2012 Porsche 911 Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 996, 997 and 991 Porsche 911 between 1998 and 2016 as a used buy.

Four wheels good, two wheels ... Well, not "bad". Never bad. Not when they're the rear wheels of a 911. The triumphal and still fairly new 991 generation of the perennial sports car has been launched in its all-wheel-drive versions - Carrera 4, 4S and the equivalent Cabrios. Driven this week in the Austrian Alps, it was never going to be a question of these being better than the solely rear driven 911s.Rather it's down to your definition of "better". Is making the already incredibly adept 911 that bit more clinical and über capable is really such a good idea - especially in a car that is already too good to be used in Austria and leagues of magnitude too good for Australia?When asked what Carrera would do for him, Herr 911 himself - the model's project leader August  Achleitner - tells Carsguide: "I would be satisfied with the C2 S. If  you do not live among snow, the grip is massive."Indeed he says, when properly shod with Pirelli summer rubber and driven in optimum conditions, the ostensibly lesser 911 provides some 90 per cent of the C4's immense capability. "But," Achleitner says, "you feel better when you hand the keys to your wife." Or the likes of me.VALUEIf measured literally by metal for the money, there's no argument. The extent to which the wide bodied C4s are bigger than the C2s appears incremental on paper, but hugely imposing in physical appearance. More on that in a minute ...In showrooms by March (those that haven't been pre-bought) - the 3.4-litre 911 Carrera 4 Coupe is priced at $255,400 plus on-roads - the price of a VW Up over the previous model.  The Carrera 4 Cabriolet is a base Polo dearer than its predecessor at $280,900. At $289,400 the stove hot 3.8-litre Carrera S 4S represents a rise of a Polo with DSG. The  range topping $315,000 Carrera Cabriolet is getting into Golf country over the car that preceded it.Yet even without options (but always including the $5400 PDF twin clutch auto) the full panoply of which could equally be a Scirocco S over the previous car, the new Carrera 4s  represents at least that great an advance. It's a tech tour de force.Realise also that more than $100,000 of each car's purchase price goes to Wayne Swan, who of course spends it on everyone's behalf, so don't go calling 911 drivers "bankers". They're contributing to the common good.TECHNOLOGYTo extol the Carrera 4's array of tech would not only be superfluous - you've read it all recently - but to risk being cast adrift in an ocean of acronyms. This time, we need discuss only Porsche Traction Management system, the slick electronic mechanism that shares the driving force around all four wheels, distributing power between the permanently driven rear axle and the front. It allows no more torque to be transmitted to the wheels than can be done without slip, reacting quicker than a mere human could hope.It's as active or passive as you yourself are behind the wheel, continuously monitoring including the rotational speed of all four wheels, the lateral and longitudinal acceleration of the car and the steering angle to send drive to where it will do most good. Blast off the mark hard enough to disturb traction and the multi-plate electronic clutch thrusts power aft. To cement the relationship of "proof" with "fool", another program prevents wheel spin by adapting the engine’s power output. During cornering, the optimal level of drive power is distributed to the front wheels to ensure excellent lateral stability.And if not for the event busy dashboard indicator that shows which end is doing how much  work, you might never know what's the go. PTM might as well be a short form for "seamless". Or "flattering". Sorry but you alone are just not that good.Present and correct are the two tunes of Porsche's water-cooled flat six, with direct injection, variable valve timing, an aluminium block and every refinement to ensure that in 3.4 or 3.8 form, the C4 911s run barely an eyeblink behind the C2s.The Carrera 4 Coupe does the 0-100kmh run in 4.5 seconds, the Cabriolet in 4.7 - all of one tenth behind the rear wheel drive cars. The blazing S versions match their lighter siblings at 4.1 seconds in the Coupe and 4.3 in the drop top.DESIGNOn paper 44mm of extra width over the regular 911 looks very little. In practice, on narrow alpine roads crusted by frost with vertiginous drops, it feels like an extra metre. If unkind to driver's view (shrouded is too kind a word for the coupe's rear three quarter aspect) visibility is very much the point of the flared rear arches and wider wheels."This is why we have the wide body," Achleitner says. "People wish to show they can afford the most expensive model."Certainly the 911's cockpit no longer leaves you wondering where your quarter of a million bucks went. Indeed, Porsche appears to be over eager to demonstrate it. No less than 60 buttons festoon the centre console and mirror controls.While the wheel is free of these, its column spouts four wands and two gear shifting levers. There's a tonne of function, but form? Not so much.If being the 911's exterior designer is the equivalent to being Tony Abbott's speechwriter - give them more of the same then repeat endlessly - incremental changes become all the more impactful. The widened C4 looks weapons grade.SAFETYNo one's crash tested this and no one's going to. At any rate, the C4 sheer dynamic ability, underwritten by an exceptional array of  active and passive electronic measures, means the human factor needs to be especially egregious if all is to end in road toll stats.So clinically, incredibly adept is the C4, I asked Achleitner if perhaps some of the sport had been removed from this classic sports car."To  use an example from my own experience, I am a very enthusiastic manual transmission driver. But when you drive PDK, which can manage so wide a breadth of tasks, you can even as a lover of manual transmissions want to change to PDK," he says."All these systems and all-wheel-drive too - at Porsche we ask the question do we need these? They are not essential, but they improve the car. It makes its ability, its limits, higher. And the car never gets boring."DRIVINGCertainly the car - especially the full throated S - never sounds dull. When you've tired of the aural frenzy bought on by even a half enthusiastic throttle opening,  you have tired of life.Even with its dynamic edge blunted by winter tyres, it is impossible not to be awestruck by this phenomenally sophisticated device for getting around corners quickly. You cannot reasonably complain about the feelful electric steering.You cannot but be delighted by the throttle blipping down changes of the PDK, transmission so adept, so incredibly intuitive that imposing your own will via manual changes is like pouring salt into an exquisite sauce or improving a Shakespearean tragedy with a happy ending. Your intervention is not only superfluous, but undesirable.Maybe that's a good thing.VERDICTFor when only the very best will do, even if the best is a bit too much.

The legend continues; Porsche 911 is approaching its 50th birthday and has appealed to many generations of drivers over the decades.VALUEA price tag of $268,550 for the Carrera S with the optional PDK automatic transmission may seem high, but compare it with supercars from Italy and its German competitors and it almost seems like a bargain.We found fuel consumption around town to be in the 12 to 14 litres per hundred kilometres range, but on easy country roads it could easily be brought down below nine litres per hundred.TECHNOLOGYThe Porsche Carrera S we reviewed has an improved version of the 3.8-litre flat-six engine. It now produces up to 294 kW of power. A strong emphasis on torque means the engine is amazingly flexible, with good pulling power from as low as 2000 rpm. In the ultra-high top gear of the seven-speed PDK double-clutch gearbox the engine turns at a mere 1700 revs with the 911 sitting on 110 km/h.DESIGNPorsche’s iconic 911 has its first all-new body in years. Obviously the new 911 looks similar to previous models – if it didn’t heads would roll in the design department after Porsche purists invaded the studio. However, it does have a distinctive shape that’s well-suited to the second decade of this millennium.Stand the old 911 and the new side by side and you can see the body is now larger. The wheelbase has been lengthened and the track widened.There’s slightly more interior space in the 911 than in the superseded model due to the larger body. The front seats are large and support well without being taken to the extremes of race-style seats.Though there are four seats, those in the back of the 911 are best used only by those who are desperate for transport and simply can’t get to their destination any other way. Leave this space for extra soft luggage is our best suggestion.Having said that, the deep luggage compartment in the front of the 911 absorbs a lot more luggage than you anticipate and can even manage a mid-sized suitcase with some soft bags around it.SAFETYIt also sits on a new stiffer platform to further firm up handling, as well as adding safety in a crash.DRIVINGThe sound of the new 911’s engine is brilliant. Though Porsche hasn’t built air-cooled engines for many years the acoustic engineers have retained some of the sound and feel of these traditional original units. This is the sort of car that has you powering down the windows from time to time just to let you hear the echo of the car off cliffs and tunnels.Obviously the gearing is aimed at low emissions and fuel use and at the sign of any sort of a hill the PDK immediately drops itself back to sixth gear. Fifth is selected promptly if you’re in any sort of a hurry on country roads.Porsche 911s have the engine located in an illogical position – dangling way out behind the rear wheels, instead of within the wheelbase. This does nothing for the balance and the ultimate grip from the rear of the car, but, frankly, you have to be going really hard – preferably at a racetrack – before you can really feel things happening at the tail. Then there’s that lovely, slightly unruly feel that Porsche drivers just love.The latest Porsche 911 uses electrically-assisted steering for the first time but the engineers have sorted it out beautifully and the feel and responsiveness are spot on. We really would have to test the cars back to back with a hydraulically-assisted steering system to try and find any real differences.VERDICTThose who love the concept seem sure to be more than satisfied with this new generation. Those who have never previously owned one should perhaps treat themselves to the experience one day soon.

My three-year-old son loves the new Porsche 911. He likes the way it looks, he likes the sound, he really likes the way it goes and turns, but he is in love with riding along in his booster seat. This is the first 911 with a remotely usable back seat and that's one of the Camry-style strengths that makes the car more than just a selfish go-faster sports car.It's still fast and sharp, but you can drive the latest 911 on a long motorway haul without hating the road noise and developing a migraine, the electric power steering means you don't feel like every corner could become a contest with the car, and the cabin finally has enough space, style and technology for people who really shop the opposition instead of just signing up for the next 911 in advance. As for kids, you don't always have to leave them behind.VALUEThe new 911 is not remotely cheap, with a starting sticker of $263,100 for a Carrera S without any optional extras, but it's more than just a one-trick pony and the tricks it does are still some of the best in the business. It's hard to value that, particularly when a Porsche buyer could also be looking at a Ferrari, a top-end Jaguar, an Aston Martin or even a lovely new McLaren MP4-12C.You get a lot more for a little more on and in the new 911, a typical approach from most carmakers in 2012. The base price is up from $259,600 for the previous model, but there is more performance and equipment, and even the pricetag for the optional PDK double-clutch gearbox is down from $6800 in the superseded car to $5950, despite the upgrade from six to seven speeds.So the price of the 911 is pretty good, unless you're considering a Nissan GT-R road rocket at $180,000, which is quicker than the German speedster but nowhere near as sophisticated or enjoyable.TECHNOLOGYThe new 911 has everything from an all-new body - with an extra 10 centimetres in the wheelbase that helps open up that toddler space - to upgraded engines, better safety equipment, and a that seven-speed PDK gearbox. It's a highlight and its popularity means Porsche has no plans to continue with a manual shift - also with seven speeds - in either the 911 Turbo or GT3 road rocket.The Carsguide test car arrives as a Carrera 2, which means rear-wheel drive and a 3.8-litre flat-six engine with 294 kiloWatts and 440 Newton-metres of torque. The top speed is claimed at 304km/h, not that it's remotely tested, but the 4.3-second time for a sprint to 100km/h feels right and we get reasonably close to the 8.2 litres/100km economy target - managing 9.4 with a bunch of freeway running - helped by Porsche's stop-start system and other economy boosters including the electric steering.The brakes are the usual brilliant four-wheel discs, although not the hugely expensive carbon ones, the suspension is independent at each corner and the new body has a lower drag co-efficient.Since the test car is eventually heading to a customer it arrives with a bunch of extra options, from dynamic lighting at $1690 and front/rear parking radar at $890 to tyre pressure monitoring at $1590.DESIGNThe 911 is a 911 and you can pick it from hundreds of metres away. But the closer you get the more you seen the detail changes, from the longer side profile to the daytime running lamps, and rear-view mirrors that have migrated to the doors to cut drag and noise.The cabin has more obvious changes, from a centre console inspired by the Panamera - with a high-quality look and classy switchgear - to the larger front and rear seats.The dials stay much the same as before, with the tachometerstill holding price of place, but the overall feel is more substantial and the 12-centimetre colour display screen is a welcome addition.SAFETYWe have to assume a five-star ANCAP rating because the 911 has not been independently crashed, but the proof comes in front-side-head airbags, ABS and stability control. There is also a new torque-vectoring differential to make cornering safer and more secure. The new 911 also has Isofix child seat anchorages in the rear, which are ideal for a three-year old although taller kids might be cramped for headroom.DRIVINGWhen I first drove the new Porsche in the USA last year I was very impressed. The car felt as fast and secure as I expected, with more space, quality and comfort, so well worthy of wearing a 911 badge. On home ground, the new 911 is even better. It easily conquers my favourite driving road, running quickly and secure at a pace which would have left earlier cars - and a range of rivals including an Aston Martin or Maserati - trailing well behind.Some people have criticised the new steering because it's not as 'involving' as earlier 911s, but for me it's 90 per cent as tactile without all the nasty wobbling and kickback. The car also sits flatter on the road, not porpoising along over bumps, and is more secure under heavy braking.But it's the comfort and security of the Carrera that really resonates. Yes, I'm getting older - not old - but the traffic and road rules in 2012 mean there is less and less chance to cut loose in a 911 without heading to a racetrack.I know this car is fast, and I can feel it every time I tickle the accelerator, but it's also a joy when I want to go slowly or have a chat with the smiling toddler who straps into the back for every drive.There are some things I don't like, including the multi-function steering wheel - even though 80 per cent of owners prefer it - that means the test car is missing flappy paddles. The dash can be a bit confusing, and the car gets thirsty when you want to get going.But the new Carrera is a wonderful thing, and I cannot tell you how much more enjoyable it becomes when you can have your best mate along in the back to share the enjoyment. The new 911 gets nine out of 10 from me. So I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the Turbo and GT3 arrive.VERDICT A landmark sports car that changes the game, as well as adding some overdue practicality.Porsche 911 Carrera 2Price: $279,050 (as tested)Warranty: 3 years/unlimited kmResale: 57 per cent (Glass's)Service Interval: 15,000km/12 monthsSafety: 5-star ANCAP (forecast)Engine: 3.8 litre in-line six, 294kW/440kNmBody: Two-door coupeDimensions: (l) 4491mm, (w) 1808mm, (h) 1303mm, (wb) 2450mmWeight: from 1415kgTransmission: 7-speed PDK, rear-wheel driveThirst: from 8.7L/100km, PULP, 205g/km CO

Driving entertainment and a design icon - there are few cars that qualify, but only one truly fits the bill - 911.It is almost criminal to get paid for driving one. Almost. The instantly-recognisable sports-coupe is longer (of wheelbase mainly), wider and equipped with fuel-saving gizmos like an electric (gasp) power steering system.The third all-new Porsche 911, since its birth in the mid 1960s, has hit our roads and rarely does the bitumen get punished like it does beneath this beasty.VALUEThe 911 Carrera S PDK is not for the faint-hearted spender - $263,100 is where the cash action starts, but as tested the steed for our week just topped $280,000.That buys a four-occupant chariot, oodles of badge cred and everyday supercar abilities, as well as bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, indicators and rear tail-lights, a first-rate Bose 12-speaker surround sound system with noise compensation technology, power-adjustable leather seats, touchscreen satnav that can link to the phone, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with phone, audio and information display controls, auto-dimming mirrors and dual-zone climate control.The options fitted to the "Guards Red" (or Cop Bait red) 911 we're playing with include the seven-speed PDK for $5950, an electric tilt/slide sunroof (for $3890), 20in Carrera Classic alloy wheels (an extra $2590), the active headlight system for $1690, $1590 worth of tyre pressure monitoring system, heated seats for $1050 and parking sensors front and rear for $890 - perhaps the last two might be expected as standard on a quarter-million worth of German machinery.TECHNOLOGYThe flat-six 3.8-litre engine develops 294 kW at 7400rpm and 440Nm at 5600rpm using direct injection and a variable valve system that endows the boxer engine with remarkable flexibility. The optional 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) twin-clutch automated manual delivers lightning shifts with no shift-shock even at full noise, which is something to experience - it can also jump from top to 2nd in a heartbeat when required for overtaking.The drivetrain also has some fuel-saving devices, including a unobtrusive stop-start system, brake energy recovery, electro-mechanical power steering and a de-coupling "coasting" fuel-saver function within the PDK, all of which contributes to a 15 per cent drop in fuel use and emissions. The S also gets a torque vectoring system (which gently brakes the inside rear wheel for better cornering) and electronically controlled dampers (with Normal and Sport mode) as standard.DESIGNEvolution of design by the crew at Porsche is done at a glacial pace. But if you're on a good thing you stick to it, and this is probably the most enduring automotive design around, save for the original VW Beetle..... Anyway, the extra width and wheelbase, as well as the shorter overhangs, do little to detract from it - if you like 911s you're going to go weak at the knees over the new one. If you're not a fan, seek medical advice.Entering the cabin and snuggling into the interior - a long downward journey - but once in and set there's plenty of toys - adjustable suspension, touchscreen, the three-dial instrument panel and a grippy leather-wrapped steering wheel with the ridiculous manual-change buttons on the spokes, paddles please Porsche. The tombstone-style electrically-adjustable buckets are surprisingly supportive and comfortable but the flip-forward function doesn't move the seat base for rear occupants' egress.SAFETYWhile ANCAP probably doesn't have the budget to smash one up against something resilient, you'd expect a pretty good result from a car that has six airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control and feels as though its been hewn from one piece of steel.The six-pot front and four-pot rear brakes feel as though they should have a build-up of bitumen in front of the tyres in an emergency stop, such is the force of its retardation.DRIVINGTwist the car-shaped key and the flat-six fires into life with a familiar rough and raspy cough; slip the PDK auto into D and hit the Sport button (which gives all the electronic stuff cause to toughen up) and prod the long throttle pedal. The engine note on part throttle has a delicious growl that only gets better with more throttle input, rising to a metallic bray that is evil, orchestral and intoxicating.Conducted by super-slick instant cog-swaps from the PDK, the S is quickly and easily into licence loss territory - Porsche says 100km/h arrives in 4.3 seconds and the old 100mph mark would (on a racetrack or an autobahn, of course) be reached in an additional five seconds.But straight line speed is only part of the appeal - the chassis (which delivers a remarkably good ride quality given 20in wheels, 35 and 30-profile tyres and sporting intentions) makes mincemeat of bends.The new steering set-up is anything but an issue - there used to be an element akin to a kelpie with ADHD - the steering wheel bobbing, weaving and moving about a little in the bends - but not now.It sits solidly on the road and goes where it's pointed without hesitation, firing out of corners with alacrity and considerable pace - there's no need to baby the throttle as this is no widowmaker. The rear seats are still extremely tight but concessions from front passengers on short trips can have all four seats occupied.It's even able to have child seats employed, much to the delight of my four-year old son who is destined to remain annoyed well past his next birthday that I had to return it. But with 135 litres of luggage space you're probably going to need the back seat for baggage if your taken the Porsche on a roadtrip.Porsche says there's a fuel use improvement despite the extra urge, claiming 8.7 litres per 100km on the combined cycle - the trip computer showed 13.7l/100km (at an average of 40km/h) after more than 600km in the urban rat race and on country roads under the heavy influence of my right foot.The new 911 delivers an epic performance, made even more enjoyable by the fact that this is a car that can easily be driven every day.

Whenever I see a Porsche 911 Cabriolet, it's like visiting a stunning house and finding the carpet is purple shag pile. You can't help thinking, “Why did you do that? You were making all the right moves then veered off into weirdness.'' Perhaps it's about communing with nature, wind in your hair?VALUEPorsche's new 911 Carrera Coupes and Cabriolets have been on sale since late last year, although the cars available to sample so far have all been Carrera S Coupes with a 294kW 3.8-litre engine. The Cabriolet starts at $255,100 for the manual version and $294,250 for the S automatic plus on-road costs. The price premium is considerable too, at $25,000.Strange, that convertible makers go to so much trouble, with wind-deflectors and other devices, to keep the flurries out. Most convertibles have heated seats, for a price, and some even offer neck-level warm-air blowers. Without them, you couldn't drive with the roof down in cold weather, and so you wouldn't do it all, because it's impossible when the Australian sun's shining.TECHNOLOGYThis time the entire range was lined up, including a Coupe and Cabriolet with the new 3.4-litre entry-level engine. This is a version of the previous 3.6-litre unit with a shorter stroke. Like the 3.8, it adopts a suite of fuel-saving strategies, such as clever thermal management and an idle-stop system. As a result, fuel consumption is down by at least 12 per cent, with every car in the range below 10 litres per 100km.As with the 3.8, maximum outputs in the 3.4 are reached higher in the rev range compared with the engine it replaces. Peak power arrives 900rpm higher, at 7400rpm, while peak torque is achieved with an extra 1200rpm, at 5600rpm. However, neither engine has lost its driveability, with the same low-rev torque available from just off idle. In the 3.4, that means around 300Nm from get-go. It's a flexible as ever.The Coupe and Cabriolet share engineering, with the same transmission options of Porsche's seven-speed manual or dual-clutch automatic, increased wheelbase and focus on shedding weight through greater use of aluminium.DESIGNThe Cabriolet is on average more than 50kg lighter than its predecessor and 18 per cent more rigid, with a redesigned rollover protection system behind the cabin helping to add stiffness to the body. Nevertheless, the Cabriolet is unavoidably heavier than the equivalent Coupe by a substantial 85kg.Its key advance this time is a redesigned folding roof. It uses magnesium panels to smooth its contours and the result is a cabin silhouette that can match the coupe to the millimetre, Porsche says. The flush-fitting glass window helps to make it impressively smooth, without the obvious framework that usually spoils the outline of a fabric roof. Invaluably, it can be operated on the move up to 50km/h, opening or closing in just 13 seconds.The Cabrio also feels tightly put together and very solid for an open-roof car. The roof stashes neatly behind the cabin and over the rear axle, and there's no sense of panels shifting slightly that you get with some solid folding tops. So if you are going to buy a convertible, here's one that sits at the top of the class.But there's no avoiding the compromises. The Cabrio cannot be as rigid as the Coupe and the extra weight cannot be wished away. The killer compromise for me, though, is that despite its cleverness the roof needs a raised “hump'' behind the cabin to fold into. This spoils the shape. Your bum really does look big in this.DRIVINGThe convertible is two-tenths slower than the hard-top for any given engine-transmission combination. All of which makes the Coupe a no-brainer for two-thirds of Australian buyers, while the rest will find the lure of the Cabriolet harder to resist than ever. As usual, Porsche has tried to minimise the disadvantages of the Cabrio and make it as close to the Coupe as possible.The 3.4 isn't as quick as the 3.8, but you don't feel short-changed. The slowest Cabriolet 3.4 manual can reach 100km/h in 5.0 seconds and the quickest, the Cabriolet S automatic with launch control, in 4.3s. Sounds terrific, too.From the inside, roof up, the magnesium shell makes it seem almost as solid as a normal roof. It represents an effective compromise between traditional fabric and the folding hardtops favoured by some premium makers. It works with a single button-press and an adjacent switch raises the new wind deflector. On the track, roof down, it proved remarkably effective at keeping the wind out even on the straight, with speeds well in excess of 200km/h.Why get the convertible when there's a perfectly good version with a roof? The coupe is quicker, handles better and has the classic shape. The Cabriolet spoils everything. It's heavier, shakier and needs a humpback to pack the roof, spoiling the coupe's beautiful lines. So if it was my garage, there's no way I'd be tempted from the hardtop. But some will. They've already measured up the den for 1970s retro rugs.VERDICTIt's a classy convertible, but a puzzling choice if you're after a 911.

This is only the third totally new 911 platform since the model started decades ago. The S gets a higher level of standard kit that includes six pot brakes and other goodies.We got to drive the manual Carrera Cabrio and the S with PDK and frankly, prefer the PDK because it's a more engaging drive and has much quicker gear changes. You can also hold onto the wheel with both hands all the time - a distinct benefit at 200kmh plus on the racetrack. Purists will probably like the manual.TECHNOLOGYIt's a rear drive naturally aspirated sports car with the latest technology and thinking Porsche has to offer. That includes a downsized 3.4-litre flat six in the Carrera (with more power and torque rated at 257kW/390Nm) and a power enhanced 3.8-litre flat six in the S model rated at 294kW/440Nm. Redline in both engines is up by 300rpm to 7800.The direct injection engines are a development of the previous 997 model with revised gas flow, reduced friction, ignition upgrade, integrated stop/start, quicker throttle action and earlier torque peak. And like the coupe, there's a choice of seven-speed manual (the first of its kind) and a seven-speed dual clutch PDK manumatic.DESIGNAs you'd expect, the new 911's dynamics are finely honed making it a better thing to drive in all environments - including at the limit on a race track. The body is a hybrid of aluminium and steel and helps make the new model some 45-60kg lighter than the previous 911 Cabrio.It sits 5mm lower has, a 100mm longer wheelbase, wider track, is stiffer and more aerodynamically efficient. The soft top can be deployed at speeds up to 50kmh and it takes around 13 seconds.DRIVEHowling down the long, sloping straight at Sydney Motorsport Park (formerly Eastern Creek) sees 220 - 230kmh click over on the Porsche Carrera Cabriolet speedo. It's seriously fast when you have to peel off left into the big sweeper at the end.But the straight also served to demonstrate just how far soft top "cabriolets" have come in terms of roof integrity. With the roof up, you simply can't tell this is a soft top sports car, even at extremely high speed. There's no bulging, flapping or whooshing as you might expect from lesser brands.No, the 911 Cabrio is tight as a drum at any speed and that applies to water too. It has a clever magnesium frame with three support panels guaranteeing a smooth, tight roofline that mimics the lines of the Carrera coupe almost exactly.Then of course, you can take down the roof and enjoy the climate "au naturale" bat the same speeds but with a degree of buffeting. This is the 991 version of the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and it arrives not long after the tin top coupe models in the same Carrera and Carrera S variants -- for the time being.The PDK is faster in both models by a couple of tenths over a 0-100kmh sprint and uses only slightly more fuel. That number is an incredible 9.2-litres combined in the Carrera Cabriolet -- in a vehicle with near supercar performance. It will knock off a 0-100kmh sprint in 4.8 seconds with the PDK. The S with PDK does it in 4.5, quicker with the Sports Chrono pack that includes launch control.VERDICTAs expected, the Cabrio is a superb driver's vehicle, engaging, flattering and with that superb flat six howl _ all the better with the roof down.  We love the evolved styling, the luxury interior, the exhaust pop on gear changes -- pretty much everything about this car.

Would that on Porsche's encyclopaedic option list there was a box for "weekly track day" - preferably at Sydney Motorsport Park.The renamed, extended and curvingly enhanced Eastern Creek track is one of the decreasing stretches of hardtop on this continent where Porsche's 911 can be enjoyed to anything approaching the extent that its nature demands.VALUEWhile one car presented by Porsche at this showcase for the entry level 911 Carrera and Cabriolet variants is optioned from its $235,850 starting point to a few bottles of Grange under $300K, the item that most impresses is the one least embellished. Yet even in basic form - if anything priced from 230 grand can be so called - the 911 subverts Carsguide's dearly held tenet that less is more.TECHNOLOGYThe - ahem - base Carerra's 3.4 flat six now realises 350 horse power in older and perhaps more meaningful terms, or 257kW and 390Nm. With 400cc more, the S makes 294kW/440Nm.Both achieve 100km/h from standing in less than five seconds, blazingly fast for roads cars and seemingly all the quicker from this cockpit on such wide open straights and a tightly sinuous series of corners where the truly prodigious levels of mechanical grip have to be felt to be believed.Much - much too much - has been made of the move to 100 per cent electric steering. 911 acolytes deplore this as a desecration and will bore about it till plants wither and birds drop stunned from the skies. As one whose life hasn't been spent in a 911 and whose driving life is spent in the real world, I say it's here, it's staying and it's brilliant - fulsome, alive, life enhancing.DESIGNThe real world motif is worth recalling when putting the Cabrio between the Park's new set of plunging and rising apexes. Altogether softer and less sled like than the Coupe, you're in danger of regarding it as less than an unalloyed joy until you remember the invocation of former foreign minister Gareth Evans when addressing the Greens - "in the real world ..."  Still it'll be keenly interesting to see how the new and reportedly much advanced Boxster - released next week - stands in Porsche's open top order of things.As a showcase for enhanced sophistication the Cabrio is hard to fault - be it an innovation as simple as the wind deflector that can be automatically raised and lowered as opposed to being hauled out of the nose and manually erected, or intelligent engine mounts that respond via magnetic fluid to the car's movement for optimum weight distribution.DRIVINGWhat will surely be Porsche's conventional manual transmission is the first to come with a seventh gear. Why? Well, on the daily 250km/h autobahn commute (I've met people who do this), this tall override ratio allows the flying German executive to achieve what would in this country be terminal velocity. Moreover it does it at an engine speed not much greater than that required by a less exotic car at this country's soporific speed limit.To access seventh, and to avoid ham fisted upshifts, it's necessary to travel via fifth or sixth. Suffice, that while none come within three cogs at this track day presentation, the manual now matches the incredibly adroit twin clutch auto PDK for gears, if not outright speed off the mark or - if you happen to care - fuel consumption. Then of, course, there's the ongoing matter of Porsche Doppelkupplung, the PDK twin clutch auto that changes gear and adapts so rapidly there's barely cause to trouble its shifting paddles.Indeed, when my opponent in a launch control activated drag along the main strait thought to change up of his own volition rather than allow PDK to work its own magic, Carsguide's ability shy pilot took an unlikely chequered flag. Yes, it's special alright, especially in Sport where it's quite amazingly anticoatory, tastefully blipping the throttle on downshifts, enhancing the 911's ability to make us amateurs feel like champions. But is it more fun? That's between you and your left foot. While fewer than one in five will opt for the conventional manual, a slickly short throwing model of the species, it's hard not to agree with the head of another German maker of fine driverly car who laments the dying art of nailing a gear  shift for yourself. "We've lost something, haven't we?" No you can't stop progress, it's just that unlike the 911, you might like to slow it up a bit.VERDICTOur abiding principle is that less - less stuff, less expense -  can be more. The purest Porsche proves it.

Porsche's prime number divides a little, but conquers much more. Fourteen years after Porsche adopted water cooling for its engines, there are still people who value the last air-cooled model, the 993, as the best 911.It's entirely possible a similar thing will happen this time with the steering. Perhaps the outgoing series, the 997, will be revered as the last without electrical systems interpreting the road for the driver and the driver's steering inputs for the wheels.TECHNOLOGYThe 911 in even basic form is a good drive, even though the cars on the test drive in California were all S models with every conceivable dynamic gizmo fitted.The next generation of buyers won't know what they're missing and I doubt they'll stop buying. I will know the difference, but everybody's benchmark is different. I've never driven a 993 so I don't mourn the loss of air-cooling, and everything that went with that.DRIVINGCertainly, it would be crazy to deny there's a difference. I can remember the first time I drove a 911 (a 996) and suddenly realising why its steering feel was so lauded.Jolts and other static thrown up by tarmac are absent now, filtered out. But is the steering rubbish? No, it's brilliant. Incredibly precise and direct, and still engaging. Just different.If it wasn't, it would be out of sync with the rest of the car. The 911 is quieter now and more refined, with a better ride. There's less of the stuff you don't want, such as tyre roar, and more of the stuff you do, such as the sound of six-cylinders whipping up kilowatts.What you hear from behind isn't the result of chance. Special plumbing has been developed with the sole purpose of channelling engine sound into the cabin. With the bad stuff filtered out, of course.The 911 still has its trademark handling, brought on by a layout that slings the engine behind the rear axle. Here there's screening too, with software riding shotgun on every aspect of dynamics, from brakes to the amount of grip.This isn't new, although the possibilities, if you tick the options list, are growing all the time.Truth is, purity is a lost cause to the modern carmaker and steering is simply the last thing to succumb. Computers have been gradually tightening their grip on the driving experience and there's no way back.The exceptions -- you can still buy a Lotus Elise without power steering -- are rare. They have diminishingly small appeal and in this era seem too raw and focused for general acceptance.Porsche bit the bullet on steering because fuel economy is today's over-riding imperative. But, in any case, it was probably only a matter of time. It sits sweetly with the precision and sensitivity of the throttle and brakes, and the way car adjusts to inputs. The 911 is still a great drive.VERDICTMaybe I'd love a 993 if I drove one. In which case I'd start scanning the web because 80 per cent of Porsches built are still on the road. It might go in my ideal garage alongside a 997. And this one, too.

Ten years is a long time to wait for a new generation Porsche 911 but the cycle has started again following the arrival of a new 911 code named 991.Thing is, it looks the same - well, to the casual observer. And the point to that is that Porsche has a philosophy of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," in terms of 911 styling. Buyers too are hard-core about the styling, they emphatically want their car to "look" like a 911 and the new one most certainly does.But underneath the familiar looking muscular skin it's all different and the outside is totally new too - bigger, more assertive, wider and stunning to look at.ENGINESThe entry level Carrera model now runs a 3.4-litre flat six with 257kW/390Nm, up on the previous 3.6-litre model while the Carrera S runs a 3.8-litre flat six with 294kW/440Nm, also up.The high compression (12.5:1) engines are naturally aspirated and have direct fuel injection and variable cam timing and lift to boost both performance and fuel efficiency which comes down to an incredible 8.2-litres/100km in the Carrera with PDK transmission.TRANSMISSIONThe rear wheel drive Carrera and Carrera S introduce the world's first seven speed manual transmission with a dual mass flywheel for more response. There's also an optional dual clutch PDK seven speed 'auto' complete with paddle shift and multi modes.A hill hold function is fitted to both models as is auto stop/start for fuel economy gains in city driving. Torque vectoring  is fitted to the PDK S models to aid cornering grip.CHASSISNew 911 has a longer wheelbase and wider front  track than before and is on a new, stiffer chassis featuring a strut front/multi-link rear suspension. Porsche's stability management system is standard and the steering moves to electro-mechanical to save weight and offer superior responses. Active roll bars are available on the S model with brakes featuring four piston front calipers on the Carrera and six pistons on the S.BODYTwo doors, four seats if you have shorties in the front and kids in the back. Or fold down the rear seats and treat it as a two seater, the sensible option. The rear spoiler "self deploys" and the underbody is flat for optimal aerodynamics.There's greater use of aluminium in the body and some chassis components that reduce weight by 98kg depending on spec'. Exterior mirrors are door mounted. The body is bigger inside than the previous model with benefits for passengers and luggage storage.INSIDEGreat advances have been made inside in terms of design, function and appearance with a cool stitched leather dash in pride of place. The touch screen info' screen is large and wide and the easy to read five dial instruments are housed in a stylish binnacle facing the driver's cockpit.The driving position has numerous adjustments and the standard Bose audio system is monumental, upgradable to a top of the range Burmester million watt system. The park assist is handy as are the bixenon headlights. Electrically adjustable sports seats, two zone climate control, leather, multi-function wheel.THE DRIVEOne word ... sensational. We got to drive the S in manual and PDK on the international launch in Santa Barbara last week on a range of roads including freeways, mountain passes and rural B roads.It was a treat to hear and feel and there were times when diplomacy was required to extract the keys from other drivers.It sounds superb, accentuated by pushing the exhaust button which gives a less restricted note. Performance is astonishing from a 3.8-litre "natmo" engine capable of putting away a 0-100kmh sprint in 4.1 seconds. Engine revs to 7800rpm.It corners hard enough to make you queasy and has brakes to pop your eyeballs.VERDICTWould have one in a blink, with PDK. Carrera S does the Nurburgring in 7.40. Prices start at $229,900.