2016 Porsche 911 Carrera S India review, test drive

What’s new

While the new twin-turbo engine is the biggest change here, the car also has an altered suspension. It now sits marginally lower, the rear 305 tyre has been made approximately half an inch wider to handle the additional torque, and it also gets a few active aero bits like the spoiler that hides away and merges with the rear profile of the car when not in use. There are new vents at the rear to help expunge the greater heat of the twin-turbo motor, there’s a new lip spoiler and twin exhausts that are placed close together; the best way to identify this 991.2. And don’t you just love those mildly ‘domed’ headlights that remind you of Porsche Le Mans racers from the past.

There are plenty of new bits inside the cabin as well. The frameless touchscreen is a cool addition and the infotainment system now comes with Apple CarPlay, and you can now scribble letters directly onto the screen. The most important upgrade, however, is the new steering from the 918, with the incredibly attractive chrome frame making it feel quite special. And there’s the new rotary dial used to select Sport mode that gives you extra responsiveness and full boost all the way to the redline (under normal circumstances, the boost tapers off ‘softly’ much earlier before the redline), and there’s now even a new rubberised mat to hold your phone in the elbow box.  The cabin remains comfortable, classy and extremely well built, and the long front seat backs with their integrated headrests are as comfy as ever.

So, in a nutshell, isn’t the new 911 still one of the best sportscars in the world? And it’s a better car overall too, one that will appeal to a wider audience. The performance is more accessible and stronger, the handling is as crisp as ever and it remains surprisingly practical and useable on an everyday basis. Yes, the loss of the extremely characterful naturally aspirated motor is a big one, and that means some important bits of what were once considered part of the 911 experience are gone, probably forever, but the new 911 S gives you back so much more, and almost makes up for it. The new 911, however, isn’t cheap. The base car costs Rs 1.76 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi) and all the extras on this S will add about another Rs 20 lakh. So yes, you will get your thrills, but you will also have to pay for them. Still if I had to choose a sportscar I had to drive every day, this would be it.