When Mike Johnston found out that his 2008 Porsche 911 Carerra S was stolen from his Chelsea home last fall, he kissed the prized possession goodbye.

He thought he would never see the sports car again, the theory being that it was already on a shipping container on the high seas or in a chop shop somewhere in parts unknown.

So when MRC des Collines police called him this week, telling him the car had been found – in mint condition – he nearly fell off his chair.

“Isn’t that weird?” Johnston responded, still in disbelief that his silver wheels had turned up on an Ottawa side street. “I thought it was long gone out of this city.”

Ottawa police found the car last week on Baseline Road in the city’s west end.

“There was no damage, no nothing,” said MRC police spokesperson Martin Fournel, who got the call from the Ottawa precinct. Fournel, too, was just as amazed to hear the news. “Normally, you never find these cars.”

Fournel said that other items stolen from Johnston’s Hwy 105 home – including his son’s laptop and a gaming system – were not recovered. Fournel said the investigation is continuing.

As for Johnston, he won’t be getting the car back, as he already settled with insurance claims. The car now belongs to his insurance company. He is planning on buying another sports car this spring when the snow melts.

“There’s no sense buying a sports car in the winter,” he said with a chuckle.

Tagged as: 911, Carerra, chelsea, Johnston, Martin Fournel, Mike, Qc, Que, Quebec, stolen porsche, Trevor Greenway