Introduced in 1999, the type 996 was the first Porsche 911 model to adopt water cooling for its flat-six engine—an essential change driven by tighter emissions regulations and rising performance demands. Its engine architecture was inspired by the race-derived unit from the 1997 911 GT1.

While the silhouette remained classic and maintained all the 911’s most important lines, designer Grant Larson modernized the type 996 with a sleeker windshield, a fully updated interior, and distinctive integrated headlights. In 2002, the Carrera 4S debuted, combining all-wheel drive with the wide body, brakes, and suspension of the 911 Turbo.

The 3.6-liter flat-six featured VarioCam Plus timing, Lokasil cylinder liners, and Bosch ME 7.8 engine management. For those enthusiasts seeking additional power without jumping from the Carrera up to the 911 Turbo, Porsche offered the Carrera power kit, option code X51, which provided an increase of 30 brake horsepower through special aluminum intake and exhaust manifolds, modified cylinder heads, and redesigned camshafts and valves.

Porsche only produced 4,543 Carrera 4S Cabriolet examples in 2004, of which a small number were equipped with the desirable X51 Carrera power kit like the U.S.-market car offered is. Finished in Slate Grey Metallic with a black soft-top, the car features a luxurious interior outfitted in Natural Grey Supple Leather with optional aluminum trim on the handbrake lever, instrument faces, and shift knob for the six-speed manual gearbox. Additional equipment includes 18-inch Turbo-look alloy wheels, xenon headlights, heated comfort seats, automatic climate control, cruise control, and a Becker-Porsche stereo with CD changer linked to a Bose sound system.

First registered in Maryland, the car appears to have spent much of its life registered in the North East, according to its Carfax on file, and is said to have been in storage since 2023. The odometer indicated less than 19,500 miles as of cataloguing time.

Produced in limited numbers for the most discriminating and well-heeled enthusiasts, the 911 Carrera 4S X51 Cabriolet is a true driver’s car, combining added power, a manual six-speed, all-wheel drive, and—best of all—a body style that allows occupants to fully enjoy the wail of its exclusive power kit with the top down.