Unlike the Porsche 911, very few cars can trace their lineage back more than 50 years. Even fewer single model ranges survive that long. So, for a sports car, which is a niche in the car market, to have an uninterrupted production run for over 57 years, is almost unheard of. It should come as no surprise then that the Porsche 911 has become an absolute legend. An icon, to the extent that it has almost become a genre unto itself.

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 still feels special

This 2009 Porsche 911 is the second iteration of the 997 generation of Porsche’s most recognised sports car. I absolutely love the exterior in this Speed Yellow and Carrera S specification. It’s not too aggressively styled with wings and gills etc, but the colour just lifts it back up again. So it still feels special. Although I wasn’t a fan of the Chocolate Brown leather interior at first, I must admit it really grows on you. It adds to the air of class in the interior and contrasts beautifully with the yellow paintwork.

The 911 has such a recognisable shape, because it has never undergone radical change from one model to the next. By simply evolving through every generation, Porsche has created a very strong family resemblance through its history. Constantly perfecting the design, but the 997 has to be one of the best looking 911’s out there. As mentioned, this Carrera S spec is gracefully understated, doing away with vulgar wings and splitters. Yet it still shows aggression through those wide hips and quad exhausts at the rear and the low, wide nose at the front. Subtle, but still very purposeful.

Porsche 911

The Porsche 911 impresses with the incredible quality of materials.

On the inside the 911 impresses with the incredible quality of materials. Boasting lots of lovely metal details, well laid out controls and exceptionally comfortable seats. If I must nit-pick, the buttons for the suspension modes and traction/stability systems are perhaps a little small and hidden behind the PDK lever. But honestly, once you know where they are, it’s hardly likely to ever be a problem. Build quality is in a word, sublime. The stitching on the beautiful leather dash is perfectly straight and evenly spaced. Absolutely everything you touch feels well-made and, frankly, expensive. If it wasn’t for the hip-hugging seats and the chrono clock on top of the dashboard, you could be forgiven for thinking you are in a much more luxury orientated vehicle.

Porsche 911

Driving on some of the bumpy roads in Cape Town did highlight one thing though. This car is incredibly solid. Nothing rattles or shakes, not even a tiny crack or a squeak. The only noises you hear are the gentle hum of that flat six engine and your own heartbeat in your ears. Especially when that gentle hum builds to the soulful, characteristic howl we’ve all grown to love.

It encourages the driver to play

The engine itself deserves special praise too. Around town it has great tractability from low revs, with just a hint of noise from the exhaust. Unlike modern turbo engines, it has great character too. Power builds progressively as the revs increase. The shove in the small of your back just keeps growing and growing until it’s time for another gearchange. Then the fun starts all over again. It encourages the driver to play with it, to use the revs and ride the range of sonorous noises it makes as the tach sweeps over the dial. The performance is perfectly measured, more than you could ever want to use on a public road. The rear engine layout provides enough traction to ensure it feels perfectly planted and not intimidating at all.

Porsche 911

My love of 3-pedal manuals is very well documented, so this is the part of the review where I should complain about feeling disconnected from the driving experience and being less involved than I would have been with the manual. Annoyingly though, the PDK in the 911, 997.2 is rather good. In auto mode and driving at normal road speeds, it drives like a smooth and refined automatic. In fact, the refinement of the driving experience in general truly surprised me. I could see this making a fantastic long distance GT car. Flick the PDK into manual mode and the gear changes are impressively quick and the gearbox responds instantly to shift commands.

the ratios in the PDK box are much better

I am still a die-hard manual fan, but I must say, specifically in the 911, this PDK really suits the car. The auto mode makes it a great relaxed and comfortable cruiser. In manual mode you get to have some fun with it. Some reports would also suggest that the ratios in the PDK box are much better suited to the engine and the car. Where the ratios in the manual ‘box, apparently to improve emissions, are far too long. Of course, the PDK gearbox is also massively impressive, simply as a piece of engineering.

Porsche 911

Despite low profile tyres and a very communicative ride, the Porsche 911 rides superbly comfortably. Its absolute solidity and surprisingly supple ride, coupled with the torque from that excellent engine make it a relaxed drive at any speed. The steering is also very well judged, with a lovely, weighted feel and more feedback than I was expecting. Turn in is sharp and confident, but there is almost a slightly damped and delayed feel to the way the steering loads and weights up.

It doesn’t feel quite like anything I’ve ever driven before in the hands. But this is my first drive in a Porsche 911, so it could just be because the engine is in the rear and weight distribution is a little rear-biased. Either way, it gives the driver an exceptionally accurate picture of just how the car’s weight is shifting. It is the kind of car that takes time to learn, but it’s approachable and encourages you to explore its abilities.

The Porsche 911 is the Swiss Army Knife of cars

Porsche 911

I found myself desperate to take this 911 on a much longer drive, on some clear, twisty roads. Even during my short drive however, I could very easily see how well deserved the 911’s reputation for excellence is. It really is the Swiss Army Knife of cars. It is a comfortable cruiser, a beautiful design, an exclusive and luxurious escape and a high-performance super-car… with luggage space and air conditioning.

The 911 really is all things to all men, but still represents superb value. This particular car, for example, was provided for testing by The Gilmour Collection, has under 56 000km on the clock and is available for sale at R799 990. Given the quality feel, range of functions, reliability and outright performance, it is easy to see why so many people use these cars as daily drivers. And at only a little more than the price of an entry level BMW 3-Series, this car makes an incredibly compelling case for itself.

Maybe the 911 is not a Swiss Army Knife, maybe it’s automotive heroin – I’d never driven one prior to today, but one short hit and I’m hooked.

Porsche 911

A huge thanks to Gilmour Collection for allowing us to play with their toys. This beautiful example is currently for sale, please visit Gilmour Collection for more information.

If you are a Porsche 911 fan, make sure you check out the REC 901 timepiece in our store, made from salvaged metal taken from a 1977 Porsche 911.