Sell your Porsche directly.

How do I sell my Porsche in the UK?

There are three routes to selling a Porsche: a private sale, a dealer part-exchange, and a direct sale to a specialist buyer. A private sale usually takes the longest and leaves you handling viewings, test drives, payment and the paperwork yourself. A part-exchange is quick but the figure is tied to the car you buy next. A direct sale to a specialist means one review of the car, one offer, collection arranged, and payment by bank transfer before the car leaves. MotorSignet is the third route: a specialist reviews your Porsche personally and makes a direct purchase offer.

What does a direct buyer check on a Porsche 911?

The engine history for its generation, the gearbox, the paperwork and the originality of the specification. On a 996 or early 997 (M96 and M97 engines) that means whether the intermediate shaft bearing has been replaced or inspected and whether there is any evidence of bore scoring. On any GT car it means the over-rev report read through the Porsche diagnostic system, which records how often and how hard the engine has been taken past its limiter. On cars with PCCB ceramic brakes it means the disc wear measurements from the last brake inspection. On a Paint to Sample car it means the paint code on the build record matches the car. None of these rule a car out; they are what the offer is based on.

Which paperwork proves a Porsche's history?

The service record, the build record, and the diagnostic reports. The service record is the stamped book or the Porsche dealer and specialist invoices, with the dates and mileages in order. The build record is the Porsche Certificate of Authenticity or the original order sheet, which lists every factory option and the paint code. The diagnostic reports are the over-rev report, printed by a Porsche Centre or a specialist with the Porsche diagnostic system, and where fitted the PCCB disc measurements from the last brake inspection. Two keys, the handbooks and the tool kit complete the set.

Does track use stop a Porsche being bought directly?

No, track use does not stop a Porsche being bought directly, and on a GT car it is normal. What matters is that it is declared, that the maintenance kept pace with the use (brake fluid, pads and discs, tyres, oil changes at the intervals Porsche sets for track use), and that the over-rev report is consistent with what you describe. A car with honest track history and the invoices to match is reviewed like any other.

How does a direct sale to MotorSignet work?

A direct sale to MotorSignet takes five steps: review, written offer, collection or delivery, inspection, and payment by bank transfer before the car leaves you. You enter the registration and the specialist reviews your Porsche from your description, photographs and paperwork; the two keys, the handbooks and the tool kit complete the set. You receive the offer in writing, with the inspection terms stated. If you accept, collection is arranged at a time that suits you, or you deliver to us. Any difference found at inspection is explained and agreed before anything is signed.

911 996 (1997 to 2005)

On a 996 Carrera a specialist checks the intermediate shaft bearing and the cylinder bores of the M96 engine, and the proof is an invoice that names the work and a borescope report.

The 996 was the first water-cooled 911: the Carrera and Carrera 4 used the M96 flat six, 3.4 litres in the early cars and 3.6 litres from the 2002 model year facelift, with a sealed bearing on the intermediate shaft. When that bearing has been replaced, the invoice should name the replacement part, who fitted it and the mileage. When it has not, an inspection of the oil filter for debris and a borescope of the bores are the usual next steps, though neither proves the bearing itself is sound. The GT3, GT2 and Turbo use the dry-sump Mezger engine, which has no such bearing, so on those cars the checks move to the over-rev report from the Porsche diagnostic system and the clutch and gearbox history. For an older car, Porsche Classic can supply the Porsche Production Specification, often called the birth certificate, recording the car as built, and the Porsche Classic Technical Certificate records an originality inspection by a Porsche Classic Partner.

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  Nº 034Porsche 996 GT3 RS→

911 997 (2004 to 2012)

On a 997 a specialist first establishes which of its three engine families the car has, the M96 and M97 Carrera engines, the later 9A1, or the Mezger engine in the GT and Turbo cars, and the VIN, the model year and the service record are the proof.

Any replacement engine should be on that record. The 997.1 Carrera, built from 2004 to 2008, used the 3.6-litre M96 and, in the Carrera S, the new 3.8-litre M97, so the intermediate shaft bearing and bore scoring questions still apply; a specialist asks for a borescope report and any bearing invoice. The Carrera-range 997.2 facelift of 2008 brought the 9A1 engine with direct fuel injection and no intermediate shaft, and PDK in place of Tiptronic S, with the Turbo following for 2010; PDK fluid and filter changes should be on the invoices. The GT3, GT3 RS and the 997.1 Turbo keep the Mezger engine, so on those cars the over-rev report from the Porsche diagnostic system matters more than the bore question; on a GT3 RS 4.0 the build record confirms the car. A Porsche Certificate of Authenticity, where the car has one, lists the factory specification and paint code.

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  Nº 093Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997)→
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  Nº 033Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0→

911 991 (2011 to 2019)

On a 991 a specialist checks which side of the turbocharging change the car sits, and the service record and the build record together prove it.

The 991.1, from 2011, kept naturally aspirated flat sixes in the Carrera and Carrera S, 3.4 and 3.8 litres, and introduced electromechanical power steering and a seven-speed manual gearbox. The 991.2 facelift brought a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat six to the Carrera, Carrera S and GTS, so the two halves of the generation differ in engine, exhaust and service invoices. The 991.1 GT3 was PDK only, with a 3.8-litre engine; Porsche replaced the engines of the 2014 model year cars under a recall, and the service record should show that work. The 991.2 GT3 returned a manual option and a 4.0-litre engine and added the wingless Touring package; the 911 R, the 991 Speedster and both GT3 RS versions share the same GT department lineage. On any GT car a specialist reads the over-rev report through the Porsche diagnostic system and asks for the build record and, where fitted, the ceramic brake disc measurements from the last inspection.

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  Nº 030Porsche 911 R→
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  Nº 092Porsche 911 Speedster (991)→
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  Nº 094Porsche 911 GT3 Touring→

911 992 (2019 on)

On a 992 a specialist checks the Porsche Centre invoices and the specification against the factory build record, because the range runs from turbocharged Carreras to naturally aspirated GT cars and Heritage Design models.

The first 992 Carrera, Carrera S and GTS use a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat six with the eight-speed PDK, and a seven-speed manual on selected versions; the 2024 facelift kept that engine in the Carrera and Carrera S and gave the GTS a T-Hybrid powertrain. The first Turbo and Turbo S use a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged engine with PDK only, and the facelifted Turbo S is also a T-Hybrid. The GT3 and GT3 Touring keep a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with a manual or PDK and a double-wishbone front axle; the GT3 RS adds active aerodynamics. The Sport Classic pairs a turbocharged engine with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, and the S/T pairs the GT3 RS engine with a lightweight manual drivetrain. Porsche's digital maintenance history covers 911s from the 2022 model year for services from April 2025 onward, so earlier work is proved by invoices; the factory build specification and delivery invoice confirm paint, options and any Paint to Sample or Exclusive Manufaktur work.

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  Nº 028Porsche 911 GT3→
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  Nº 010Porsche 911 GT3 RS→
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  Nº 031Porsche 911 S/T→
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  Nº 032Porsche 911 Sport Classic→
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  Nº 074Porsche 911 Turbo S→

Boxster and Cayman (986, 987, 981, 718)

On a mid-engined Porsche a specialist checks which engine family sits behind the seats, and the VIN, the model year and the service record together are the proof.

The 986 Boxster, from 1996 to 2004, used the M96 flat six, so the intermediate shaft bearing and the bore condition are the first questions, answered by an invoice for any bearing work and a borescope report. The 987 Boxster and the first Cayman, from 2005 to 2012, carried M96 and M97 engines in their first years and moved at the 2009 model year facelift to engines with no intermediate shaft, direct injection on the 3.4-litre S cars, and the PDK option. The 981, from 2012 to 2016, kept naturally aspirated flat sixes and closed with the Cayman GT4 and Boxster Spyder, both with a 3.8-litre engine and a manual gearbox only. The 718 of 2016 brought turbocharged flat fours to the standard cars, and the GTS 4.0, GT4, Spyder, GT4 RS and Spyder RS returned to naturally aspirated flat sixes. On a Boxster or Spyder the roof mechanism and its drains are checked; on any GT car the over-rev report and the build record are.

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  Nº 126Porsche 718 Cayman GT4→
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  Nº 091Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS→
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  Nº 127Porsche 718 Spyder RS→

Cayenne and Macan

On a Cayenne or petrol Macan a specialist checks the transfer case, the gearbox service and the air suspension where fitted, and the invoices for each are the proof.

The first Cayenne, from 2002, used a six-speed Tiptronic S automatic, or a six-speed manual on some versions, and a low-range transfer case; on its 4.5-litre V8 cars the replacement of the plastic coolant pipes with aluminium parts should be on the record. The second generation of 2010 moved to an eight-speed Tiptronic S without the low range, and any transfer case replacement should appear on the invoices. The third generation, introduced in 2017, continued with the eight-speed Tiptronic S, the Coupe body followed in 2019, and the Turbo GT is built only as a Coupe around a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8. The petrol Macan, from 2014, uses the seven-speed PDK, which has its own fluid and filter service and its own transfer case; the electric Macan of 2024 has neither. On any car with air suspension a specialist checks that it sits level at every setting and asks for any compressor or strut invoices, and on the E-Hybrid versions for the high-voltage battery check from a Porsche Centre.

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  Nº 161Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT→

Taycan

On a Taycan a specialist checks the high-voltage battery and the software state, and the proof is a battery state-of-health report printed by a Porsche Centre and the record of software updates and recall campaigns against the VIN.

The Taycan launched in 2019 as the first fully electric Porsche, with an 800-volt electrical architecture and a two-speed gearbox on the rear axle. Two battery sizes were offered, the Performance Battery and the Performance Battery Plus, and the build record states which the car has, along with the charging options and the body style: saloon, Cross Turismo or Sport Turismo. Porsche has issued software updates to the Taycan since launch, some carried out at a Porsche Centre and some over the air, and the 2024 facelift brought a revised battery and charging system, so a specialist asks which updates the car has had and whether every high-voltage battery campaign recorded against the VIN has been completed, including any module replacement. The state-of-health report shows the battery's usable capacity against new, and the file should include both charging leads, the second key and the removal of the car from the seller's Porsche ID so the buyer can register it to their own.