We have lift-off
By Susan Bredow | theage.com.au | 17 April
There are two main reasons we buy cars: practicality and passion. Practicality dictates a car you have because you need it for a specific purpose. Passion guides you to a car you all too often have to justify. Passion can make you look hedonistic, selfish and self-indulgent.
Few people understand why you would spend large amounts of money on a vehicle that can't take passengers, that can hardly fit the weekly groceries, that is not entirely comfortable over long distances, that is likely to be driven by only one person and is not likely to be driven very often at all.
Why would you do it? There are a few reasons but the first you notice when you drive a car such as the Porsche 911 Carrera S is that when you accelerate, your smile widens in proportion to the amount of pressure you've got on the right-side pedal.
The manual version I drove takes just 4.8 seconds from dead stop to 100kmh. With enough road left to keep flying, in less than six seconds more it can reach 160kmh.
In real terms, that means every time you leave the traffic lights you are cop bait if you're not careful. For the first day, I drove the 911 with my heart in my mouth.
The beauty of this beast, though, is that it is possible to drive it sedately. You just need to get over the excitement of blasting off every time you move forward. The six-speed manual gearbox is so smooth to negotiate, it is easy to manoeuvre in normal traffic flow. The only thing I found took a bit of getting used to was the heavy clutch. Thin-soled high heels came off and on went heavier shoes so I could manage it confidently.
To look at, the 911 is a beautiful piece of machinery. Every curve, every corner, every flank is as attractive as a human body sculpted over many hours in a gym. It's as much a work of art as it is a masterpiece of modern engineering.
Turn the key and it starts with a showy roar of its engine. In the cabin you're hunkered down in the driver's seat, the leather wrapping hips and back in a way that makes you feel as if you are part of the machine rather than an awkward add-on.
The sound system is so good it makes music you don't like almost bearable.
You don't get many extras in this car, though. There are no electric seats, no radio controls on the steering wheel, no individual air-conditioning controls, manual adjustment only to deflect headlight glare in rear vision mirror and the seats aren't heated but each sun visor has a mirror with a light.
For about $2200 you can get a SIM card module that turns the car into a globally linked telephone, more powerful than most regular handsets.
Hit the sports suspension mode and the sports exhaust fitted as an optional extra changes the car's note and the throttle is more sensitive. I called this the "lethal switch". There's more instant power and a more radical change in drive feel. In lethal mode, the ride on city streets is rough. Imagine trying to stay still on a jumping castle piled with hyperactive children.
A rear spoiler comes up at 120kmh but there is a switch to put it up if you want a slick profile without the speed.
And just as the car is quick to take off, it's also fast when it comes to pulling up, so powerful are the brakes.
Needless to say, this much excitement comes at a cost. Around town I used 15.3 litres/100km, which is actually less thirsty than Porsche advertises and a surprise given how I'd driven the car. Obviously it is used to much heavier boots.
At the end of a week, it was a strange feeling getting back into my own Porsche Boxster. I can now see why they put the Cayman in the middle between the Porsche baby and its much bigger brother 911. The difference is vast.
Drive the 911 for hedonistic, selfish or self-indulgent reasons - just don't worry about justifying it.
Fast facts
Porsche 911 Carrera S
Price $227,600.
Extras Sports exhaust, $4690; aluminium gear lever and handbrake, $2290; sport chrono package, $2190; in-car SIM card phone module, $2190; 19-inch Carrera wheels, $2080; park assist, $1090; stainless steel door sills, $890.
Engine 3.8L boxer six-cylinder.
Power and torque 261kW, 400Nm.
Transmission Six-speed manual.
Fuel consumption Combined 11.5L/100km.
Safety equipment Six airbags plus Porsche Stability Management.
Brakes Four piston calipers with anti-lock.
First published by TheAge.com.au on April 17 2008
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