1998 Porsche 911 Carrera review from UK and Ireland

Paint quality issues: When the car was delivered the dealer explained a very obvious paint blemish on the passenger door would be fixed under warranty. It never was.

Sunroof: The roof pulsed at exactly 30mph when fully open. Brilliant. You had to adjust the size of the aperture depending on how fast you were going.

Switchgear: The driver window switch packed up. The tachometer was replaced at first service to cure a wagging needle.

Brakes. I was never satisfied with the jittery braking of the car at low speeds and continually pestered for something to be done about it. Having read reviews here and magazine comments I realise it's a quirk of the car. Some quirk!

Headlamp assembly covered in condensation first morning after taking delivery. Engine bay looked filthy dirty after 100 miles. Shoulder of front passenger tyre showing signs of wear by the time I sold up.

Drive the dream... or not. The 911 is icon but the 996 is not the car you think it is. It's quick but doesn't transmit any feeling of speed. It's a status symbol but now commonly seen ferrying kids to school. You can fork out for the hi-fi stereo upgrade and revel at the background thrum of tyres and engine. I can still remember the feeling of being frazzled after long journeys.

As mentioned in other reviews here, the quality of the cabin really lets it down. For reasons given above the Carrera is no longer a sports car and at £60,000 there's no excuse for such a spartan interior.

To sum up, it was a let down and I never felt as though I was treated properly by the dealer. A top of the line Beamer is a far better, safer, quieter, more comfortable, all-round bet. And just as fast. And with better brakes.