Outlook – June 29, 2019

48 OutlOOk 1 JULY 2019

aUtomotive

suddenly pull out in front of you in the

fast lane while you’re driving close to the

300km/h mark.

If at all there’s an issue at high speeds,

it’s the steering. Don’t get me wrong,

it’s very communicative at all speeds,

but, at truly high speeds, the front end

does become a tad light – as there’s not

much weight at the front of the car. It’s

nothing alarming though! In fact, it

makes you focus more on the driving

experience – as even the slightest

jiggle at the steering keeps you on full

alert, something that, in my opinion,

only adds to the driving appeal of a

communicative car.

The fine print

As you may have noticed, I had a whale

of a time driving the 911 on some truly

fine German roads. But, as always, there

are a few things to consider when you’re

thinking of buying a 911 in the Indian

market. First, with its 20 and 21-inch

wheel setup, the 911’s ride is firm, even

on German roads, which, on Indian

roads, is always going to be a challenge.

Two, the 911 is not exactly cheap at

`1.82 Crore (ex-showroom), but I think

that given the levels of quality and

engineering it offers, not to mention

the history of both Porsche and the 911,

it’s actually priced quite well.

After all, if you’re in the market for a

reliable and fast sports car that you can

drive everyday – and you can drive this

everyday – the 911 has literally no equal.

What’s truly astounding about the

latest 992 generation is just how

advanced it is over the outgoing 991

911 – which felt like the best and most

usable sports car in the world thus

far. And that’s what’s amazing about

the Porsche engineers – they find a

way of upping the game with each new

generation. Just when you think that

the 911 can’t possibly get any better, it

does.

For me, driving in the Black Forest

region, with the sunroof open, under

the shining sun – try doing that in

India – was an experience of a lifetime.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep filling larger

piggybanks in the hope that someday

I’ll own my own 911. Till then, I’ll keep

asking Porsche to let me drive their cars

as often as they can...

Porsche 911

Carrera S

Engine

2,981cc / Flat-Six /

Twin-Turbocharged

Fuel

Petrol

Transmission

8-Speed Dual-Clutch

Automatic / Rear-Wheel

Drive

Power

444bhp @ 6,500rpm

Torque

530Nm @ 2,300-5,000rpm

Price

`1.82 Crore (Ex-showroom)