[Tool Pants]

The sticker is from a local 1997, not my car. I also have a V in my VIN as the 10th digit because I also have a 1997, but mine was made in January 1997.

V is 1997. W is 1998. And so on. When the letters were about to run out Porsche began using numbers in 2001.

The story is that the factory shuts down for 3 weeks in August to retoll for the next year model. So a car made in September 2007 is built as a 2008 with 2008 specs. But Porsche does make a few cars in July so the dealers will have something to put on the floor.

So your car was made in July 2001 but it was built to 2002 specs. You have the matte finish switches that started in 2002. You also do not have a fuel filter that needs to be replaced. When it was registered it was registered as a 2002 because it is a 2002 model even though it was bult in July 2001.

In the UK it is different. Never understood their system. If you were in the UK you would be calling it a 2001. If you go on a UK board you will see people with a 2004 987, because their model year 2005 987 was built and registered in 2004. There is no such thing as a model year 2004 987. That is why on the UK boards I sometimes have to ask for their model year, not the year the car was registered.