1 JULY 2019 OutlOOk 47
autox.comfantastic. It’s been further refined, and I love
the large, single-piece tail light – which is
once again becoming a Porsche trademark,
as it well should. Paired with the 3D ‘Porsche’
lettering and the quad exhausts, the rear end
of the 911 looks purposefully detailed.
chequered flag
The interior of the 911, like most Porsche
products, exudes quality. The fit-and-
finish of the various materials, and the
way the toggle switches and other
controls operate provide a very tactile
and satisfying feedback. The centre of
the cabin is dominated by a 10.9-inch
touchscreen, which is simply stunning and
a delight to operate. Thankfully, the 911
retains an analogue rev counter, which is
finished exactly like the tachometer from
older 911s – a great nostalgic touch that’s
a nod to the rich history of the 911.
The sports seats – finished in a stunning
chequered-flag pattern – also deserves
special praise, not only for the support they
provide when driving enthusiastically but
also for how comfortable they are during
long drives.
Black Forest cake (and eating it
too)
After taking delivery of the 911 from
the Porsche factory at Zuffenhausen –
it’s right next to the stunning Porsche
Museum, which is a must-visit – the first
thing I did was hit the autobahn. I mean,
with an iconic machine that produces
444bhp from its twin-turbo 3.0-litre flat-
six engine, it’s hard not to try
and find the fastest stretch of
road around.
Thankfully, there are still
many unrestricted stretches
of the autobahn around
Stuttgart, and before I knew
it, we – me and the 911 – were
doing speeds well in excess of
200km/h. And it was entirely
legal!
There are a couple of things
that immediately strike you
about the 992. First, even
though the Carrera S is just
above the entry-level Carrera
trim, with 444bhp – which is
nothing in today’s world of
supercars, with 650 to 800bhp- it is quick! ‘0 – 100km/h
in just 3.5 seconds’ quick. It
launches off the line far faster
than anything else because
of added traction at the rear
wheels, which have the engine positioned
right above them. Oh, and the car keeps
accelerating till it reaches a top speed of
308km/h.
Secondly, despite the twin-turbos,
there’s virtually no turbo lag – peak torque
kicks in at 2,300rpm and stays
flat till 5,000rpm – and the
throttle response is fantastic.
And, once again, with its big
305-section tyres at the rear
and amazing engineering,
it’s difficult to break traction
in the 911, which means that
putting the power down while
coming out of tight corners
is stunningly easy. What also
helps here is the 1,515kg kerb
weight, which is quite low by
modern standards.
With its (optional) sports
exhaust switched off, the
911 is deceptively quick and
gains speed in a heartbeat.
On German highways, it was
a fantastic feeling to be able
to drive at ridiculously high
speeds legally and, more
importantly, safely – you
know that no driver willpros
l One of the most
recognisable sports
cars in the world
l Fantastic build
quality
l Terrific engine
responseCoNs
l Ride can be
quite firmX-faCtor
The Porsche 911’s
performance and
everyday usability
make it one of the
most desirable and
practical sports
cars in the world.