I took a look at and drove this 2002 996 Turbo yesterday:

Seems like a nice, clean stock 996T. It has everything I want: seal or slate grey, black interior, 6 speed, aluminum trim. The seller claims it is an X50 equipped car, but I'm not so sure. I took a picture of the options tag under the front hood and I'm confused:



I ran the codes though the link below and it l and it looks to be equipped with the following:

http://www.kindel.com/porsche/options/options.asp

09991 - manufacture from exclusive-programme (what is this?)
139 - Seat Heating - Left
340 - Seat Heating - Right
446 - Parts for type "Targa" belonging to stipulated assembly (what does this mean?)
446 - 996: Colored Wheel Crests
C02 - Equppied with catalyic converter
X70 - Metal Door Silll with Insignia
X71 - Aluminum Instrument Dials
X97 - Aluminum/leather shift ****
X98 - Aluminum/leather parking break brake handle
X99 - 964 3.6 Turbo S flatnose rear fender vents option (what?)
XSC - 996 Crest on Headrest

It seems to be a relatively low optioned car. I don't see X50 under the options list. I did some homework on here and at Rennlist and am still a little confused. Some have said the M9670-642 designates X50 and some have said the 996 420 just means turbo coupe. Can anyone shed some light on this?

Anyway, the current owner doesn't know much about the car. He's had it for 5 years and only driven 7k miles. I'm not sure how I feel about it sitting that much. He bought it from a friend who was a "meticulous enthusiast", but he is conveniently out of town for a few weeks. It supposedly has full service records, which I still need to verify.

Here is the carfax report.

I'm thinking of bringing it to BR Racing in Los Gatos, CA for a full PPI. Price is high, but that's the dealer price. I'll be working directly with the owner since it's a cash purchase. I'm thinking the market value for a car like this is much more like $45k.

Any input you guys have would be great! Thanks!

 

i'm 99.9% certain that if it doesnt say x50 on the sticker then its not an x50, unless this isnt the original hood/sticker

there are other ways to tell for sure but i cant remember what they are, sorry

 

I don't think it's an X50 either. Also agree with your thinking, closer to 45k than 51k from a private seller. The ad doesn't say X50 anywhere unless I missed it.

 

Add doesn't say, but they have a printout on the window of the car (not an original sticker or anything) that does list X50 but it's a pretty generic like listing power windows, power seats, etc... The owner says it's an X50 as well.

Here's why I'm confused, starting with post #6.

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...ion-codes.html

 

+1. I researched the codes as well and it should say X50 on the sticker. Is it the original for sure? I have a 2002 as well and the ink is all faded; this sticker looks really good.

 

another way to sort out this confusion is to feel the side of the intercoolers and if they are "rough" kinda like a cheese grater, then they are the larger gt2 intercoolers that would've come on a car with the x50 option. if they are smooth(er), they are stock, and would not have been left on an x50 car.

i think your car is a stock tt, but that's just a guess, based upon how many people keep telling you it's an x50 with no proof ( or bonnet sticker option code ) that it is in fact, an x50 optioned car.

 

Shoot if you get him to 45k and you don't want it let me buy it! Looks like a clean car!

 

I guess you could look how much bar it goes up to?

On a side note, how can you tell when a car is flashed? When I had the PPI done, the shop told me he could only read the codes and over rev report but no info on a potential flash.

 

hmmm, interesting. Another name for X50 is Turbo S, right? I see the listing shows a Turbo S flatnose rear fender vents option. Another piece of the puzzle

 

that's not really so, either. "x50" as an option available on 02-05 cars designates an optional ( $17,800.00 ) powerkit at time of build that couples larger k24 turbo's along with ( gt2 ) intercoolers and a remap and increases the estimated horsepower from the stock 414, up to 444, though those figures are often given at 420 stock, and 450 with the x50 option powerkit. though i stand by the 414 vs 444hp numbers.

while the "s" badged cars had some other small stuff going, e.g. yellow pccb calipers, and i can't remember what all else, but it wasn't *much* more than the x50 kit parts and the pccb brakes, and that tasty S badge on the decklid. if memory serves.

 

As posted above, the X50 and Turbo S are not the same cars. The only difference though is the S has the ceramic brakes (PCCBs) instead of steel. Given the issues with the original PCCBs, the steel brakes are a much better option.

That's not an X50 car though as the hood sticker would certainly say so.

Overall seems like a good price but definitely needs a PPI. The fact it's been sitting so much worries me too since these cars like to be driven. Constant use leads to a more reliable car.

 

1. Is that the actual hood of the car? VIN matches?

2. Run the vin with a dealer...

3. Why does the current owner think it is an X50 if he has no documentation that it has the X50 option? He might have been sold it that way, and innocently believes it- or someone may have added K24s... but unless Porsche says "this is a new-from-the-factory-x50-optioned-car", it is not an X50.

On the other thread you referenced, the OP never explains why the label is in error...

 

Looks like the VIN on the hood matches the one on the door and does belong to the car. So, no X50.