There are automobiles you buy to get from A to B as quickly as possible. And then there are automobiles in which you hope that B is as far away as possible.
The Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet from the 964 series clearly belongs to the second category.
An air-cooled six-cylinder engine at the rear, an open top and that unmistakable silhouette which has ensured for decades that even people with no particular interest in automobiles instantly recognize a Porsche 911.
However, this example also comes with something that suits its character perfectly: almost 24 years of history in California.
Black paintwork, beige leather, 250 hp and a factory Tiptronic automatic transmission.
A particular advantage of this vehicle: the VAT is reclaimable. For buyers entitled to deduct input tax, this classic Porsche can therefore also be particularly interesting from a tax perspective.
One might say that this Porsche was built in Stuttgart and then went on to discover what life under the Californian sun feels like.
And apparently, it liked it there quite a lot.
At the end of the 1980s, Porsche faced a rather difficult task.
The 911 had long since become a legend. Its concept, with an air-cooled flat-six engine at the rear, was just as unmistakable as its shape.
But the world had changed.
Sports cars were suddenly expected not only to be fast, but also comfortable, safe and as easy to use in everyday life as possible.
In other words: the classic 911 had to grow up.
In 1988, Porsche introduced the 964 series.
At first glance, it still looked like a 911.
And that was, of course, intentional.
Yet an astonishing amount had changed beneath the familiar bodywork.
A modernized suspension design with coil springs, improved aerodynamics, power steering and ABS made the 964 a much more contemporary sports car.
It was joined by the new 3.6-liter six-cylinder flat-six engine with 250 hp.
An engine that remained air-cooled, preserving the mechanical character that had shaped the 911 for decades.
The 964 was therefore a remarkable balancing act.
Modern enough not to constantly push you to the limits of your own tolerance in everyday use.
And classic enough to still feel like a genuine air-cooled Porsche.
Some automobiles need spoilers, enormous air intakes and bodywork that looks as though it lost an argument with a wind tunnel.
A Porsche 911 needs none of that.
Its shape has worked for decades.
The flat front, round headlights, pronounced rear wings and gently sloping rear end create a silhouette that hardly any other automobile has preserved so consistently.
This Carrera 2 Cabriolet is presented in black.
A color that lends the 964’s lines a particular elegance.
Added to this is the open top, which turns the already characterful sports car into an exceptionally stylish companion for sunny days.
Of course, this Porsche has already seen a few roads during its life.
There are scrape marks on the front underbody.
In addition, the fabric of the convertible top has two tears in the rear area.
The automatic operation of the rear spoiler also does not always work reliably.
These are points worth knowing about.
Because this 911 is not a freshly restored showpiece, but a convertible with a long and genuinely lived history.
Open the door and you are greeted by a color combination that could hardly suit this Porsche’s Californian background better.
Black bodywork outside, beige leather inside.
A combination that looks less like a racetrack and more like the Pacific Coast Highway.
The cockpit is typically Porsche.
Five round instruments, a clearly structured workplace and that large rev counter, reminding you that despite all the comfort equipment, you are still in a sports car.
Equipment includes electric windows, central locking, power steering, ABS, an airbag and air conditioning.
And, of course, the factory Tiptronic.
A transmission that represented a new interpretation of the Porsche driving experience at the time.
Here, you do not have to operate the clutch at every red light.
You can simply select D and set off in comfort.
Especially in an open-top 911 that spent many years in California, this makes perfect sense.
However, there are also some known limitations in the interior.
The air conditioning is currently not working.
The clock and the outside temperature display are also not working.
This does not detract from the special atmosphere of this classic Porsche cockpit, but it is naturally part of an honest vehicle description.
At the rear works one of those engines that made Porsche what the brand is today.
An air-cooled six-cylinder flat-six engine with 3.6 liters of displacement and 250 hp.
No turbocharger.
No electric assistance.
And no artificially generated engine noise from the speakers.
Just six cylinders working behind the rear axle and producing that unmistakable sound so cherished by air-cooled Porsche enthusiasts.
Power is transmitted to the rear wheels via the factory Tiptronic automatic transmission.
At the beginning of the 1990s, Tiptronic was a remarkable technical innovation.
It combined the convenience of an automatic transmission with the option of influencing gear selection manually when required.
Of course, purists will now object that a Porsche 911 absolutely needs a clutch pedal.
And for some drivers, that may be true.
But imagine driving through Los Angeles with the roof open.
The sun is shining, the flat-six is working behind you and Sunset Boulevard lies ahead.
Do you really want to operate the clutch in every stop-and-go traffic jam?
Exactly.
According to the seller, the Porsche drives and shifts properly.
During its time in Germany, the vehicle was technically maintained and driven regularly.
A slight oil loss from the engine and transmission is known, which according to the description does not result in dripping.
This point should also be taken into account during a technical inspection.
And now we come to a particularly appealing chapter in this Porsche’s story.
Its past.
According to the seller, this Carrera 2 was manufactured in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and delivered for the Californian market.
According to the vehicle description, it was first registered in December 1992 in Palmdale, California.
Palmdale lies north of Los Angeles, on the edge of the Mojave Desert.
An area with wide roads, plenty of sunshine and a landscape that practically begs to be explored in an open-top sports car.
This Porsche spent almost 24 years in the United States.
It is easy to imagine it cruising along Californian highways, driving through the suburbs of Los Angeles or exploring the roads toward the Pacific on sunny weekends.
We naturally do not know whether it actually traveled along the Pacific Coast Highway.
But it would have been almost a waste not to.
In July 2015, the car was finally exported to Germany.
The mileage information can be traced over a longer period using the entries listed in the CarFax report.
In December 1992, 9,160 miles were recorded.
By May 2015, the documented mileage had risen to 91,084 miles.
At export in July 2015, 91,098 miles were recorded.
Since arriving in Germany, approximately 6,000 miles have been added according to the seller.
Today, the odometer shows 97,300 miles, equivalent to approximately 156,600 kilometers.
This convertible therefore has an interesting vehicle biography connecting two very different automotive worlds.
California and Germany.
Palm trees and autobahns.
Hollywood and Zuffenhausen.
Quite a fitting life story for a Porsche 911, really.
The 964 Carrera 2 with Tiptronic is not a sports car that wants to prove how uncompromising it can be at every opportunity.
And that is precisely its appeal.
It combines the classic mechanics of an air-cooled 911 with a level of comfort that can make longer journeys exceptionally pleasant.
Imagine a Sunday morning.
The top is down.
The road is still empty.
The six-cylinder engine comes to life behind you and greets the neighborhood with that unmistakable Porsche sound.
You select a gear.
And drive off.
No rush.
No battle for the final tenth of a second.
Just you, the flat-six and the road.
Of course, a Carrera 2 with Tiptronic can also make very rapid progress.
After all, 250 hp was anything but modest at the beginning of the 1990s.
But this Porsche does not need to constantly demonstrate its sporting abilities.
Sometimes it is perfectly enough to lower the roof and let the engine do its work.
There is a certain type of Porsche enthusiast for whom only one combination counts.
Manual transmission.
Rear-wheel drive.
As little comfort equipment as possible.
And, if possible, suspension that sends every bump directly through to the spine.
I understand these people.
Really.
But I also believe they sometimes overlook something.
A Porsche 911 does not have to be a test of driving ability on every journey.
Sometimes it is allowed to simply be a wonderful automobile.
An open-top convertible in which you drive through the countryside with the characteristic sound of the flat-six behind you.
And that is precisely why a 964 Carrera 2 with Tiptronic is such an interesting choice.
It preserves the shape, engine and mechanical character of the classic 911.
But it allows its driver to take things a little more easily.
And with this example, there is also the Californian past.
Almost 24 years on American roads.
Then a new chapter in Germany.
A Porsche that has not merely stood in a collection, but has genuinely been on the road.
With signs of use, minor technical quirks and a story that does not need to be artificially invented for it.
Vehicles like these often have more personality than perfectly preserved garage-kept examples.
The Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Cabriolet from the 964 series belongs to the generation that successfully brought the classic air-cooled 911 into the modern era.
With its 3.6-liter flat-six engine, 250 hp, rear-wheel drive and factory Tiptronic, it combines traditional Porsche technology with a comfort-oriented driving experience.
This example is presented in the elegant combination of black paintwork and a beige leather interior.
Its long history in California, the CarFax mileage entries and the current odometer reading of 97,300 miles give the car an interesting international story.
Known signs of use and functional limitations, including the tears in the convertible top, the currently non-functioning air conditioning, the faulty clock and outside temperature display, the occasionally unreliable spoiler operation and slight oil loss, form part of the overall picture.
Particularly worth highlighting is the reclaimable VAT. For businesses and other buyers entitled to deduct input tax, this may represent an additional financial advantage, provided the statutory requirements for input tax deduction are met.
This Porsche is not a flawless museum piece.
It is a classic 911 that has already seen a good part of the world.
And hopefully still has many more miles ahead of it.
An air-cooled flat-six. 250 hp. Black paint. Beige leather. Almost 24 years in California. And reclaimable VAT.
All that is really missing is the sunshine.
But fortunately, that is what Porsche invented the convertible top for.
This description has been automatically translated. Original language: German.
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