Q: What does the "P*" on the third piece engine number mean?
A: Almost all motors from the factory start with the "P*" (P-star) stamp. Exceptions are the "KD*" (see following), and the blank 3rd piece replacement pieces which were sold as replacement parts and installed by service centers and shops.
Q: What does the "KD*" before my engine number mean?
A: The KD means, roughly translated, "Customer Service", in other words, your engine was rebuilt at the factory--almost as good as new! No statistics as to how many KD engines there are, but they are not uncommon, especially on European Delivery cars, which were frequently taken by their owners back to the factory for service, or the engines may have been sent by European Porsche Dealers to the factory for rebuilds.