Porsche 911 Carrera S 2008 review

Shimmering white roadsigns adopt a shade of red from the Porsche's reflection and several roads used in the Classic Adelaide are in the immediate future.

I don't know who Don Henley is singing about and I really don't care, the '80s song is apt - the new 911 Cabrio likes to dance on some of our great roads and it has fast and light feet.

Despite being 30kg heavier than the manual, the new double-clutch PDK is 0.2 sec faster to 100km/h and it will hit 160km/h in 10 seconds flat - the manual is 0.3 of a second behind, but it's a good demonstration of how quick the changes are in the PDK.

The Porsche PDK option - short for Doppelkupplung - is a $7000 seven-speed automated manual and is probably the best of the double-clutchers sampled so far.

Six of the seven gears are closer-set and keep the flat-six singing in the meat of its rev range, 7th is the fuel-saver cruising gear.

The gearbox can be manually shifted using the lever or buttons on the wheel - no paddles for Porsche - but the only problem with the spoke-mounted buttons is the heel of the hand can sometimes inadvertently change cogs.

That said, the changes are lightning quick and smooth, although sometimes getting away from a slow-rolling to a standstill, there's a slight hesitation as the gearbox decides on 1st or 2nd.

The gearbox is excellent at helping the 3.8-litre direct-injection flat-six sing beautifully, but the boxer engine is also remarkably flexible.

Variable valve timing and lift, as well as a tricky intake manifold, help the 911 deliver 420Nm of torque - Porsche says almost 360Nm is available from 2500rpm and that's backed up by the drive experience.

The intake manifold has what Porsche calls a "two-stage resonance intake system" which uses the vibration of the air as it passes through the intake manifold to increase the volume of air taken in.

It adjusts according to engine speed and the Stuttgart boffins say the system offers higher torque at low engine speeds and a flatter torque curve.

Slipping into the optional sports seats, firing up the flat-six and slipping the PDK into D, dropping the soft-top and heading for the hills, it's a form of automotive witchcraft that the 911 offers such sweet steering and manic abilities through the corners.

Despite having a rump with more heft than any bootylicious Hollywood types, the 911 rips out of corners with scant regard for weight distribution.

Hit sport mode on the adaptive dampers and the 911 is even harder - in all senses of the word - through corners, but bumpy stuff means normal mode is better for compliance.

The gearbox - even in D for drudgery - quickly picks up on the driving attitude and adopts appropriate shift patterns.

Apparently the optional Chrono Sport package gives the Carrera 2 a sharper edge, but we're not complaining about the drivetrain on this one.

The back seat is useful only for baggage, as the backrest is perpendicular and would qualify as cruel and unusual punishment for passengers.

A lockable storage unit would probably make more sense, particularly given the 135-litre luggage compartment in the nose.

The features list is nothing to complain about, with Bluetooth, satnav, climate control, dual front and side airbags, stability control, adjustable dampers, dynamic bi-xenon headlights and sensational brakes (even before you tick the ceramic composite option box).

Make no mistake, the icon that is Porsche 911 might well have been only subtly re-designed from an aesthetic viewpoint, but the mechanical package sets a new benchmark.