Porsche 911 Carrera S review: Timeless icon looks better than ever

Well, that’s the script crumpled up and chucked in the wastepaper bin.

I had it all figured out for this new Porsche 911. Too wide, too weighty and fussy, with complicated controls and more power than necessary. Buy the old one I was going to say.

Several of those things are true because the latest iteration of Porsche’s 56-year-old legend is a bit wider than it used to be and faster than it needs to be but, after having driven the car for five minutes, I’ve fallen for it.

Our test Carrera S is painted in Guards Red, the classic Porsche colour that every stockbroker and advertising executive chose for his or her 911 or 944 in the 1980s. With gold wheels.

It’s a combination that, in my opinion, makes this new car the best-looking 911 since the classic 1960s models.

There are lovely details all over the car, from the rear lights to the cooling vents, but the best is the view from the driver’s seat when you look in the door mirror. The rear wing is such a sexy shape.

It’s the best-looking 911 since the 1960s
(Image: HANDOUT)

Inside, there’s no starter button, instead you get a stubby key-like knob in the style of the company’s racing cars.

Once the keyless fob has done its communicating you just turn the ‘key’ to start the engine. Also very traditional is the analogue rev counter right in the middle of the otherwise digital instrument pack.

The engine that you’ve just started is the latest version of Porsche’s flat-six 3.0-litre twin-turbo unit.

It has bigger turbos and intercoolers, new fuel injection and a higher compression ratio, and produces a very strong 450bhp which is 30bhp more than the last Carrera S.

That wider body is now almost all aluminium as is two- thirds of the car’s structure.

The cool leather interior
(Image: HANDOUT)

Also new is an eight-speed double clutch gearbox pithily referred to by the company as the Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or PDK for short. I’ve always been a manual gearbox fan in 911s but I’m coming around to the idea that the PDK box is the better choice.

It’s so slick with its gearchanging, and so much time is spent in traffic these days, that it makes more sense.

The Carrera S is capable of hitting its 190mph maximum speed in sixth gear with another two left.

Why eight gears? For economy and emissions.

It takes a lot of willpower to not break the speed limit all the time in this Porsche.

It is so quick and feels so surefooted. Our car’s basic price is £93,110 but being a test car for the Press it is loaded with options that would bring the price up to £109,187.

The rear wing is such a sexy shape
(Image: HANDOUT)

I could happily do without most of them, including the £1,650 Night Vision Assist – because if I thought there was something wrong with my peepers I wouldn’t want to be driving a car that does 0-62mph in 3.5sec.

Our car doesn’t have the optional rear-wheel steering but it does have Porsche Active Suspension Management (which is standard) with the optional 10mm lower suspension setting.

The ride is jittery at low speed but smooths out once you’re above 20mph – unless you’ve selected the sportiest mode of the adaptive suspension, in which case it’s uncomfortable all the time.

You’d use that on a race track which is where you’ll need to be to fully enjoy this Porsche.

If you have money and self control, this new Porsche is what the 911 has always been – and that’s a usable everyday sports car. Virtually every motoring hack I know has owned a 911 at some stage… and that includes me.