Porsche is one of the most respected brands in the world. In part because of their motorsport heritage, but also in part of knowing that no matter what car you drive, if it has Porsche badge on it, you just know it will be good. It will be easy on the eye, reliable and perfectly put together with quality materials. But most importantly, you just know it will be good to drive. That is because Porsche also nurtures their heritage in road cars, upping their game with each and every new version.
The best example of this is the most known sports car in the world – Porsche 911. For almost 60 years, Porsche stuck with their rear engined, rear drive configuration, perfecting it to a point, that others are wondering, how did they managed to make it so good. With every new iteration, 911 just became better and better. It inevitably grew in each and every dimension, but no matter what generation you are looking at, you instantly recognise a 911 when you see one. It kind of became a go to daily sports car, which does everything you ask it to, everytime you ask it to (try that in your italian supercar). Many car makers tried to make a 911 rival that is better than the original, but each and ever single one failed to do so.
It can be a good, fairly practical cruiser with good road manners, well insulated cabin and forgiving suspension, but there is also the other, more wild side to the Porsche 911. It can work as a perfect ‘canyon carver’ or even a weekend trackday sportscar, without having to think twice or breaking your bank account on the way.
Just sit behind the wheel of this new 992 generation Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, and you are instantly reminded of how good of a car this really is. Everything you touch has a sense of quality, purpuse and good engineering. Even the retractable soft top is a work of an engineering art, with electric wind deflector being a huge bonus point. This is probably the only cabriolet I enjoyed driving in the middle of the winter, with top down. Put the windows up and engage brilliant wind deflector, and the wind buffeting in the cabin is virtually non existent. If the fresh air is something you don’t fancy at that very moment and put the roof up, it is also so well sound insulated that sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are actually driving a topless version.
The one thing you can’t forget though is that you are driving a Porsche product. With every turn of the wheel and every press of the brake pedal, you are reminded of an art, Porsche spent so many decades perfecting. You literaly just have to drive to the first corner to understand, why 911 is so highly regarded and sought after in automotive world. It really doesen’t matter if it is the least powerfull, 385HP version, of the Porsche 911, because it is still plenty fast enough, dispatching the dash to 100km/h in just 4,0 seconds, and having a top speed of 292 km/h. If anything it gives you more time to enjoy the whole experience of roofless motoring, while sublime handling and perfectly weighted controls are at your disposal the whole time.
If anything you could say that the new 911 is too good, for its own good if that makes sence. The car is so capable, planted, well made and well mannered, that without breaking a sweat, it makes the other cars look like they are trying too hard. You can just rely on it having your back in the twisties, making you feel like you are a better driver than you really are, while traveling at speeds not thought possible.
Because of that, if the thrill is the only thing you are after, I am afraid that in reaching that perfection, it lost some of its charisma, but gained appeal in wider spectrum of people. Porsche 911 really is the ultimate daily sportscar, but thank god there is also a GT3 version on sale.
