Porsche 911 Carrera S

IF I HAD my way, Porsche would only produce the 911. It is after all the most recognised silhouette in the car world and quintessentially Porsche. I was in love with it even before I saw the car in the flesh, leave apart driving one. If you, like me, have always dreamt of owning a Porsche but, unlike me, have about a crore to spend on a car, there’s a brand new 911 available in India as of last month. You can choose from four versions—the Carrera, the Carrera s and the open top versions of both. I have driven the 911 Carrera s.

here’s a bit about what’s new. of course, the definitive 911 bit—the engine being hung over the rear axle and driving the rear wheels—remains, as does the fact that like all 911s before this, the design is evolutionary. The proportions of the new car is larger, the details, sharper and the quality, much better. But the brand and product identity remain unchanged, so one can’t mistake this to be anything but a Porsche.

of the four to come to India, the one to buy is the Carrera s. on paper, its figures aren’t breathtaking. It runs a 3.8-litre 6-cylinder boxer engine that makes 400bhp. According to Porsche, it dispatches the 0-100kmph run in 4.1 seconds, before it gets to a top speed of a bit over 300kmph.

The competition though does similar or better. Yet, when you get to the nurburgring, things change dramatically. The new 911’s time at the circuit is 7 minutes 40 seconds, which is as good as that of the older 911 GT3. Clearly then, the 911 must have an ace up its sleeve.

To find out we went to Abu Dhabi. To the Yas Marina F1 circuit to be precise. And boy were we floored! First, the engine; it sounds awesome. At lower revs it burbles. At high revs, even though it’s not a banzai as some high revving Japanese engines are, it still has that racing engine note and refinement. And being naturally aspirated, the build of shove is linear. We also liked the 7-speed PDK ‘box’. The downshifts, though not as brutal as some supercars, are still angry. But the great part is—it holds the revs even in fully automatic mode quite well leaving you feeling as if you have lightning fast throttle response.

All this is, of course, forgotten within minutes of getting onto the circuit. The steering is electrically assisted now, but is still so feedback rich you just know, intuitively, how much input it needs. The chassis is outstanding. now, when you drive the new 911 hard, it loves to break into oversteer but you always feel in control. It’s just so much fun.

The 911 is no supercar. The sense of occasion which one gets when driving a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, or even the Lexus LFA, just isn’t there. But, it is a sportscar that you can use everyday, even in India. It’s still not totally practical, given the ground clearance could be an issue at times, but when it comes to the combination of fun and relaxed motoring, with its sharp and playful handling and supple ride, the new 911 is super. Price: 90 lakh (est).

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The new 3.8-litre directinjected 6-cylinder makes a whopping 400bhp at 7400 rpm. This new Carrera S has a 15-bhp bump over its predecessor. it has an exhaust flap that opens at higher rpm, putting all four exhaust tips into play. There are two transmissions: a 7-speed paddle-shift twin-clutch PdK or, a 7-speed manual.

The interior resembles the Porsche Carrera S and is slick, luxurious and of course modern. The biggest change inside is the high centre console which has now slimmed-down. it’s easier to access the controls for chassis settings, ventilation, etc. The driver is closely integrated with the cockpit thanks to the centre console rising up to the front with the high-mounted shift lever—or PdK gear selector—located close to the steering wheel in typical motorsport fashion. Sport seats are great, with secure lateral hold and there’s more room beneath.