BDG, cheers, I'll get him to give them a call ...
  Bibjo, if he were getting an R it would be a 996, the proper one. And if he had the dough for a 998R the most mint one in the UK is sitting in ProV with just 197 miles on it at a stunning £15k. 
 Or he could buy this one ...... 
http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/xm...3141#pid220596  Not exactly rare ...... 
 [Edited on 9-11-2005 by DIBBLE]