leather or air-con and the under seal may be different, the alarm specifications may also vary as will the radio etc. Each country that the car is built for at the Porsche factory is given a code and the UK code is C16, this means the car was built at the factory to the full UK specification. An example of another C code that appears regularly in the UK is C98 (non specific country rhd build). Although many sellers claim to have "upgraded" these cars to full Uk spec, the problem is it is very hard to know if this is the case and Porsche are very cagey about confirming exactly what the differences in spec are. So you may end up without a top tinted screen or the correct stereo, or you may find air con and full leather missing. On the other hand the car may have been specified to be exactly as per UK cars, the point is it's very hard to be sure & this affects the cars value and your peace of mind (note: most OPC's won't buy non C16's). So before travelling to look at a car, it's probably better to check with the owner/independent that it is a C16 car, they can find the code either on the VIL sticker on page 4 of their service book or on a sticker under the boot. Here you will find the VIN, engine code (etc) and also all the option codes that are fitted to the car, the very first option code is the country build, this is then followed by a host of other codes confirming what extras the car had included when new (e.g. 476 is PSM & 030 is sports suspension). If the car isn't C16 then it's probably better not to go any further, unless you are prepared to suffer greater depreciation or the car is very well priced and you are prepared to do some serious checking, also be aware that you are likely to pay a higher insurance premium for imported cars which don't match Uk spec. Once you have established that the car is C16 you will want to know whether it was "officially" imported by Porsche GB & UK supplied by the Official Porsche Network. You can find out (if the owner isn't sure) by checking the supplying dealer stamp on page 4 of the service book or providing the Vin number to Porsche HQ who can confirm all UK cars history.
If it isn't an OPC supplied car (but still C16) then you will want the continental Porsche dealers number/email to verify it was imported from them brand new direct to the UK, again you should find the foreign OPC's official stamp at the front of the service book, if it was officially supplied. Unofficial C16's are still desirable, but can be worth slightly less than official cars.
Some RHD country codes
C16-Uk
C18- japan
C26 - South Africa
C23- Australia
C98- non-specific RHD production, there are many others, let me know if you need one checking.
