1965 Porsche 911 Reviews

.....you would need a really big bottle. You would also have something approximating the GT2.Generally speaking, Porsche builds outstanding driver's cars. Occasionally, it produces a spectacular gem. The new 997 GT2isone of those gems.Porsche itself describes the GT2 asa product of the company's “spare parts bin”.“The best bits of everything come together to produce this special car,” Porsche Cars Australia technical guru Warrick McKenzie explains.Australian motorsport legend, Porsche-phile and Targa Tasmania addict Jim Richards concurs.Richards, who owns one of only two 2008 GT2s in Australia, is preparing to fling his $425,700 rarity at the Tasmanian scenery next week.“It's pretty much the basic street car with a roll cage,” Richards said atEastern Creek last week during the official launch of the car.“The only thing we've done to it so far is to put in heavier springs front and rear.“That's just to keep the car frombottoming out on some oftheTarga roads.“I'll also put in some different brake pads, but that'll be it. There isn't time to do anything else.“Maybe I should run it in the showroom class: it's that standard.”Richards is confident that, given time, he could squeeze an extra 60kW out of the GT2's 3.6-litre, bi-turbo boxer engine, but he's happy enough to settle for an out-of-the-box 390kW and 680Nm.That's enough to sprint to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds on the way to a top speed of 329km/h.“It's the torque that's unbelievable,” Richards says. “The thing pulls like a tractor in third gear.”Despite the GT2's considerable price tag — almost $95,000 more than the brutal Turbo Coupe — Porsche Australia is holding confirmed orders for 31 cars.Just two examples of the first-generation GT2, released in 1995, were sold in Australia. The second series found more buyers; 26 were sold here between 2001 and 2004.“We expect the total number of sales of this series to be between 35 and 40,” Porsche Cars Australia sales director Kevin Nicholls says.“That will pretty much be determined by production restraints, which will ultimately limit supply — thesame as with the GT3 RS.”There's little in the way of technological perfection trickery that Porsche hasn't thrown at the GT2.For the first time, it will have as standard the clever Porsche Active Stability Management system, with “regular” and “track” modes.The active dampers controlled bythePASM software react within milliseconds to changes in road surface and driving conditions, providing optimum body control andsteering and throttle sharpness.“The engineers could have set the system so there's absolutely no body roll — in fact, there could actually be negative input, effectively rolling the body away from the cornering forces,” McKenzie says.“But that would have been just tooweird, so they've allowed something in the order of two degreesof body movement.”The 997 GT2 is also the first of its ilk to get variable steering assistance, ceramic composite brakes as standard, titanium mufflers and pipes to reduce rear-end weight and a three-stage stability management program.In the basic “minder” setting, the full stability and traction control functions are operative, along with theanti-lock braking system.Switch off the first stage, and the lateral force control functions are de-activated, allowing the car to move around its axis.Second-stage de-activation removes the longitudinal, or traction-control, monitors, allowing for wheelspin. TheABS remains active at all times.The thing to remember in the GT2 is that off means off. There's no pre-set panic point at which the electronic minders jump in and try to undo the harm when ambition overtakes ability.What's not new in the GT2 is its six-speed manual gearbox. And that's a good thing.The shifter's basic design goes backto the late 1980s, with small modifications from generation to generation producing a thing of beauty.Shifts are short and precise, if a shade notchy, but it's the little things most owners will never see that set the Porsche philosophy apart.Gears are inserted, not pressed, into the gearbox shafts, allowing for easy replacement and allowing the owner to adjust the gearbox to suit any track.Synchro rings are also made of steel, rather than the more usual brass — not as durable, but slicker.Yet, while it may be the technology of the GT2 that earns your respect, it's the manners and the character of the car that will evoke a boundless love.The GT2 is pure class. Its cabin is comfortable, sensible and functional.The carbon-fibre racing buckets are supportive, beautifully styled and practical — to the extent they even have fold-down backs, making access to the rear storage shelf a no-fuss affair.Fire the GT2 up, and the sound is akin to the 911 Turbo: purposeful without being overtly threatening. Off the mark, the GT2 is as happy todawdle away as it is to throw itself atthe horizon — with or without the launch control activated.As expected, the GT2's steering is razor-sharp. It's not for the faint-hearted, butconcentrate and the frontend will answer your every wish— immediately.Pour in the right foot, and the twin turbochargers with variable turbine geometry turn up the boost, forcing thefuel/air mix through an innovative expansion intake manifold.That all makes for a power delivery so smooth, it's like driving a hot knife through soft butter. A torque curve thatpeaks just over 2000rpm and staysthat way right through to 4500rpm certainly helps.Pushing the GT2 around Eastern Creek — aided in no small part by Porsche Experience instructor Steve Pizzati calling encouragement and advice — is far less intimidating than the raw performance figures suggest.Such is the balance of the car — both mechanical and through the computer-controlled PASM logarithms — that only an over-estimation of ability isgoing to upset the applecart.The car itself knows exactly what isrequired and how to handle it.  SNAPSHOT PORSCHE 911 GT2Price: $425,700Engine: 3.6L/6-cylinder bi-turbo boxer; 390kW/680NmTransmission: 6-speed manualPerformance: 0-100km/h 3.7 secs, 0-160km 7.4 secs, 0-300km/h 33 secs; top speed 329km/hEconomy: 12.5L/100km 

A lot of things, including the words on this page, would be a blur.What wouldn't be clouded by the experience is the allure of a Porsche.Standing still, alongside the curb in a leafy street, it arrestingly melds delicate beauty with coiled ferocity, like a caged animal ready for a meal.At speed it is athletic, running lightly on its tyres and even when pushed hard, feels relaxed, confident and capable. It even makes me look good.This is the 997 version of the enduring Porsche 911, the model that is regarded as the company's flagship. Think Porsche, think 911.Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.Porsche nationally sold a respectable 183 cars in January but more than half — 74 were Cayenne SUVs.It frighteningly reflects that if Porsche hadn't introduced an SUV, arguably the company today would barely be profitable.I could dwell on the glum outlook but the corner is coming up. Squeeze the clutch, click the lever back from third, pressure the accelerator before the apex and power through.The steering is perfect, as is the weight of the clutch and even the slight rubbery vagueness of the gear change feels comfortable.The tyres — whopping 305 Michelins at the rear — sing softly and there's a bit of movement from the tail. But I'm not stupid and stability control remains switched on.Even with this control, the rear can be tempted to step out a fraction and the nose can be pushed to understeer. The control is almost intuitive, letting you have a bit of fun yet always ready to pull you back to safety.What is changed is the button to wake Porsche's Active Suspension Management (PASM).Promptly the ride firms but this system is more about constant monitoring and altering the suspension to maximise grip and minimise roll.There are a host of bits and pieces under the chassis like this and they're all there primarily to keep the car on the road.Their secondary task is to try to defeat the laws of physics.For the iconic 911 carries in its DNA a potentially nasty trait — it has its engine hanging out the back, behind the rear wheels.What we have here, dear reader, is a pendulum. Rush it hard into a corner and it will attempt to swing its tail out. With a bit of momentum, it can spin wildly.That was a problem with many of the original 911 models, starting in 1964. Today, the 997 uses every trick in the book to thwart what Einstein and others wrote as fact.Such is Porsche's engineering expertise that you will have to be very silly to get the 997 in a position where it will let you leave the road sideways or backwards.Tempting you to this end, however, is Porsche's biggest flat-six engine. The Carrera S gets a 3.8-litre version of the 3.6 unit available in the other cars.Compared with a Carrera 3.6, the S variant is easier to drive and can lull the driver into near lethargy with its docile manners.Drive to the shops, putter along the Freeway in the morning and idle along in the city — the 3.8 is more comfortable and obliging than the slightly peakier 3.6.It is so easy to drive that it's almost on par with a Corolla.But the Cabriolet — desirable as it is to those who like the wind ruffling their greying locks — has issues with rear visibility when closed. It's also noisier than the steel-roofed Coupe. But with the fabric roof electrically retracted it provides marginally more comfort for the two children shoehorned into the rear.Finally, it's not cheap. At $247,800 it's less than $10,000 away from a red hot GT3 version. Or a small apartment somewhere near the coast.Snapshot Porsche 911 Carrera S CabrioletPrice: $247,800 ($255,930 as tested)Engine: 3.8-litre, flat-6Power: 261kW @ 6600rpmTorque: 400Nm @ 4600rpmAcceleration: 0-100km/h 4.9sec; top speed 293km/hFuel: PULP, 64-litre tank, 11.6l/100km (claimed), 14.8l/100km (tested)CO2 emissions: 277g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 6-speed manual; rear-driveBrakes: 4-wheel vented, cross-drilled discs, ESC, ABS, EBD, brake assistTurning circle: 10.9mSuspension: MacPherson struts, electronically adjusted dampers (front); multi-link, coils, electronically adjusted dampers (rear)Wheels/tyres: 19-inch alloys; front 35/35ZR19, rear 295/30ZR19, no spareDimensions (MM): 4427 (l), 1808 (w), 1300 (h)Weight: 1505kgWarranty: 2yr/unlimited km, roadside assistService: 30,000kmFeatures: airconditioning, 10 airbags, 6-disc CD/audio, trip computer, electric hood, cruise controlOptions: test car fitted with 19-inch Carrera sports wheel with 235/35ZR19 front and 305/30ZR19 tyres ($2080) 

Take “collision”. It used to be a car couldn't collide with a tree — it hit it — because “collide” means an impact between two moving objects — unless the tree was falling at the time, of course. Nowadays “collide” is widely used for any impact.Then there's “unique”. My dictionary says it means “only one of”; now it's widely used to mean “unusual”.Which brings us to “icon”.No, it doesn't mean a superstar or the best thing out, but a painting of a sacred person. So unless the Pope sings very well, you cannot have a pop icon, if you get my drift.So while we may all think of cars like Porsche's stunning 911 Carrera as a motoring icon, it can't be. Supercar, maybe; awesome, definitely; expensive, well, that's a given. Inspirational and desirable are probably the best descriptions.Mind you, the desirability factor was wearing a bit thin as this week's road tester, a black 911 Carrera S cabriolet, was forced to crawl to a snail's pace in peak-hour city traffic. While the 911 is happy to walk this slowly, it is like a leashed dog that has spotted a rabbit.Lowering the soft-top roof sounded like a good idea at the time. We were at risk of severe sunburn at this pace and the exhaust fumes from other road users, not to mention the bugs and insects, were becoming increasingly annoying.But you can't possibly be seen in one of the world's classiest convertibles with the roof down, especially driving through some of the seriously snobby neighbourhoods of Melbourne where cars with $250,000-plus price tags are common in the driveways of plush mega-mansions. Oh no.It's not until you get out of suburbia and into rolling back country roads that the 911, with its stunning exhaust howl, shows its real mettle.Sans roof and with the rear wind-deflector in place (once you master its origami foldaway design), you can mash the right foot and start tackling the twisty stuff just as Porsche intended. At last, the 911 was in its element.Yep, I'll have one of these — just as soon as I win Tatts. The base price is $247,800 plus on-road costs, but Porsche had thrown in a few optional extras on the test car, like a $2000 phone kit, two grand's worth of sporty alloy wheels, another two for the electronic park assist and a multi-function steering wheel, and even Porsche crests ($490) on the headrests, just in case you had forgotten what you were driving. That lifted the total price to just under $256,000. Say it quickly enough and it doesn't hurt.Now I suppose it is easy to be a little tongue-in-cheek about a car the majority can't afford. But you cannot deny the degree of engineering precision and those sometimes old-fashioned seat-of-the-pants driving dynamics that the 911 represents. Few cars on the road today deliver it as Porsche does. That's why it's iconic — sorry, masterful.The S version is not the most powerful, or the dearest, in the 911 open-top line-up. That's reserved for the potent Turbo (a mere $357,500) which can do zero to 100km/h in a flat four seconds, thanks to its twin turbos punching out 353kW.My humble (but still charismatic) naturally aspirated flat six 3.8-litre had to make do with just 261kW and 4.9 seconds for the sprint. Oh, I can live with that extra point nine of a second and the fact the S is $109,700 cheaper to buy.Performance, as expected, is stunning, but I'm not going to discuss top speeds. Yes, it will easily exceed the highway limit without even breathing hard.And the performance is all quite controlled, even well mannered. If you wind on the revs and dump the clutch, you don't get a lot of smoke-producing wheel spin as the car fights for traction. The 911 is clever enough — it has enough computer aids — to override your right foot. It simply squats, squirms and then provides the kick in the pants of acceleration that only Porsche can develop.The car's dynamics are sweet. The chassis is more rigid than earlier versions so there's no scuttle shake, as found in some open-tops. The engine sits over the rear axle, which means the car be a bit tail-happy, but that's quickly tamed by the stability control systems.So is the drop-dead gorgeous 911 with its 19-inch wheels an easy car to live with? No.On the plus side, the car has a well-sorted but firm active suspension, eye-popping brakes and an impressive array of safety features including six airbags plus a rollover bar. There's loads of leather, the audio is sublime, the seats are snugly comfortable and even the once-oh-so-heavy clutch, the bugbear of previous models, has been tamed. You can even raise and lower the 42kg roof at speeds up to 50km/h, which is quite a party trick, but it takes a slow 20 seconds.On the downside, the back seat is ridiculously tiny, there's a lack of storage and the Carrera's wide hips reduce rearwards vision.But you don't buy the 911 for its practicality, do you? 

I discovered something in the GT3 which I've never noticed before in a 911, despite sampling almost every one of the 14 varieties currently available here. In any other car it would be a flaw, but in the 911 it's character. A reminder that this is basically an evolution of a 40-year-old design which lost touch with logic a long time ago.What I twigged was that the driving position, something I'd previously regarded as perfect, was a little compromised. The throttle, brake and clutch are all offset a bit to the left. Stretch your feet directly out in front of you from the driver's seat and your toes don't alight automatically on the pedals. You have to adjust to them.I've no idea whether this is simply a consequence of moving the steering position from the left side of the car to the right. But I was amazed I'd never rumbled it before and could only put it down to one thing: for every flaw in this classic sportscar there is a more-than-compensating piece of perfection. Set your size 9s to work and you quickly appreciate the effort that has gone into connecting these metal tabs with the mechanicals. They're so precise and direct you feel like you could flex a toe and the engine would respond. They make the controls in other cars seem like baseball bats by comparison.That's the way it is with the 911 and why it retains its appeal. It's unique in the car world in retaining a rear-engined layout that defies physics by placing all the heavy bits somewhere south of the rear axle. The consequent handling qualities, even as ironed out by today's ubiquitous software systems, make it unlike any other car.It means you discover a 911 over time. One-week press loans are like little holiday romances, which leave you wanting to go back for more. The 911 has more than enough personality to suggest a long-term partnership would be a rewarding arrangement.The GT3 is one of the more extreme 911s, pitched at those who want to spend time at the track. In the 911 range, it sits at the other polar extreme to the Turbo Cabriolet I sampled a couple of months ago. That car, despite blistering pace, is a softie. It's really about being seen in the most expensive 911 money can buy.The GT3 is a wholly different beast. It forms the basis for Porsche's race series car, the GT3 RS, and bridges the gap between road cars and motorsport.It's also a pin-up for naturally aspirated engine performance, with a monster 305kW output from its 3.6-litre horizontally opposed six-cylinder. It revs through its power peak at 7600rpm to reach 8400rpm and generates loads of fabulous noise while flinging the GT3 to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. The GT3 will reach 310km/h flat out, hitting the 160km/h in a blistering 8.7 seconds. A sport button liberates a little more power and torque, with the bonus of more sonorous depth to the sound emanating from behind the cabin.Unlike most other Porsche variants, there's no automatic option with the GT3. Just six, closely spaced ratios and one of the best manual gearshifts you're ever likely to use. There is a shift-up display in the rev counter, too. Despite being a few tenths slower on paper than the Turbo, with its superb throttle response the GT3 feels every bit as quick.Among extreme 911s it's more pleasing on the eye, too, and it gets more looks than any other Porsche I've driven.The GT3 sits noticeably lower on its suspension and the wide haunches, deep front intakes and especially the imposing two-element rear wing speak directly to the car's purpose. There's function in all this: some vents direct cooling air to the impressive brakes and the GT3 is one of the slipperiest 911s with a drag coefficient of just 0.29.That's just the beginning of its performance tuning, with 19-inch alloys running sports rubber, a limited slip rear differential and Porsche's active suspension available for the first time on GT3. There are two settings: firm or extremely firm. The latter delivers a very harsh ride on Australian roads but would come into its own on a track. The normal setting keeps things very tight in any case, with firmer settings than for other 911s.After the Turbo Cabriolet, the GT3 seems light, agile and responsive. There's a purity to the steering that seems to be diluted in the four-wheel drive Porsches and appeal in the fact it has to be driven more precisely.A highlight of the GT3's performance credentials is its weight reduction to just 1395kg — or around 250kg less than the Turbo Cabrio.As well as aluminium panels the interior has been stripped out, although not as radically as some skeletal track-focused machines. The rear seats, which are not especially useful at the best of times, have been removed. But the carpet stays and alcantara — the performance machine's interior fabric-of-choice this season — makes a welcome appearance, especially on the wheel and shifter. The cabin plastics are typically ho-hum and the control layout is standard Porsche, leaving the cabin feeling a little plain. But in a GT3, there's little reason for it to be otherwise.The racing bits fitted to the test car make it almost motorsport-ready, and turn driving the car on ordinary roads into an occasion. The sports pack adds a rollcage, racing seats, six-point harnesses and a fire extinguisher. Porsche had fitted its Sport Chrono gear to the test car too, which is a fancy electronic stopwatch that records lap times and the like.The seats really hug, even when you're strapped in with standard seatbelts, and unlike ordinary 911 pews, they lack height adjustment. Another ergonomic drawback? Well, if you've bought a GT3 and the driving position is starting to irk you, you know where to send the keys.This week Motor magazine awarded its Performance Car of the Year to the GT3 against some tough competition from Lamborghini, among others.“If there is one Porsche that best demonstrates that what we as a company learn on the race track we are able to build into our road cars, then the GT3 is that car,” said Porsche Cars Australia managing director Michael Winkler. “The GT3 is in many ways the ultimate Porsche.”Difficult to disagree. Although the 390kW turbocharged GT2 hasn't arrived yet...

On a weekday morning, even the fastest accelerating production convertible in Australia can take an hour to get from the Harbour Bridge's southern approaches to the F3 turn off.“Toupee-ripping” is how a colleague described the acceleration figure claimed by Porsche for its stunning 911 Turbo Cabriolet.“Hair-tearing” is usually the reality; in a city where noted stand-up comedian and part-time roads minister Eric Roozendaal reckons traffic is no heavier than 10 years ago.Although I long ago bid my follicles farewell; partly as result of enduring endless scenarios like this, it's a measure of this Porsche that it remained capable of shaking us to the roots.You won't often have the chance, but even so you'd need to have lapsed into a fairly deep coma not to be affected by the reality-blurring manner in which the 911 Turbo achieves 100km/h from standing.Flatten the go pedal of the five-speed automatic, surge forward, receive a turbo-charged kick in the pants and within half the time it takes you to get cognisant of what's occurred, a third numeral has flashed up on the digital speedo and the rear wing rises triumphantly.At a claimed 3.8 seconds, the hundred occurs 0.3 seconds quicker than in a Ferrari F430 Spyder. At least, it does in the version that teams the Tiptronic auto with the 3.6-litre twin-turbo six, good for 353kW and 620Nm.Although the $8000 cheaper six-speed manual is quicker over the 400 metre mark, the longer-geared auto dispatches the first benchmark 0.2 faster. But with either transmission, the topline all-wheel-drive 911s outsprint not only the Ferrari, but the nearest open top Lamborghini and Mercedes-Benz; these get there on the other side of four ticks.And at $357,500 for the manual and $365,500 for the auto, an example of which we drove, the Porsches are also much less expensive, even at a $22K premium over the 911 Turbo coupes. The cabrios do what they do whether the wind's whistling over the fabric roof that folds in 20 seconds or searing your scalp.But then the flow of air is, well, elemental with the 911 Turbo.A purpose-sculptured front bumper and aerodynamic planes directs air into the gaping intakes, which at 300km/h would channel 6400 litres a second of the breathing stuff. Most is rushed into the front vents to provide downforce and cooling, the rest into the intercoolers by way of those that open unmissably at the side.The rear-mounted powerplant features two fan-shaped turbochargers that alter the angle of their vanes to force-feed the engine.The last public frontier on this continent for fully exploring such a car closed when the Northern Territory government decided that excessive speed caused its constant road toll.Thus track days (and advanced driving lessons) are of the essence in 911 ownership; as would be optional $19,000 ceramic brakes.Yet even on our lamentably surfaced and ineptly governed roads the blown open topper cannot but convey its outlandish nature.Drive defaults predominantly to the rear wheels in Porsche's all-paw fashion, though with an electronic multi-plate clutch that will in extremis feed up to 100 per cent to front within 100 milliseconds, which is faster than any mere human could react.It could be argued that the human element is missing from a car that grips, corners and corrects with such an authoritarian poise and control. I'm among the 95 per cent who would be simply awed by the thing's ability to carve through tight corners at a rate we could not hope to approach in any lesser vehicle. This thing is clinically brilliant.Steering? It's a Porsche, so it's about as close to perfect as makes no odds.You could reasonably carp about the old, button-activated Tiptronic, though, which is not the sharpest of such things. Dominating the Volkswagen Group as it does, Porsche plans to move to a DSG set-up soon and a version such as the R-Tronic of Audi's new R8 would fit the 911 Turbo like lycra.All this power comes with PASM (Porsche Active Stability Management), which can be button-switched from normal to sport and is attached to the its latest traction control technology. These measures combine to ensure that, bar certifiable madness, the Porsche won't overwhelm you.As to kit, there's not much wanting with six airbags, Bose surround sound, bi-xenon lamps, 19-inch alloys and sat-nav. Like all 911s, there's rear seat room for two people aged less than 24 months. Not much to be done about this, but given the massive premium over a mere Carrera, a bit of differentiating trim would be in order.Which brings us back to where we started, stationary in the slow lane, far from anything like the Turbo Cabrio's natural habitat.Yes, either of the Italians, and certainly the Merc, might be more comfortable cabins at such times, but there's the consolation of knowing you can get away from here quicker than any of them. Even if only by a hair's breadth. SnapshotPorsche 911 Turbo CabrioletPrice: $365,500 (auto)Engine: 3.6L/6-cylinder twin tubro, 353kW/620NmEconomy: 13.7L/100km0-100km/h: 3.8 secondsQuote: “Steering? It's a Porsche, so it's about as close to perfect as makes no odds”  Rivals Ferrari F430 Spider   Price: $425,000Engine: 4.3L/V8, 360kW/465NmEconomy: 18.3L/100km0-00km/h: 4.1 seconds  Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder  Price: $439,999Engine: 5.0L/V10, 382kW/510NmEconomy: 17L per 100km0-100km/h: 4.3 seconds  Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG   Price: $374,900Engine: 5.4L/V8 supercharged, 380kW/720NmEconomy: 13.5L/100km0-100km/h: 4.5 seconds 

Many road cars are beaten by race track driving. Brake pads crumble, tyres disintegrate, clutches cook and the odd engine lets go. The 911 GT3 is different.

Thanks to the fact that a sparkling, new car is delivered and then taken away and detailed every week, there’s not much need for damaging their tender, type-tapping fingers on cleaning products.This is how I first knew that Porsche’s 911 really was something special, because many years ago my boss, slightly salivating, told me that he’d washed his Porsche press car, not once, but four times - in a week.Sadly, he wouldn’t let me drive it – in fact he laughed heartily at the very idea – but he did take me for a fang in it, and a fascination was born.One definition of a work of art would be that you stare at it repeatedly, even though you already know exactly what it looks like.It’s like that with the 911. During my most recent motoring affair with one, I found myself making excuses to go outside and gaze at it. I even took up smoking for the week to help with this.One night I found myself on the balcony, lost in reverie as I looked down on its roof.And it’s the roof, in particular, that was special about this 911 – because it was the Targa 4 model.Porsche has more variants of its 911 than Jacques Villeneuve’s hairdresser has had bad ideas and the Targa has been part of the line-up for 40 years.The traditional Targa top had removable roof sections and was about as practical as a brown-paper umbrella if it rained.The modern version has a seemingly smarter idea, with the entire roof made of glass.And yes, you could just call it a massive sunroof, but Targa is a far sexier word, obviously.Hold down the button between the rear seats and the whopping great glass panel slides back so that it sits flush with the rear window.This takes just six seconds and leaves you with a gaping hole through which you can sunburn your bonce (there’s also a perforated sunscreen that can be opened and closed separately).While this all sounds lovely, the problem is that when you then look in the rear-view mirror you are looking at the traffic behind you through two thickish bits of glass, with the result being a world view that’s fuzzier than a hungover man’s tongue.I don’t want to harp on about it, but seriously, it’s so, so rare for Porsche to stuff up anything that I was taken aback.Obviously, you can use your side mirrors, but this is hardly the perfect solution and perfection is what you expect when you’ve paid $233,600 (or $259,900 for the S version) for a car.Fortunately, just about everything else about driving it does bring the P-word to your lips.The Targa version of the 911 is based on the Carrera 4, which means it gets a stunning all-wheel-drive system, mated to the 239kW 3.6-litre flat six engine (or the 261kW 3.8-litre in the S).There is something that happens to your face when you corner quickly in this car, and I watched it happen to a passenger on a run up the Old Pacific Hwy.First, your jaw drops open, then you shake your head, causing your cheeks to wobble in the breeze, and finally you grin, irrepressibly, like a leering mad man.Time and time again we were both stunned into a silence broken only by the occasional snort of disbelief as the 911 hung on and hung on and then belted out of corners like an incendiary device.Its all-wheel grip is so prodigious that it makes the word prodigious seem entirely inadequate.And all the time the car is talking to you through its wondrously supple yet muscular steering.Going around the bend just shouldn’t be this much fun.By the by, it’s also quite quick – with a 0 to 100km/h time of 5.8 seconds, but straight-line speed is merely a sideshow to the cornering experience.All the while, that growling, howling engine spits its noise at you through the open Targa roof.After a while I must admit I really didn’t care whether I could see out the rear-view mirror.The car’s only other failing was the Tiptronic gearbox, a $5,500 option that I seriously can’t believe anyone ever pays for (but they do, about 50 per cent of Porsche buyers have lazy left legs, apparently).Porsche makes one of the world’s best six-speed manual gearboxes, but its five-speed semi-automatic effort is more serviceable than stunning.Left in auto mode around town it is far too quick to grab top gear, although its 370Nm of torque means it can get away with it.Changing gears using the buttons on the steering wheel is the only way to go, but in terms of tactile joy it’s like wearing nylon pants compared to denim.Frankly, though, I would wear a nylon sack, forever, if it meant I could have kept this car.Combining the joys of open-top motoring with the rigidity and practicality of a coupe is what the Targa model is all about, but frankly it’s the 911 DNA that makes it so deeply desirable.I could almost wash it. Almost.

Those original production AWDs may well have been "porkers" but a decade and a half on and no longer does the jibe carry any credence. The 997 C4S carries a $15,000 premium over the comparative rear-wheel-drive Carrera, but more to the point it has a weight impost of just 55kg.Admittedly, that's not nothing but it is so well hidden in the dynamics of the car that you are not going to notice it.The real joy of the latest generation of C4 is just how much of the drive enjoyment of a "common" 911 has been maintained while stretching the grip envelope to breaking point. The key to that enjoyment is the rear bias of the torque delivery and the lightning-fast variation in the torque split.Operating through a viscous multiple-plate coupling to deliver a minimum of 5 per cent drive to the front wheels with up to 40 per cent transferred as surface grip falls, the system is one of the best around. From the driving seat the torque variation is all but seamless.On the slickest of surfaces, particularly with the stability control turned off, the Carrera 4S has manners that are akin to a well-sorted rear-driver.In common with the rear-drive 911 Carrera, the steering feels alive, a huge improvement over the earlier C4 models where weight and less elastic torque delivery robbed the car of the chance to share Porsche's stellar reputation for feedback to the driver.The 997 generation C4s point, grip and go, all the while flattering the driver.Drive in the test car was through a slick six-speed manual. The clutch is light enough not to require a Charles Atlas body-building program and the pedal placement for heel-toe operation is nigh-on perfect. The throws are short, the gates close and the whole thing reeks of precision.That said, Porsche's five-speed Tiptronic automatic is one you can specify without having to slip on a wig and high heels. After all, there is nothing limp about paying $8000 for an auto and smiling about it.Just because they can, Porsche's engineers have added a pair of new functions to the all-wheel-drive cars that will most probably find their way on to the 997 Turbo when it is launched later this year.To shorten braking distances a sensor reads when a sudden lift on the accelerator occurs and assumes the following action will be a panic brake application.Brake pressure is preloaded and the pads set to gently brush the discs in anticipation of braking. The second function is for brake pressure to be boosted to the ABS threshold and held for an emergency stop. And for the first time the all-wheel-drive cars are available with Porsche active suspension management (PASM), standard on the C4S.Engine output is unchanged from the comparative rear-drive cars. The 3.8-litre flat-six in the C4S produces the same 261kW@6600rpm and 400Nm@4600rpm as the rear-driver with surprisingly similar performance levels.Porsche-supplied figures have the rear-drive and all-wheel-drive S model sprinting to 100km/h neck-and-neck at 4.8 seconds.That's in a straight line. It's when traction starts to slip away that the C4s come into their own. Apart from the AWD advantages, the extra 44mm across the rear houses grippy 305/30 ZR19s with 235/35 ZR19s on the front.The coupe comes with a full suite of six airbags — just in case.The standard-fit brakes are sensational but if you really want to spend your money Porsche is happy to help out with the optional composite ceramic brake package at $18,990.Inside, the C4 is essentially the 911 with all the neat things in place. Great seats with grip and comfort, the classic Porsche dash display, easy to reach and simple to read, and a good sound system if you want to listen to any music other than the snarl of the flat six behind you.The rear seat remains the province of little people or friends desperate for a ride in a Porsche. A minor issue, really, because a Porsche is for driving not riding in.The rear seat will also make a handy luggage area as there is precious little in the "boot" tucked away under the bonnet.Strictly a case of "suitcases need not apply".

All-wheel-drive has significant benefits for all the above.In the early 1980s, Porsche let its engineers loose on an all-wheel-drive system and came up with a cracker. The car was so good the 911 sports coupe won Paris Dakar against a swag of off road vehicles.A road version called the Carrera 4 appeared in 1989. Since then, a succession of Carrera 4s has been produced, most, significantly better than the model they replaced. Porsche learned plenty along the way resulting in its latest all- wheel-drive models being absolutely brilliant in all dynamic functions.Not only do they look impressive, they offer blistering performance in a straight line, under brakes and around corners.Better than a rear wheel drive Carrera ?No question.It's measurable against the clock and is evident in the extra security and stability felt on the road.Porsche's, new Carrera 4 has just arrived in four versions – two coupes and two cabriolets: Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, in each body type.The "lesser" models run a 3.6-litre flat six cylinder engine with 239kw/370Nm while the S scores a 3.8-litre flat six with 261kW/ 400Nm. Both engines are naturally aspirated and have a six speed manual transmission as standard with optional five speed Tiptronic auto available.The Carrera 4 has a wider body than the standard Carrera with a wider track, bigger wheels and larger diameter brakes thrown into the equation.It isn't as aerodynamic as the Carrera but still cuts the air efficiently at 0.30Cd.Minor changes are effected throughout the car including front chassis mods' to accommo- date the front drive system and the suspension is also upgraded including active suspension in the S. Drive split front to rear gives a maximum 40 per cent to the front on demand.An optional system called Sport Chrono alters numerous setting throughout the car to deliver sportier performance and feel.On an extensive test drive of the new Carrera and Carrera 4, it was immediately evident how much more grip the "four paw" cars have compared to the rear drivers.Simply sensational things to drive hard the Carrera 4s are incredibly forgiving and stable. Engine performance is outrageously strong accompanied by the customary wail of the flat six.Porsche has even developed a system to move the brake pads lightly against the discs in expectation of heavy braking if the driver's foot is lifted quickly from the accelerator. That underlines the level of detail used by Porsche engineers.They are seriously quick cars with the manual 4S putting down a 4.8 second 0-100kmh pass.From the driver's seat, you feel totally in control and well informed all the time.Safety is at a high level and the cars are beautifully finished.They cost a bomb, starting at about $210K for the Carrera 4 coupe manual (my choice of the bunch) rising to about $264K for the auto Cabrio 4S with everything.Half of all 911s sold are Tiptronic and yes, all are luxuriously equipped.

The Porsche Carrera 4 may be safer, more comfortable and ever-so-slightly slower than the rear-wheel-drive version, but it is no less thrilling to drive.And no, Porsche hasn't lost the plot with its Cayenne, Cayman, Panamera and 20 per cent purchase of Volkswagen. But more of that later.Let's get back to the real issue. The iconic 911 now has double the range and half of those are all-wheel-drive.Porsche has made a series of AWD models before, so the technology is not new to the famed Stuttgart brand.But does it look, sound, handle and feel like a 911? That's what fans and potential buyers of the most revered car in the automotive world want to know.The answer is yes and no.The 997 version of the 911 is broader than the 996 and the C4 and C4S in Coupe and Cabriolet body types is wider again.This makes the vehicle look even more muscular in the shoulders with an almost horizontal rear wheel arch protrusion.Apart from that, plus some badging and 10mm wider tyres, there is no discernible difference.But does it handle and feel like a rear-wheel-drive 911?No. A 911 Porsche requires a certain driving style that is challenging and brings out the talent in a real driver and slaps a bad driver in the face.It's a stop-and-go car, requiring late braking, slow corner speed to avoid heavy understeer, then a brutal fire out of the corner, accompanied by a tail snap that will send some drivers directly to the naughty corner.The C4 and C4S are different. There is simply no need to brake as late, nor to wash off so much corner speed, as there is nowhere near the understeer.And because you are carrying so much corner speed, there is no need to fire it out of the corner, but if you do, there is no violent tail snap, just forward motion.If it's wet, then the experience is even quicker.That does not mean you can't play the tail-wagging game in the C4. Porsche understands the need for fun and provides plenty of latitude, but with a safety net called PSM (Porsche Stability Management), which is standard on all 911s, but in AWD it has two new braking functions.Lift off the accelerator quickly and the system "thinks" you are about to slam on the brakes, so it brings the pads up to lightly brush the discs in preparation.The second function brings the braking up to ABS threshold.The all-wheel-drive system uses a viscous multi-plate coupling with varying degrees of drive, split between front and rear. Minimum front drive in normal conditions is 5 per cent, but this can increase to 40 per cent in certain situations, so the inherent feel is of rear-wheel bias.With PSM turned off, there is a fair amount of "play" in the rear.While both have PSM, the C4S also has PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) which can flick between comfort (I use the term loosely for a 911) and sports settings at the touch of a button. It is available as an option in the C4.Both are available with a sports "chrono" package which includes such computer niceties as a stop watch, lap counter and specific mapping to suit your driving style.As for Porsche losing the plot over Cayenne, Cayman, Panamera and its VW buy-in, Porsche Cars Australia managing director Michael Winkler said: "Porsche will remain Porsche and . . . we are focusing on what we do best. Nothing is going to change."That means more Cayennes, which have dramatically lifted Porsche sales. Fans can also expect the Cayman in February, a 911 turbo and GT3 in the middle of next year, but no sign of the four-door Panamera until 2009.