Rear-wheel drive and manual gearbox
Largely preserved in original condition
Extensively documented history
Documented mileage of 60,174 km
A new 911 had to look like the old one. Even at Porsche in the late 1980s, there was simply no getting around that. So when the 964 appeared in 1988, it looked reassuringly familiar at first glance. Under the skin, however, hardly anything had remained the same.
Porsche spoke of around 85 per cent new parts. ABS, power steering and coil springs in place of the previous torsion bars brought the 911 firmly up to date, joined by aerodynamically integrated bumpers and an electrically extending rear spoiler. The four-wheel-drive Carrera 4 came first, followed in 1989 by the lighter Carrera 2 with traditional rear-wheel drive.
At the back sat the new air-cooled 3.6-litre M64 flat-six. Its 250 hp and 310 Nm of torque were paired with a five-speed gearbox, while from 1990 the four-speed Tiptronic became available for the first time. More than 250 km/h was possible – although with the roof down, that was perhaps more interesting in theory than in practice.
As a Cabriolet, the 964 combined the classic 911 silhouette with considerably greater everyday usability than its predecessors. An electrically operated hood, modern suspension technology and improved climate control turned the once-purist sports car into a rapid Gran Turismo.
Today, the Carrera 2 in particular is considered especially appealing by many enthusiasts: rear-wheel drive, an air-cooled flat-six and still compact dimensions, combined with enough modern technology to make longer journeys a pleasure. The 964 was, in other words, the 911 that had to grow up without looking grown-up.
This Carrera 2 Cabriolet is from the 1990 model year and was imported from the USA to Austria in 2020. Its original American sales report survives, as does the service booklet. The Porsche has held Austrian individual type approval since 2020.
The bodywork remains largely in its original L80K Guards Red paint. Its mileage can also be traced unusually well: in December 2020, at 35,000 miles – equivalent to around 56,000 kilometres – the speedometer was replaced, with the change fully documented. Total mileage today therefore stands at 60,174 kilometres.
Documentation, condition, mileage and a manual gearbox: arguments that could hardly make a more convincing case.