Taking the Lid Off the New 911

How much better? As I pulled away from the lot after being introduced to a very shiny, very black Cabriolet and hit the accelerator after shifting to second for the first time, I wanted this car. Did I say wanted, by third gear I was convinced that I needed this car. It's not a perfect car , but when it comes to pure driving pleasure it's definitely at the pinnacle of Porschedom. It does all the stuff a 911 should do, only smoother and more comfortably.

The 3.4-liter liquid-cooled flat six pulls like a V-8 with a subdued but intriguing metallic hiss as you reach the higher levels of the rev range. The engine is rated at 296 bhp @ 6800 rpm, so there's plenty of room to stretch out the gears and still have the grunt to dig out of tight corners. Porsche says the 996 will do 0 to sixty in 5.2 seconds but the shove you feel when you step on it says this could be a conservative number. Porsche also claims a top speed of 174 mph which I had neither the room on the road nor on my driver's license record to explore.

It will do 80 in 6th gear at 3000 rpm, which proves the flexibility of the engine and the real world usability of all 6 speeds. It has the best feeling transmission ever applied to a Porsche. You can actually flick the titanium-coated lever from gear to gear with the snick-snick that real sports cars are supposed to have but rarely, at least in mid and rear-engine configurations, do. The clutch has a light but positive feel that also brings the 911 into the 1990's in terms of user friendliness.

Another modern convenience is the power steering, although it is not as nice to the touch as the gearbox. It feels over-boosted at first and could have a tad more heft to it. Maybe the thumb-jarring bumpsteer of the old 911 that we have all come to love and expect is a bit over the top, but the new car could benefit from a more weightier feel to the steering.

As for the other handling aspects of the 996, all I can say is that it will make you think you're ready to quit your day job and become Hurley Haywood's teammate. The limits are much higher than even Hurley might care to explore on the road and probably only Hurley should try to reach them on the track. That's not to say it takes all the fun out of carving up a canyon road. You can still get the tail out and make it do what you want by balancing throttle and steering inputs. You're just not going to scare yourself as much as you would in an older 911. The poise and smoothness are incredible. When you just want to enjoy the scenery, or the park ranger is on your tail, the 996 motors through the turns with a bit of understeer. Overall feel is similar to a Boxster with a lot more horsepower and better ride quality.

Inside, there are more reminders of the Boxster, although the quality of materials seems a bit more upscale. The concentric circular layout of the dash was first seen on the Boxster. While the layout is modernistic, the tiny speedometer hanging off the tachometer is almost useless. Fortunately, center stage on the instrument panel is occupied by, of course, the analog tachometer and a digital speed readout. Those are the only two instruments you need to worry about in your enjoyment of this car. Coolant temp ran right around 180 to 190 degrees no matter what traffic conditions were encountered. No coolant leaks either, so Porsche is getting the handle on this new-fangled liquid-cooling deal.

It's too bad that when they finally produced a car so quiet that listening to the radio instead of the engine makes sense, the standard radio is so awful. Another negative is the absence of a glove box , although good-sized door pockets and a center console do provide adequate storage for your necessities of the road. The rear seats, whose backrests fold down, provide ample storage space for more stuff but not real people. Other modern and appreciated touches include an excellent automatic temperature control system that is simple to use. Top operation is also a breeze, so to speak. Forget about fumbling with latches. One touch raises or lowers it along with the side windows. The front seats are extremely comfortable with excellent support. You sit in them not on them.

Pulling on the trunk latch reveals a deep and commodious storage area that also contains the space-conscious spare tire. The view under the rear hood doesn't show much engine. It does feel strange to look back there and see a filler cap for the power steering.

The car I sampled wore 17 inch wheels and tires (205/50 ZR 17 on 7 inch wheels up front and 255/40 ZR 17 on 9 inchers out back) and rode and handled excellently. The optional 18 wheels and tires may be a bit of expensive overkill, my guess being that they would not only detract from ride quality but also decrease the ability to make the tail do tricks. I never thought I would say this about a 911, but I think I would save some of that tire money and get an aftermarket sound system befitting a $70,000+ automobile.

As much as I like driving the new 996, my enthusiasm deflates somewhat upon exiting the car. It's not that exciting from the outside. The old 911 rivaled a Coke bottle when it came to a classical, unique shape. The 996 looks too much like the Boxster, especially from the front. It's a bit bland head on, but like its 911 predecessors, it should age well over the years. After all those years of tacky tack-ons for the old 911, here's a car that could use a little aftermarket flamboyance.

If you can't beg, borrow, whine or cajole your way into a new 996, a used 993 is still a close second. That's the nice thing about choosing a 911, it's a win-win situation. It's just that those darn guys in Zuffenhausen never let you really catch up. Now they have a new Carrera 4 and pretty soon a new Turbo. For right now, I'll settle for a new Cab, only make mine red.