What is the purpose of a car; that is a question that varies demographic by demographic. To the majority, they are objects meant to take them from one place to another. To enthusiasts, they are to be thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated from both a mechanical and aesthetic point of view. To collectors, depending on who they are, they are works of art which are visually stimulating when stationary. The above 2 statements often apply to Porsche enthusiasts; some drive their cars like there’s no tomorrow regardless of the odometer’s reading while others keep their prized purchases parked in their garage as investments. Let us be reminded of Ferry Porsche’s famous words, “our cars are meant to be driven, not polished”. For decades, this has separated Porsche owners categorically.

Which brings us to the subject of today’s post. Recently, a number of low-mileage cars were auctioned off on Yahoo Japan Auctions on behalf of Bingo Sports. For those unaware, Bingo Sports is a high-end luxury and exotic car dealership based out of Tokyo. Their inventory consists of nothing but the rarest cars available on this planet, all in exceptional condition and with low mileage for their age. Among the cars auctioned off were this Arctic Silver on Black interior 1997 993 Carrera 4. While from out and afar this looks like any ordinary 993 one may see on the street or for sale on a dealership’s pre-owned inventory, it’s not until we dig deeper that we notice that this isn’t a typical 993.

• 

• 

• 

That is because this car has only done 196km from new, that’s right, one-hundred and ninety-six. In verbal terms, that translates to a brand-new car. Jump straight into the interior and you will notice the thick, unworn leather of the steering wheel, as well as a gear lever with very minimal fingerprint marks. If you’re picky then there’s still the presence of the warning label on top of the driver’s door pocket cover. And of course, we can’t forget about that all-important “new car smell”. Want more signs that the car is new asides from the odometer? Just have a peak underneath the body and you will see the factory cosmoline still intact. This is a chemical that the factory applies to the car while being built in order to protect mechanical components from corrosion during transport, and it is often removed by the dealership before delivering the car to its owner.

Museum-condition aside, under the hood of this 993 is the optional 3.8L M64/22S engine from the Carrera RS which puts out a cool 300hp. This engine option was only available for rest-of-world markets, Japan included. According to information provided in the auction listing, only 75 cars produced for Japan were optioned with this engine. And since this is a 1997 model-year example, yes, the engine features VarioRam technology just like the standard 3.6 engine did post-1996, hence the power boost.

With the auction having finished on the 11th of July, I can state the final sale price, which ultimately ended up being ¥27,284,728, or approximately $284K USD or $357K CAD, a hefty price by narrow-body 993 standard, but as the saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. I can give you a list of cars attainable with that much money, both new and used, but it woudn’t include a time-capsule air-cooled 911. Bingo Sports mentioned as well in their listing that the car was never registered by the original owner, therefore, the purchaser, should they choose to register it, would be considered on paper to be the “first owner”. Below is a video uploaded to Bingo Sports’ YouTube channel going over the car, in both English and Japanese:

While I always find myself in awe when near-new examples of classic Porsches pop-up in the market, I am always expecting a big premium when it comes to final sale price, and this car was no exception. Even If I had the funds to buy this car, I wouldn’t, as by this point a car as this one is more suited towards museums or collectors who have their beater cars and their garage queens. Me, I’d instead find me the nicest example of a 993 Turbo or Carrera S possible and spare me the change, and drive it of course! After all, part of the Porsche ownership experience is enjoying it on the open roads in addition to admiring it in the garage. What the new owner of this car will do with it, we shall see, but it’s likely to be tucked away.

-Juan

If you enjoyed reading this post, feel free to look at my previous “News” posts, or the rest of my website.